Green Sacred Space Awards

Faith and the Common Good announces a new award that recognizes the contributions of faith communities who demonstrate commitment in the care of the environment through action. These awards provide a way for people from diverse faith traditions to come together in common humanity with the shared purpose of affirming and celebrating those who lead the way for all of us in stewardship. All actions in support of the sustainability of life on our planet are critical and urgent. It is now widely accepted by eminent scholars and scientists that the greatest threat to humankind at this time is global warming.

We are now part of a new historical period where all of us from all faith communities are called to care for every part of nature. As stated by Thomas Berry in The Great Work – Our Way into the Future, “The distorted dream of an industrial technological paradise is being replaced by the more viable dream of a mutually enhancing human presence within an ever-renewing organic-based Earth community.” We come together in communion with all life, respecting the inherent rights of all life. Our dreams guide our actions, and our dream brings us together. This award is a way to say “Thank you” to those who lead the way.

In establishing the criteria for the awards, we thank the Ottawa Ecology & Theology Working Group of the Anglican Church for their pioneer work at identifying criteria for Green Church awards within their community. Their work has served as a frame of reference in the development of this award within Faith and the Common Good.

Selection of Green Sacred Space Award Recipients

Recipient faith communities are selected under the direction of the Board of Directors of Faith & the Common Good.

Scroll down for information on the most recent award winners

Criteria for Green Sacred Space Awards

The criteria for the Green Sacred Space Award of a faith group will be evidence of awareness and actions in each of the three categories listed below.

1. Spirituality and worship,
2. Sacred spaces, grounds and activities, and
3. The wider community

Using the following chart as a guideline, faith communities are nominated annually for the award if they have accomplishd a minimum of five actions within each category that identifies what the community is doing.

Spirituality and Worship

Prayers and actions concerning Creation, environmental stewardship, social justice, and human rights are often included in the forefront of public worship.

Sacred Space Activities

An earth-friendly policy based on the 5 R’s is established and followed in the Sacred Space: Reverence for Creation, Reduce consumption and waste, Repair, Recycle and Re-use.

The Wider Community

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

The lifestyle in support of stewardship and social justice extends to the home, to the local community, to all life

Make regular use of environmental-focused prayers, liturgies, hymns and/or songs in worship.

Focus on environmental stewardship issues in special services based on religious celebrations and community events (e.g. Earth Day).

Use natural materials in worship.

Hold studies pertinent to environmental stewardship that link to the faith tradition.

Place symbols of nature in the sacred space and create a garden.

Use local, organically grown flowers for celebrations within the Sacred Space.

Establish a committee and notice board focusing on environmental
and sustainability issues.

Explore nature-care issues in children’s activities within the faith community.

Hold or support a holiday or summer camp with an environmental stewardship theme.

Participate in environmental-care services on an inter-faith basis, and/or with the wider environmental community.

Provide opportunities to re-connect with nature through prayer, faith reflections and retreats.

Include resources with a nature and environmental stewardship focus in the community’s library.

Commit to energy and water conservation and use of sustainable energy sources.

Undertake an environmental audit and take appropriate actions re:
- Insulation
- Windows and doors
- Furnace and thermostats
- Fans rather than air conditioners
- Energy-efficient appliances
- Kitchen and Office
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs and LEDs
- Low flush, or where appropriate, composting toilets

Use environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies and pest control methods.

Establish a recycle program for consumables.

Initiate a policy of using washable dishes and cutlery etc. during events and break times.

Install a composter for spent flowers and organic wastes.

Plant a Flower Garden and maintain it with rain water, compost, and no pesticides

Promote fair trade through a purchasing policy and by offering fairly traded products for sale

Advertise or provide clear signage of “stewardship policy” and why it has been initiated.

Encourage members to adopt a greener lifestyle, to join community environmental projects, and to practice the 5 R’s at home through articles in bulletins and newsletters provided by the faith community.

Promote and facilitate household environmental and energy audits and water conservation.

Encourage and support public policies that reflect the principles of a sustainable community (e.g. Green energy, public transportation, pesticide bans).

Support the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain their cultural and natural heritage.

Provide/support opportunities for younger people to experience how people in their own and other communities are affected by the planetary crisis and how they can work for change.

Undertake environmental projects in collaboration with other faith communities or local schools (e.g. naturalization of schoolyards and sacred spaces, spring clean-up, environmental projects, etc.).

Establish a place to collect items such as stamps, mobile phones, used printer cartridges, eye glasses, clothes, and other household items for re-use or recycling.

Promote sustainable transport, including public transit, car-pooling, car-sharing, and cycling.

In the news: GSS Awards article in the Waterloo Region's The Record