Videos from our Annual Fall Gathering, November 2022

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New Mexico El Paso Interfaith Power & Light held its annual fall gathering on Thursday, Nov. 10, at First Congregational UCC in Albquerque.  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our previous two gatherings in 2020 and 2021 were virtual.  So having an in-person event was great.!As was the case with some previous in-person annual gatherings, the meeting was streamed on Facebook Live and recorded on YouTube (see link below).

One of the highlights of our meeting was a panel discussion featuring four young advocates: Emma O’Sullivan (Los Lunas, NM), an immigration attorney (Santa Fe Dreamers Project) and NMEP-IPL board member; Arcelia Isais-Gastelum (Albuquerque), field manager at ReNew Mexico  and NMEP-IPL board treasurer; Cynthia Gonzalez, (El Paso, TX) advocacy coordinator at the St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace, and Ecology  and an NMEP-IPL board member; and Kayley Shoup (Carlsbad, NM), field organizer for Citizens Caring for the Future, an NMEP-IPL affiliate in the Permian Basin.  Rev. Lynne Hinton, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Churches, moderated the panel.

We divided the panel discussion into the themes that were discussed. Below are the videos of the introduction and three of the questions that were addressed.

Panelists Introduce Themselves

(Video length 11:28)

When did you get the call to advocate for the environment?

(Video length, 9:07)

What spiritual disciplines help you remain hopeful?

(Video length: 12:45)

How do you organize in light of overwhelmed, fearful society?

(Video length: 10:38)

Board member Terry Sloan offers closing prayer/reflection

(Video length: 2:20)

The full event, courtesy of First Congregational Church

(Coverage is about 1 1/2 hours  Start video at about 17:50 )

SEED and SPROUT Awards

Every year, we present SEED (communities and congregations) and SPROUT (Individuals) Awards for those faith communities and individuals who have done amazing work this year. The SEED award this year went to  Christ in the Desert Monastery (Seed). Individual Sprout awards to: Betsy Diaz, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, ABQ; Kaitlin Bryson, Santa Fe (young adult); and Kayley Shoup, Citizens Caring for the Future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Benedictine monks at Christ in the Desert Monastery in Abiquiu were recognized with the SEED award. The monastery has implemented sustainable technology, particularly solar energy and water management. Representatives from the monastery were unable to attend the event. Dagmar Llewelyn from the Bureau of Reclamation, which has worked closely with the monks at the monastery on several water projects, accepted the SEED award on their behalf.

Solar Power System at Christ in the Desert Monastery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betsy Diaz from La Mesa Presbyterian Church received a SPROUT award for her work on water conservation and other water-related issues.

 

 

 

 

Kaitlin Bryson from Santa Fe was recognized with a SPROUT award for her work integrating art, science (mycology and the environment to bring education/awarness to climate change.

 

 

Kayley Shoup from Carlsbad received a SPROUT for her highly effective organizing, advocacy, and media work in to bring attention to the danges of methane leaks to residents of Carlsbad, Hobbs, Jal and other communities in the New Mexico Permian basin.

Luther House Students Host Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

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On Wednesday, April 20 Lutheran Campus Ministries hosted an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt and Action for students from UNM and CNM. 16 people competed in 3 teams to find 5 scavenger locations on the main campus of UNM. Each location required an action from the team: recite a prayer for climate justice, call a Senator to demand climate justice action, commit to no longer using single-use plastics etc.
Teams reunited at Luther House, received prizes for participating, and discussed several ways to love Mother Earth better. Students were also invited to attend the film screening of “Youth vs. Gov” with First Congregational UCC and will return to Luther House on Wednesday, April 27 to join in the webinar discussion with IPL.
Location 1: Prayer: Duck Pond- Breath Prayer- “God of Creation, As we breathe the air that sustains, fill us with your love for Mother Earth. Breathe into us solidarity with the suffering caused by our irresponsibility. Move us into action to serve our Earth and build your sustainable kin_dom. Amen”
Location 2– Educate/Organize: Smith Plaza- Advertised the “Youth vs. Gov” film screening and film discussion.
Location 3- Action: Statues: “Flood the phones, not the planet. Call Senator Lujan and demand climate justice now!”
Location 4– Commit: Mother Earth Fountain- “Commit to love Mother Earth even more. No more single use plastics”
Location 5– Joy: Center of the Universe sculpture: “Don’t forget to make joy the center of it all” (Hop Scotch)
(Information courtesy of Rhonda Newby-Torres, a former NMEP-IPL board member and lay pastor at Luther House-Lutheran Campus Ministry at UNM and CNM)