Our Mission Statement

The Trinity Episcopal Environmental Ministry (TEEM) was developed to advocate and articulate protection of the environment and preserving the sanctity of creation.

Our TEEM embraces the spirit and goals of other Episcopal congregations and the Interfaith Earth Network of Churches (www.interfaithearthnetwork.org). This network provides interaction with other Christian churches in the USA and around the world. Some of the priority areas of concern include:

• Source of Light and Breath
  • Responding to global warming and climate change
  • Promoting green renewable energy, energy conservation, energy efficiency and clean air

• House of the Lord
  • Continuing the greening of our churches, camps, conference centers and other meeting places

• Gift of Water
  • Protecting and enhancing all watersheds and bio-regions
  • Restoring water quality

• Trees of Life
  • Encouraging sustainable forest management
  • Endorsing the protection of less forests and wilderness areas from road building and other construction

• God's Covenant with Noah
  • Preserving bio-diversity, native habitats and wilderness areas
  • Promoting soil conservation

• Garden of God
  • Implementing healthy practices for agriculture and land

• Celebration of the Word
  • Integrating creation into our liturgy
  • Encouraging use of Creation Season liturgies
  • Supporting care of creation throughout the year
  • Including music in our liturgies

Our TEEM Activities

Our TEEM realizes the challenges of bridging ecology and faith. We will work to encourage the members of our congregation to live, work and pray in environmentally sustainable ways and unite our church's interactions with the global environmental concerns of today. Some specific activities that the Environmental Ministry has undertaken include:

• Working with other neighboring churches to share and disseminate information leading to a greener environment in Wauwatosa
• Increasing recycling at church events, and reducing ground water contamination by pesticides and chemicals
• Involving our Episcopal Youth Group in our environmental ministry.
• Engaging in productive teamwork with the Vestry, Hospitality Committee, and Buildings & Grounds Committee to reduce our environmental waste and pollution at Trinity.
• Hosting a monthly meeting after the 9:30 a.m. service on every last Sunday of the month. These meetings are open to everyone!

We also have a blog for the exchange of practical ideas and information, and for regular updates on the activities of the Environmental Ministry. Visit us at trinitreehugger.

For a checklist to help you identify simple steps to a greener lifestyle, click here for a copy of the Green Neighbor form, a tool from the City of Wauwatosa Energy Committee, the local Sierra Club chapter and Renew Wisconsin. Designed to help you in taking stock of your energy consumption, it is an excellent tool that will enable you to save money and conserve.

For questions, comments, suggestions: contact:  Cornelia Beilke at vocal.music@live.com