Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How did this get started?
A. See our History page

Q. What kind of church are you?
A. We are a non-denominational church, supporting all earth based faiths. We do recognize both masculine and feminine deities in our ceremonies. Our values include a strong emphasis on Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship.

Q. What is your Sacred Earth Fund?
A. One of the main goals of the Church is to raise funds to be able to purchase property that will be dedicated as sacred space for the community to practice Earth-centered spirituality. Since we are a non-denominational church the temple space will reflect this.

Q. Why should I join?
A. Since one of our goals is to purchase property with the Sacred Earth fund for the use of the community, we feel that all the community members who support this goal should have a say in where the land is, how it is used, and what is done with it in the long run. Simply put, membership in the church gives the community that voice. Every member has an equal vote. If you would like to help work towards this common goal, and want to have a say in what happens, then you should join.

Q. Do I have to give up membership in my other groups/traditions etc.?
A. Absolutely not. We have no loyalty pledges or oaths of secrecy. Our membership is open to all who share the common vision of working toward a larger goal. We do not demand nor expect exclusivity. We support openness, sharing of resources and networking between both leaders and laypeople alike. We encourage and support diversity as critical to a healthy community.

Q. Tell me about your logo?
A. The original five interlocking hearts concept for the logo was created by Luinwen who has given permission for the design to be used. It was refined, digitized, colored and the final unique logo was created by Heron. The five interlocking hearts symbolize the interconnectedness of our community and the colors represent the elements of Air (yellow) Fire (red) Water (blue) Earth (green) and Spirit or God and Goddess together (purple). The logo can also be seen to represent five human heads/torsos with their heads together which symbolizes the diversity of the human race coming together as one. There is much more to the logo, however the themes of love, interconnectedness, diversity and community are central.

Q. What is Earth-Based Spirituality?
A. When we talk about Earth-based or Earth Centered Spirituality, we are talking about many traditions, paths and even indigenous cultures that share common themes of reverence for and connection to the Earth and the cycles of the seasons, the knowledge of the phases of the moon, sun and stars, the wisdom of the planting and harvesting or hunting/gathering.

The term can encompass everything from ancient, unbroken cultures, old traditions that have been lost and revived, to new spiritual paths born on the winds of change. Typically, those who follow Earth-based paths do not see themselves as separate from the world, but rather as an integral part of the larger whole.

Because the Earth has so many different bio-regions, seasonal cycles and variations in land and populations, it stands to reason that there is an attendant enormous variation in the way that different Earth-based traditions or cultures have evolved over time. It makes sense that if you are in a tropical area which has only two or so perceptible seasons, that your history, mythology, and connection to the land will be very different than those of a culture based in an entirely different area.

For this reason, we define Earth-based or centered cultures merely on the example above,
and do not give specific examples of traditions - they are simply too numerous!

Q. What are Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship?
A. We define Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship as the value system that we should
take care to use and preserve the natural resources of the Earth in a way that supports future generations' use of those resources.

Some examples of this would be the support of recycling programs, wind and solar power generation, fuel cell technology, and environmental preservation and protection. This area is very broad so we cannot possibly list every avenue that you could take on this path, however there should be enough links here to get you started.