Faith in Action Newsletter

Welcome to the third GreenFaith US Faith in Action newsletter! See below for the latest opportunities to get inspired, mobilized, and skilled-up with GreenFaith and our partners.

It has been a busy month, beginning with actions in Houston around the annual fossil fuel industry conference, CERAweek, where GreenFaith’s own Aly Tharp disrupted the CEO of TotalEnergies! And just last week, GreenFaith staff and grassroots leaders took part in the Th!rd Act national day of action in at least seven cities to tell banks "you cut it out or we will cut it up"!

We also are disappointed and outraged by the approval of the Willow Project by the Biden Administration, and we are working with coalition partners to respond and not give up. In an article by Earthbeat, a project of National Catholic Reporter, GreenFaith's executive director, Rev. Fletcher Harper responded "No more means no more," and organizer Aly Tharp said "Biden promised he wouldn't do this when he ran for election. So it's a betrayal of his word. And it's a mistake.” Stay tuned for updates on how to condemn and oppose the Willow Project approval with GreenFaith!

Lastly, this newsletter is intended for people in the United States (US). If you are not in the US, please click here to update your information with us. Thank you!

In faith,

William Morris, Faith Organizer

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Spiritual Grounding

We just passed the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere! It is the time of year when the earth begins to shake off the cold, and green shoots dare to make an appearance. This marks the beginning of a new year and high holy days in many faith and cultural lineages. As we welcome Spring and celebrate life renewing, here is a reading to ground us and invite us to imagine what is yet to come: “In this Time of Anticipated Spring” by Rev. Terasa Cooley.

Wherever you are in this process of renewal, find a moment to connect with the earth and feel the gifts of life, growth and hope.  

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Community Connection

Singing to Ground Our Spirits & Inspire Our Movement
Wednesday, April 12, 1-2:30 ET / 12-1:30 CT / 11-12:30 MT / 10-11:30 PT
AND - Thursday, April 20, 6:30-8pm ET / 5:30-7 CT / 4:30-6 MT / 3:30-5 PT

Join GreenFaith in learning and singing songs together for use at your next community meeting, spiritual gathering or public action! We are blessed to be working with Lu Aya of the Peace Poets to create songs for spiritually grounding and bringing expressions of our faith into action for climate justice. You are invited to join one or both of the times listed!

Singing and chanting together can be a deep source of spiritual grounding and connection to ourselves and each other, to our vision and purpose, to the divine, to the lands, the water, the ancestors and future generations. Many of us experience this transcendent power of music in our religious practices and traditions. It’s time to bring this unique cultural wisdom into our faithful movement building for climate justice! Join us on April 12 or April 20.

Circle Spotlight! Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith Circle
Last week in Albany, New York, the Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith Circle and 30+ faith-based and community organizations led a demonstration directed at three Wall Street banks funding new fossil fuel projects. The event engaged people of all ages with singing, speaking, drumming and more. This action is bringing to the forefront an ‘assembly of faith leaders’ with the message of the moral imperative to stop funding climate chaos.

Part of the Th!rd Act national day of action to tell banks, "you cut it out or we will cut it up!", this GreenFaith circle along with congregations and local and state climate organizations are actively putting pressure on Wall Street banks and giving people a way to put their faith into concrete action. Great work, Rivers & Mountains Circle!

Do you want to share news from your Circle in an upcoming newsletter? Email amy@greenfaith.org.

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Actions

Th!rd Act Faith Action Celebration, Storytelling and Next Steps
March 31, 3:30 ET / 2:30 CT / 1:30 MT / 12:30 PT  

Open to all! Join this call to hear stories from the faith participation in the Th!rd Act Day of Action on March 21,celebrate the impact of these actions, and learn more about how to plug into the escalation of climate finance actions and convergences over the next few months. There’s a lot on the horizon! Come to get inspired and plugged in to the momentum of collective faith action to stop banks and asset managers from financing new fossil fuel infrastructure. Register here!

No Faith in Fossil Fuels - A Climate Finance Summit
May 8-11 - See Schedule and Register Here

From May 8-11, people of faith will gather to learn about how banks and asset managers continue to invest in the fossil fuel industries that are destroying communities in the U.S. and around the world – and then find out how to hold these financial institutions accountable. Together, we can commit to taking the bold steps necessary to effect real change.

This summit is for you if you’re just making the connections between faith, finance, and climate, if you’re a money manager rooted in just climate values, or if you are part of a community wrestling with these questions. Learn more and register today!

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Education & Learning

People of Faith In Public Action - Training (virtual)
Tuesday, April 4 - 5-6:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 CT / 3-4:30 MT / 2-3:30 PT

All around the country, people of faith and spirit are deeply concerned about what is happening to our earth. In this session, we will explore from the theological, social, and practical standpoints why it matters that people of faith show up in public and how to do it in a way that feels faithful. If you are shy about taking public actions or are not sure how to begin this will be especially helpful. For seasoned leaders, this is a chance to share your wisdom! Come to learn, share your experience and get ready for your first/next action! Register Here!

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Thank you for reading Faith in Action, Volume 3! Stay tuned for future editions, and contact William Morris with any input or feedback, William@greenfaith.org