Riverside Presbyterian Church has been an Earth Care Congregation since 2016

Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville also signed on to be an Earth Care Congregation in 2016. Part of the church’s mission statement is “… cherishing, sustaining, & enhancing the resources God has entrusted to us.” The theme from Psalm 1:3 (“They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.”) is incorporated into their mission and publicity.

A banner used in worship

The campus grounds of Riverside Presbyterian Church and Riverside Presbyterian Day School, which are nestled in the 5 Points area of Jacksonville, include outdoor outdoor gathering areas (see the photo of the courtyard below).

They are committed to educating their church members by regularly placing earth care tips in the church newsletter (see examples below) to remind everyone of what we should be doing at home and work to foster a more sustainable world. Little changes can make a difference in the environment!

In the past, the church honored an individual who went over and above to do something good for this world. They received recognition and a print of a painting of Jacksonville parks done by their resident artist, Kathy Stark.

Lisa Williams, Riverside’s Earth Care committee chair, also tries to coordinate some of her Sierra Club activities with the church in service of earth care.  This year, the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and IXIA Native Plant Society hosted a symposium on the importance of using native plants in the home and business landscape.  The event included numerous booths related to the topic including native plant nurseries and various authors selling native plants and related books.

While the last two years with Covid has slowed things down a bit, the church’s commitment to earth care remains strong.

Contributors – Lisa Williams, Breanna Sooter