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!

What if your church building could do more than just host ministry—what if it could actively strengthen it?

At Trinity Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, described by Pastor Benjamin Bruins as “a place for people to gather, to share and embody the story of God’s love for all of Creation,” simple energy upgrades have become powerful tools for deeper service, faithful stewardship, and lasting impact in the community.

Trinity Reformed Church's Pastor Benjamin and Pastor Sarah and the new mini splits - a small heat pump system used for heating and cooling that operates without relying on fossil fuels.

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.

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

“They don’t make those parts anymore,” recalls Michele Westen, a lay leader at Asbury United Methodist Church in Flint, describing the moment they realized their decades-old boiler—essential for surviving harsh winters—was failing. With energy costs rising and a six-figure replacement looming, the church faced a stark reality: without action, this kind of crisis could force a congregation to close its doors.

Asbury's lay leader, Jim Craig, next to the church's new boilers.

We were thrilled to attend the "Blessing of the Boilers" event at St. Suzanne Our Lady Gate of Heaven early this year. This event celebrated the installation of two 98% efficient boilers at the church, made possible through our Sacred Spaces Clean Energy Grant Program. Thanks to this program, St. Suzanne’s has taken a major step toward reducing their extremely high utility costs, which last winter topped $15,000 a month on several occasions.

St. Suzanne's Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, an arm of the parish, is the heart of the neighborhood, offering programs and support for everyone from infants to seniors. Rooted in the parish’s mission to serve both faith and local communities, the center's director, Steve Wasko, explains that the center empowers children, families, and youth with hope through education, social services, and development programs. Last year alone, over 67,000 people came through its doors to access these vital resources.

Pictured from left: Deacon Chris Remus, Fr. Marko Djonovic, and Steve Wasko, Program Director

Each week, Pilgrim Baptist Church in Detroit provides support to hundreds of community members. They distribute food through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, offer hot breakfast sandwiches, supply warm coats, and ensure local elementary students have the uniforms they need for school. In all they do, Pilgrim is truly "shining the light" for their community.

"Shining the Light for 99 years" was the theme of Pilgrim Baptist Church's 99-year anniversary celebration in October 2024. Now the church can shine the lights brighter and more efficiently with upgrades made possible by our Sacred Spaces Clean Energy Grant program. Through the program the congregation has saved 58% on energy consumption and nearly $5,000 annually in energy costs.

Rev. Dr. Yvette Griffin is excited about the church's new LED lights and improved air ventilation system.

Established in 1855, Allen Chapel AME is the oldest Black church in Kalamazoo and has a rich history of advocating for social and justice issues. Reverend Millard Southern explains, "since 1855, the members of Allen Chapel have been on the front line of many different community concerns from health and wellness, to arts and humanities, to food insecurity, to housing."

Yet, over the years, the age of the building and its systems has often left members uncomfortable during the hot and cold seasons. This posed a challenge to congregants' willingness to come back to church for services and programs after the early days of COVID.

Thanks to our Sacred Spaces project, the church and its office/classroom space are now MORE comfortable and welcoming and LESS costly to operate!

Pastor Southern shows us one of the four HVAC units that were installed on the exterior walls of the sanctuary.

Michigan IPL is delighted to be working with 11 congregations in Michigan as a part of the Sacred Spaces program. We are pleased to learn more about Trinity Reformed Church through information shared by Co Pastor Benjamin Bruins.

   Grand Rapids's Trinity Reformed Church shows a vision for the future through a recent ordination service and plans for environmentally focused building projects.

Jim Craig wears many hats at Asbury UMC including Church Leadership Team and Chair of the Asbury CDC Board. He was recently able to share with Michigan IPL regarding the ministries and goals for Asbury UMC and the benefit of participating in the Sacred Spaces program.

 Asbury UMC began a sister non-profit organization called Asbury Community Development Corporation, which operates one of the largest urban farms in Michigan, with 17 hoop houses.

St. Luke's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Saginaw is participating in Sacred Spaces. Pastor Joyce Redfearn shared a little bit about the church and its focus on Creation care with Michigan IPL.

St. Luke's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church invests in children by offering math and reading programs for both elementary and middle school students.