As we head into the warmer months of the summer season, many congregations will be turning on their air conditioners and electric fans to keep church members cool.
While these efforts help us beat the heat, the increased usage of ACs and other cooling systems contribute to the 13% of carbon emissions that commercial and residential buildings are responsible for in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
So, what can communities of faith do to steward the environment better?
In addition to working with Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) on a green loan, adopting creation care best practices from New Church Ministry, and becoming a Green Chalice congregation, faith communities in the U.S. can take advantage of a new funding opportunity from the Biden administration. The Department of Energy recently announced a first-of-its-kind investment to help non-profit organizations reduce energy usage in their buildings, including places of worship. The Renew America’s Nonprofits program will provide US $50 million for efficiency projects, reducing carbon emissions and lowering utility costs, allowing critical funds to be redirected to mission-focused work.
To find out more about this opportunity, Disciples can join various educational webinars:
- On June 15, from 5:00 to 6:15 PM EST, Green Chalice and ecumenical partners will be hosting Get Green to Go Green: Apply for up to $200,000 for Congregational Energy Efficiency. Sign up to hear from Environmental and Energy Study Institute President Daniel Bresette, who will inform participants on how they can take advantage of the grant and the grant process.
- The Office of State and Community Energy Programs will host informational webinars from 2:00 to 3:00 PM EST on June 6 and from 3:00 to 4:00 PM EST on June 8, one of which you can register to attend.
DCEF will continuously update this page as more details about the grant become available.
Is your congregation located in Canada? You can still keep your facilities environmentally friendly by adopting creation care best practices and becoming a Green Chalice congregation.
Our church has been in Bakersfield downtown for 100 years. The current building was built in 1952. Other churches of our size and age have closed. We have chosen to stay open. We share our building with 6 other churches: Case de Dios (Hispanic), Revived International Ministry (Samoan) Change Community Church (African American), Kern County Seeds of Greatness (Recovering Addicts), Eternal Church of God, (Bilingual English/Spanish), Mill Creek Disciples of Christ (traditional Christian worship). There are also 22 AA groups that meet at our facility. Our “Sharing Fees” for each church cover the cost of utilities only. We make no profit. The AA groups are charged $40 per month which doesn’t cover utilities. MCCC absorbs the additional costs of the AA groups. We have many community groups use our Fellowship Hall: sports: boxing and Tai Quan Doh, quinceaneras, Black History Month plays and presentations, Cheerleading clinics, Athlete Dinner Fundraisers, Honor Flight breakfasts, meet and greets, and interviews, Local schools piano recitals, weddings, and more are added all the time. We are in the downtown area, which many churches are leaving because of the transient, homelessness, and vandalism occuring in the area. We choose to serve this community. The solar panels and the infrastructure required to “handle” the load will benefit the community by providing a safe and secure place for all groups to gather.
$60,000 is requested. Our 550 amp gear box from 1952 could no longer “handle” the load of 6 churches, with AC, heating, live streams, musical instructments, cooking to feed 450 per Sunday, etc. A larger 1200 volt gear box would replace our 550 amp box and 6 new wires large enough to carry the increased electrical load, new conduit to replace the existing snake skin covering, asphalt cutting, slurry, and hydro digging in order to dig out and replace the existing wires that have melted and welded themselves to the old metal conduit. Gear Box $60,000, labor $10,000 (includes cost of trenching and slurry)
Our utility bills would decrease and we could continue to charge our sharers a low fee that lets their good works continue, we would be able to continue to donate to our community: Boys and Girls Club, CPAK (food bank), Summer Camps for Kids, Vacation Bible School for all neighborhood children, provide Karmel Korn (our local fundraiser) free for Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, Miracle Network, local students books for college, etc.
At the beginning, we were sure we could handle the cost ourselves. As the age of the system became evident, the simple job became massive. It was then that we knew we needed to ask for help. You are our first attempt.
Thank you for sharing your story – your congregation is faithfully serving its community and should continue to do so! Please reach out to your regional Building and Capital Services Advisor Rosario Ibarra at 317.635.6500 Ext. 2547 and/or ribarra@disciplescef.org.
Our church is very old and the air conditioning is worn out and the furnaces don’t work, is there any thing that you can do to help us.
Hi Michael and thanks for your comment. Where are you located? We can connect you to your regional Building and Capital Services Advisor for more tailored information.
We are looking to use this program to help our churches green
Thank you for your comment and interest in this grant. Unfortunately it was available last year, but if you are interested in constructing and maintaining an environmentally friendly place of worship, please do check out our green loans: https://disciplescef.org/borrow/renovation-loans/.