Spreading the gospel on green living

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007

Spreading the gospel on green living

Congregations leading public awareness campaigns for environment issues

Children hunted for natural treasures during an outdoor scavenger hunt and pasted together collages about the earth on a recent Saturday afternoon.

Their parents checked out hybrid cars, solar-powered water heaters, rain barrels made from recycled juice containers and organic food hauled in by a mail-order delivery service.

The ‘‘Green-IN,” hosted by Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda, was meant to open Bethesda’s eyes to the environment, complete with an eco-potluck for dinner.

Cedar Lane is one of several inside-the-Beltway congregations in Montgomery County taking up environmental advocacy. Like eco-missionaries from a range of religious and spiritual beliefs, these congregations are trying to spread the green gospel.

‘‘Almost universally there is a concept of being a good steward of the earth and a good steward of Creation,” said Allison Fisher of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, a nonprofit that helps local faith-based groups with environmental initiatives such as fluorescent light bulb drives. ‘‘More and more, they’re taking it as part of their mission.”

Eleven of the group’s 71 partner congregations in the Washington area are in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington and Potomac.

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