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20 Guiding Principles

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20 Guiding Principles to Greening Your Seminary
20 Guiding Principles to Greening Your Seminary

1. Always remember the reasons that you are greening your seminary: love for God's earth; a responsibility as God's people to care for others and for the earth; and a means to create community around care for creation.
2.

Remember that every ecological problem has a human justice issue, usually for the poor and the marginalized. Address love for neighbor as you address care for the earth.
3.

Don't be too busy saving the natural world and forget to spend time there. Seek inspiration, joy and communion in the community of creation.
4.

Develop a comprehensive vision for your theological school and keep filling in the pieces. Find a place to start that has some real chance of success. Then keep going.
5.

Try not to get discouraged. Do what you can, have faith, and know that countless others, around the globe, are working with you.
6.

Keep the sacred purpose of the endeavor before you.
7. Plan diverse projects so that everyone can participate on some level of commitment. For example, some will be on the committee to plan recycling, others will approve the plan, and a larger circle will participate in the recycling. 
8.

Keep an open process. Inform people of what is happening and be prepared to compromise where appropriate. Respect differing perspectives and remember the complexity and uncertainty of the issues.
9. Make use of the assets of members of the community with commitments, experiences, or expertise. Correlate assets with needs or opportunities.
10. Work on projects that have the greatest chance of success, but also tackle some important projects that may be difficult to achieve but can make a significant difference if they do. 
11. Strike a balance between visibility and efficaciousness. Do some projects that give the effort visibility but also focus on projects that have the greatest impact.
12. Celebrate what does get done, and do not grieve what does not get done. Do not let those who do not participate keep those who do participate from their delight in the greening process.
13. Lead by example, education, opportunity, and invitation. Do not become the environmental police.
14.

A few people serving as a catalyst—planning, getting information, and proposing—can make an enormous difference. Two or three people are sometimes enough to make things happen for everyone.
15. At the same time, have fun and be renewed by your efforts. Build human community as you restore the earth.
16. Measure the difference your project has made in the larger ecological picture, and tell others about your success.
17. Learn from people who are community organizers. Find the most positive approaches to carry out what you seek to accomplish. Faith-based communities are the largest grassroots organization in the U.S. Draw on their strengths and experience.
18. Make your experiences and knowledge available to other theological schools and religious communities.
19. Look for partners among other faith-based communities, theological schools, and secular agencies. Learn from others. To address the problems we face, we need to work together.
20. Seek to gain the broadest support possible. Be sure to include and involve many people in your various plans and projects.