SustainableChurches-BrochureInfo1-07

Louisiana Interchurch Conference

527 North Boulevard - 4th Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

SUSTAINABLE CHURCHES FOR SOUTH LOUISIANA

Helping to make Energy Efficiency

a reachable concept

A church drawing in shaded pencil

Click here for a printable brochure

Easy steps toward a more efficient church and a better tomorrow:.

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent lights last up to ten times longer and you can save up to $30 over the lifetime of the bulb.

Use Energy Star appliances. Energy Star approved refrigerators require about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993.

A new type of exit sign lasts 292 times longer than standard signs and uses 75% less energy.

Change filters in air conditioning and heating units. Clogged filters make units run less efficiently, using more energy.

Keep your water heater set at 110 degrees or less.

Turn off lights when not in use.

Helpful Sites

www.energystar.gov

Type congregations in the

search engine to find

energy solutions for churches.

www.southface.org

Easy ways to save energy, con- serve water and preserve the

environment.

www.nccecojustice.org

Protestant churches working

together to restore God’s

Creation.

www.theregenerationproject.org

The Interfaith Power and Light

Campaign explores the

connection between energy

usage and faith.

www.epa.gov/greenbuilding

Creating healthier, more efficient

buildings.

www.all4energy.org/

The Alliance for Affordable

Energy promotes responsible

Energy policies for Louisiana.

Contact: Rev. Cory Sparks

Chair, LIC Commission on the Stewardship of the Environment

Louisiana Interchurch Conference

527 North Blvd. 4th floor

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Phone: 225/344-0134

Fax: 225/344-0142

Leading the Way

Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton New Jersey decided to make several energy efficient changes to their worship facilities. Some changes were completely cost free. Soda machine lights were turned off, computers were turned off when not in use, and water temperatures were lowered.

Other changes required time and money. Thermostats with timers were installed costing $450. This investment alone yielded savings of $4,000 on electricity per year.

In all, Shiloh Baptist Church invested $6,870 on energy efficient improvements. However, from now on, these changes will save them $7,700 per year on their electric bill.

The future of Shiloh looks bright. The church has more funds to put into serving their congregation. They also feel confident knowing that the earth is benefiting from their actions.

Shiloh Baptist Church will save $7,700 per year on electricity.

American congregations waste $500 million a year on electricity

The losses limit their ministries and hurt the environment. As South Louisiana rebuilds after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, its churches can make a change. We can build a generation of buildings that respect creation and the Creator; we can be good stewards of our financial resources and our natural world.

This change is critical for South Louisiana because we’re the most threatened by global climate change. Pollution from wasted electricity not only causes the earth’s temperature to rise, but also raises sea levels, increasing the effects of coastal erosion. If South Louisiana churches want to protect our communities and our unique way of life, we need to be part of a solution. We can promote a more sustainable society and serve as a model for the rest of the world. In the process, our churches will save money that can be used to share the Gospel through word and deed. The choice is clear. God is calling us to this work.

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it

Psalm 24:1

The Commission on Stewardship of the Environment of The Louisiana Interchurch Conference wants to help churches make this change. The LIC represents fourteen different denominations. Its Commission on Stewardship of the Environment has been working on water and coastal issues for years. It has dedicated itself to rebuilding Louisiana in ways that protect the environment. The Sustainable Churches program offers churches the technical help they need to build in this new way.

What can we offer you?

Volunteer energy reviewers are eager to visit your church. They will help you identify energy wasters in your buildings. You will receive a free review that will show you how to save money instantly with simple solutions. They will also recommend other changes that will pay for themselves over time.

Sustainable Churches for South Louisiana will help your congregation rebuild in a way that will save money and help the earth at the same time.

Please feel free to contact Reverend Cory Sparks to discuss all of the ways that Sustainable Churches for South Louisiana can help you. He can be reached by calling 225-344-0134.

For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16