A simple log church built in the 1840s, surrounded by a beautifully natural open-wooded area, marks the site of a long sacred meeting place, Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church. This church was constructed with large hewn logs notched at the corners and laid horizontally over a stone foundation. Although Greensky Hill is a beautiful place to experience the wonder of Creation, the aging facilities often diminished attendees’ comfort and enjoyment—and with limited financial resources, the church had no way to address these challenges on its own.

Greensky Hill pastor Sarah Scheaffer, Jennifer Young from MI IP, and Greensky congregants 

“The creation experience at Green Sky Hill is incomparable.” - Peggy McMichael, member of Greensky's Green Team

Thanks to our Sacred Spaces program, Greensky Hill—a small but spiritually vibrant Anishinaabe-rooted congregation—has been able to take major steps toward environmental stewardship and community care. With $100,000 in grant funds, the church upgraded its heating and cooling system in Susan Hall, the fellowship hall adjacent to the sanctuary.

State of the art, cold weather-certified heat pumps now heat and cool Greensky's sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Heat pump systems don't rely on fossil fuels, offering a clean alternative for building heating—especially when paired with solar energy to help offset increased electricity costs. Pastor Sarah Scheaffer noted, “Susan Hall is unique in that it has in-floor heating, and the new thermostats that have been installed now control both the heat pumps and the in-floor heating.” In addition to the energy efficient upgrades, the church took the next step and installed a 17.2 kW solar array on top of Susan Hall with support from Solar Faithful. The church is now poised to offset nearly all of its energy with solar, and they've seen a 57% reduction in energy use.

These upgrades not only reduce the church’s carbon footprint but also offer significant financial savings. The upgrades make it possible for the congregation to model sustainable living to other churches—big and small—across Michigan.

Congregants gather outside this historical church building during the annual family camp.

A Place of Community, Resilience, and Environmental Stewardship

Thanks to the improved comfort in Susan Hall, participants in events like the annual family camp, weddings, memorials, and other special gatherings can now fully enjoy their time together. Though the congregation itself is small, the facility serves the broader community and is frequently used for a wide range of occasions by hundreds of people. The hall also serves as a resiliency center during extreme weather—offering shelter, comfort, and hospitality for anyone needing it, regardless of faith or background.

Inspired by the momentum of the energy upgrades to broaden their care for creation, Greensky Hill also created a community garden, tended by their “green team,” in a quiet corner near the tree line. This garden now supports their annual harvest dinner—an event rich in spiritual and cultural meaning, bringing together over 200 people from across Michigan, both indigenous and non-Native. Beyond special gatherings, the garden provides fresh vegetables weekly, available to anyone in the community—no strings attached. It’s a tangible way the church lives out its mission of care for creation and neighbor alike.

Young people participating in the harvest at Greensky's garden

Inspiring a Shared Path Toward Sustainability and Community Connection

Greensky Hill encourages other faith-based organizations—and any group committed to environmental stewardship—to explore opportunities for energy improvements. Without the support of the Sacred Spaces grant, these upgrades would not have been economically possible for their small congregation. The benefits have been significant, including both financial savings and a reduced environmental impact. Through their involvement in the grant program and collaboration with other cohort churches, Greensky Hill learned about a variety of energy-efficient upgrades, from heating systems to improved lighting. They are deeply grateful for the experience and highly recommend that others consider similar paths toward sustainability.

Through partnerships with local organizations and other Sacred Spaces congregations across the state, Greensky Hill is building bridges between communities and modeling a sacred responsibility to the Earth. Their message is clear: creation care is not only environmental—it’s spiritual, ancestral, and deeply communal. And they invite anyone interested to visit, connect, or simply share in the harvest.

This project was supported by Michigan’s Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under U.S. Dept. of Energy award number EE0008653. Michigan IPL partnered on these building improvements with World Renew and EcoWorks.