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NCC Eco-Justice Program offers new 'green' building guide

Washington, D.C., April 5, 2007 –The National Council of Churches USA's Eco-Justice Program is offering a new creation-friendly building guide entitled, "Building A Firm Foundation: A Creation Friendly Guide for Churches."  The resource is designed to support churches in building structures faithfully and sustainably. 

Whether churches are breaking ground, remodeling, or managing their grounds, this guide addresses ways that churches can strengthen their church budgets and engage the entire church in continuing care of God's creation.

"In our recent report entitled 'Bottom Line Ministries That Matter,' we found that churches saved between $8,000-$17,000 per year by adopting sustainable building practices from switching their light bulbs to adding on solar panels," said Cassandra Carmichael, director of Eco-Justice Programs for the NCC.  "'Building a Firm Foundation' guides churches on how to implement steps needed to achieve these savings."

This building guide is grounded in Christian theology reflecting principles of stewardship, justice and sufficiency.

"Our church buildings represent who we are as a faith community," said Carmichael.  "Buildings constructed sustainably affirm our Christian call to care for God's beloved creation, including human communities that can be disproportionately impacted by unsustainable building practices and non-renewable energy sources that contribute to global warming and air pollution."

"Building A Firm Foundation: A Creation Friendly Guide for Churches" can be downloaded at: www.nccecojustice.org/gbbounce.html

The NCC has been active in caring for God's creation for 25 years.  It is the ecumenical voice of America's Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches.  These 35 communions have 45 million faithful members in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.


NCC Eco-Justice contact:  Cassandra Carmichael, 202.481.6928, cassandra@nccecojustice.org  
NCC News contact:  Dan Webster, 212.870.2252, NCCnews@ncccusa.org  


 

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