Faithful Footprints August 2022 Newsletter
The Faithful Footprints Monthly Newsletter is designed to engage and provide on-going inspiration and support for United Church communities across Canada. Our monthly newsletter will be released the last Wednesday of every month.
Program Updates
Every month, the Faithful Footprints program approves several applications and welcomes new United Churches and affiliated properties into the program, as a number of congregations complete their projects and receive their final energy reduction results.
Data from July 28 - August 29, 2022
New to the program:
Projects completed:
Topsail United Church, Conception Bay South, NL
Received a grant in support of the replacement of all fluorescent lights to LED lights, and the installation of a mini split heat pump unit in the basement hall and upstairs sanctuary.
Program Milestone
Faithful Footprints is part of The United Church’s plan to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030, starting with a focus on our own buildings. With a public goal of engaging 500 United Church congregations by 2025, the Faithful Footprints grant program has successfully reached 300 engagements.
Your congregation is doing your part to address climate change; we're here to help. To learn how your congregation can get involved, click here.
Highlight of the Month
Fraser Road United Church (Gander, NL) actively preaches about climate change and the ways which congregants can care for God’s Creation. Caring for the Earth is a focus of the church’s Social Action and Outreach Committee, with several members committed to climate work, and others at the fore-front of discussing energy efficient ideas.
After speaking on the importance of the transition from fossil fuel based heating and older lighting to new energy efficient and climate caring initiatives, the church has received substantial support from its congregants. With additional support from the Faithful Footprints program, Fraser United plans to make positive reductions in their energy consumption through a building retrofit.
Faithful Footprints and Climate Justice
Collective action, both locally and globally, are needed to achieve bold climate justice commitments. The United Church of Canada, Faith & the Common Good, and several other organizations are taking action and inviting faith communities to join their efforts in advocating for an environmentally sustainable environment for all. Explore the following Season of Creation resources and hold the date and take part in the many events and webinars happening this fall.
September 1 - 30: KAIROS Climate Action Month
September 1 - October 4: World Council of Churches Season of Creation
September 11 - October 9 (Sundays): UCCan "Creation Time"
October 2 - November 6: Faiths 4 Climate Justice Movement - Hosted by GreenFaith
October 12: Faiths 4 Climate Justice: An Interfaith Conversation - Hosted by Faith & the Common Good
October 23: Faiths 4 Climate Conversations - Hosted by EnviroMuslims and Faith & the Common Good
*Event details will be shared in upcoming newsletters.
Recognizing Action and Celebrating Success
Successfully retrofitting your faith-building to become more energy efficient and emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributes to a healthier and more sustainable environment. Greening Sacred Spaces Awards recognize the contributions of faith communities who demonstrate commitment in the care of the environment through action. To learn how you can nominate a community, click here.
Faithful Footprints Monthly Blog
As pillars in the community, often located in central areas, Faith-based organizations can share the responsibility of responding to weather emergencies in becoming neighbourhood resilience hubs. Learn what energy efficiency has to do with emergency preparedness in our new blog " Extreme Weather Neighbourhood Resilience and Your Energy-Efficient Faith Building " written by Faithful Footprints Building Manager Stephen Collette and PR/Communications Coordinator Aleyxa Gates Julien.
Features: New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS), Oakville Ready, St.Paul United Church, (Oakville, ON), Maple Grove United Church (Oakville, ON).
Faithful Footprints Monthly Blogs are published the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
Upcoming Events and Webinars
August 31: Better Building Speaker Series
Join Faithful Footprints Atlantic Regional Support Centre, Ecology Action Centre at another Better Building Speaker Series webinar. Nick Rudnicki, CEO of RSI Projects and Technical Director of The ReCover Initiative will speak about deep energy retrofits and panelization in Nova Scotia.
This online-webinar will take place at 5 PM (AT)
To register, email claire.morley@ecologyaction.ca
September 30 - October 2: Discipleship for Earth Healing
Oxford United Ministries invites you to join the Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington, eco-theologian, for a weekend of learning and spiritual engagement about our place in creation, the need for lament, and how we can deepen our discipleship response to the ecological crisis and climate change. Come to learn and explore with others; leave committed to a discipleship for Earth healing.
Event is taking place online and in-person at Trinity United Church (Ingersoll, ON).
Registration is required for both in-person and online options. In-person registration is limited. Contact Lynne Dunlop at lynndunl@execulink.com or 519-539-3805.
Explore the Program
Explore Faithful Footprints Grants and Energy Data online interactive maps to learn more about the properties that have participated in the Faithful Footprints program as well as the energy data of finished projects.
