Zion United Church of Christ

Solar Powered from the Parking Lot

Zion United Church of Christ is a community-minded church in Marion, Illinois. Their meal programs feed hundreds of city residents of all ages annually. Roughly five years ago they wanted to advance their Creation Care commitments by installing solar.

NEED

Zion UCC saw its electricity bills triple in the past several years. In the interest of saving money and caring for the Earth, they needed funding to install a solar canopy over part of the church's parking lot.

CALLING

Zion UCC is called to Creation Care initiatives because of their concern for the earth, lower energy bills, and wanting to demonstrate the ease of clean energy installation to their city. "Our tradition teaches that caring for creation is a sacred trust," church leadership said in a statement. "This project is one way our congregation seeks to honor that calling by reducing our environmental footprint and contributing to a more sustainable future for our community and our world."

God Math

*An aerial view of the solar canopy, which also provides shade for 12 parking spaces.*

The Cornerstone Fund’s Creation Care loan for $273,000 helped the congregation install a solar canopy over part of its parking lot. The project continues their Creation Care commitments; it will lower church energy bills and demonstrate the power of clean energy to all of Marion.

Learn more about Zion’s solar project in these articles:

“Zion UCC to Dedicate Solar Array”

“Churches Turn to Solar Power to Support Ministry”

Click here to learn more about our Creation Care Investment and Loan Program.

“When utilities spike, it directly affects what we can offer our community,” Holst said. “We serve meals every Sunday. We host programs, community events, support groups. Solar helps ensure we don’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and keeping our ministries alive.”