It\u2019s 8:15 a.m., Sunday morning in the Ohme Gardens, just outside of Wenatchee, Washington. The normally breathtaking view here of the Columbia River Valley is fully obscured by a pervasive haze of forest fire smoke. It is as if the river has simply vanished. The congregants of Wenatchee First United Methodist Church<\/a>, normally taking in this inspiring view for their outdoor summer services, shelter a few miles away inside their church building, doors and windows closed, breathing in the filtered air of the church\u2019s HVAC system.<\/p>\n Forest fires burning across Washington, Idaho and British Columbia have created such dangerous air quality conditions in central Washington that concerns over missing views and their subsequent effect on tourism dollars have taken a back seat to concerns over public health. With air quality monitors registering particulate conditions in the \u201cunhealthy\u201d and \u201chazardous\u201d range all week<\/a>, churches and outdoor venues have needed to get creative about bringing people together when residents have been advised to stay indoors.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/NWSSeattle\/status\/1032316902247284736<\/p>\n Pastor Karen Fisher at Lake Chelan UMC<\/a> worries for those who must work outside. \u201cThis area is known for its agriculture. When the smoke settles in, there is still work that needs to be done\u2026I see people picking fruit and tending what needs tending. I am very concerned about them.\u201d<\/p>\n Wenatchee First\u2019s co-pastor, Rev. Joanne Coleman Campbell relates that \u201csome of the frustration is not knowing until the day has arrived if the wind will have blown us into a clear day or a foul one.\u201d Because of this, plans are in the works to turn Wenatchee First\u2019s youth group trip to Chelan\u2019s Slidewaters Waterpark into an indoor event. Outdoor weddings and family reunions planned for the next few weekends have a Plan B that moves those events into the sanctuary and church fellowship hall.<\/p>\n Church buildings without air conditioning, like 100-year-old First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg<\/a> are left with fewer options. It\u2019s pastor, the Rev. Jen Stuart asks, \u201cDo we limit singing? Do we not gather for worship? Do we hand out masks?\u201d<\/p>\n The smoke, which Pastor Fisher reports is causing her congregants such ill-health effects as headaches, sore throats, coughing and stinging or watering eyes, is also impacting the mental health of central Washington residents. Rev. Coleman Campbell says that the smoke is \u201cadding to everyone\u2019s sense of gloom\u201d and contributing to feelings of fear and isolation as people feel trapped in their homes. Congregants with kids and dogs told Rev. Coleman Campbell in church on Sunday that they are going \u201cstir-crazy\u201d. One woman loaded her dogs up in the car and just drove around with the windows closed and the air conditioning on just to give them something to do. Coleman Campbell\u2019s daughter, who resides in Winthrop, Washington, has decided to pack up the kids and leave town till the smoke clears. It has been common for Coleman Campbell to hear people speaking ominously that living with wildfire smoke might just be the \u201cnew norm.\u201d<\/p>\n LEARN MORE: Click here<\/a> for a brief discussion of climate impacts in our state see this link from the University of Washington\u2019s College of the Environment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Raging forest fires and the stronger, unpredictable lightning storms that sometimes cause them, may indeed be new norms brought about, in part, by climate change. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, \u201ccurrent climate change modeling indicates these conditions are likely to become the norm in the decades ahead.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n What can churches do to mitigate the ill-effects of wildfires? Wenatchee First UMC is doing the right thing by creating alternate plans and ensuring that the air quality inside the church makes it a cool and welcome respite. And together, churches across the PNW are active in responding to those directly impacted by wildfires through projects like Rebuild: Up From the Ashes<\/a> and through support and participation in the work the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM).<\/p>\n What other roles can our churches play in turning seemingly hopeless new realities into hope-filled opportunities? Can we do more than respond to each natural disaster and adapt our lives to the new normal as if there was no other way? How can we reach into places of lonely isolation and remind people of their God-given power and ability to make the world a less frightening place?<\/p>\n My name is Cindy Haverkamp and I am your new Creation Care Connector in the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church. Even as we cough and wheeze our way (again) through this summer, and hold those most directly impacted in prayer, I\u2019m eager to hear what you are doing (or dreaming about) to make a difference in your community.<\/p>\n