Saving the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

The success of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is everyone's concern. Today the UN General Secretary warned that the talks were faltering, and he pleaded to the nations of the world to increase their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was also reported today that the Canadian federal government is pondering weaker --not stiffer-- emissions targets for the oil and gas sector. It is now very urgent that we let our government know what our hopes and concerns are.

This Fall the Adult Sunday School of Community Mennonite Church explored the biblical imperative of "Creation Care." We agreed that caring for the health of this sick and groaning planet is not optional for Christians, for our very hope is that God will set the creation free from its bondage to decay (Rom 8:21) and, in Christ, gather up all things in heaven and earth for the praise of his glory (Eph 1:10). And in this cosmic plan we were able to see that the Christian vocation to care for the less fortunate is deeply dependent on a healthy environment. In the context of these discussions we shared a number of inspiring experiments from the past year where we have tried to "walk the talk" of creation care.

Now we have another important opportunity to speak. As leaders gather in Copenhagen for the summit, the church dare not be silent in its prayers and advocacy:

• We should pray for the negotiators and leaders in Copenhagen, that they may have the wisdom to see and the courage to do what is right.
  
• We should write our Prime Minister immediatetly. You may wish to use a pre-written letter addressed to the Prime Minister contained in the link: http://www.climatechangetaskforce.org, or send your own email directly to the Prime Minister's Office (pm@pm.gc.ca).
• We should write our local Member of Parliament. The MPs are listening carefully to their constituency on this issue and they may have some influence in the decision our government takes this week. For those who live in the "Oakridges-Markham" riding (this includes Stouffville), our Member of Parliament is Paul Calandra. You can share your "comments or thoughts" on his webpage (http://www.paulcalandra.com/have-your-say.htm). I wrote Mr. Calandra last week and outlined my concerns and hopes. To his credit, he phoned me back within hours and even left his cell number on the answering machine. He clearly took notice; I encourage you to write him.
  

The good news of the Bible is that God's work of reconciliation in Christ includes reconciliation with all things on earth (Col 1:20). This week we have some important opportunities to witness to and participate in what God is doing.
Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

Give A Day To World AIDS

Today is World AIDS Day, and Jane Philpott from our congregation is the founder of the "Give a Day to World AIDS" movement, inspiring people to give a day's pay to help those affected by HIV/AIDS.

You can watch an inspirational message from Jane, read her blog post, listen to her interview this morning with Andy Barrie on CBC's "Metro Morning" radio program... (if you click here and wait a few seconds, you should hear the audio. The interview's running time is 6:27.)

You can also use this online calculator to calculate a day's pay and make a donation.

Jane concludes her blog post with these words that speak with particular resonance in this season of Advent...

We may be daunted by the magnitude of the task. But we have already come a long way. In the five years since the Give a Day movement started, the number of people in the world on antiretroviral treatment has increased by ten-fold! This has happened through extraordinary efforts of countless people around the world.

To reach a world without AIDS, we have to walk far. We share this path together.

Please engage in an act of solidarity today. Please give a day’s pay… because a day makes a world of difference.

Culture Shock Art Show

Culture Shock is an art show designed to make you think about how culture affects us, what it is, and what happens when different cultures collide, etc.

WHERE: Danforth Mennonite Church
WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 7:30 - 10:00pm.

The artists featured are connected to the Mennonite Community in Toronto and the GTA, including:

Lorne Grove
Paul Plett
Leah Reesor
Joel Nash
Trevor Pogue
Sarah Steiner

There will be refreshments and plenty of interesting artwork to discover. Tell your friends!

"father figure"

Pastor Cameron writes:

In a Rejoice magazine reflection for Monday, September 28, Fred Steiner writes about a football coach in his community who became a father figure to many of his players. He uses this example to illustrate what 1 Chronicles 28:6-10 is saying about God adopting Solomon as his son. This is not about a blood relationship but about the kind of relationship it is.

For years I have used the title of “Father” hesitantly for God. Partly it was in response to the fact that the majority of images used for God are male, and I don't believe that God is male. I also remember hearing a man say that he didn't like to hear people call God “Father.” His father was very abusive and when he heard “Father”, that's all he could think of. Of course, there are abusive mothers, too. So should we avoid using the parental imagery for God? Other people have said that using parental imagery has helped them heal from being abused by parents. Picturing God as a parent that truly loves and cares for them makes them feel safe and, by being able to relate to our perfect parent, they have a model that helps them to be better parents.

Now, I think these people probably had other people in their lives that provided parental love, like the football coach I mentioned above. I don't think it's possible for us to know God completely separately from our human experience. But all our experiences come short of all that God is. All our descriptions of God have some
possible negative aspects to them. For example, a monarch can be a tyrant and a shepherd cares for sheep in order to use it for its fleece or to eat.

Nothing is more universal, more multicultural, than the parental role. Even orphans who never knew their parents can identify with the idea of a loving parent. Can we talk about God as Father and Mother that doesn't alienate some people? Are there ways of describing God that are more appropriate at this time? I think I'm ready to try.

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

help harvest pumpkins

Anyone, all ages, are welcome to help harvest the pumpkins (see the previous post) on Wednesday September 30th, 4:30pm. Meet at Richard Reesor's farm packing plant located at 11691 Warden ave, just north of 19th. This is part of our congregation's "Growing Project" in support of Canada Foodgrains Bank.

pumpkins with a purpose

The Rose family is inviting participation in the "Pumpkins for Charity" initiative again this year... read on!

Pumpkins for Charity

WHEN: Saturday October 3rd, 10am-12:30pm…drop by, have a visit with us and take home your beautiful, locally grown pumpkins! If you can’t come to the sale but would like some pumpkins, please call Jen or Ken. We’ll happily deliver!

WHERE: (please e-mail one of the blog co-moderators - see the column on the side of this blog - for this info or for the Rose family's phone number.)

WHY: Everyone loves pumpkins AND all proceeds go to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank; serving hungry people around the world.

Make a difference….pumpkins with a purpose.

Community Mennonite Calendar

New! Above you will find the new Community Mennonite Church Online Calendar. All committees are encouraged to submit the dates of events and meetings for the 2009-2010 year to Bryan M-S or Arnold N-F. This calendar will be updated regularly. Scroll through it and see what is being planned!

Ben to Bangladesh

Today Ben heads off to Bangladesh for his one-year SALT term. We commissioned him last Sunday, as is our custom, saying, among other things, that "We accept your service as an extension of this congregation and pledge our support for your ministry..." and "...our prayers will continually support you while you are absent from us."

Ben has started a blog that he plans to update regularly as a way to communicate with anybody who would like to read about his experiences and reflections over the coming year. You can find the blog here.

Blessings to you, Ben, as you go out from here - know that our prayers are with you!

welcoming new members

What a delight on Pentecost Sunday to welcome Luke, Rachael, Christina, Hazel, Lorne, Greg, Rachel, Jane, and Pep as new members of Community Mennonite Church!

And within a few days, lo and behold, another new arrival...

Thanks be to God!

annual gathering of mcec

A few weeks ago was the annual gathering of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Click here for a 3 minute video overview of the day...

What's For Dinner?

Here's an article by Rachael Gelinas, who moved to Stouffville last year with her husband Luke and young-and-growing family, and who attends Community Mennonite Church... this article was published recently in the Stouffville Free Press...

What's For Dinner?
Thinking about the Ethics of Eating

Many people these days seem to be admirably concerned about issues beyond themselves and their own well-being. People are starting to look in earnest at the big picture when it comes to the economy and the environment. We’re hearing a lot about "green living" in politics and advertising. We’re all questioning the environmental and economical impact of what cars we choose to drive, what vacations we choose to take, and what products we choose to buy. But perhaps something we don’t often think about -- in terms of repercussions larger than personal health -- is the simple question of what we eat. Talk of global economies is often in terms of oil, automobiles, electronics, etc. But the food economy also plays a central role in global economics. We can live without cars and laptops, but we can’t live without food. When Canada’s 33 million people ask themselves “What’s for dinner?” the answer has far-reaching consequences.

As my family and I have struggled with this question, on the practical level of “what’s for dinner tonight”, and on a more theoretical level, we’ve come to realize that we need to ask exactly who we’re supporting by our food choices. Are we supporting local farmers? Struggling third world growers? Or are we choosing to line the pockets of giant corporations?

Although these seem like daunting questions to ask on a daily basis, we’ve found that a couple of guidelines have simplified the issue: Be aware of how far your food has traveled. Eat fresh and local whenever possible. This happens to be both most beneficial to our health and to the environment (and arguably the economy). When buying packaged food, read the list of ingredients. If it’s longer than five items, and/or if the ingredients are unpronounceable and/or unrecognizable, try to leave it out of the cart.

As Stouffvillites, we live in an area wonderfully rich in agricultural history, with plenty of access to farmers’ markets and local Community Supported Agricultural initiatives (or CSAs). Personally, as people of faith, my family and I find that our greatest motivation to eat ethically lies in the biblical command to be good stewards of our bodies and of the earth. As Wendell Berry, writer/farmer and man of faith himself, put it: “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing, responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”

Recommended reading:
Michael Pollan’s "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore’s Dilemma"
Paul Roberts’ "The End of Food"
Wendell Berry’s "The Gift of Good Land"

pandemic preparedness

Pastor Cameron writes:

Each day as we hear more about the Swine Flu Pandemic we feel a little more anxious and perhaps a little helpless. There is information available to help us start thinking about what we can do if the situation continues to worsen. Mennonite Church Canada has a website with resources for churches to think about how to respond. You can visit that website by clicking here - and use the tabs at the top of the page for links that will help us think about what our congregation may be called to do.

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

solar initiative update

- from Richard Reesor & Bruce Syvret:

Background Information

In November 2007, a group of members of Community Mennonite Church met to discuss the potential of alternative home energy sources as a means to reducing our collective carbon footprint. In particular, the group was interested in considering the potential of solar power as a home energy source. Various members of the group were involved by collecting information, consulting with potential suppliers, analyzing the environmental impact and evaluating the financial feasibility. The assessment indicated that the project seemed viable and it was decided that the next step was to proceed with the installation of a PV solar system on the home of one of the members as a prototype. A 2.52 kW system was installed in September of 2008 and connected to the Ontario electrical grid in late October. The following is a summary of the results to date.

Energy Production Summary


Projected Actual
Month kWh kWh

November 140 130
December 120 120
January 151 160
February 195 200
March 256 270
April 289 170 (Apr 1-15)
Total 1151 1050


Financial Analysis

The system installed was under the Standard Offer Program (SOP) which pays $0.42 /kWh. Annual energy production is estimated to be 2957 kWh, resulting in annual revenues of $1,242. The electricity generated is roughly 2/3 of the annual electricity used by the home. The cost of the system installed, net of rebates, is approximately $20,000. The payback period is estimated to be 16 years, representing a 6-7% return on investment.

A recent change to the SOP has raised the price of the generated energy to $0.80 /kWh. This change has dramatically changed the financial viability of the project. As a result, a PV roof mounted solar system installed under the new price structure will generate annual revenues equal to approximately 9% of the cost of the system indicating a payback period of roughly 11 years. As an example, a $20,000 system would generate roughly $1,800 per year in electricity. Annual maintenance costs for the life of the contract are expected be insignificant.

Environmental Analysis

Calculating the environmental impact of generating solar electricity is not an exact science. However, estimates can be made. The following website, www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator estimates that the CO2 emissions created from the generation of 3000 kWh of coal equals 2.25 metric tonnes. A careful reader of this analysis will question the logic of basing the calculation of the CO2 emissions based on coal noting that in Ontario less than half of the energy generated is sourced from fossil fuels. While this is correct, it should be noted that the peak solar generation production period coincides with peak power usage in the province. The province relies on fossil fuels to cover this peak demand period. In effect, solar generated power more or less replaces fossil fuel generated power; hence the defence for basing the estimate on CO2 emissions on replacing coal generated electricity.

It should also be noted that while this savings in CO2 emissions is considerable, compared to other typical household activity, it is less significant. For example, the above mentioned carbon calculator estimates that a medium sized vehicle driving 1500 km`s per month emits 6.6 tonnes CO2 annually. Therefore, a 33% reduction in personal car travel would have a similar impact on CO2 emissions. Another example is the household clothes dryer. The following website, http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Return-of-the-Clothesline-Debate claims that a typical dryer is responsible for 1 tonne of emissions per year. The implication is that a $50 investment in a clothes line has the potential to save almost as many emissions as a $10,000 investment in a solar generator. These examples are not mentioned to diminish the potential benefits of solar power; rather they are mentioned to highlight the importance of energy conservation as the first step in reducing CO2 emissions.

Summary Information

The experience to date has been very positive. It would appear that the initial projections for energy generation provided by the system provider are accurate. As the table above indicates, actual energy produced to date has been very close to projections. The installation was handled very professionally, with minimal effort required on my part. Based on experience to date, and the added incentive of the updated SOP, it would seem that the technology is financially viable and could be considered by other interested members of the community. However, it should also be noted that as the discussion above mentions, a solar generation installation should only be considered in conjunction with other conservation measures. As good as the financial return may be for a PV system under the SOP, other ``low tech`` solar technologies such as clothes lines and energy conservation measures should be considered as a first step in reducing ones carbon footprint.


Submitted by Richard Reesor & Bruce Syvret

Thinking on the Middle East...

Here is a blog I've come across that is dedicated to dialoguing about the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Reading the stories and firsthand experiences of MCC Palestine is a good supplement/alternative to mainstream media.

Check it out. http://mccpalestine.blogspot.com/