Zion Paves the Way

In September 2001, Zion Lutheran Church, of Elgin, Illinois, became the latest recipient of a loan from the Metro Chicago Synod's Revolving Loan Fund for energy improvements. To view the results of the energy audit that preceded the installation of new lighting, click here.

Zion is a glowing example of the creative energy that can be unlocked in a congregation that is committed to practicing good environmental and financial stewardship. Originally, Zion approached the Environmental Concerns Working Group in the summer of 2000 with a request for $11,200, based on an audit that showed Zion could save money with a project of that cost. But Working Group members Jim Schwab and Ken Westlake met with congregational leaders that fall to discuss the situation, explaining that, while the synod wished to help, the loan fund at that time had only about $8,000, half of which had been lent a year earlier to Resurrection Lutheran Church in Franklin Park, Illinois.

At that point, the chairman of the church's finance committee revealed that he was a high school maintenance supervisor and could supervise volunteers installing the new lights in order to save labor costs. As later results showed, that alone brought the costs of the project down to $6,100. The congregation also agreed to seek additional sources of financial assistance and managed to secure a grant of $1,400 from Aid Association for Lutherans. In addition, Mike Stanch, an energy consultant working with the Working Group, showed Zion that it qualified for a rebate from a Commonwealth Edison program based on its energy savings, and that led to access to another $1,400. In the end, Zion borrowed only $4,650 to bring its project to fruition, mostly because the church's leadership was willing to go the extra mile to be creative in financing the project. Congratulations go to Pastor Steve Kottke and his committed flock for moving forward on an important project!