Press Releases
Main Line Unitarian Church
PRESS RELEASE
March 2020
Contact person: Rev. Dr. Neal Jones
(803) 260-6483 cell
MAIN LINE UNITARIAN CHURCH HONORS 50th ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY
WITH MONTH-LONG SERIES OF ACTION-ORIENTED PROGRAMS APRIL 2020
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Public Talk by Representative Greg Vitali, Art Installation, Family Earth Fair Among Activities Scheduled to Spotlight Environmental Crisis
MARCH 2020 Devon, PA—Fifty years ago, a grassroots groundswell of environmental activism spawned an outpouring of “Earth Day” educationally-focused celebrations, held April 22 and throughout the month.
To honor that pivotal, hope-filled moment in history—and to explore where we are in this era of Climate Change—the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA, puts the spotlight on humanity’s shared predicament with a month-long series of programs, coordinated by the church’s Environmental Justice team, and designed to spur activism and inspire hope.
“Make no mistake, the current crisis we find ourselves in is a spiritual crisis,” said Reverend Dr. Neal Jones, MLUC’s minister. “As Unitarian Universalists, our shared principles compel us to work towards a world community with peace, liberty, and justice, respecting the interdependent web of life. We know that as our environment degrades, suffering will rise. We cannot stand idly by.”
April 2020 Earth Awareness Month Activities at the Main Line Unitarian Church:
50th Anniversary Earth Day Lecture with State Representative Greg Vitali:
Pennsylvania’s Environment 2020: A Clear Vision for a Brighter Future
Greg Vitali, Pennsylvania Representative, 166th Legislative District, and Democratic Chair of the House Environmental Resource and Energy Committee, speaks, with time for discussion. Tuesday, April 21, 7 pm talk; reception follows. Co-sponsored with Central Baptist Church, Wayne; Saint David’s Episcopal Church, Wayne; and Trinity Lutheran Church, Havertown, PA.
Trash Can Be Beautiful—MLUC’s Visual Arts Committee creates a month-long art installation in the Fireside Room, putting a spotlight on recycling, and focusing on materials, like Styrofoam and colored plastic bottles, that resist recycling and degrade the earth’s environment. Public opening following Sunday, April 5 services (11:15 a.m.)
Monthly Offering Outreach: Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light—each month, MLUC selects a non-profit organization to receive half the service collection. April’s recipient is PA IPL, a community of congregations, faith-based organizations, and individuals of faith responding to climate change as an ethical and moral issue, through advocacy, education, energy conservation, energy efficiency, stewardship, and the use and promotion of clean, renewable energy. Sunday, April 5, the Board Vice President of PA IPL speaks briefly.
Earth Day Service: Reverend Dr. Neal Jones speaks about the history of Earth Day activism—and what is needed today. Sunday, April 19, 10 am. Main Meeting Room.
Environmental Legislative Advocacy: Select legislation pending will be highlighted, with opportunities to contact legislative representatives Sunday, April 19, 11:15 a.m. Atrium.
Earth Day Celebration—Interactive activities, educational stations, and opportunities for getting involved are featured at this afternoon celebration of Earth Day inspired activism, for all ages. Activities include opportunities to learn about food choices and the environment, eco- friendly gardening and cleaning, carbon footprint awareness, recycling, and more. PennEnvironment, PECO Energy Assessment team, and others provide information and updates. The event has sign up tables for eco–volunteering, and vegan and vegetarian finger foods! Sunday, April 26, 11:15 am to 2:00 pm., MLUC McGinnis Room, Fireside Room and Atrium.
About the Main Line Unitarian Church
Founded in 1958, the Main Line Unitarian Church is a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Like the other 1,040 UU congregations in the United States, Canada and overseas, MLUC operates democratically; church members govern themselves, joining together in a seeking faith with an inclusive liberal religious tradition. Unitarian Universalists are diverse in faith, ethnicity, history and spirituality, but aligned in the desire to make a difference for the good, with a track record of standing on the side of love, justice, and peace.
Having recently completed a 3.5 million–dollar building renovation fundraising campaign,
the 500 members of MLUC have a mission that goes beyond walls and mortar: “Together, we transform lives through love, service, and our welcoming faith.”
The Main Line Unitarian Church is located at 816 South Valley Forge Road in Devon. In addition to Sunday services at 10 am, the Church offers meditation groups and instruction, religious education classes and programs for all ages, a host of special lectures and programs, and social action initiatives that reach into neighboring communities and out into the world. For more information, call the Church at (610) 688.8332, or visit the website: www.mluc.org.
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