The Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist
c3hoffice@gmail.com
(919) 942-2050
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ABOUT ECO

PictureLast sign on the 7 principles trail
OUR MISSION
To support and encourage the Church and its members/friends to take actions toward sustainability and better stewardship of Earth.  

OUR VISION 
We live in a world faced with several existential threats including the Climate Crisis and Loss of Biodiversity. Only through our actions on a personal, church, state and national level can we hope to avert the worst impact of these crises. We envision a world where people live in a more environmentally just and sustainable way with respect for all of the planet’s inhabitants. To this end, we plan activities for and offer information to church members so they can learn about and take action on environmental issues.  
We honor the Unitarian Universalist 7th Principle of “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we all are a part.” We also recognize that all environmental work is directly connected to and honors the 1st UU Principle of “The inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

​CONTACT ECO
To ask questions, share a recycling/sustainability tip, add your name to an email list to receive (occasional) environmental news, or explore joining ECO, send an email to eco@c3huu.org.​ 

MEETINGS
Meetings usually occur on the first Sunday of each month and last 1.5 hours. As of September 2022, we still meet via Zoom at 1:00 PM but hope that we can resume in-person meetings soon. In the past, in-person meetings occurred at church 30 minutes after the last service ended (after coffee hour). If you’re considering joining or have something to share, you are welcome to visit.  Please contact us about dropping in at a meeting. 

ACTIVITIES
ECO has hosted, planned, taken part in, and offered a wide variety of activities over the years, including Earth month and day activities, dinners with locally sourced food, movie screenings, workshops, speakers, gardening, composting, recycling collections, letter-writing campaigns, and demonstrations.  A few of these are pictured on the ECO home page.
​

HISTORY
ECO began in 2007 as the Environmental Action Task Force or EATF, as an outgrowth of a church study series based on The Great Turning.   An early activity was training for and then conducting energy assessments of church members’ homes and a Church energy audit resulting in several changes.  In 2009 we changed our name to ECO, set a clear mission and became a church ministry with a charter.  ECO’s activities mostly focus on helping the church and its members and friends be more environmentally sustainable and better live the UU 7th principle.​
PictureECO members include (from top left): Jim George, co-chair; Jay Johnson, co-chair; Cecilia Warshaw; Laura Gilliom; Julie Worth; Norbert and Judy Lechner; Al and Lois Howlett; Allison Stalberg; and Maple Osterbrink. Elsbeth Van Tongeren is not pictured.


​

In addition to regular activities, ECO has:
  • Led a multi-year effort, including identifying a fundraising mechanism acceptable to the church, for the solar array which came to fruition in 2014 (told we were the first UU church in NC w/solar panels).   
  • Initiated and hosted an Environmental “Collaboratory” of NC UUs in collaboration with NC Interfaith Power & Light in 2016.
  • Initiated and collaboratively planned and carried out a Multi-faith Climate Vigil in 2017.
  • Conducted special Earth Month activities, sometimes including the Sunday service.
  • Conducted yearly Share the Plate collections for local, national and international environmental nonprofits for specific projects.
​ ​ Many of our activities were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We look forward to resuming and have some big ideas for the future like becoming a Zero Waste church, something ECO had begun discussing within the wider church in fall 2019, shortly before Covid became serious.​
Picture


​On June 12, 2022, the church recognized ECO with the Joe and Lucy Straley Beyond These Walls award.​



Picture
IN MEMORIAM: Hank Rodenburg, 1935 - 2016
Hank was a founding member and co-chair of ECO, and he led the solar panel project among many other contributions.  He is greatly missed.  






​
​

  • Home
  • Worship and Arts
    • Upcoming Services & Schedule
    • Most Recent Service
    • Recordings of Past Services >
      • Recording of Past Services
      • Wednesday Vespers
      • Sermon Archive Prior to March 2020
    • Music Ministry >
      • Community Church Choir
      • 2021 Virtual Music Gala
      • 2020 Virtual Music Gala
      • Virtual Worship Music
      • Music Program
      • As You Like It
      • Community Church Singers
      • Children's Choir
      • Youth Music Ensemble
      • UUkes
      • Instrumentalists
      • Music Team
      • Music Gala
      • Musicals
      • Pageants
      • Choir Sundays
      • Concert Series
    • Art at Community Church >
      • Art in the Sanctuary >
        • Upcoming Art Exhibits
      • Art in the Commons
      • Past Art Exhibits
  • Newcomers
    • Welcome
    • What to Expect When You Visit
    • Visiting with Children and Youth
    • Map and Directions
    • The Path to Membership
    • How to Connect
  • About Us
    • Building Use Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Our Minister
    • Our Staff
    • Our Governance >
      • Our Board of Trustees
      • Board Nominees 2022
      • 2020 Board
      • Congregational Meeting Documents 2019
      • Our Covenant
      • Our Mission and Vision
      • Our Strategic Plan
      • Our Bylaws
      • Social Media Policy
      • More About Our Governance
    • Committees and Ministries >
      • Caring Ministry
      • Living Our Covenant with Intention
      • Endowment Committee
      • Committee on Ministry
      • Finance Committee >
        • Sunday Counters
      • Worship Ministry
    • Our History >
      • Congregational Award Recipients
    • About Unitarian Universalism >
      • The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
      • Our Beliefs
      • Unitarian Universalist History
      • Southeast District of the UUA >
        • Building On Our Legacy Capital Fund
    • Stewardship >
      • Annual Pledge Drive
      • The Endowment Fund: Supporting the Future of Our Congregational Mission >
        • Proposing a Project
        • Contribute to the Fund
        • Past Projects
        • What is the Fund
      • Qualified Charitable Distributions
  • Youth and Children
    • Ready for RE, a visual guide
    • Summer Offerings for Children and Youth
    • About Youth and Children's Ministry At The Community Church >
      • Program Philosophy
      • Helping Children and Youth Connect at Church
      • Parent Expectations
      • Program Leadership
    • COVID Precautions
    • Registration and Parent Cooperative >
      • Registration
      • Parent Cooperative Information
      • Parent Cooperative Requirement
    • Children's Program
    • Youth Program >
      • Sunday Programs for youth
      • Coming of Age
      • Bridging
    • Sarah Elizabeth Insch Church Youth Leadership Program >
      • Insch Program Description
      • Insch Associates
      • Insch Program Application
    • Youth Staff Internship Program >
      • Insch Program History
    • Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education
    • Chalice Camp 2022
  • Justice and Service
    • Ongoing Racial Equity Work
    • Racial Equity Challenges
    • Charles M. Jones Peace & Justice Committee
    • Community Service Ministry
    • ECO
    • Habitat For Humanity Outreach
    • Immigrant Justice Initiative
    • Share the Plate
    • Side with Love Ministry >
      • Side with Love Spotlight
      • Side with Love Concerts
  • Learning and Fellowship
    • Welcoming Ministry
    • 20s and 30s Group
    • Annual Fall Auction >
      • Auction Resources
    • Community Church in Action >
      • Community Day of Service 2023
      • Community Day of Service 2022 Photos
      • Community Day of Service 2022
      • Community Day of Service 2020 Photos
      • Community Day of Service 2019 Photos
    • Community Clickers >
      • Patterns and Instructions
      • Community Clickers - 2023 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2022 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2021 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2020 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2019 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2018 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2017 Projects
      • Community Clickers - 2016 Projects
    • Chalice Circles/Small Group Ministry
    • Flaming Chalices Softball
    • Outdoor Connections
    • Rare Women >
      • Housing Options as We Age
      • Resources for Rare Women
    • Sanctuary for Dialogue
    • Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA) >
      • Past SEA Classes and Programs
      • SEA Pilgrimage Class
    • UNC Campus Fellowship
    • UU Non-Fiction Readers
    • WomenCircle
  • Donate Now
  • Flower Communion