Faithful Footprints September 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 August 29 - September 27 , 2022
New to the program:
Projects Completed:
St. Pauls United Church, Saskatoon, SK
Received a grant in support of the replacement of four furnaces and a water heater.
Southwood United Church, Calgary, AB
Received a grant in support of the replacement of rooftop HVAC units; and the installation of nine smart thermostats.
Trenton United Church, Trenton, ON
Received a grant in support of the replacement of fridges and freezers, all windows on the middle floor; and the installation of LED lighting.
Energy Results:
Knox United Church, Caledon Village, ON
Received a grant in support of the installation of spray foam insulation underside its roof, LED lights, new ceiling tiles, and fire tape; the lowering of the ceiling; and an upgraded electrical system. A year following their projects, Knox United reduced their electricity usage by 22.1%.
The Atlantic Christian Training Centre, Tatamagouche, NS
Received a grant in support of the replacement and the insulation of the main roof; and the replacement of the walls and windows in the chapel. A year following their projects, The Atlantic Christian Training Centre reduced their GHG emissions by 44.9%, energy costs by 20.6%,electricity use by 38.1%, and fuel oil usage by 47.8%.
Highlight of the Month
The Atlantic Christian Training Centre (Tatamagouche Centre) is a Community Ministry of the United Church of Canada. The centre has always been a space of learning, healing, and retreat. During the pandemic, the centre provided critical services, and continued to provide food boxes to low-income families and host migrant workers from Mexico. With the major new retrofit and massive energy reductions, The Atlantic Christian Training Centre has reached its project vision to not only become more sustainable, but also to be well positioned to become an emergency preparedness hub for communities in Nova Scotia and surrounding areas.
Supporting Atlantic Canada
Hurricane Fiona has impacted hundreds of thousands of Canadians in the Atlantic provinces. Faithful Footprints is here to help! Our resources, building-knowledge and broader network can help support your congregation and wider community during this time of crisis. Please do not hesitate to email: info@faithfulfootprints.org
“I have worked with insurance companies over the last 17 years with building failures such as flooding, mold, asbestos, etc. writing scopes of work. I’m available to discuss emergency management of buildings that have had water and damage, and next steps until they can get someone onsite or on the phone.”
- Stephen Collette, Faithful Footprints Building Manager
Learn how your faith-building can provide assistance in our blog “Extreme Weather Neighbourhood Resilience and Your Energy-Efficient Faith Building”.
Faithful Footprints and Climate Justice
Deep Spirituality. Bold Discipleship. Daring Justice
The United Church of Canada Call reflects the core of our purpose, and its vision reflects what the church aspires to be over a 5- to 10-year span. As the new Call and Vision, The United Church of Canada seeks to be a bold, connected, evolving church of diverse, courageous, hope-filled communities; united in deep spirituality, inspiring worship, and daring justice. As part of the Church’s wider mission, the Faithful Footprints program will continue to proudly support and inspire United Church congregations, camps, and buildings towards the goal of an 80% decrease in carbon emissions by 2030.
Join the UCCan’s Call and Vision by tagging #DeepBoldDaring
Join the Action
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 23: Faiths 4 Climate Conversations- Hosted by EnviroMuslims and Faith & the Common Good
Continue Tracking Your Energy Usage with Faithful Footprints
Did you know, the Faithful Footprints program uses ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® free online tool to measure and track energy and greenhouse gas emissions of participating properties. Each property receives a baseline (pre-retrofit) and comparison (post-retrofit) energy reports to help congregations benchmark and track the energy performance of their faith building, all in a secure online environment.
Is your congregation interested in staying up to date of your building energy usage and GHG emissions after completing the program? Continue tracking your energy data with Faithful Footprints.
To learn more, email stephencollete@faithcommongood.org with TRACK OUR DATA as the header.
Continued Carbon and Energy Reduction Efforts
Duncan United Church in Duncan, BC, participated in the Faithful Footprints program in 2021. Their grant supported the replacement of their last oil furnace, with an air to air heat exchanger; the replacement of old and leaky to well-insulated windows; the installation of two upgraded energy efficiency refrigerators and freezers; and the installation of over two hundred energy efficiency LED lights.
Weeks after re-shingling the roof of the church, Duncan United is taking additional efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and lower its energy bills by installing solar panels.
Read more on their efforts in the local news article “Duncan United Church going solar to save”.
Faithful Footprints Monthly Blog
It's no secret that renovating and updating a faith community building or even just the sanctuary requires a lot of planning and support. Without the right tools, resources and team in place, this process can seem difficult and overwhelming. After successfully completing the program, many participating congregations have expressed how the support and guidance they received from the Faithful Footprints staff contributed to the success of their projects. Read Topsail United Church’s experience in our new blog "Topsail United’s Retrofit Project: A Supportive Team is the key to Success".
Features: Topsail United Church (Conception Bay South, NL), Trenton United Church (Trenton, ON), St. Paul's United Church (Edmonton, AB).
Faithful Footprints Monthly Blogs are published the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
Upcoming Events and Webinars
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.
October 12: Voices from the West: An Interfaith Conversation
Join us for another session of our Climate Narratives Speaker Series for an inspiring online panel discussion exploring faith and climate justice from a variety of perspectives from people in Western Canada. Guest speakers include Abhay Singh Sachal and David Saude.
This dialogue is a part of GreenFaith Internationals' Faiths 4 Climate Justice movement in October. Collective action, both locally and globally, are needed to achieve bold climate justice commitments. Come be a part of the conversation!
For more info or
to RSVP: Click Here
November 15: Regional Ministers Climate Justice Roundtable - Fall 2022
The Regional Ministers Climate Justice Roundtable, co-hosted by The United Church of Canada General Council Office staff and Faith & the Common Good (FCG), is meeting this Fall to foster collaborative discussions among UCC Regional Ministers, General Council Office staff and the Faithful Footprints delivery team.
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.
