Solarizing Keystone Update: How You Can Help!

Christian Townsdin (Keystone’s lead in our solar panel project) gave a presentation after July 19th on-line worship, to update on our fundraising, and share numbers from one installer, Sun Path (he’s gotten quotes from two installers, and Sun Path’s was the best price). According to Christian:

"Last time we were in person, reviewing our fundraising thermometer in the narthex at Keystone, we were 41% of the way to our goal. Now (he held the gauge with more red up to video screen… drum roll…), we are 57% of the way to our goal!

We are staying home to be safe, but this moving!! Share the news of our work to put solar on our church roof: You can click on this story on the Keystone web site and post it on your Facebook page, or you can send folks the link. And you can easily contribute to the fund. Every bit will get us there. 

To contribute to this solar panel fund-raising, send a check marked “solar panels” to the church office or donate by clicking on the button below and choosing “Solar Panel Project” in the box that says “(Optional) Use This Donation For …”

In an earlier email, Christian wrote:

“20.78 kW of solar will fit nicely on our roof, providing 103% of our estimated current needs.

“Our investment of $41,507 now is estimated to profit us by over $70,000 over the next 30 years. Yes, you read that right, we pay off the panels in 15 years, and then go on to make more than we paid for them in the next 15 years. … The basic reason it's such a good investment is that the cost of electricity generally rises by about 4% a year. If that were to continue, we've bought the ability to make most of the electricity we need now and will benefit from that over time.

”Financial benefits aside, this is the right thing to do.  It's the right thing to do because our time to mitigate the most serious negative effects of climate change (global warming) is running very very short. We have the money, we can do this, and we can set an example of our values and the right way forward for the community.”

You can read more about the installer, Sun Path, and their estimates for Keystone’s solar panels in this PDF.

Links here to watch/listen to John Lewis speeches & interview! for ongoing study of nonviolence in action

Pastor Lauren writes to pass along a great resource: Each week at Keystone worship, we steep in the amazing words that form a charge for our lives from Rep. John Lewis, as Pastor Yuki weaves them in to the benediction at the end of our service. On Sunday July 19, our worship held a couple kinds of tribute, as the stories to celebrate his life, became part of our prayers (Lauren) and sermon (Rich), and benediction (Yuki). On Monday July 20, a neat interview with John Lewis was shared on Democracy Now, along with clips of some of his pivotal speeches as he worked with MLK Jr. There are stories here about his mighty and faithful nonviolence (and surviving his near-death, at a nightstick beating, in a march in Selma). We also learn how he became called to be a legislator, and carry on the work, after the assassinations of MLK, both Kennedy’s, and Malcolm X.

So we share this incase it may fuel your self-guided ongoing study of nonviolence, here are video and audio options: from July 20, 2020. 1 hour show, but you can use any part. Happy listening! You can also find the clips from the show below. 

Come Chime in - Keystone Community Feedback Conversation

Pastor Lauren will facilitate a community listening session to gather info on how our evolving online worship + Bible studies + Story Telling gatherings + Green Team studies are reaching you.  We won't be at a point where we can unveil any grand future plan, but we can discuss realities and potential options. Come and hear how our life together right now is going for each other. Let’s discuss our challenges, and hopes, including:

• How does online worship compare with in-person worship for you? 

• What are our gains, right now? What are we missing?

• We are currently offering: worship, Bible study, Story Telling gatherings, and Green Team meetings/study/projects. This spring we had our Lenten Study. How have these experiences been for you?

• What can we add? We could come together for short nourishing practices, such as centering prayer or lectio divina or meditation. How would you like to sustain our Spirits & study?

• As we continue to need to practice safe physical distancing, we are building forward. How are we are doing, as we live out our faith, craft our Take 5’s, and create community online, in these times?  

Your Pastors Lauren, Yuki, & Rich, with our leaders, will be assembled with ALL EARS, for your input & thoughts. Bring your tea, to visit beforehand, anytime from 6:15 p.m., the space will be open. This is part of our practice to be in an open feedback loop, when of course we wish we could just be chatting or offering a hand, across the narthex and coffee hour table!

Rally Today to Protect the Deschutes Forests

During fellowship time after worship last Sunday, Margaret brought an opportunity to support environmental project in Washington state. A group is working to raise money to preserve the old growth Deschutes Forest south of Olympia. The group is trying to raise $30,000 to purchase a timber lease from the logging company in order to protect these old growth trees. You can learn more about this project and help support it by going to the fundraiser page here.

Keystone Solar Update

Christian Townsdin has been Keystone’s lead force-of-nature in our solar panel project, and this week he will offer an update on it, including some numbers from one installer, Sun Path. According to Christian:

“20.78 kW of solar will fit nicely on our roof, providing 103% of our estimated current needs.

“Our investment of $41,507 now is estimated to profit us by over $70,000 over the next 30 years. Yes, you read that right, we pay off the panels in 15 years, and then go on to make more than we paid for them in the next 15 years. … The basic reason it's such a good investment is that the cost of electricity generally rises by about 4% a year. If that were to continue, we've bought the ability to make most of the electricity we need now and will benefit from that over time.

”Financial benefits aside, this is the right thing to do.  It's the right thing to do because our time to mitigate the most serious negative effects of climate change (global warming) is running very very short. We have the money, we can do this, and we can set an example of our values and the right way forward for the community.”

You can read more about the installer, Sun Path, and their estimates for Keystone’s solar panels in this PDF. Christian & team will be announcing our latest total Sunday! Come to online worship to hear Christian’s 5 minute presentation about the solar project on Sunday July 19. Christian will talk about the project, its costs and benefits, and show a thermometer with our current value, as we keep this moving!!

The solar panel fund-raising is going now, and you can contribute to the fund. You can send a check marked “solar panels” to the church office or donate by clicking on the button below and choosing “Solar Panel Project” in the box that says “(Optional) Use This Donation For …”