Photo by Tamara Malaniy on Unsplash

by Steve Matthews, Senior Missional Consultant

Today I am sitting on my front porch in my hometown, Hendersonville, NC. It’s a beautiful day. The native cardinal flower is fading in the late summer sun, but the pineapple sage is starting to shine with its deep red blooms. We’ve planted these to attract the bees and other pollinators as well as the butterflies and hummingbirds. In the side garden there’s bee balm, butterfly weed, and milkweed. The monarch caterpillars hatch from eggs laid on milkweed before consuming its leaves.  We love watching these critters as they gain nourishment from these plants. It feels like a small step but an important one, especially as these species decline (the eastern monarch populations declined by 59% in 2024).

The natural world is changing here due to human activity. Not only are there significant losses in the monarch population, but there are fewer songbirds migrating through as well. The hemlocks have been decimated by a non-native insect. The dogwoods are diseased because in these parts, climate change means more rain and warmer temperatures resulting in disease and fungus that the trees can’t fight off.

As I drive around the county, I notice that there is more flooding in low-lying areas. Most of the subsidized housing is in this area, as are the new, electrical towers that light, heat and cool the town’s homes and businesses. In short, minority groups, the poor, and compromised plant and animal species in my town bear the brunt of poor short-term and long-term human decision making.

At FaithX, we have access to hundreds of data layers. The map below highlights “Urban Heat Islands” in Columbus, OH. Note the higher temperatures in this neighborhood (4 degrees higher than the city overall). You may also notice that in this neighborhood, 66% of the population lives below the poverty level and 96% of the population are people of color.

What is the church’s role in engaging climate change? There are so many opportunities to impact your local environment, build relationships with the broader community, and advocate for environmental justice. While solar panels on your church roof is a great start, there are also many local options that help the environment AND connect you with your neighbors:

• Plant trees and pollinator gardens (not just on your church property).
• Host environmental awareness walks for your community in partnership with local environmental groups.
• Advocate for reduced hard-scaping that increases runoff and increases local temperatures.
• Invite FaithX to help you assess the impact of climate change in your community, then engage in conversation with local leaders and neighborhood leaders to advocate for change (especially in traditionally overlooked neighborhoods).
• You might also decide to join (or create) a cohort of churches with whom you can collaborate on “green initiatives”. My friend Scott Hardin-Neiri is a Disciples of Christ pastor and part of Green Chalice.  Perhaps exploring their website will give you a jumping off point.

Just do something!

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” What can YOU do and WHOM will you take with you to build a more just and habitable ecosystem in your community?