Even though this past December surprised some parts of the country with sharper cold and deeper snow than in recent years, Episcopal churches seem blessed with foresight and coping skills. The Rev. Kenneth Paul, rector of the Church of the Holy Cross, Shreveport, La., where ice and cold are not usually part of the scenery, said, "We never lost power completely" in his downtown building, though parts of the city did. In an image of the Beatitudes, he said, "We're on the edge of the slums. The poor had heat but the rich did not."

In Tupelo, Miss., Ellen Johnston, whose husband, Shannon, is rector of All Saints', said the temperature was 10 degrees in late December. "There was snow on New Year's Eve in Jackson," she said in some wonderment. Ice was a problem for some parishioners. "The organist drives 90 miles. She couldn't get there."

At St. Andrew's in Tampa, Fla., administrator Colleen Murphy said they'd experienced a "longer cold period, in the '30s. We try to keep the church at an even temperature; it takes a day and a half, two days, to bring the temperature up."

In the Diocese of Oklahoma, comptroller Rick Brown said the biggest problem to churches and homes had been "no electricity for a time." Emily Shurley, secretary to the bishop, said, "The main damage was to the trees. The state parks are devastated."

Attendance in some areas suffered due to cold and snow. At Trinity Church, Watertown, N.Y., administrative assistant Deanna Bolton said, "The older parishioners can't get out -- and they shouldn't."

The church is difficult to heat, with pockets of heat and cold. "We're struggling with an aging facility," she said. The historic steeple, a landmark almost lost a few years ago to soaring repair costs, suffers from the same sorts of freeze-thaw cycles that dig potholes in freeways. "The brickwork grows and shrinks. The key is to keep water out. That means keeping up with the tuckpointing" and other preventive maintenance.

The Rev. Richard Lewis, at Trinity Church, Boonville, N.Y., was more philosophic. "We're used to a lot more snow than people realize." Cold, too. "A few years ago it was -60 on Epiphany." Rising costs are a concern. "The price of fuel oil is up 20 cents a gallon so far. Natural gas just arrived in this area two years ago. We talked about switching, but gas was too high," he said somewhat wryly. Electricity, however, is a bargain. "The village has its own electrical cooperative. They can do their own maintenance, and keep rates down."

Doug Muncie, treasurer of St. Paul's Cathedral, Syracuse, said "It's a little early to compare heating costs with last year. The real cold season is coming." Utility bills are always high, he said, especially in the office complex, whose kitchen serves a large meal program.

In Meadville, Pa., the Rev. Susan. Buell, rector of Christ Church, said, "It's always something" in a building dating from 1927. But the church has a new boiler system and a budget plan to keep rates level. For extra efficiency, the boiler is on a timer and the building is zoned so rooms not in use are not kept as warm.

North Dakota is "not exactly in the tropics," in the words of the Very Rev. Steve Easterday, who is co-dean with his wife, Pamela, of Gethsemane Cathedral in Fargo. In December, the mercury frequently stays below the zero mark. But the combination of more of these days with a mountainous rise in the price of natural gas sent the heating bill from $1,200 in November to $2,900 in December. And everybody in town knew about it, because Dean Easterday was interviewed on television. But, he said, "these are solid Christian people, good givers. They come through."

North Dakotans are not easily intimidated either. "Cold stimulates determination," Dean Easterday said. "Attendance was not down at all. The cold brings them out."

He told the story of Sarah and Jon Coomber-Suomala, a young couple, very active in the cathedral, who faced a blizzard on their Dec. 16 wedding day. Most of the guests made it, except those flying in. "They staggered into the warmth. The church was all decorated for Christmas, with lights on the three trees in the courtyard. Later we had the reception here -- high tea in the afternoon."

In January, Dean Easterday said, "God has blessed us and it's warmed up. But the money for the heating bills will be diverted from program and outreach."

The Rev. John Floberg is the supervising presbyter of the North Dakota churches on the Standing Rock reservation, including Fort Yates, Cannon Ball, and a new congregation in Selfridge. The early winter was unusual, he said, in that "we've had snow on the ground since the beginning of November." It didn't melt away in the "second coldest December ever." St. James', Cannon Ball, used grant funds to install a high-efficiency furnace. "But the old thermostats were not compatible. The building froze on Christmas Eve." The installers returned and rigged a temporary arrangement. "We heated the church only; it went from 0 to 65 between 3:00 and 7:00," just in time for the 70-80 worshipers. "That church always does something to me on Christmas Eve," Fr. Floberg said.

The new Church of the Cross in Selfridge presents unique problems. "We bought an old grocery store for them." The facility includes a youth center and community area. "It's a big building, hard to heat," he said. And the church is growing: "Already they're outgrowing the chapel"

Fr. Floberg has negotiated a reasonable price from the local propane dealer for his churches. "We get a deal. But the people don't. So donations are down. And when the fuel assistance runs out in mid-March, their houses will freeze."

Mainers, too, show a self-sufficiency that includes whole communities. Diocesan communications officer Heidi Shott said, "We're still waiting for that two-week stretch of zero." Rising costs encourage local initiatives, led by the churches, to help those in need. "People here are reticent about asking for help," she said. "People are mindful of one another."

Patricia Nakamura