Holland

A Climate Pollinator story by Sierra Ross Richer

On a map of Green Churches in Holland, there is a green dot for the Mennonite congregation of Aalsmeer. Another dot represents the Arboretum Church (previously Wageningen Mennonite Church), located 50 miles to the southwest.

“Six years ago, the church (in Aalsmeer) thought about (climate change) and said ‘we have to do something’,” said Leo Bakker, a member of the Mennonite Congregation in Aaslmeer’s sustainability committee. “One of the first things that we did was connected to a country-wide network of Green churches.”

That network, Groene Kerk, includes 410 churches throughout Holland. “It’s a wide network for all kinds of different churches from all denominations,” Leo said.

Jan Joost Kessler, who served on the sustainability working group at the Arboretum Church, in Wageningen, said joining the Green Church network was an important part of his church’s climate change response as well.

“At the entrance of our church we have a sign which is quite big that says we are a Green Church,” Jan Joost said. “So it’s easy to recognize us.”

The Green Church website provides a list of actions for churches to take. In order to join the network and apply for a sign, churches have to commit to taking one new step each year.

The actions fall into six categories: creation and nature, faith and inspiration, energy and climate, handling of money, policy and approach and conscious purchases. When a church completes an action in one of these categories, it receives a badge on the website.

Some steps taken by the Aaslmeer congregation include calculating the church’s carbon footprint, switching to renewable energy sources, organizing education events, publishing a newsletter with sustainability tips, using non-toxic cleaning supplies and organizing “green” services every year.

The Arboretum church has improved its building’s insulation, installed double-paned windows, committed to purchasing fair trade products and invested its money in responsible industries.

Once every two years, all of the Green Churches in Holland gather to connect and share stories.

“It’s very useful because there’s a lot of exchange and learning and inspiration,” said Jan Joost, who usually attends the events.

That’s the network’s goal.

“Green churches are contagious to other churches,” reads a statement on the website. “They lead the way in joyful, simple coexistence and pull others along with (them).”