Salal + Cedar is a community of Christians responding to climate crisis. Commissioned by the bishop in a grove of Douglas Fir on the Autumnal Equinox in 2015, ours is a relatively new ministry in the diocese of New Westminster. Under the leadership of our “gathering priest” the Reverend Laurel Dykstra, we are growing a local reputation as credible partners in the work for environmental justice.
We meet for worship out doors, rain our shine, all year round and our mandate includes liturgical innovation. We also support other parishes, who invite us to provide programs and lead worship on environmental themes. St. James’ is a member-parish of Salal + Cedar and we have relationships of mutual support with Saint Mary’s, Kerrisdale; St. Clements’s; North Vancouver; and St. Anselm. Our children’s curriculum, lectionary blog and liturgical resources have been used by churches in Ontario, Michigan, California, and New Mexico.
Some of our program highlights include: A Blessing of the Bicycles which was featured in Metro News and Vancouver Courier and involved 11 church communities in the lower mainland taking action to lower the carbon foot-print of their worship commute. A Live Nativity, telling the story of Jesus’ birth while introducing farm animals to city kids. A two-week residential camp program for young environmental leaders. We are looking forward in 2018 to a conservation project to improve wildlife habitat on Coleman Creek on the grounds of St. Clement’s church. We always welcome new faces to learn and worship with us.
We launched our ministry with financial support from the Anglican Initiatives Fund and the justice branch of the Primate’s office of the national church. We are developing our donor base and our grant-writing. In addition to care+share, our funding for 2018 and 2019 will come from the Anglican Foundation, several small project-based grants, individual donations, and fees for speaking and animating Sunday worship in parishes.
Contributions to Salal +Cedar through care+share will support programs that provide opportunity for Christians in the lower Fraser watershed to engage effectively for environmental justice. Each month we offer a unique event in one of three areas. Education events include identification of native medicinal and food plants, using environmental education in Sunday School, and anti-oppression training. Conservation work parties are a hands-on opportunity to engage in physical care for this bio-region: tree planning, invasive species removal, shore-line clean-up. Social change events include, letter writing, community organizing and action.
We are grateful to have been chosen as a care+share recipient and are proud that the diocese supports creation care and ecclesial innovation.
We also provide a visible and identifiable place for Christians to connect with one another at environmental justice events or demonstrations organized by other environmental groups and we are respectfully and appropriately present at Indigenous-led environmental events.
You can use your credit care to donate to care+share on behalf of Salal + Cedar or give directly by clicking the GIVE buttons in the header and footer of this website and using the dropdown giving menu.