PORTLAND (AP) - As ideas of green building grow in the Northwest, the concepts also are starting to take root within the congregations of churches, temples, and other religious gathering spaces.

Green building makes sense to congregations.

First, environmentally friendly, energy-efficient buildings fit within the concept of stewardship, or preserving the natural resources with which individuals are entrusted.

Second, as Julia Spence, a member of First Unitarian Church, said: “There are better ways for a church to spend money than on electricity.”

The combination of stewardship and savings has made congregational green building a growing trend in Oregon.

Last year, Holy Redeemer Catholic School in North Portland became the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified K-8 Catholic school in the country when it added a science and media extension.

First Christian Church in Albany is planning a green building. Eugene's Temple Beth Israel put in a solar installation to power its eternal light, and the congregation's also thinking green for its new congregation building.

And in Portland, First Unitarian Church is in the final stages of fundraising for its Thomas Lamb Eliot Center, an education and community programs building that will aim for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification.

The center will add much-needed space for the congregation's children, youth and adult programs, said Spence, co-chairwoman of the Eliot Center committee, and it will open a sanctuary in downtown Portland to greater use by the Portland community at large.

Respect for environmental issues has long been a goal of the church's building and planning processes, Spence said. During the master planning process nine years ago, project firm Thomas Hacker Architects held an eco-work session for the congregation, Spence said, and the dedication has only grown over the years.

“We've had that focus for a long time,” she said, “and we've figured out a lot of what we can do and what we can't do, and how to make a difference.”

The Eliot Center, Spence hopes, will be a place that'll be in use by the congregation of the larger community 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But that kind of use is rare in congregation buildings, said Doug Boleyn, Oregon Interfaith Power and Light's energy consultant and owner of Cascade Solar Consulting.

The fact that most congregation buildings are only in use once or twice a week, Boleyn said, is part of the challenge.

“That's the conundrum around churches,” he said. “The buildings, in some cases, just aren't used all that much during the week. The payback then becomes quite long in some cases.”

Cost-cutting, Boleyn said, will always be a focus. But environmental stewardship is fast becoming the reason congregations jump on board.

The connection is one that has its challenges. Much of what happens within a congregation is by effort of volunteer committees. Decisions are made more slowly, and timelines are longer. Money's always tight. And the people who make the financial decisions aren't necessarily the same people who are interested in environmental issues.

Enter Oregon Interfaith Power and Light, an organization that's been working since 2001 to help congregations consider ideas of green building and energy efficiency.

The initial focus of Oregon Interfaith Power and Light, a project of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, was on getting congregations to sign up for renewable energy options, said Jenny Holmes, environmental ministries director for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.

But the organization has expanded to offer educational programs, consulting services and other resources to congregations interested in going green. Emphasis on building is the next step.

Building something that will do well by the congregation - something that will last, and last without jeopardizing the health of the community and the environment - is a large part of First Unitarian's charge with the Eliot Center, Spence said.

---

On the Net:

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon: http://www.emoregon.org/

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID19

Oregon Interfaith Power and Light: http://www.emoregon.org/oregon-;interfaith-power-and-light.htm