We Recycle

We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
    -- An excerpt from The Social Creed of the United Methodist Church

In an era when the environment has become a deep concern worldwide, our awareness of the need to be good stewards of God's creation has become overwhelmingly apparent.

Wesley UMC believes that good stewardship of the blessings God has given us - whether they are financial, natural, or personnel resources - is integral to our identity as Christians. As stewards of these blessings, we seek to foster health and wholeness for God's creation by utilizing the gifts of God's people, the financial resources of the Church, and natural resources and supplies in a responsible and respectful manner.

Use of Recycled Goods
In our church office, we use no less than 30 % post consumer recycled paper to produce all of our publications, as well as daily reports and other paperwork. Envelopes, colored paper, and other products made of recycled materials are used whenever possible and whenever available.

Recycling of Aluminum Cans
Here at Wesley, stewardship isn't only an adult concern; our youth are also actively involved in stewardship measures. The Senior High Youth Group provides opportunities to recycle aluminum cans through a bin located in the Fellowship Hall. The funds earned through can redemption are then used to purchase trees and seedlings to plant in the yards of our Habitat for Humanity home recipients, on grave sites of members, and around the church property. Through this project, Wesley's youth are turning trash into trees!

Recycling Used Materials
Many of the materials used at Wesley are recycled or reused on a weekly basis. Bulletins, newsletters, and other documents are all taken to a local paper recycling facility, toner cartridges are recycled at the supply store, cardboard boxes are broken down and recycled, and electronic equipment is dismantled and reused when possible and taken to a recycling center when not.

Recycling baskets are located at both entrances into the Sanctuary, to facilitate easy recycling of the Worship Bulletins and other church papers. As church members prepare to carry their faith out into the world, they begin with an act of Christian stewardship - placing their bulletins into the recycling baskets as they leave worship.

Not only a form of stewardship, recycling at Wesley also creates mission and outreach opportunities. The Wesley church family recycles previously used items by donating them for resale at significantly reduced prices during the semi-annual garage sale, open to the community. Altar flowers are reused and taken to homebound members unable to attend worship on Sundays, and left-over food from the weekly communal meal is repackaged into carry-out containers to be shared with families experiencing illnesses or hardships.

Minimizing Utility Use
Often times only one part of the church is being used, while other rooms are empty. During these times, and when the church is not use, thermostats and lights throughout the empty areas are turned off to reduce power usage. The church staff makes a conscious choice to keep the thermostats set higher or lower in their workspaces, running the comfort systems only when absolutely necessary. In addition, automatic door-closers have been installed on high-traffic doors to increase the energy efficiency of those areas, and several new thermostats have been installed in order to regulate the building temperature more efficiently.

During the weekly communal meal, reusable dishes and silverware are supplied to reduce the amount of waste. Dishes from the meal are cleaned by a commercial-style automatic dishwasher to cleanse and sanitize in a more energy and water efficient manner, and volunteers launder the reusable table linens, washcloths, and drying towels at home.

In addition to these measures, the church is currently looking at the option of replacing our front door with a more insulated, energy efficient model.

Questions or Suggestions?
Wesley U.M.C. is proud to take advantage of these and many other recycling opportunities, actively practicing our Christian belief in the importance of Stewardship for God's creation. If you have any questions about our recycling program, or have suggestions for how the church can continue to grow in their stewardship efforts, please contact the Church Office at (573) 893-2556.

"Stewardship is what a man does after he says, 'I Believe.'"- W.H. Greever