In admiring the stunning Gothic cathedrals that overlook our downtown centres, we can all agree that places of worship hold our collective cultural heritage. But what about our smaller faith community buildings?
A Great Team Making Great Decisions - Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
Nestled in a beautiful village at the feet of the Canadian Rockies, Ralph Connor Memorial United Church (RCMUC) in Canmore, Alberta has a 130 year old sanctuary and a 40 year old hall.
RCMUC’s Faithful Footprints story is one of how congregants’ connections and working together as a team led to incredible energy savings and conservation within their church building.
Efficiency – Squeezing Every Bit of Energy Out of What You Have
Your Fridge Might be Keeping the Milk Cold and the Planet Hot
We all love to gather after worship and share food and drink together. It’s at these times that we grow as a community. For this reason alone, a major hub of activity in faith communities (post COVID) is the kitchen. So it is worth taking the time to look at the major energy consumers within this space in order to save some energy and money.
Retrofitting our Sacred Space with Faithful Footprints Funding
Our buildings, our spaces matter. There are, of course, the practicalities of making drafty rooms comfortable and bringing energy and climate costs down. But more than these issues, our spaces house and embody our values. They hold our gatherings, celebrations, prayers and sacred ceremonies and should reflect who we are and what matters to us.
Why a Heat Pump For Your Place of Worship?
For faith communities, replacing a heating system is one of the single largest capital cost expenses (the other one is replacing the roof). Most congregational spaces have either boilers with radiators, or furnaces with ductwork that consume oil, gas or propane. While the typical lifespan may be 25 years for these appliances, I have seen many span decades of service.
Music to My Ears – Pipe Organs and Heat Loss
Fix What We Already Have: Renovate today’s buildings for a carbon-neutral tomorrow
How can rural and isolated faith communities take climate action?
As Canadians, when it comes to actions we can take to protect the climate, we automatically think about energy conservation. We head over to the local hardware store for some caulking, insulation, a new Energy Star window etc., to fix up our buildings that will in turn, help lower maintenance costs, save energy, and save the planet.
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: When your faith building is wasting energy and money!
Let Your Light Shine: LEDs, solar panels and greening faith buildings
New Energy Efficiency Grant Available for Faith Communities in Alberta
The Alberta government has released the Energy Savings for Businesses (ESB), a new energy savings grant program that includes nonprofits and cooperatives. The great news is that faith communities qualify for this funding opportunity.
Faith Climate Accountability in Action
How a Community can Grow through a Building Project
Now fly: Wesley United Church takes the lead in St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Across the country, United Churches are doing their part to address the climate crisis by getting their houses in order and reducing their own carbon emissions. Through a partnership with Faith & the Common Good, the United Church of Canada is offering grants and support for churches to measure their energy use and reduce their climate pollution, in ways that save money and strengthen congregational renewal.
Nurturing collaborations: Mckillop United in Lethbridge, Alberta
Across the country, United Churches are doing their part to address the climate crisis by getting their houses in order and reducing their own carbon emissions. Through a partnership with Faith & the Common Good, the United Church of Canada is offering grants and support for churches to measure their energy use and reduce their climate pollution, in ways that save money and strengthen congregational renewal.
Crescent Fort Rouge United Church takes steps toward climate action with Faithful Footprints
In 2018, Crescent Fort Rouge United Church participated in a National Trust and Faith & The Common Good seminar in our building and benefitted from an energy audit. We discovered the possibility of a Faithful Footprints grant for energy upgrades which aligned perfectly with planning and built on our activities to date.
