St. James' Episcopal Church - Potomac 301-762-8040 office@stjamespotomac.org

Care for Creation

Care for Creation Commission

 

Commission Officer: Doug Holy, acting Chair and Vestry Liaison

Mission Statement
We believe that our world is sacred, having been created  by God, through Christ and in Christ. We are therefore committed to promoting respectful care for God’s creation and in particular to work against climate change and on behalf of climate justice.

Action Plan
The Care for Creation Commission is pursuing care for the Earth as an on-going everyday responsibility of our St. James’ parish members. In the process, the commission collaborates with our Episcopal diocese; local, regional, and national communities of faith; and other partners (e.g., Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection, Maryland Dept of Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay Trust) in order to achieve the most benefits for protection of our Earth and its resources.

What we look forward to

  • Regular communications with St. James’ parishioners about Care for Creation as an on-going mission
  • Continued involvement with the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake and Interfaith Power and Light and making their resources available to the parish

Creation Care Opportunities

What You Can Do

Collaboration Opportunities

Episcopal and Interfaith Partners and Statements

Recent Care for Creation Events

Paint the Plow, October 2023
See more photos and read the news from Friends of Cabin John Creek here.

St. James’ teamed up with Salt Watch and Friends of Cabin John Creek to illustrate the impact of salting roads/driveways on our lovely Cabin John Creek. This plow blade will be used in our local neighborhoods, reminding everyone who sees to care for our waterways but minimizing the use of salt on roads and sidewalks.

Programs and Presentations

Community Composting with Our Neighbors

Community Composting with Our Neighbors

June, 2025

Our next door neighbors at Beth Sholom have graciously extended an invitation for anyone at St. James’ to sign up to participate in their community composting program. For $10/month (paid in a $120 annual fee) you will gain access to the Compost Crew bins located in Beth Sholom’s loading dock, right next to our front parking lot. Composting is a great way to reduce food waste and this opportunity offers a significant savings from Compost Crew’s regular residential pick up rate. To register, just fill out this form on Beth Sholom’s website.
 
All the logistical details are below, and please feel free to reach out to Rev. Catherine with additional questions.
  • The compost bins are located in the Beth Sholom loading dock. The loading dock is located here (it is literally right next to St. James’). You can come and go as you please. The bins do not have any code (for now) and are unlocked. 
  • The fee is $120 for the year. Beth Sholom will remind you after 12 months to sign up again (if you want to continue).
  • Here is a list of items Compost Crew will accept
  • For first time composters, you might benefit from buying a kitchen composting bin and/or compostable liners – you can find all of that in many places, but one convenient place is a company the Compost Crew created, called Key Compostables.

2024 Easter Care for Creation Faith Formation Series

Easter Care for Creation Faith Formation Series 2024

Grab your coffee and pull up a seat at the Care for Creation conversation table following the 10:30 worship service April 14 through May 5!

Members of St. James’ Care for Creation team will be providing updates about ongoing projects. Each session will last 30-45 minutes and include time for prayer, conversation, and resources to take home.

Each week we’ll post the previous Sunday’s discussion resources here.

2023 Easter Series: Sustainable Practices in Everyday Life

This Easter season, we grabbed our coffee and participated as the Creation team offered a four-part series exploring ways that we can incorporate sustainable practices into our everyday lives. For past presentations and information, explore the bins below.

April 16: Caring for Creation as a spiritual practice

April 23: Caring for your own green spaces with integrated pest management

April 30: Considering all of God’s creatures with ethical/sustainable food choices

May 7: Exploring options for green burials

 

2022 Easter Series: Climate Change

 

Other Commission Presentations and Information