Vermont Interfaith Power and Light (VTIPL) plans to hold a statewide conference for faith communities in 2011. VTIPL, in collaboration with other organizations, was involved in sponsoring a conference once before, but this is the first time we've planned a conference specifically for VTIPL member congregations and other interested congregations. This conference aims to increase action among Vermont faith communities to address the crisis of climate change. This conference is designed to achieve the following: --Empower Vermont congregations to carry out actions to address the crisis of climate change by providing them with resources, education, and motivation; --Strengthen communication among congregations of diverse faiths that are separately addressing climate change; --Empower and motivate faith communities and their members to conserve energy and make their houses of worship and their own homes more energy efficient; --Provide a platform for several faith communities that have taken significant steps to address the climate crisis by reducing their emissions to share their experience with other participants; --Activate faith community members to speak out and take action on the local, state, and national level to address the climate crisis; --Connect with "spark plugs" - members of congregations with a passion to take action on the climate crisis - and connect them with each other; --Increase membership in VTIPL, increase participation of Vermont faith communities in VTIPL initiatives, and increase VTIPL's ability to raise needed funds; --Strengthen communication between faith communities and the non-profit and for-profit organizations that provide various services, such as improving energy efficiency; --Strengthen VTIPL's connections with these non-profit and for-profit organizations, and thereby foster collaboration to address the climate crisis. To accomplish these objectives, plans for the conference include: workshops, keynote address, luncheon, discussion, and time for networking and exploring resources. Some organizations that provide the kind of services that faith communities will need - both non-profits and for-profits - will be invited to attend and "table" to tell about their work. VTIPL will have a table of resources and materials. Renewable energy companies will explain these energy options, the costs involved, and the long-term benefits of using renewables. We will invite a prominent speaker to give the keynote address to focus the conference deliberations and to draw people to the event. We'll also ask several VTIPL member congregations to lead part of the conference -- congregations that have already taken action and greatly reduced the energy use in their houses of worship and/or taken other actions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Members of these congregations will speak about lessons learned from their experience, including pitfalls to be avoided and resources that have proven very helpful. We'll give recognition to these congregations. Many faith communities include as part of their mission a commitment to help those who are suffering and to work for social justice. Around the world, those who are most severely affected by the climate crisis are the poor and vulnerable -- the very ones who are least responsible for causing it. This is a social justice issue. Faith communities and their individual members can set examples in the broader community -- showing that they are committed to taking action on the climate crisis. The conference will provide resources to help faith community members speak out and take action, for example by writing letters to the editor, contacting legislators, and in other ways drawing attention to the climate crisis and urging action. The "spark plugs" -- members of congregations (sometimes clergy, sometimes lay people) who have initiated actions in their congregations -- can bring Vermont's faith communities to a higher level of activity. Connecting them with each other and building their connections with VTIPL will facilitate this. To date, these people have: convinced their congregations to ring their bells on International Day of Climate Action in October 2009, organized the showing of films such as "Renewal", taken steps to help make energy-saving improvements in their houses of worship, organized EcoTeams to use the "Low Carbon Diet" workbook, helped start community gardens, and more. We want to thank the leaders/organizers we know, and meet others with whom we haven't yet made contact. The conference will inform participants about VTIPL, including the work we do, the objectives we seek to achieve, and the resources we provide to faith communities pursuing similar goals. Our hope is that the overall experience will lead to lasting changes in faith communities -- strengthening connections with VTIPL, with each other, and with service providers -- which will facilitate action to address the climate crisis.