Steps have been taken, but Church of the Good Shepherd in Lyndhurst is still looking to adopt more sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives within the congregation.

Mission

Religious Leaders

Educational Groups

A small hiking group visits nature once a month on three hour hikes to reflect on God, nature and their lives. The quiet time is appropriate for personal reflection and allows one to be more connected to the natural world. They hiked at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in May, 2008.

Events

Green Building

• In preparation for the new budget year, they are trying to find resources to perform an energy audit in order to assess how to minimize the portion of the budget spent on electricity.
• They’re interested in solar panels after considering all energy efficiency options

Transportation

Waste Reduction

Congregants noticed the amount of coffee cups and pop cans that were thrown away after large events and began to look into recycling opportunities even though curbside recycling is not available.

• They have a paper recycling bin on the grounds.
• A group of congregants are committed to making sure all office and church paper finds its way to the recycling bin in order to lessen the burden on the custodial staff.
• People who use paper at home but do not have a recycling bin bring their used paper to the recycling bin on the grounds.
• During major cooking efforts such as community lunches, the congregants ensure that tin cans and glass bottles are brought home for curbside recycling pickup.
• They set up a blue bin in the kitchen to collect recycled products from snacks and meals, and congregants bring these items home for curbside recycling.

Grounds

The grounds complement the woods in the distance with grass, trees and a birdfeeder. .

Purchasing

They replaced many light bulbs with CFLs, and also applied for a grant through the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio to receive free replacement CFLs.

Green Committees

Larger Initiatives

Contact: Andrea Corbett, Recycling Coordinator