St. Luke's United Methodist Church Wins National Award as Faith Communities Prioritize Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability

Indianapolis, IN, March 02, 2023 --(PR.com)-- St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, IN is one of the six national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) 2023 Cool Congregations Challenge winners who each have been awarded a $1,000 prize. The annual contest accepts applications from religious congregations around the United States who are working to address climate change by reducing their carbon footprint as they create models of sustainability within their communities.

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church won the Electric Vehicle Leader award for the work of their Creation Care Ministry in encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles as an important way to reduce the carbon pollution that causes climate change. They hosted an EV Showcase, featuring the latest EV models and educational materials, as a part of a Creation Care emphasis day on May 22, 2022. Subsequently, the City of Indianapolis’ Office of Sustainability selected St. Luke’s as the host venue for the City’s EV demo event in the fall 2022. Overall, the two events attracted hundreds of visitors from throughout the community.

“We at St. Luke’s UMC (United Methodist Church) are very appreciative of the Cool Congregations Challenge award. The 2022 EV Showcase is just one of many ways in which our church’s Creation Care Ministry is promoting positive action among our congregation and our community to combat climate change and achieve climate justice,” said Betty Brandt, Director of St. Luke’s Community for Contemplation and Justice.

“St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and the other national winning congregations are creating a vision for the kind of world in which they want to live, and then carrying out that vision with practical actions that make a real difference in creating lasting solutions to climate change,” said Rev. Susan Hendershot, President of Interfaith Power & Light.

The Cool Congregations Challenge shows that people of faith are united by concerns about climate change and are taking action to mitigate its effects. The winners provide strong moral role models for their communities, and their activities have a ripple effect on people in their own homes, demonstrating that acting on climate is a moral issue. The Challenge is a part of Interfaith Power & Light’s efforts to mobilize a faith-based response to global warming in congregations through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and use of renewable energy.