Go Green, Save Green! - Blessed Tomorrow

Tucson - A group of people in front of a One Home One Future banner hanging on a red brick wall. — First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in Tucson, AZ held a green and solar energy fair in November!

As a pastor in Kentucky, I was bothered by how much of the annual church budget went to building maintenance and utility bills. I imagined all the ways that $25,000+ would be used on outreach, mission, and ministry. The youth would not have to fundraise for service trips, the food pantry would have more funds, our pot of money to help struggling families with their bills would increase.

So, with the help of our electric company, we did an energy audit and made a list of all the ways and places we were wasting energy. We began taking steps to save money through efficiency and upgrades.

Programmable thermostats resulted in an immediate $400/month savings. We switched to LED lighting inside and outside. Realizing that every time the doors to the parking lot were opened, a tunnel of wind blew through the church, we added a second set of doors to minimize the loss of heat efficiency. We posted reminders to turn off lights and conserve water at every light switch and by sinks. Finally, we explored getting solar panels but at that time, there was not enough money in our budget for installation. However, today congregations can receive a 30% rebate through federal tax credits, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act!

Not only are houses of worship able to save money, they are also important climate leaders. Commercial and residential buildings, which include congregations, are responsible for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S. And as congregations lower their carbon emissions, and therefore pollution, they are modeling a good and just faith to their members, their denominations, and their local communities. Congregations should not only take steps to save money and lower pollution, but model faithful living by sharing their successes with everyone to encourage and inspire others.

One Home One Future offers hundreds of resources, including on saving money. A Go Green, Save Green checklist is available for free download. You are invited to join One Home One Future, a fast-growing community of US congregations and individuals. One Home One Future provides free resources, information, and support to help congregations engage in creation care and work toward climate solutions. Whether your congregation is just getting started in creation or has engaged in this work for a long time, One Home One Future is for you.

Start saving green by going green today with One Home One Future.