One congregation has taken to heart the ambitious idea of "green building." St. Stephen's Cathedral, a historic landmark in downtown Harrisburg, Pa., is undergoing a major renovation that could win it a "gold" rating from the US Green Building Council of the building industry.

That rating in the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) "would make us the first historic renovation project ever to get the designation," says the Rev. Malcolm McDowell, dean of St. Stephen's.

The congregation already had an environmental stewardship committee when it decided to renovate church buildings and a four-story parking garage to house its overflowing K-8 school. With the help of Interfaith Power & Light of Pennsylvania (IP&L), they held many potluck dinners to discuss how green they wanted to go.

"We were able to see it made theological, economical, and environmental sense," says John Dernbach, an environmental lawyer who is committee chair.

Along with turning the garage into a school building, the project upgrades and integrates the entire cathedral complex with a glass atrium and hallway.

IP&L receives funding from the Heinz Endowments, and can offer free audits, technical services, and help in upgrades. It also provides churches with a curriculum to explore connections between faith, religious spaces, and the environment. St. Stephen's benefited from $30,000 of IP&L planning and technical services.

Churches have lagged far behind commercial and government entities in green building because it requires a lot of costly planning, which St. Stephen's couldn't have done without IP&L's help. They hope to finish the project by the fall.

Not everyone needs to be that ambitious to have an impact, says Scot Horst, IP&L director. "We tend not to focus on global warming - it's such a big issue. But churches have a tool right under their noses that allows you to do what you can right now - your own building."