The Thriving Faith Communities Program helps Houses of Worship in Indiana reduce energy use by 25% over 3 years. Learn how and get involved below.
What is the Program?
A 3-Year Cohort Program Helping Houses of Worship Cut Energy Use and Cost. Learn More.
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Program Details
What Does the Program Include?
The Thriving Faith Communities Program helps Houses of Worship in Indiana reduce energy use by 25% over 3 years. Each House of Worship Green Team joins a Cohort (a group of other congregations in Indiana working on similar goals) participating together in monthly support calls and accessing resources, tools like the Energy Stewards online platform, energy audits, grants and more, to achieve their energy reduction goals.
Who Participates in the Program?
Green Teams located in Indiana who are ready to take the next step at their House of Worship to increase energy efficiency and reduce the burning of fossil fuels. Don't have a Green Team? Don't worry! Learn how to get started.
Why Is this Program Important?
The TFC program will help you significantly reduce your House of Worship's utility bills and engage your community so together you grow more resilient and sustainable. It also contributes to improving public health and the health of the planet by reducing the burning of fossil fuels.
How Do I Sign Up?
Let us know you are interested in becoming a Thriving Faith Community here. Our team will reach out and guide you through next steps including getting your House of Worship on board and completing the application. This will grant you access to the Cohort monthly meetings, potential financial support, and tools to track energy use.
FAQs
How much does the program cost?
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Energy Stewards Registration Fee: This cost is $200, half of which can be covered by a grant. If additional financial support is needed to cover the fee, please let our team know and we can work with your House of Worship.
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Energy Assessment Cost: this varies depending on your building size and number of HVAC systems, etc. Again, please let our team know if your House of Worship needs support to cover this cost. Faith in Place can often connect members with grants that cover these costs.
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Building Upgrades: These upgrades are the responsibility of the congregation and normally pay for themselves in energy savings in a shot period of time.
What locations does the program work in?
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Currently, Houses of Worship anywhere in the state of Indiana are eligible to participate.
How long is the program? What is the time commitment?
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The program requires a 3-Year commitment where participants build community with their Cohort as you learn and take action together.
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Initially the Thriving Faith Community teams will want to participate in the Using Energy Prudently webinar (4 hours) and the Energy Stewards webinar (1+ hours). After that, it will be up to your team how much time you want to invest. It would not be unreasonable to expect your team to spend 2 – 3 hours a week during the first year of your conservation journey. It may depend how many people are on your team and what energy conservation has already occurred.
What are the requirements to sign up for Thriving Faith Communities?
There is no requirement other than being a group of people that cares for the community and wants to help the environment and save money at the same time. ALL congregations and ALL faiths across the State are invited to join!
How does this program benefit my congregation?
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This program will allow you to develop and live into faith-based values around care for the environment.
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It will help you significantly reduce your congregations utility bills.
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Engage people in your House of Worship with a passion for the environment in new and exciting ways
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Allow you to participate in a community-wide effort to be a resilient and sustainable community,
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Reduce carbon emissions, improving public health and the health of the planet.
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It will help you develop relationships with other people and congregations engaged in similar work.
What happens if my House of Worship can’t reduce a certain amount of energy consumption in the time allotted? The goal of this program is to reduce energy consumption by 25% in three years, but there are no consequences if it is not reached. Any reduction in energy usage is so important to helping us reach our goals! Some congregations that have joined Thriving Faith Communities have already reduced their energy consumption by 30 – 40%. In addition to continuing to search for energy conservation they may work on ways to reduce their carbon emissions to zero.