Faithful Footprints

Leo Mol stained glass windows, Westworth United Church. Source: westworth.ca/about-us/history/

Known for the stunning Leo Mol stained glass windows in its 63-year-old sanctuary, Westworth United Church, in Winnipeg, Manitoba is also broadly celebrated in the community for its commitment to supporting local groups and refugee families.

The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is an accredited theological college located one mile east of Beausejour, Manitoba that offers cross-cultural learning and Indigenous ministry training, as well as a peaceful place on the land for retreats, meetings and gatherings. Its vision is to create a place where First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Christian spiritual beliefs are respected, shared, and understood.  

Chris Benjamin  
Faithful Footprints' Atlantic Coordinator 

An abundance mindset (you choose your own wage?!). Founded on a vision of sharing harmonious relationships with all Earth’s kin. Committed to decolonizing all levels of engagement and conducting business. Alberta-based, non-profit social enterprise, Newo.energy is all this and more.

Team installing solar panels on roof.

Following through with large-scale building renovations requires commitment and persistence, as there are many obstacles that are likely to arise. Financial barriers, resource shortages, and global issues can cause delays and even full on restructuring of project plans.

"The most important lesson that our church community has learned from our partnership with Faithful Footprints is how easy it was to participate in the program. Our contacts at Faithful Footprints were always accessible and they walked us through the program steps promptly and efficiently." 

– Paul Burt,  Topsail United Church, Conception Bay South, NL

It's no secret that renovating and updating a faith community building or even just the sanctuary requires a lot of planning and support. Without the right tools, resources and team in place, this process can seem difficult and overwhelming.

Extreme weather, ice storms, flooding, and wind events are increasing in frequency and affecting our communities on a more regular basis. The New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) is a faith-based federation of service providers and charitable organizations who work in partnership to provide disaster readiness, response, and recovery services to New York City (NYC). Their goal is to help faith-based organizations (FBOs) in NYC be better prepared for climate disasters and able to offer support to their neighbourhoods.

“For so many years we've wanted to be able to make better use of our property. We have over 300 acres and only having a summer camp really didn't seem fair. To be able to expand into the colder seasons and now the winter is just like a dream come true.”                                                Carol Rhynas, Assistant Director, Camp Scugog 

United Church Fresh Air Camp, Camp Scugog, has been offering programming since 1912 to thousands of children, youth, and mothers affected by poverty and other barriers to wellbeing. Located in Nestleton, ON, on the shores of Lake Scugog and surrounded by over 300 acres of the beautiful natural landscape, the camp specializes in providing an outdoor camping experience, focused on community, stewardship, growth, play, and respect. With a dozen different programs, it aims to foster creativity and cooperation and to build a strong sense of self and community among campers.

Hot and humid air is miserable for human comfort–deadly, even. That’s why, with summer upon us, Canadians are all looking at ways to beat the heat and stay cool within our buildings. Before chasing the newest technology (provided you can even afford it) it is worth considering the unique ways that some buildings can cool naturally, as well as quick and easy ways to keep the heat out.

We have been trained to think about energy efficiency best practices for buildings in terms of improving insulation. It’s an easy enough concept to understand because we can experience heat loss personally. For example, on a cold day, if  you don’t have a thick enough coat, you feel cold. It follows that more insulation will keep us warmer in colder weather. However, we often overlook other influences that affect energy efficiency, such as air leakage.