Eco Anecdotes: St Mark Presbyterian Church

Eco Anecdotes: a series which shares stories of churches, organizations, and individuals going green.

St Mark Presbyterian Church

At Creation Hope we love hearing about changes that people and churches make to care for God’s creation.  But we enjoy it even more when we get a chance to see it firsthand.  Last week I had the opportunity to do just that.  I got to see all the exciting stuff that they have done over at St Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California, which is one of the greenest churches in America.  Gary Collins, their senior pastor, was kind enough to give me a personal tour of their church facility.

 What they have done

A few years ago, St Mark had the opportunity to move their campus and build an entirely new building.  They were already a church that made it a priority to care for God’s creation, so it was natural for them to really build a campus that was green.  They worked hard and were intentional throughout the process to respect God’s creation.  And it shows.  Here are a few of the things that they implemented into their campus:

• They have an impressive wildlife preserve area
• They used native plants to reduce water consumption, eliminate pesticides, and protect a diversity of wildlife
• They installed a porous tubing system for irrigation which prevents runoff
• They put in carpet made from recycled materials
• They do not use plastic cups or bottles
• They started a garden (produce goes to a soup kitchen)
• They arranged their building to maximize natural lighting
• They use energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
• They have a water capture system to remove oil runoff from the church parking lot
• They have waterless urinals installed in several restrooms
• They planted 530 trees throughout the property
• They used sustainable wood such as mahogany from a regenerating tree farm for their pews

For more of the green things that they do take a look at their green facts page.

 Who They Are

What I particularly liked about St Mark was that their care for creation goes far beyond a building.  In our culture we often like the idea of doing something once and riding that through.  It’s easier, right?  But St Mark did not stop with their property.  For them, creation care is a part of who their are.  It’s actually part of their DNA as a church and as individuals.  Their care is also represented by the cars that they drive (apparently their parking lot is filled with many a Prius) and the homes they live in (solar panels, green roofs, etc).  Moreover they continue to look for ways to improve.  They have a group called the Ecophilians (what a mouthful).  This group and others keep them on their toes and continue to push them in positive directions.  In fact, they have even involved the congregation in an audit of the church.  You will also find St Mark helping to clean the local bay or having a worship service dedicated to caring for God’s creation.  While this is an attraction for many to come to their church, it is not just a gimmick.  These are people that sincerely care.

I really enjoyed visiting this church.  The property just had a comfortable feel to it.  I mean, when was the last time you were able to visit a church inside the city and feel a connection with God’s creation?  I am not surprised to hear that in 2007 Audubon International recognized them as the “greenest church in America.”  I know that most of our churches do not have the opportunity to start with an entirely new building like this, but St Mark’s example shows us a little bit about what is possible. 

Does this story inspire you?  If so, take a moment to think about your context.  What can your church learn from this story?  What opportunities (small or large) can you take advantage of right now to better care for God’s creation where you are?

Also consider:

Eco Anecdotes: Gardening for the Community

Green Living: #3 Sharing in Community

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