A sign of the times in religious circles: caulking and sealing parties.

Good idea to check your building for leaky walls and poor insulation.

Over the last 2 years we have tried to be more energy efficient:
  • High efficiency furnace (replacing one that was 14 years old)
  • Getting rid of old 2nd refrigerator
  • Extra insulation in the attic
  • Using fluorescents (CFL) instead of incandescents where possible
Already seeing savings

[Jim Peet] A church I know of in Minnesota:

Has open beams in the auditorium with either minimal or no insulation.
Brrr.

I just remember in a church we were in here in Poland, one time another missionary friend and I sang a special and we could see our breath as we sang.

NOT recommended.

[Becky Petersen]
Brrr.

I just remember in a church we were in here in Poland, one time another missionary friend and I sang a special and we could see our breath as we sang.

NOT recommended.

That’s one disadvantage of those big cathedrals as well. I guess they are too big to efficiently heat. I’ve never been to a service in one, but I did attend a Christmas concert held in one in Austria (the one used for the wedding in ‘Sound of Music’), and it was completely freezing inside (breath visible like you are describing). Basically, no one in the audience took off their outdoor winter clothing. They did have little “pots” (for lack of a better term) that were under the seats and were burning something. You could feel the heat from them, but it obviously did absolutely nothing to warm the whole room.

I’m not sure how those who were performing stayed warm or how they made sure their voices stayed good in that environment. Not what I’d want on a regular basis, and I *like* winter weather!

Dave Barnhart