MountainTrue

CCA Book Study: Pope's Encyclical on Creation Care
2017-01-30 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC, 28804, United States
Join the Creation Care Alliance’s Chas Jansen and Susan Presson as we read the Pope’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ — On Care for Our Common Home, one chapter at a time with discussion questions available in advance. Six Monday evening classes will focus on climate science, creation gospel, humanity’s role, “Integral Ecology,” policy directions, and changing within. The last class will be March 13th. There is no cost. For more information, contacts are Chas Jansen – Chas.Jansen@mtsu.edu and Susan Presson – 4pressons@gmail.com.
Mondays starting January 30 for six Mondays from 7:00-8:30pm
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Conference Room
789 Merrimon Ave
Sign up Here.
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis asks, “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” Moving beyond scientific consensus on climate change, Pope Francis invites us to recognize “the rich contribution which the religions can make towards an integral ecology and the full development of humanity.” Despite disturbing ecological news, daunting challenges presented today by technology and excessive self-centeredness, as well as growing injustices visited upon the poor analyzed in this encyclical, Francis nevertheless threads a heartening message of hope through the entire document.

From the Ashes Film Screening
2017-06-23 18:30 - 20:30 | First Congregational Church, 20 Oak Street, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
From the Ashes captures Americans in communities across the country as they wrestle with the legacy of the coal industry and what its future should be under the new Administration. From Appalachia to the West’s Powder River Basin, the film goes beyond the rhetoric of the “war on coal” to present compelling and often heartbreaking stories about what’s at stake for our economy, health, and climate. From the Ashes invites audiences to learn more about an industry on the edge and what it means for their lives. Hosts First Congregational of Asheville, Mad Batter of Sylva and sponsors, Interfaith Power and Light, MountainTrue and collaborations from other local congregations.
See a trailer.
Join Creation Care Alliance and First Congregational UCC for a preview screening of “From the Ashes,” sponsored by NC Interfaith Power & Light, Mountaintrue and local faith communities on June 23rd, 6:30-8:30 p.m, at FirstCUCC Friendship Hall (20 Oak Street). We invite participants to bring their own food and drink to enjoy during the film. After the showing (about 80 minutes), we will hold a discussion about what we’ve seen. For more information for the Asheville Event, please contact Karen Richardson Dunn at krichdunn@gmail.com.

Creation Care Alliance Hidden Life of Beech Trees Hike
2017-06-28 13:00 - 17:30 | NC
Join Creation Care Alliance leaders Chas Jansen and Sarah Ogletree as they lead this ecological and spiritual walk in the forest along the Blue Ridge Parkway. This magical portion of the Mountains to Sea trail closely follows the ridgeline and is dominated by yellow buckeye, yellow birch, and beech trees. Most of the beech trees, in particular, are centuries old and have been stunted and gnarled by the wind into fantastic shapes. Leaving at 1 pm and hiking with several stops for perhaps 3 hours, we aim to be back in Asheville by 5:30. Email Chas chas.jansen@mtsu.edu or Sarah oglese16@wfu.edu for more information.
Register here!

Creation Care Alliance at the Wild Goose Festival
2017-07-13 - 2017-07-16 | NC
The Creation Care Alliance will collaborate with the Wild Goose Festival providing support, making connections with congregations and lending a voice to the Creation Care conversation along with our partners at the North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light. The Creation Care Alliance will offer two workshops on Faith and Creation Care, make significant connections and will be inspired for our ongoing work.
Learn more at wildgoosefestival.org.
You can volunteer to support Wildgoose and CCA by offering shuttle rides to and from the airport.
Sign up to volunteer here.

Creation Care Alliance Concert & Fundraiser
2017-07-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center, 91 North Lakeshore Dr., Lake Junuluska, NC, 28745, United States
Join Creation Care Alliance (CCA) for a lovely night in a truly beautiful place! William Ritter & Sarah Ogletree, singers and traditional fiddle, banjo, and guitar players, will begin playing at 5:00 p.m. at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center and will wrap up the night around 7:00 in the evening. They are excited to be putting on a concert for CCA!
This event will serve as a fundraiser, a time of fellowship, and an opportunity for new faces to become acquainted with us and our mission. We so look forward to our time at the lake!
To learn more about William and Sarah’s music visit their website: http://sarahandwilliam.weebly.com/

Creation Care Alliance Fall Book Study
2017-10-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
Edited by Paul Hawken; with Katharine Wilkinson as Senior Writer
Creation Care Alliance is sponsoring a 5-part book discussion of Drawdown meeting from 6 to 7:15 on Tuesdays, 10/10 to 11/7/2017, at Jubilee! Community. If interested in joining this discussion, please sign up here or email Chas Jansen who will send out a schedule of assignments & guide the discussion sessions (chas.jansen@mtsu.edu). This large, paperback book should be available at Malaprops Bookstore (828-254-6734) for $23.54.
In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here–some are well-known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air.
The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being — giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

Mission Earth: for Youth Groups
2017-10-14 12:30 - 18:30 | Christmount Conference Center, 222 Fern Way, Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States
Service projects, yummy dinner, play, and connections with other youth groups as we focus on faith and the environment.
Middle & high school youth groups are invited to join Asheville Youth Mission and Creation Care Alliance for an afternoon of service and discussion. We’ll work with a variety of local agencies and talk with community leaders about how our beliefs impact the way we care for our neighbors and our planet. $20 registration includes service project program, dinner and event t-shirt.

2017 MountainTrue Annual Gathering
2017-10-25 18:00 - 20:00 | New Belgium Brewing Company, 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC, 28806, United States
We who are MountainTrue have much to celebrate this year. In the response to threats to our waters, lands and communities, we have come together to raise our collective voice on behalf of the future we want to uphold and protect. We will also be welcoming the Asheville Design Center to the MountainTrue family! Our merger creates one organization better able to pursuing a holistic approach to our built and natural environments.
To celebrate these developments and also camaraderie of fellow MountainTrue members, we hope you will come out to the 2017 Annual Gathering – see you there!

To check and see if your membership is current, click here.
If you would like to join or renew your membership, click here.

Paddle-n-Plant: Live Staking with the French Broad Riverkeeper and the Creation Care Alliance
2018-03-08 10:00 - 16:00 | Westfeldt Park, 83 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC, 28732, United States
The French Broad Riverkeeper and MountainTrue are combating sediment erosion in our local waterways. Sediment is a major polluter in our river basin, clogging fish and aquatic habitats, increasing water temperatures, and transporting toxic substances. We are helping to reduce the amount of sediment that flows into our rivers by planting live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. These stakes will grow into trees that will stabilize the sides of the rivers and creeks where we plant them, and will reduce the overall amount of sediment getting into the river.
We’ll be planting through March, so come out to one or more of our Paddle-n-Plant work days!
Follow this link to sign up & read more about what to bring, what to expect, and what other work day dates are coming up!

HP's Sustainability Strategist, John Frey Talks Corporate Sustainability
2018-03-21 09:00 - 10:00 | Asheville Social Hall, 81 Broadway St, Asheville, NC, 28801
MountainTrue is excited to co-host John Frey, Senior Technologist and Sustainability Strategist with Hewlett Packard Enterprises, as the special guest presenter at 1 Million Cups Asheville on Wednesday March 21st. John comes to Asheville as a keynote speaker for ClimateCon and will be exploring topics for business leaders such as how to identify the environmental and social drivers that most impact company success; how to collaborate with others for maximum impact; and the benefits and risks of full transparency in progress towards meeting sustainability goals. The event takes place 9am at the Asheville Social Hall, an event space in downtown Asheville at 81 Broadway St. Come be inspired by how HPE has leveraged sustainability for their own success!

Earth Day Vigil
2018-04-22 17:30 - 19:30 | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States
The Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, a program of MountainTrue, invites you to join us for a vigil celebrating God’s creation and calling on people of faith to care for it. We will gather outside of First Baptist Church for an afternoon of song, reflection, and to hear messages of inspiration and action from local faith and community leaders. All are welcome!

2018 MountainTrue Annual Gathering
2018-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | New Belgium Brewing Company, 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC, 28806, United States

Straws Documentary Screening
2018-11-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC, 28804, United States
Toward Zero Waste Asheville, NC, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, and Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina is happy to present “Straws”, a short documentary narrated by Academy-award winning actor Tim Robbins. “Straws” charts the history of straws and reveals our culture’s current obsession with single-use conveniences. Throughout the documentary, marine researchers, citizen activists, and business owners discuss how it’s possible to make a sea of change through the use of sustainable alternatives to plastic.
The documentary was filmed in Monterey County California, Costa Rica, Georgia, and the Blockade Runner Resort in Wrightsville Beach, NC!
Join us for this award winning film that has been sweeping the nation, and stay after for a discussion of the issue.

Solar 101 for Faith Communities
2018-11-29 18:00 - 20:00 | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States

Book Study: The Hidden Life of Trees
2019-03-12 18:00 - 2019-04-16 19:15 | Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States

Climate Interactive Role Play
2019-03-31 17:30 - 19:30 | First Congregational Church, 20 Oak Street, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States

Practicing Shalom in Our Time of Climate Change
2019-04-24 18:00 - 19:00 | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States
We are happy to present this 4-part series for our church and our community to examine climate change. We will consider its effects on our world, and explore the role of our Christian faith in response. Join us as leaders share their expertise.
April 24 – “Living in this time of Climate Change” Deke Arndt, Chief, Monitoring Branch, National Center for Environmental Information, NOAA From his experience as climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Deke will speak to us about the recent report from the National Climate Assessment, helping us understand major points of interest. Additionally, he will speak to conditions we might expect in the Southeastern US with regard to cli- mate change. We are fortunate to have Deke share his scientific expertise with us.
May 1 – “Practicing Shalom in Climate Change” Rev. Nancy Sehested, Co-pastor, Circle of Mercy Congregation Nancy will lead us in an exploration of the relationship between our faith and climate change. What can we glean from our Scriptures that speak to this issue? How are we then called to respond?
May 8 – “Asheville Responds” A Panel of Local Leaders:
Sophie Mullinax, Blue Horizons Project, Coordinator Dawn Chavez, Asheville Greenworks, Director Scott Hardin-Nieri, Mountain True, Director of Creation Care Alliance From these community leaders, we will learn of their efforts in Asheville and Buncombe County to mitigate climate change. Additionally, they will help us know ways we can participate with them or on an individual basis to make a positive difference in combating climate change.
May 15 – “First Baptist Responds” Dr. Mack Dennis, Pastor Mack will give an overview of ways our church has already taken steps to reduce our energy consumption and live more sustainably. Where do we go from here? Mack will share ideas that are being explored and visions for our future of ways we can help as we live in this time of climate change.

Earth Day Vigil
2019-04-28 17:30 - 19:30 | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States
The Creation Care Alliance of WNC welcomes people of all faiths to an Earth Day Vigil on Sunday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.(Labyrinth walk at 4:15) at the Sacred Garden/Labyrinth of First Baptist Church, 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. This event is a celebration of creation, and a call to spiritually grounded action to care for it during a time when it is in peril. The theme is “Walking the Path” and will include interactive and contemplative practices. This year, instead of hosting the Vigil closer to Earth Day, it will be offered on April 28th to make space for those observing Passover and Easter.
The vigil will be structured as if moving through a Labyrinth in four movements, Remembering, Releasing, Receiving, and Returning with song, poetry, messages of inspiration and invitations to action from local faith and community organizations and leaders.The time will have
Words of reflection and blessings will be delivered by Rev. Carol Hovis from Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Rev. Nancy Walton of Trinity United Methodist Church, Rev. Tommy Bratton and Marian Sadler Arledge of First Baptist Church, Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri of the Creation Care Alliance of WNC, Dr. Hun Lye, Founder and Spiritual Director of Urban Dharma, and Isa Whitaker a member of the Islamic Center of Asheville and the Community Garden Network Coordinator at Bountiful Cities. Sound and musical leadership will be offered by Jenna Lindbo from Land of the Sky United Church of Christ and Joe Hallock of Solar Powered Sound.
Following the Earth Day Vigil, there will be a reception upstairs with donated food and drink. Also opportunities to walk the Labyrinth in mediation and prayer will be available after the vigil.
Creation Care Alliance reminds those interested in attending to consider biking, carpooling or taking public transportation, First Baptist is close to the Charlotte @ College Bus Stop. In the event of rain or bad weather, the vigil will take place just inside of First Baptist Church in the Sanctuary with a labyrinth available inside in the chapel.

One Cello, One Planet: Winston-Salem
2019-08-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving St, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103

One Cello, One Planet: Black Mountain
2019-08-16 19:30 - 21:00 | First Christian Church of Black Mountain, 201 Blue Ridge Rd., Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States

One Cello, One Planet: Tryon
2019-08-18 15:00 - 16:30 | The Congregational Church – United Church of Christ, 210 Melrose Ave, Tryon, NC, 28782

One Cello, One Planet: Hendersonville
2019-08-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe street, Hendersonville, NC, 28791

One Cello, One Planet: Asheville
2019-08-25 16:00 - 17:30 | Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States

Bearwallow Contemplative Hike w/ CCA
2019-12-04 09:00 - 12:00 | Bearwallow Mountain, 4854 Bearwallow Mountain Rd, Hendersonville, NC, 28792

Creation Care Retreat
2020-02-07 12:30 - 2020-02-08 18:00 | Montreat Conference Center-Anderson Auditorium, 303 Lookout Rd., Montreat, NC, 28757

Virtual Earth Day Vigil
2020-04-26 18:00 - 19:30 | NC

Climate Interactive Game
2020-05-12 18:30 - 20:30 | NC

Solar 101 with CCA & NCIPL
2020-05-28 18:00 - 19:30 | NC

Discerning Next Steps in Creation Care - Live Virtual Workshop
2020-06-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Webinar–online

Pandemics and Prejudice: How Can Democracy Survive in a Hotter Time?
2020-07-10 19:00 - 20:30 | NC
The Creation Care Alliance is proud to co-sponsor, along with Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, this presentation by Dr. David Orr, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies & Politics at Oberlin College. Dr. Orr will be presenting a lecture about the moral imperative to restore our democracy as well as the urgency of environmental stewardship. Dr. Orr writes: “The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing crisis of race in America are both an indictment and a preview of what’s coming in a hotter, more divided world with vast economic inequities. Both are symptoms of the tragic failure of democratic institutions.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Orr will not present in person, but we will do this via livestream on Youtube. This event is sponsored by the EARTH team at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (GCPC) and the Creation Care Alliance. The presentation will be streamed via GCPC’s Youtube channel which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKuBtmmmrbsqrCQsEd92rhQ/featured
Dr. Orr will be introduced by Marcia Mount Shoop who will facilitate the question and answer period after his presentation.
