What stands out about David Tryon, building manager for Downey Avenue Christian Church, is his fervent passion for helping the church while saving the environment. David has lived in the church’s Indianapolis neighborhood all his life.
“I grew up in the church, I have watched the church change and decline through the years,” he says. “I wanted to do what I could to help keep the doors open.”
He described some of his contributions at the recent Jumpstart! Indiana event, co-hosted in Indianapolis by Disciples Church Extension Fund, the Indiana Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Episcopal Church Building Fund.
When David became building manager of the church, he noticed the excessive amount of energy being used by the congregation.
“As I walked through the facility, I saw lights on in rooms that were unoccupied,” he says. “My concern was the exorbitant cost for utilities that the congregation was spending.”
One of the first things that he did was to turn off the power throughout the 30,000 square-foot facility.
“Then I turned on the power only where it was needed,” he explains.
David found other ways of reducing the church budget, such as signing the church up for Indianapolis Power and Light’s Incentive Program and setting up rain barrels on the church property and using the collected water for cleaning the facility and watering the lawn. He cut back on cleaning supply expenses by using natural and environment-friendly products and applied a mixture of vinegar, lemon juice, hot water and Dawn dish soap to kill weeds.
Another environmental problem for Downey Avenue Christian Church is caused by the amount of foot traffic around the building, because of nearby homes and a school.
“People love to walk their dogs, who sometimes leave deposits on the property,” says David. “This was a serious problem in the neighborhood, making a very uncomfortable path for joggers and for those who cut our grass.”
The remedy was to have a national pet store donate a poop bag dispenser to place on the church property and a local designer donate the poop bags on which the church name and website were printed.
“It is a small way of helping our residents in the community, and promoting the church while saving the environment,” he says.
The cost-saving initiatives have made a significant difference for Downey Avenue. In 2014, the church used 78,000 kilowatts, down from 111,000 kilowatts in 2013. The church has received $30,000 in grants and programs to help with its energy initiatives.
“By reducing the amount of energy, cleaning costs and using more recycling methods, the church has saved $26,000 in one year,” says David.
Downey Avenue Christian Church, a long-time loan partner of Disciples Church Extension Fund, puts those resources to good use in its many outreach and mission activities, which include a food pantry, mission trips and missionary project support, school supply ministry and Habitat for Humanity builds, to name a few. The church is a member of the Green Chalice Congregation Network of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and their Creation Care team is actively involved in community environmental and recycling programs, Hoosier InterFaith Power and Light, Earth Day observances and more.
For more information about Disciple’s Church Extension Fund’s green loans, visit our Renovations Loans page or email info@disciplescef.org.