Green Church Checklist: 30 Actions Your Congregation Can Take in the Next 30 Days

This is part 3 in our knowledge resource series, written to help churches answer the Revivalist call to care for creation. You can visit https://www.greenthechurch.org/gtcred for more information. 

Greening your church makes a big, positive impact on your community and your local ecosystem. It doesn’t require a huge capital campaign, either. It requires showing up, paying attention, and taking small steps together. 

Here are 30 actions your congregation can take in the next 30 days, ranked by their approximate effort, cost, and impact.

QUICK WINS 

1. Audit your thermostat settings. Is your sanctuary set to 72 degrees when it’s empty? Lower heating to 65°F in winter and raise cooling to 76°F in summer when unoccupied. Savings: $100 to $300/month depending on season.
2. Turn off lights you don’t need. Walk through your building and flip switches in hallways, offices, and storage areas during daylight. Ask: do we need this light on right now?
3. Check for phantom loads. Computers, copiers, and printers draw power, even in standby mode. Unplug devices when not in use or put them on power strips you can flip off.
4. Install faucet aerators in bathrooms. Cost: $1 to $3 per faucet. Savings: 700 gallons per year, per faucet.
5. Start a Green Team. Find three people who care: a facilities person, someone from finance, a pastoral leader. Meet for 30 minutes monthly. 
6. Share your ’why’ with the congregation. One paragraph in the bulletin: “We’re committing to stewardship, energy savings, and community resilience. Join us.“ Invite people to care.
7. Schedule your free energy audit. Call (510) 369-3541. This is step zero for everything else.

THIS WEEK 

1. Collect 12 months of utility bills. Email your utility company or check online portals. Have your Green Team review them together.
2. Walk your building, and note air leaks. Check around windows, doors, and electrical outlets. Mark them with tape. Cost to seal: $50 to $200. Savings: 10 to 15% on heating/cooling.
3. Assess your lighting. How many incandescent or fluorescent bulbs do you have? Make a list for your LED retrofit plan.
4. Check your hot water temperature. Should be 120°F. If it’s hotter, lower it. If your boiler is over 20 years old, note it for replacement planning.
5. Organize a cleanup day. Pick trash in the parking lot, around the building perimeter. It’s small, it’s visible, it sets a tone. Youth groups love this.
6. Audit your water usage. How many toilets? Any running or leaking? One leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons/day. Fix it.
7. Walk through your parking lot. If you’re thinking about an EV charging hub (which generates revenue for your church), assess the lot size, condition, electrical access, and parking patterns. Document with photos.

THIS MONTH 

1. Begin your LED retrofit. Start with high-traffic areas: sanctuary, fellowship hall, main hallway. Cost: $500 to $2,000. Savings: $100 to $300/month.
2. Seal air leaks you identified. Use weatherstripping or caulk. It’s a $50 to $200 project that pays for itself in 2 to 3 months.
3. Launch a carpool program. Encourage people to carpool to events, midweek programs, and gatherings. Reduce emissions, build community.
4. Create a Green Team newsletter. One email per month: energy savings achieved, actions completed, upcoming projects. Celebrate progress.
5. Identify water waste. Fix running toilets, install low-flow showerheads if applicable. Target: 20% reduction in water usage.
6. Research local energy incentives. Many states offer tax credits for LED retrofits, HVAC upgrades, or insulation. Some utilities have rebate programs. Find yours.
7. Plan a Green Sunday. Invite your pastor to preach about stewardship. Show energy savings numbers. Announce your Green Team. Make it a celebration, not a guilt trip.
8. Audit your supply purchases. Are you buying recycled paper? Using eco-friendly cleaning products? Make one switch this month.
9. Install programmable thermostats if you don’t have them. Cost: $200 to $400. Savings: $30 to $50/month by automating temperature adjustments.
10. Explore solar for your roof. Use your energy audit to understand feasibility. Most churches qualify for state-level clean energy programs, subsidies, incentives, or other forms of financial support.
11. Plan your EV charging hub. If you have parking and want a revenue stream, schedule a discovery session with GTC RED. $400,000+ annual potential, 80% to your church.
12. Teach a Green Youth Group. What does it mean to care for creation? What’s climate change? Why does your church care? Engage the next generation.
13. Set energy reduction targets. “We will reduce energy use by 10% in 12 months.“ Specific, measurable, motivating.
14. Share your results. After 30 days, publish your savings. “We saved 1,200 kWh and $400 this month. Here’s what we did...” Momentum builds momentum.
15. Connect with other churches. Join the GTC RED network. Share ideas. Learn from others. You’re not alone in this.
16. Plan for next month. What’s the next big project? Battery storage? Full solar installation? An emergency response hub? Use your Green Team to map the future.

Why Making Moves Every Day Matters

These 30 actions move you toward energy independence, financial strength, community resilience, and faithful stewardship. They show your congregation that you take this calling seriously. And they prepare your church to lead, both in your sanctuary and in your neighborhood.

Through small actions, we can achieve generational impact.

Want to start achieving a positive impact by installing solar on your church roof or lot? It all starts with a quick inspection. Call (510) 369-3541 or visit https://www.greenthechurch.org/gtc-red-form to schedule one for your facility today.