OC-Based Church Says Greenest Church Building is the One that is Never Built

OC-Based Church Says Greenest Church Building is the One that is Never Built

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., June 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- Like many companies and households, churches throughout the United States are going green--reusing building materials and using energy-efficient light bulbs--in an effort to care for God's creation. But one OC-based church has found a way to be even greener.

When The Well, once a traditional Southern Baptist Church in Orange County, left its building in 2005 to become a community of house churches, they did not do it for environmental reasons. However, Ken Eastburn, pastor of The Well, does believe this model allows the Church to be good stewards of its resources and of the environment.

"People attend house-church gatherings closer to their homes, so they cut down significantly on miles traveled. And because we have no dedicated building, our carbon footprint is fairly minimal," says Eastburn.

And the experts agree. In a May 19 article on BuildingForMinistry.com, Steven P. Fridsma writes, "The greenest building material is the one you never have to use."

That theory sits well with Eastburn, who notes: "While we moved to meeting in homes because that is where God led us, the fact that The Well is being a good steward of God's creation is an added bonus to being a community of house churches."

The Well continues to actively learn what it means to be a church body without a building and encourages other churches and individuals to explore with them on their blog: www.leavethebuildingblog.com. From going green to maximizing resources, blog participants can dialog about a variety of church and faith-related topics aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the Church and its members.