We're excited to announce that Gospel Colors will be creating all of our worship visuals! Gospel Colors specializes in fiber art for worship settings. It is a unique creative venture which utilizes a variety of media to create fiber art for worship. Many techniques of surface design are combined in their one-of-a-kind works--embroidery, appliqué, quilting, painting with dyes, as well as batik, and paste resist.

Gospel Colors has had a sales display at many past CEF events, and they will again this year, including one hands-on section that will enable participants to create a scarf or prayer cloth. In addition, we are hoping they will be workshop leaders.

Click here to visit Gospel Colors on the web.

Tags: Gospel Colors, Worship visuals, worship stoles, Banners for worship

Over 1400 events took place around the country today, all with the goal of asking - demanding - Congress to cut greenhouse gasses 80% by 2050. These events were each inspired by a single action organized by Bill McKibben (one of our conference keynote speakers) in Vermont, and they have started a national movement of people who will continue to act themselves to cut their carbon footprint and who will seek societal change as well. Many of these events were organized by churches, including many evangelical congregations.

To learn more about the Step It Up event (and even if you didn't participate, it's not too late to get started!), visit their website.

Tags: Step it Up, Bill McKibben

Bill's latest book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, is a wonderful and inspiring read--and no, you don't need to be an economist to understand it. Here's a link to an extensive excerpt from the book, in which he explores why people are so unhappy today, even as average incomes rise.

Tags: Bill McKibben, Deep Economy