April 1st, 2026Emissions Reduction Grant: Stirling Ave Mennonite Church
Sealing cracks and gaps: a decarbonization project
Sealing drafty cracks in a building envelope might not seem like an ambitious decarbonization project, but when your large brick church is 100 years old, all those cracks and gaps can add up to significant energy loss.
That reality was revealed when a water leak above the office wing at Stirling Ave. Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont. alerted the facilities committee to the bigger issue of energy losses in the space, said Eric Hunsberger, a member of the Kitchener, Ont. Church. A $3,000 contribution from Mennonite Church Canada’s Emissions Reduction Grant (ERG) is helping to pay for the expense of insulating and caulking those leaks.
Hunsberger who sits on the church’s Decarbonzation Working Group, said they are now strategizing plans to further decarbonize the facility’s energy use. “The goal is to have zero carbon emissions by 2030, excepting the kitchen,” said Hunsberger, noting that the kitchen was renovated in 2013 and its gas stoves are not yet near their end of life. They have already added considerable insulation to attic spaces, and converted lighting to more efficient LED lamps, among other measures. The building is heavily used by internal and external community groups throughout the week.
Environmental concerns among the congregation of 335 people have been growing for about 15 years, with several climate action groups emerging. The 2019 covid pandemic stalled progress for a time, said Hunsberger, who has a background in systems design engineering.
But work on their 2030 goal has resumed, post-pandemic. "Climate change is not something that’s going away,” he said.
The church’s centennial in 2024 prompted the congregation to start a decarbonization fund with the goal of raising $100,000 by 2030. The fund will help pay for future eco upgrades to its facilities, which also include five homes the congregation owns on lots surrounding the church. Currently, the homes are rented out, some to refugees and newcomers to Canada.
The congregation aspires to build a multi-unit affordable housing apartment on three of the lots that adjoin one another. The new build is an opportunity to incorporate green energy systems. A geothermal heating and cooling system that would serve the apartment and at least a large portion of the church — perhaps the sanctuary — is being considered. Part of the church is already served by an air-to-air heat pump.
Last year, Hunsberger joined MC Canada’s Sustainability Leadership Group (SLG), a national effort that guides regional churches towards greater sustainability of ministries, programs and buildings. His motivation to join the SLG came from observing various climate action groups in the Waterloo region. “They’re all doing great things, but if there was more communication and coming together, we could leverage that more,” he said. Through the SLG, Hunsberger is able to bring ideas from the group to his congregation.
The church’s desire to collaborate more broadly on creation care is announced with a banner outside the building that declares its participation in Faith Climate Justice Waterloo Region, “a growing, informal multi-faith collective of faith communities in Waterloo Region who are deeply concerned about justly addressing the climate crisis.”
“Bringing people together is one of my big motivators in this area. We’re not alone, and we don’t need to figure out all these things on our own,” said Hunsberger. Helping the congregation understand creation care as a social justice issue is part of the work, too, he said, noting the congregation employs a Mission, Peace, and Justice Coordinator.
“It’s impossible for us to thrive if creation doesn’t. God put us here to be stewards of creation, not domineers over it.”
Curious about other Emissions Reduction Grants? Read about Erb Mennonite Church