Stories from our partner congregations
changing the light bulbs to cfl's in the Greater St. Paul AME sanctuary
Greater St.Paul AME Church
Greater St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal - Chicago, IL
Greater St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church on the west side is helping us to develop programming for smaller congregations and congregations whose members are older. Much of our programming assumes the presence of families, of fairly good mobility, and of general knowledge about environmental issues. With Greater St. Paul we are developing programs for congregations where the conversation about environmental issues is just beginning to happen.
Anna Davis, our terrific Lutheran Volunteer Corps volunteer, created a congregational event with Greater St. Paul’s pastor, Rev. Cynthia Johnson. It involved a weekday lunch for their interested members, a conversation about conserving energy and taking care of the Earth, and a trip to a City of Chicago weatherization clinic for everyone to pick up weatherization kits.
The congregation also weatherized their building and changed the light bulbs in their sanctuary from incandescent bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs, commonly known as CFL’s. Pastor Rev. Cynthia Johnson remarked, “Thanks to the support we have received from Faith in Place we now have energy efficient bulbs lighting up the house of God here at Greater St. Paul AME.” Greater St. Paul is spreading the message of energy efficiency beyond their church doors by passing out weatherization kits to shut-ins and seniors in their congregation. This act of service will help keep seniors cozy in the cold months of winter, save them money on their electric and heating bills, and reduce the carbon footprint of each residence.
Resurrection Lutheran Church
This fall, Faith in Place helped Resurrection Lutheran Church become the first church in Chicago to install a solar hot water system. The panels were blessed by Bishop Paul Landahl during the church's Nov. 19 service.
We’re excited that Resurrection Lutheran is the first church in Chicago to go solar--and we hope it will be the first of many. The systems make sense for congregations that host soup kitchens, homeless shelters, or after-school programs. They also make sense for homes and can provide heat by tying into existing forced air furnaces or radiant floors, state the project leaders.
Faith in Place helped the church secure a State of Illinois rebate and a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to pay for more than half of the $11,300 system.
“We expect to save 70 percent of our annual water-heating expense and to pay off our investment of $5,100 in four to six years,” said Rev. Brian Hiortdahl from Resurrection Lutheran. “More importantly, we will do our part to reduce global warming, conserve energy, and become better stewards of God’s creation.”
The church’s contractor, Solar Service, Inc., has installed thousands of systems in Illinois in the past thirty years.
“In Psalm 113, it says, ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised,’” added Pastor Hiortdahl. “Having these panels on our roof will be a good reminder.”
Construction on JRC-Evanston's new LEED Rated Building
JRC-Evanston
JRC-Evanston stands for the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston. A partner of Faith in Place for some time, JRC-Evanston is currently engaged in what is probably the most ambitious green project of any of our partners: building an entire new building to the LEED standard (the green building rating system of the National Green Building Council). The values of the JRC-Evanston community are shown in the resolution their board adopted at the beginning of their planning.
Together they decided: “As a Jewish community, JRC values the concept of Bal Tashchit in its broadest sense--the Jewish imperative to be mindful of and conserve natural resources. We desire that JRC's new home embody this fundamental respect for our environment, and we recommend that our building project be targeted for LEED certification at the highest level feasible.” (Bal Tashchit in Hebrew means “do not waste”.)
Building projects of any kind are ambitious, and a LEED-rated synagogue raises additional challenges. The LEED standards cover everything from how the pre-existing building materials are recycled to the paint on the walls of the new finished structure. But Rabbi Brant Rosen’s perspective is that the challenges help to make the space sacred for its occupants. “The decision to build a green synagogue building has challenged us in all the right ways. It has helped us to better clarify our primary religious values – and how to make them an integral part of our decision making process. In the end, we’ve learned that sacred space is not defined by a physical building per se, but the process by which it is built.”
Recycling Center at North Shore Unitarian Church
Amazing Inconvenient Truth Contest Winners
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chicago for a really good name (Genesis Group), for fair-trade coffee tasting, use of eco-palms on Palm Sunday, and partnership with Sweet Earth organic farm CSA.
North Shore Unitarian Church for its truly beautiful, hand-carpentered recycling center which actually looks good in the entry hall, recycling cell phones to benefit the National Wildlife Foundation, and wind power purchase.
Fox Valley Presbyterian Church in Geneva for its CFL light bulb give-away, another good name (HOPE – Healing Our Planet Earth task force), films and education events, and Step It Up participation.
Open Prairie United Church of Christ in Princeton for getting rid of paper goods for coffee hours and church meals, starting a slow food club at the church, showing educational films, and fair trade coffee.
Wicker Park Lutheran Church in Chicago for planting trees and vegetables, worm care, getting commuters out of their cars, changing all their light bulbs, switching to non-toxic cleaning products, and checking tire pressure.
Downers Grove First United Methodist Church for including energy efficiency and other environmental considerations right from the start in their upcoming building program, working with their pastor to include the Earth in worship, and working actively with their local state representative on energy efficiency legislation.
Northminster Presbyterian Church in Evanston for incorporating the new “Season of Creation” liturgy guide, their creative “go-green” campaign that involved a large part of their congregation, participation in prairie restoration, and particularly, for robing their communion table with sod.
JRC-Evanston for their planned solar-powered eternal flame above the ark, not to mention their LEED rated new sanctuary.
Fair Trade Fair at St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church
Though they only formed only early in 2007, the Genesis Group at St. John’s Episcopal Church has already accomplished a lot. During Lent they organized a fair-trade coffee tasting, and have since switched the congregation to fair trade coffee – Bishop’s Blend – a fair trade project of the Episcopal Church. They’ve stopped using paper coffee cups and switched to ceramic mugs which were brought from home by members. For Palm Sunday they purchased Eco-palms.
This summer the group partnered with a community supported agriculture (CSA) program in southwestern Wisconsin. Three church members designed and built a vegetable shed in the church garden. Since the first weekend in July, approximately thirty shareholder boxes from the farm have been delivered each week to this pick-up site. Shareholders are from the church in addition to the neighboring community. This fall, the Sunday School children are going to design art for the shed’s exterior using the theme The Seven Days of Creation.
Other Genesis Group projects have included installing two rain barrels on the church grounds and a screening of An Inconvenient Truth. One project they're working on this fall is to refine recycling collection at the church. They are also planning a special hazardous waste collection for the parish and its neighbors. Individuals in the group are invited to research issues of personal interest to bring to the table and share with other parishioners. Anyone is welcome to join the Genesis Group in their monthly meetings.
Leanne Gehrig, a leader with the group, says, “I think our work has played an important part in congregational life due to the fact that several members are new to the congregation. The Genesis Group has evolved into a wonderful outreach opportunity. Sustainable living within a faith community seems to be on the minds of a lot of people at St. John’s!”
Rector Kara Wagner-Scherer says, “The Genesis Group has been one of the most exciting ventures in my first two years here. It was Leanne’s idea and our first meeting attracted many energetic people. The quick and effective work of this group to make our church ‘green’ struck a chord with many people in the parish. The Genesis Group has been a concrete way to live out our Christian life and to root our actions in scripture.”