Cyclists from New York Conference are going to ride to General Synod, from Syracuse to Grand Rapids, staying at UCC churches along the way, spreading good news that there are more creation-friendly ways to organize our communities, our lives and our transportation needs.

These riders will be raising funds to create a New York Conference Fund to help our local congregations go green (please enter GO GREEN FUND in the “Other Gifts – Please Specify:” field on the donations page).

New York wants to invite others to join us in this cross-country bike hike. If people from other conferences want to ride with us, or join us along our route, please sign up below.  View the tentative Schedule and see who's riding! We have heard of UCCers that may come to Grand Rapids on two wheels from Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvannia, California and Washington.

Ideally, the riders will all converge in Grand Rapids by the evening of Wednesday, June 24, so they can be rested and participate in the Pre-Synod Event on Energy and the Environment on Thursday, June 25, and the dinner that night where they will be honored guests.

Summary of Biblical Warrants for Environmental Stewardship
Resources for cyclists and others travelling to General Synod in Grand Rapids
Prepared by Rev. Steven D. Johnson, Ph.D.

(If you cannot make the trip, bring your bike to General Synod, and let's make Grand Rapids the most cycled city in the U.S. from June 26-30. Or if you can't do that, make a personal commitment: try living without your car completely for two weeks. See what you learn, and share your experience.)

Please fill out the form below for more information in the coming months and to let us know of your interest in this amazing and important event for General Synod XXVII!!

Did you know…

~with less than 5% of the world's population, the U.S. guzzles 25% of the world's annual oil consumption.

~automobile manufacturing and use are the leading causes of water pollution and responsible for more than 85% of air pollution.

~the single largest U.S. source of the green house gases causing global warming are the burning of fossil fuels.  

~the United State is the nation with the highest per capita production of CO2.

A combination of Personal Choices

(using public transportation, carpooling & piggybacking errands, more fuel-efficient automobiles), and Policy Decisions (mixed-use development, building public transit systems instead of highway systems, resisting expanding traffic and parking capacities), could help the U.S. significantly reduce  its dependence on automobiles and fossil fuels and reverse the environmental degradation these addictions cause.

BUT WE CANNOT MAKE FAITHFUL DECISIONS IF WE ARE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM OR OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS.