OGDEN -- Two dozen women got together last weekend to take a pledge to do something to better conserve Earth's resources.
"Go out into God's creation, looking for ways to piece Earth back together," the women read together as part of the ceremony. "Monitor your own life in seeking new ways to contribute to environmental conservation and encourage others to honor God's great gifts."
The event was the World Community Day celebration of Church Women United of the greater Ogden area.
Women from throughout the Top of Utah gathered for a nondenominational church service Nov. 7, held at First Baptist Church of Ogden.
"I hope all of you have been inspired to save that aluminum can and stack up those newspapers," said Roberta Dixon, who led the celebration.
Dixon told of how, at 66, she recently became a new grandmother.
"It made me stop and think what the world would be like in 60 years for him if we don't do what we can to preserve the Earth," she said.
She asked participants to stop and think of what they do in the world around them.
"This is our role as Christian women," she said. "We can expand our effect and make the world what it can be."
In addition to saving the Earth's resources, participants also were asked to do what they can to save Earth's residents.
Christy Jantzen, of Parker, Colo., who was in town to perform with her music ministry at some other area churches, made arrangements to perform during the service.
She asked those in attendance to search their hearts and consider sponsoring a child through World Vision.
She sang a handful of songs for the women in attendance.
"The night becomes as day when from the heart we say, may Jesus Christ be praised," was a line from one of her songs.
She told a story of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who was so passionate about the country's national parks that on some occasions he chose to spend the night on the ground outdoors to take in the experience.
She also told of his efforts to promote laws to protect those areas.
"Even people like you and me can make a difference," she said. "You don't have to be president of the United States to make a difference."
The group was just one of many across the country that held such celebrations last weekend.
"Piecing Earth Together" was the theme for this year's celebrations.
The celebration's logo was created to depict the Bible creation story from the book of Genesis as a quilt, to remind participants of the environment's broken nature, and the need to repair Earth so that it can once again provide.
And the celebration was designed to represent the American tradition of a quilting bee.
"This celebration offers the opportunity for women to continue that tradition through sharing in prayer, worship and action," states the organization's literature on the event.
Founded in 1941, the Church Women United is a national organization of Christian women who agree to differ, resolve to love and unite to serve, according to the group's mission statement.
The greater Ogden unit of Church Women United is planning an Advent Silver Tea from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5 and would like to invite area Christian women to attend.
The event will take place at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1100 E. 5550 South, South Ogden.
Call to RSVP at (801) 728-2755.
Those who attend the event are asked to bring donations of food, hats, scarves, mittens and gloves, toiletries, gently used paperback books and clean, new stuffed animals for area nonprofit agencies.
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