Having a creation-care team is probably the most important and critical aspect of the creation work of Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago. Collaborating with this team allows us to accomplish big things for our church.

The Sunday before Earth Day, we held a Green Sunday service that revolved around stewardship and our responsibilities towards God’s creation. Three people on our committee spoke on how they became “green,” and the role that plays in their faith journeys.

That same week, we took part in the One Earth Film Festival, an environmental program based in Chicago that creates opportunities for understanding the climate crisis.

We screened the documentary “From Rails to Trails,” which portrays community-led efforts to transform abandoned rail tracks into bike and nature trails for everyone to enjoy. After the film, we heard from a panel of representatives of local community groups: Openlands, Working Bikes, Third Act Illinois, Solar Landscape, and the City of Chicago Department of the Environment. It was well attended—over 100 people were present.

Broadway UMC members plant native species in the church's garden.

Early this year, we partnered with Faith in Place to assist with their work on indoor air quality. Faith in Place is an environmental non-profit that works with communities of faith across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities.

There are currently no existing legislation or regulations regarding indoor air quality in this country; existing regulations address outdoor air only.

For Faith in Place, we measured the carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels of 13 homes in our community that have gas appliances. We gave these households induction stoves to reduce their gas and fossil fuel dependence. Faith in Place will use the results from our testing—as well as those from other churches in the city—to urge lawmakers to push for reforms in the fossil fuel industry that will improve our overall air quality.

We’ve also been busy ensuring that our home itself is as green as can be. Our pastor, Rev. Alka Lyall, has been a great spark in these efforts. She requested that Faith in Place perform an energy audit of our church. From the audit, we learned about a company named Verde, which replaced all our lights with LED bulbs and motion sensors at a very low cost to the church.

Solar Landscape’s Community Solar program has enabled us to shift our energy source to the sun. This June, we will be able to match our electrical usage with solar energy and achieve net zero emissions: greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere will be balanced by an equivalent amount removed, resulting in no net increase in atmospheric emissions.

We have also banned plastic foam use in our facilities, ensured that the church’s invested funds support fossil-free initiatives, and are now busy putting native plants in our church gardens.

(Jill presented this report at the NIC Creation Care Summit, May 2, 2026.)