programs
Programs
NRCCC Washington Week
You're INVITED !
Since 1999 Christian and Jewish organizational leaders have come annually to pray for the health and wellbeing of God's Creation, and to advocate to Congress and the Administration the formal statements and policies of America's religious institutions. This has become known as “Washington Week”.
Initially the focus of these annual gatherings was on religious responsibility to conserve and protect our nation's public forests. Over the years the Washington Week program has included the importance of halting global climate change, protection of endangered species, preservation of wilderness, ending mountain-top removal as a method of coal extraction, and protection of national parks from commercial development.
Each year the Washington Week program opens with a National Prayer Breakfast for Creation Care. The first prayer breakfast was held at the historic Willard Hotel alongside the White House. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt was our first guest. Over the years this event has taken place in a variety of locations. On Monday, February 22, 2010, the national prayer breakfast will again gather inside the Willard Hotel alongside The White House. You are invited to join us.
An awards ceremony is part of every year's prayer breakfast. Here we honor those individuals who exemplify principled action in protecting and stewarding forests and all parts of God's creation because of their religious and spiritual values. This tradition began in 1999 with the first “Steward of the Forest” award. Twenty individuals have so far been honored and their accomplishments entered onto our Creation Care Honor Roll. See the names of winners of past Awards >
Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostals, and Mainline Protestants typically hold similar conclusions about issues of Creation care. The result is that religious groups enjoy a united front on the importance of saving national forests, holding off climate change, and protecting and preserving wild lands. When delegates to Washington Week speak to legislators, they represent the formal policy declarations of their own institutions rather than their individual views on issues.
Over the years since the Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation began this ministry, many religious organizations and groups have participated in these interfaith activities, including:
American Baptist Churches USA >
Central Conference of American Rabbis >
Christians Caring for Creation
Earth Care
Evangelical Environmental Network >
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America >
National Catholic Rural Life Conference >
National Council of Churches >
Roman Catholic Franciscans >
Social Action Committee of Reform Judaism >"
plus many dozens of others
To broaden our representational base as well as to extend participation, in 2008 we changed our name and began to designate our work as an interfaith coalition. For this reason we now call this annual gathering “The National Religious Coalition on Creation Care”.
o ensure religious integrity and unity across different beliefs we have established a protocol for interdenominational and interfaith work. This protocol asks each participant to accept several simple guidelines:
- reflect the fullness of his or her religious beliefs,
- respect the responsibility of every other participant to reflect their beliefs, and
- avoid negativity or criticism about other religious groups.
By this simple protocol, we are able to join together and find unity in our common conclusions regarding the conduct and care that is required for good stewardship of God's good earth and all that is in it.
The price of attendance at the National Prayer Breakfast is $45 per person. This includes breakfast, tax of 10% and 21% gratuity which The Willard Hotel requires. We also invite a donation to cover the costs of Washington Week program. Registration for the entire Washington Week program is a sliding scale donation of between $50 to $500 per person. This includes the prayer breakfast, packets, orientation meetings and briefings, appointments with Senators and/or their staffs, organization of the White House meeting, plus the cost of program administration. It does not include meals or housing. Do your best. The registration fee is an IRS 501.c.3 tax deductible donation except for the cost of the breakfast. Your donation helps to sustain this effort.
For more information, and to participate in Washington Week 2010, Feb 21-24,
see: INVITATION >
or Contact NRCCC >
Religious Campaign For Wilderness
Learn more about the value of forests and wilderness for spiritual growth, and join in campaigning for preservation of our God-given natural heritage.
RCW Info >
