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The First English Lutheran church in Columbus created a Green Team to measure their energy use and carbon footprint. They took those numbers and applied to become a Columbus Green Spot and was soon after awarded the certification. Soon after, they replaced their gas furnace with a highly efficient one and became the first congregation in Ohio to earn the Energy Star Certification. To read more about the First English Lutheran church in Columbus, click here.
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First Presbyterian Church of Athens was recognized for its energy-efficiency efforts in the EPA’s 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition. They reduced their energy usage by 20% and prevented an estimated 9.2 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. To read more about their work, click here.
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Budgets and Creation Care: A Guide for Reducing Energy Consumption is a guide to help churches reduce their impact on creation by lowering energy consumption. The guide includes ideas for reducing facility and operating expenses as well as tips for implementing the ideas in church. To read the guide, click here.
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Climate Conservation- A Sacred Trust is a video from the Climate Witness Project about impoverished populations and climate change. It focuses on the poor and vulnerable population of Kenya. To watch the video, click here.
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Hope Christian Reformed Church in Oak Forest, Illinois, has become the first church in the Christian Reformed Church to earn the Energy Star certification from the U.S EPA. Churches earn the certification by following guidelines in reaching an acceptable limit of greenhouse gases that they emit. Hope Christian obtained their certification as a result of their reduction in electricity, gas, and water. To read more about their efforts, click here.
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Ascension & Holy Trinity in Wyoming, Ohio has reduced their carbon footprint by changing their lights to LED fixtures that use 1/3 of the electricity and their new boilers move their heating from 60% to 98% efficiency. To read the entire article, click here.
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The West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River, Ohio, finalized a four year project of installing solar panels on their roof. There are 198 panels that are expected to produce about 20% of the church’s electricity needs. To read the entire article, click here.
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GreenFaith has created an opportunity for religious institutions to buy sustainable products at a discounted price. Their inspiration behind this idea is their belief that financial constraints should not hinder environmental stewardship activities. To learn more about Green Purchasing, click here.
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The Black Swamp Green Team is a collaboration of faith communities, advocacy groups, non-profit entities, and individuals engaged in promoting and practicing good creation care in Bowling Green, Ohio. This team has become a “Regional Partner” with Ohio IPL with a common mission to address climate change. To read more about the mission or how to become a regional partner, click here.
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Jared Patrick Boyd is a pastor (Vineyard USA ), spiritual director, and founder of The Order of Sustainable Faith, a missional monastic order for the 21st Century. He is the author of Invitations & Commitments: A Rule of Life. He and his wife have four daughters, and are planting and pastoring Franklinton Abbey, a new faith community on the west side of Columbus, OH. To read more on The Order of Sustainable Faith, click here.