FAITH IN PLACE

Since 1999, Faith in Place has empowered Illinois people of all faiths to be leaders in caring for the Earth, providing resources to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities. From our multifaith mission comes our emphasis on service and collaboration with environmental justice communities, i.e., marginalized urban and rural communities, typically of low-to-moderate income and often people of color, who are disproportionately vulnerable and impacted by polluted air, land, water, and climate change. We advance our environmental justice mission through five program areas – energy & climate change; sustainable food & land use; water preservation; advocacy; and youth leadership and empowerment.

Our programs are implemented in close collaboration with our faith partners who represent diverse religious traditions. We respect faith and social diversity and endeavor to make our programming relevant to people of any religion, geography, race, ethnicity, age, and socio-economic class. Our outreach capacity and program impact are across three states: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Faith in Place implements our programming in collaboration with our faith partners and Green Teams, i.e., three or more members of a house of worship who provide cooperative leadership to implement environmental programming consistent with their faith community's unique culture, local context, and theological practices. Green Teams set goals, track progress, and celebrate accomplishments as they educate and motivate their faith community to incorporate environmental consciousness into all activities. Our outreach staff work alongside all Green Teams, "coaching" Green Teams to stay active, effective, and focused on goals with realistic timeframes and scopes. The twice-monthly coaching we provide all Green Teams is a two-way street: we listen and learn about issues, perspectives, and concerns important to their communities as we mentor teams as agents of change. What we learn from our Green Team partners fundamentally shapes what we do and how we do it.

The overriding principal of Faith in Place programming and outreach is that the messenger matters, i.e., if the messenger shares a common identity with the listener, is known and trusted, then the message, especially one that is new and challenging, is better received and positioned to inspire action and amplify impact. To that end we hire, especially in our outreach staff, from the communities we serve. Our outreach staff are trusted by their local community and fluent in local culture, history, and values. Green Team members are not only motivated volunteers with an urgent passion for environmental action; they are also trusted members of their house of worship. This relationship ensures that Green Teams reflect perspectives from inside their faith community, thus lending greater credibility and acceptance to their efforts. Through the coaching process, Green Teams and Faith in Place develop deep, long-lasting relationships of mutual trust, respect, and collaboration, which in turn lead to accomplishments significantly greater than either party alone could achieve.

Faith in Place currently partners with our 232 Green Teams at diverse houses of worship located throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.