Join Interfaith Power & Light on Monday, Nov. 16, at 1PM EST to learn how congregations can apply Project Drawdown solutions to reduce emissions.
We’ll hear from the Director of Drawdown Learn, Dr. Elizabeth Bagley and from a few Cool Congregations Challenge winners awarded for their success in lowering emissions.
Join us The Temple for Understanding and the Marble Collegiate Church in collaboration to offer a multifaith climate + prayer created by others on October 16 and 17. The events are free with registration.
The Forum2020 gathering “Science, Spirituality, the Climate Emergency and Our Future” on Friday, October 16th, from 10:00am-1:00pm, consists of three 30-minute panels. Speakers and panelists are listed here, including The Rev. Susan Hendershot, President of Interfaith Power & Light (national).
The multifaith prayer service will take place Saturday morning, October 17th from 10am-11:30am, with “prayers, affirmations and contemplations offered by Indigenous and world religious leaders and sacred music by renown international artists including Yungchen Lhamo, Samir Chatterjee and Steve Gorn, Marble Collegiate Church Choir, Marble Collegiate Church Gospel Choir.”
This past October 12th was Indigenous People’s Day. The way we treat one another and the way we treat the environment are intertwined. Each is an expression of the other, tangibly, and metaphorically.
If you are in Pennsylvania, you are standing on land that is the ancestral home of the Erie, the Haudenosaunee, the Lenape, Munsee, Shawnee, or Susquehannock tribes. As Pennsylvania residents, we must recognize that retellings of the egalitarian intentions of William Penn must also include the all-too-real history of the Paxton Boys Uprising. Many Eastern states now formally recognize tribes within their borders. Pennsylvania does not, though there are rich multi-tribal gatherings of Native Americans in this Commonwealth.
As we mark Indigenous People’s Day, and focus on the work of environmental and climate justice: pause to honor the ways that Native groups in the United States have put themselves on the line to protect everyone’s water against pipeline incursions (and the climate harm at both ends of those pipelines). May Pennsylvanians follow those leads on this land, in faith, and with love.
Please join us virtually on November 15th at 7:00 PM for an Interfaith prayer for the country and ending with a brief Annual Meeting at which we will present a proposed Board Slate for attendees to vote to affirm or decline.
Join us for this webinar on Thursday evening, October 15th 7:00-8:00 PM EST to learn how you can choose 100% renewable electricity for your household.
You’ll get slides you can use at home after the webinar, and if the internet is robust enough, we may even do a couple of live searches.
This webinar uses Pennsylvania state resources, and is specifically designed for people living in Pennsylvania.
Registration is required.
A time of change
Friends, as we enter into this Fall season of transformation I wanted to share with you some changes that are taking place at PA IPL. As many of you know, we were delighted to welcome our new Executive Director, David Heayn-Menendez, earlier this month. He has already stepped into leadership and is working hard to move our organization forward.
At the same time, we are saddened to announce that Cricket Hunter, our long-time Program Director and our founding staff person, has decided to leave the organization after 10 years of incredible service and contribution to PA IPL. Over the coming weeks, we will have an opportunity to honor Cricket and her invaluable work.
Our Board has been strong during this period of dynamic transition, and has helped PA IPL to maintain financial stability with our Stories from the Road Campaign, while managing staff changes, adapting to the limitations of the pandemic, and welcoming new board members. This is due in large part to the dynamic energy of our Board President, Barb Ballenger. After 5 years of service on the Board, Barb will be stepping down this month to complete academic work and continue in her full time role as an Associate Priest at St. Martin in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. We thank Barb for her tremendous work at this critical time and invite you to share your gratitude with her as well via email to bballenger@stmartinec.org.
This month I will be stepping up as board president, Melinda Krokus will be the new board vice-president, Donna Korba will step in to serve as Secretary, and Bill Cozzens will continue in his vital role as Treasurer. We will welcome at least two new board members at the annual organizational meeting on November 15th. The 7PM meeting (via Zoom) will include an interfaith prayer service for the health of our country.
(See prayer and process, below!)
I’m looking forward to building on Barb’s leadership to help our board grow, adapt, and support our organization into the future. While change can be challenging, we are also energized by the possibilities that accompany transition. PA IPL remains committed to its core mission of cultivating a strong interfaith voice to promote policies and actions that fight for our planet. In this current moment of pandemic and societal vulnerability we are convinced more than ever of the need to stay connected and hopeful for the challenges that lay ahead.
We welcome your continued support of our vision and appreciate your ongoing involvement in the work of PA IPL. And of course, we always invite your ideas on ways to make the organization even more vibrant and impactful. Please contact me if you have questions or suggestions at rabbinm18@gmail.com.
Best wishes,
