“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.” (Psalm 24:1-2) Throughout the Creation narrative in the first chapter of the Bible, God looks at the beloved creation and says, “It is good”. Collectively, we are all stewards for that which God has created. Caring for the earth is important to our members.

Several years ago Skyland Church became certified as a Green Business in Santa Cruz county.  We maintain this certification by paying careful attention to the products we use in the everyday business of the church.

To minimize our effect on the environment it’s vital that we use paper and cleaning products that are minimally polluting and toxic to the environment.  If you are planning to donate or provide paper or cleaning products for use in the church, please consider the following guidelines.

• Paper products such as paper towels, toilet paper, or napkins should be 100% recycled content and unbleached. Seventh Generation makes these products and they are generally available at stores such as Safeway.
• Printer paper for bulletins, etc. should also be at least 50% and preferably 100% recycled content. This type of paper is available at several places but Staples is one of the few that carries single reams.
• Cleaning products need to be minimally toxic. Products are acceptable if they are on the Green Seal website, if they are on the EPA Safer Choice website, or if they rate 8 or above on Goodguide.com.

Thank you for taking these guidelines into consideration when providing and using these products for the church (and maybe for yourself as well).