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Bell ringing campaign to highlight Copenhagen summit
World leaders will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, to attempt to find agreement on a climate change action plan to replace the soon to expire Kyoto Protocol. On Sunday, December 13, at the height of the summit, the World Council of Churches will hold an ecumenical service. As a way of demonstrating solidarity between God's people and the earth, churches around the globe are being asked to ring their bells 350 times at 3:00 PM local time. Why 350? Because according to climate experts, 350 parts per million (ppm) is the upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in our atmosphere. Until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275 ppm of CO2, but now the concentration stands at 390 ppm. If successful, the campaign will produce a 24-hour chain of bell ringing stretching around the globe.

If 3:00 PM is not convenient, organizers are suggesting a time right after the conclusion of your Sunday service. For more information, look for the link to Copenhagen bell ringing campaign on CLWR’s homepage: www.clwr.org.
 

Fall supper highlights food security
Improving a community's access to a safe and reliable supply of nutritious food is often a component of CLWR’s development programming. One way congregations and groups can draw attention to the issue of food security is to organize a "100-Mile Diet" dinner.

This October, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Kitchener, celebrated Harvest Home Sunday with a "100-Mile" potluck lunch following the service. More than 60 people enjoyed local summer sausage, tasty salads, delicious full-bodied vegetable soup, root vegetable casseroles, local apple cider and several apple desserts. "This is the second year for this event at St. Mark's and is part of a month-long initiative to raise awareness of CLWR’s work and to give gratitude to God for our many blessings," says Wilma Marie Bindernagel, one of the event's organizers. 

The '100-Mile Diet" was made popular by two Canadians, Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon, who live in BC’s lower mainland. They went for one year eating only foods that came from within 100 miles of their home and later wrote a book about their experience. The concept draws awareness to how much we rely on distant suppliers of food and the amount of fossil fuels consumed in bringing that food to us. 

New resource for the We Care program
When the phone rang in our office about six weeks ago, it was Pastor Tanya Ramer of Zion Lutheran, Waterloo, calling to ask whether CLWR had an order of service for dedicating We Care kits prior to sending them to CLWR's warehouse in Winnipeg. We didn't but it was such a great idea that Tanya was asked if she could begin working on a draft. Thanks to her and her colleague, Pastor Krister Ulmanis, we are pleased to announce that this resource is now available for downloading from CLWR’s website. Go to www.clwr.org/Resources/print.cfm and look for the link to the order of service under the Downloadable Resources for Congregations section.

CLWR's We Care program continues to gain momentum. In our 2008-09 fiscal year, 8,132 We Care kits and 10,713 quilts and blankets were shipped overseas. To learn more about how you can help, visit www.clwr.org/What-We-Do/quilts-and-kits.cfm. You may also assist by designating a donation to help defer ocean freight and warehousing costs.

Christmas is coming but so is Lent
Is your congregational council meeting this month to begin planning events for 2010? If so, they likely have their eye on Lent. Ash Wednesday falls on February 17, which is a mere 48 days into the new year, so time is tight. Lent is a season when thoughts turn to sacrifice. For many, the practice of foregoing a favourite food or pastime is well engrained. As well, we think of making special gifts to assist those in need.

If you are looking for a way for your congregation to participate collectively in a Lenten project, why not consider CLWR's new resource, One Community. Through the program, you can equip a representative community with a variety of material and non-material resources to help move it towards a more sustainable future. For more information and to download a copy of the One Community resource, please visit www.clwr.org. If you are not on your church council, why not mention the program to one your council members. Watch for other Lenten resources on the CLWR website beginning late January.