Grosse Pointe Unitarian Declared a Green Sanctuary for 2025

​## GROSSE POINTE UNITARIAN DECLARED A GREEN SANCTUARY BY THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION
For the past year, the Social Justice Committee has engaged in thoughtful conversation and diligent work to develop a Green Sanctuary application. After a series of workshops and revisions, the committee formally approved a submission to the Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team of the UUA, led by Reverend Rachel Myslivy. Following that, our Board of Directors also reviewed and affirmed the application.
The application was then submitted by Kathy Konwiak, Chair of the Social Justice Committee.
Reverend Rachel returned the application with a single, thoughtful note:
“Have you structured this using the **Four Essentials of Climate Action**?”
These four guideposts—core to the UUA’s climate justice strategy through 2030—help congregations center their work around impact and equity:
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###  Congregational Transformation
*Reimagine your congregation from the inside out—infusing climate justice into worship, governance, and education to build a community aligned with ecological values.*
###  Community Resilience
*Strengthen your capacity to face climate disruptions by building local networks of care, preparedness, and spiritual grounding that support thriving through uncertainty.*
###  Justice
*Center the voices and needs of those most impacted by climate change. Climate action is incomplete without equity, solidarity, and community partnership.*
###  Mitigation
*Take practical steps to reduce emissions and environmental harm—from energy efficiency to low-waste practices—because every action matters.*
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In response, our team reconvened and reorganized our application as a climate action plan structured around these Four Essentials. The result? Reverend Rachel not only loved the revised version—she asked to publish it as an example for other congregations, with a few modest adjustments.
We are deeply gratified by this recognition. It affirms the work already underway in our congregation to heal and honor the Earth, starting at our church home.
Looking ahead, we are eager to engage in vibrant discussion and faithful action—this year, and in the years leading up to 2030. In 2026, we will file a report on our progress and a refreshed action plan as part of our ongoing commitment to the Green Sanctuary program.
The Social Justice Committee looks forward to partnering with all of our committees and our members as we grow together into our role as a Green Sanctuary Congregation.— at Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church.

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