Every Tuesday, as pastors gather at Holy Trinity Lutheran church in Chassell, Michigan (in the Keweenaw Peninsula) for text study and community reflection, one topic keeps rising alongside scripture: the urgent, undeniable importance of energy conservation in an age of overconsumption.

Pastor Soren, congregants and a new fridge, new heating system and new lights!

“[These improvements] are not just upgrading this space, but looking at it through the lens of conservation and better utilization of resources so that we can further distribute that understanding to others.” - Pastor Soren Schmidt

One of these leaders, Pastor Soren Schmidt of Holy Trinity emphasized that programs like Sacred Spaces make possible the critical energy upgrades that would otherwise be out of reach for many congregations. At Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, these improvements have transformed their space—allowing them to better serve their community through compassionate outreach and sustainable stewardship.

Committed to Compassionate Outreach and Everyday Support

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church serves the community through a wide range of outreach efforts focused on meeting basic needs and building strong local connections. A key part of this mission is hunger advocacy. The church runs an on-site Needs Pantry that provides not only food but also toiletries, cleaning supplies, and clothing. This year they partnered with Feeding America to host a mobile food pantry four times, offering free produce, dairy, and more. The church also supports a growing program called Let’s Eat, which provides free hot meals and now operates in several congregations across the county.

Beyond food assistance, Holy Trinity offers help with gas cards, temporary housing, and hosts blood drives and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. They regularly partner with local organizations—including the Red Cross, Dial Help, Love INC, and St. Vincent de Paul—to respond to various community needs. Holy Trinity shows up for the community, committed to being present not just in the building, but out in the world—lifting others up and serving with compassion.

Congregants preparing "back to school" backpacks for children in the community

Energy Upgrades That Strengthen Hospitality, Stewardship, and Community Impact

Through Sacred Spaces, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church completed long-needed energy upgrades that have strengthened its ability to serve the community. The upgrades included the installation of two high-efficiency boilers, a high-efficiency hot water heater, two refrigerators, a freezer, and LED lighting retrofits throughout the church—complete with dimmer switches for better control. They also added a heat pump clothes dryer to the parsonage. “Our old dryer would practically eat the clothes,” jokes Pastor Soren. The new heat pump dryer is likely the first of its kind to be installed in a parsonage in Michigan, marking another step forward in the church’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.

Pastor Soren explains that these improvements go beyond physical repairs—they’ve made the church a more welcoming, functional, and hospitable space for all who come through its doors, whether for food assistance, support groups, or community events.

Members have expressed deep gratitude, recognizing how these changes not only meet practical needs but also reflect a broader commitment to conservation and responsible energy use. By improving the space in this way, Holy Trinity is better equipped to be a beacon of care, education, and outreach—ready to welcome others, support those in need, and share that spirit of service more effectively within and beyond the congregation.

A Faithful Act of Stewardship

To congregations everywhere, Pastor Soren and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church offers this message: energy conservation is more than a practical necessity—it’s a faithful act of stewardship in a time of growing demand and environmental strain. In their own community, leaders regularly reflect on how overconsumption affects not only creation but also the most vulnerable among us, especially as poverty rises and costs increase. They believe congregations must first recognize their own energy use and then seek out greener, more sustainable alternatives—not just to lower expenses, but to live out their values in tangible ways.

Pastor Soren borrows Mary Oliver's language when he says we each have “one precious life,” and Holy Trinity sees this work as part of protecting that life for all. He then draws on the wisdom of Gandalf to Frodo, in the Lord of the Rings, saying that the church acknowledges that while we don’t choose the challenges of our time, we do choose how to respond. Through energy conservation, congregations can boldly help build cleaner, more welcoming communities for generations to come.