Green Ribbon Churches

Become a “Green Ribbon” Church

To be a Green Ribbon church means to share a concern over the future of family farms. It also means to act decisively so that our nation retains a local, viable, and independent system of agriculture.

GREEN RIBBON churches…

• Share a concern over the future of family farms and participate in support activities and informative dialogues.
• Create an agriculture and food system based on Christian principles of social justice and solidarity.
• Educate church members and the broader community about the problems of rural America.
• Minister to the needs of family farmers suffering distress.
• Engage in prayer and worship on the themes of family farms and preservation of rural life.
• Provide leadership, create hope and secure justice.
• Make information on rural life issues available to others in the community.

GREEN RIBBON congregations will…

• Wear green ribbons as a symbol of concern and hope for family farm agriculture.
• Prepare liturgy in the light of justice and the situation of agriculture and rural society.
• Encourage Biblical understandings of justice.
• Encourage denominational and ecumenical actions concerning rural America.
• Lift up the vocation of family farm agriculture during special remembrances and occasions, such as Rural Life Sunday, Rogation Days, National Agriculture Week, World Food Day, and Thanksgiving.

Green Ribbon Prayer

Let us pray to the God who loves us and calls us.

Give us, O God, the competence to see clearly and the courage to act forthrightly. Bless the men and women whom you have called to a vocation of farming. Keep us ever mindful of their struggles.

Help us to respect the web of creation and recognize the many dimensions of stewardship. Show us how to appreciate the diversity of our regional landscapes, the distinctive integrity of rural life, and the natural beauty of local cultures.

O God, guide us in this budding solidarity. Help us to go beyond narrow self-interest. Lead us, give us light and dispel the darkness. We pray that we will walk with You in humility, engage with others gently, and seek justice for all. Amen.

Celebrating a Rural Life Sunday

We often hear from rural parishes about their plans to hold a Rural Life Sunday. These seem to take place any time of year, but Spring and Fall are the more common times: celebrating new life as the weather warms or expressing gratitude during the harvest season.

We know that parishes and missions celebrate in various ways. Often Mass is celebrated at a farm or ranch. There are special blessings for seeds, soil, water, equipment or livestock. Sometimes there is an ecumenical community gathering and worship service. There are no set rules.

We believe it is important for dioceses to encourage their parishes to set aside one day to recognize and celebrate the trinity of God, people and nature. As stewards of the earth, we remind ourselves daily that the fertility of the soil and purity of water are our heritage and should not be destroyed. Our opportunity is to renew our efforts and dedicate ourselves to the task of using wisely the resources over which we have been granted stewardship.