Solar power is on the rise and the Synod of the Sun is out in front with a new ministry Solar Under the Sun. This ministry is designed to provide solar power to people in developing countries to help them alleviate hardship while also becoming better stewards of God's green earth. As Christians, we can join together with those in need to share both the power of the sun and the grace of the risen Son.
Solar Under the Sun will initially work in partnership with the Synod of Living Waters to augment the Living Waters for the World (LWW) program. LWW has worked to establish sources of clean water in some of the most impoverished areas of the world where safe water is often the difference between life and death. This is done through the construction, in cooperation with local people, often Presbyterian Churches, of simple but effective water systems. Hundreds of water systems have been installed in dozens of countries by LWW teams trained at Camp Hopewell near Oxford, Mississippi.
The goal of Solar Under the Sun is to provide training for mission teams from churches and other organizations that can go out and serve as "initiating partners" working with "operating partners" in the developing countries to provide solar power installations for water systems, or schools or clinics etc. The training facilities will be located at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center near Little Rock, a facility of The Presbytery of Arkansas.
The goal of Solar Under the Sun is to provide training for mission teams from churches and other organizations that can go out and serve as "initiating partners" working with "operating partners" in the developing countries to provide solar power installations for water systems, or schools or clinics etc. The training facilities will be located at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center near Little Rock, a facility of The Presbytery of Arkansas.
Two meetings have already taken place at Ferncliff for the purpose of launching this exciting new ministry and a mission trip is being planned for a water system with solar power to be installed in hurricane ravaged Haiti. A test solar powered water system, shown in the accompanying picture, has just been installed at Camp Hopewell near Oxford, Mississippi. Training sessions (Clean Water U) will be held at Hopewell this year beginning in March. Next year training for the solar systems will shift to Ferncliff.
The Presbytery of New Covenant is in on the ground floor of this new ministry with a team from ChristChurch, Bellaire and St. John's, Houston involved in the installation and health education for the first Haiti solar powered water system. Persons are needed for the health education component and as translators for Haiti team and other teams are needed to expand the program. Any church interested should contact Rev. Judy Fletcher, Synod Executive at 214-390-1894, fletcher@synodsun.com or to join the Haiti team or for a local contact call John Freeman, 713-776-3548, freeman@rice.edu . It is not too late to register for Spring or Summer Clean Water U sessions - see the LWW website: livingwatersfortheworld.org for details. Welcome to a new way to do God's work in the world.
