Dear Friends,
Here’s something we say often: we can’t all do everything, but we can all do something. This is our monthly roundup of opportunities to live out your values as a person of faith or moral conscience on behalf of our climate and shared home. From art installations to geothermal webinars to calls to your senators, we hope you’ll find your next step here, as we pray, act, and mobilize together.
With hope and gratitude,
The MassIPL Team
Monday, June 15 | 5:30 PM | West Roxbury Branch, Boston Public Library | Free & In Person
Art can open hearts that data or facts alone cannot reach. Join local artist Lisa Link for the opening of this photography and visual storytelling exhibition exploring how everyday people respond to environmental challenges in their communities, daily lives, and public work. Created through a Jewish cultural lens while welcoming audiences of all backgrounds, the project highlights shared concerns about climate, justice, resilience, and our collective future.
Thursday, June 25 | 1:00–4:00 PM ET | Online (Zoom) | $50, scholarships available
You’re taking up the prophetic call. You’re telling the necessary truth. But you’re met with skepticism, discomfort, and sometimes outright resistance. Led by Rev. Dr. Leah Schade and Rev. Dr. Xavier Johnson, this hands-on session equips religious leaders with the skills to stay open, relational, and resilient in the face of pushback when communicating with your community about climate change.
MassIPL was honored to co-sponsor a recent visit to Cape Cod by Gopal Patel — a Hindu environmental leader, UN consultant, and one of today’s most compelling faith-climate voices. Rev. Michael Reed and Rev. Dr. Kristen L. Harper joined Gopal for an interfaith panel on why faith communities have a vital role to play in caring for the earth.
“What the Ganges teaches us is that everyone should feel welcome — that we should create the space for everyone to feel that they have a contribution to make. No contribution is too small. No person is too fallen. Like the river, we should not turn anyone away.”
— Gopal Patel
Wednesday, June 10 | 12:00–1:00 PM ET | Online (Zoom) | Free
Want to do something for the climate that goes further than you’d expect? Show up for batteries. Join MassIPL and our friends at Greenlight America for a lunch-hour webinar on battery storage for the grid. Battery projects need local champions — and when neighbors say “yes, build it here,” it unlocks the reliable, round-the-clock clean energy that makes the whole grid work. We’ll cover how long-duration battery storage works, how it answers questions of reliability and safety, how it fits into Massachusetts’ clean energy goals, the environmental and justice dimensions, and how your voice at the local level can have an outsized impact for the climate. A great one to share with your building or energy committee.
Virtual Public Hearing: Monday, June 16 | 2:00–4:00 PM ET | Online (Zoom) · Written comments accepted through June 24
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is proposing changes to the Stretch and Specialized Energy Code — the building code that governs energy performance in new construction and major renovations across the Commonwealth. This is a direct opportunity for congregations to make their voice heard in the regulatory process. When our buildings are built or renovated to higher energy standards, we save money, reduce emissions, and care for our neighbors. Register for the hearing and consider submitting a written comment.
Register for the public hearing
Tuesday, June 23 | 7:00 PM ET | Online (Zoom) | Free
Geothermal heating and cooling is becoming the next frontier for congregations serious about their carbon footprint, and the economics have never been better. With a 30–40%+ federal direct pay incentive still in place, it can be cost-competitive with simply replacing an old fossil fuel system. Hear directly from Wellesley Village Church (Wellesley, MA) and St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church (Gladwyne, PA) about how their communities went through a discernment process and decided geothermal was right for them. Hosted by MassIPL, PA IPL, and GreenerU.
Action | Ongoing | Takes less than 10 minutes
Here’s a real chance to protect one of Massachusetts’ most effective climate tools. The Senate is finishing its version of the Energy Affordability Bill, and we need your voice before it’s finalized. The House version included a disastrous $1 billion cut to MassSave — the program that has helped faith communities across the state assess 445 buildings, complete 149 projects, and save over $220,000 a year on utility bills. Every dollar invested in MassSave returns $3 in lifetime benefits. For many households, it’s the only affordable path to lower energy bills. Please email and call your State Senator today and ask them to restore MassSave funding in full. We’ve made it easy — use our template, personalize it in your own faith voice, and hit send.
More information and background Use the email template
Go deeper: MassSave: What’s at Stake — a WBUR deep dive. One of the most thorough, fair-minded explanations we’ve seen of what the program does, who it benefits, and why the proposed $1 billion cut would be so damaging — for congregations, lower-income households, and the Commonwealth’s climate future. Worth reading and sharing. Read the article
Wednesday, June 10 | Multiple locations across MA
With just weeks left in the legislative session, Massachusetts faith communities have a chance to make their voices heard on climate legislation. Mass Power Forward is holding a statewide rally at three locations: Boston: Meet at Eversource HQ (800 Boylston St) at 1:00 PM for a “follow the money” tour, then rally at the State House at 2:30 PM. Springfield: 5:30 PM. Pittsfield: 1:00 PM. We believe in the common good. Let’s show up!
Wednesday, June 17 | Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA
Faith communities have always been on the frontlines of environmental justice, as we stand with those who bear the greatest burdens of pollution and climate harm. Join advocates, organizers, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth at this in-person statewide summit in Worcester. This is a powerful opportunity to connect, learn, and act together.
“Equity and justice have to be the lens through which we solve this problem. It can’t be an afterthought. It can’t be an aside. If it doesn’t work for the most disadvantaged among us it will not solve the problem.”
— Varshini Prakash, Sunrise Movement
.png)
Take a look at our new digital home, built around Pray, Act, Mobilize.
Nearly 50 congregations surveyed, a new website coming soon, and August office hours — a look at what the MassIPL team accomplished this summer.
