Presbyterians for Earth Care - Plastic Pollution & Environmental Justice Webinar

NEW WEBINAR! From Plastic Pollution to Environmental Justice Join us for a webinar related to the PEC-supported overture (OVT-014) on “Becoming Free from Plastic Pollution.” Presenter Avery Davis Lamb, Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries, will expand on CJM’s Earth Day resource: “Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World.” According to CJM, “Everywhere we look in our culture, you will find plastic. One place where you will not find plastic, however, is in the Bible.” This webinar will help individuals and congregations think more deeply about the ways that plastics impact our lives and God’s creation. This PEC webinar intends to equip people of faith to take actions to address the plastic pollution epidemic in faithful and practical ways. Webinar Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm EDT (6:30 CDT, 5:30 MDT, 4:30 PDT) Presenter: Avery Davis Lamb Avery Davis Lamb is a Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries. Avery has a background in both ecological research and faith-based environmental organizing, studying ecology in various ecosystems and organizing faith communities across the country in support of action on environmental justice. Previously he has worked for Sojourners and Interfaith Power & Light. He serves on the board for The Center for Spirituality in Nature and is a Fellow with the Re:Generate Program at Wake Forest Divinity School and the Foundations of Christian Leadership Program at Duke Divinity School.  Avery received the Emerging Earth Care Leader Award for 2021 from Presbyterians for Earth Care.

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Interfaith Power & Light names two PC(USA) churches as Cool Congregations for 2024   Among the six honorees are Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, Maryland. Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, won the Electric Vehicle Award for the church’s annual electric vehicle demonstration days. Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, Maryland, won IPL’s Renewable Role Model Award for developing a community solar project with newly installed solar on the roof of the church that’s seeing its output exceed the church’s needs. As a result, Warner Memorial has been providing electricity at reduced rates to a neighboring nonprofit housing program and a number of low-income families. To read the entire Presbyterian News Service article written by Interfaith Power & Light CLICK HERE.

Presbyterians for Earth Care – Advocating for caring for God’s creation at the 226th PCUSA General Assembly June 25 – July 4, 2024 Salt Lake City, Utah The two overtures supported by Presbyterians for Earth Care are now posted on the PCUSA Biz-link website with direct links to Overture 13 on removal of investments in and subsidies for fossil fuels and Overture 14 on becoming free from plastic pollution.  A Conversation on Overtures about Fossil Fuels, Climate Crisis and Plastic Pollution hosted by the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery – presentation recording On Becoming Free from Plastic Pollution – slide presentation Removal of Investments in and Subsidies for Fossil Fuels – slide presentation Draft Transmittal Letter from Your Church to Presbytery with Overture(s)  Why we all need to act now to counter the climate crisis (these overtures will help the church help our planet), listen to this presentation from the PEC 2023 Earth Care Conference by Univ. CA Berkeley award-winning professor and scientist: Carbon Is Changing Our Planet with Dr. Jeffrey Reimer Slide Presentation

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How can we help you care for God’s creation?  Drop us an email and let us know at presbyearthcare@gmail.com Help us grow! Please let us know if there is anyone we should add to our list!  Just reply to this email.  Thank you! Please help us to continue to assist individuals and churches in creation care work by donating to PEC through our website by CLICKING HERE.  Thank you!

Copyright (C) 2024 Presbyterians for Earth Care. All rights reserved.

Living into Right Relations: February 2024

Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice News from The United Church of Canada Food for the North     Everyone knows that their grocery bills have been going up. What may not be as well known is the impact of high inflation on prices for basic commodities in northern communities, including many First Nations. This year’s unusually warm winter is exacerbating the cost of living in the north, creating a crisis for many of these communities. They rely on winter roads—ice roads—to bring in goods more cheaply during winter months. Their only alternative is to fly-in goods which is extremely expensive. Several communities are now declaring emergencies as this year their winter roads have not been able to be built or have been available for a much shorter time than normal. In the community of Wasagamack, for example, here are some of the costs in February 2024 of some typical grocery items: Chicken nuggets $24.99 a box                   Ground Beef log $80.79 10Kg of Sugar $53.99                                  2 chicken legs $14.00 2 litres of pop $15.99                                   24 rolls toilet paper $42.79 Baby enfalac $9.49 a can                            Package of diapers $64.79 The Food for the North program, a Gifts with Vision project, helps members of these communities by providing grocery cards to families. They are distributed through United Church communities of faith located in northern Manitoba and Ontario First Nations. Donations at all times are welcome and are especially needed given the pressures faced by these communities this year. Gathering Nations in Peace and Friendship in Atlantic Canada     In November 2023, the Atlantic Christian Training Centre (Tatamagouche Centre) hosted a four-day gathering in a form they have long been offering based on ceremony, food, talking circle sharing, deep respect, and drawing in of ancestors and the land. The idea came from one of the Mi’kmaw Clan Mothers, Cathy Martin, to reach 7 generations back and 7 generations forward. For the 56 people who attended, a key element was spending time telling and remembering the truth.  Tatamagouche created a one-hour audio tour that brings the story of the land alive in a way that stimulates reflection. While designed for use while at the property, anyone familiar with the Tatamagouche Centre may enjoy listening to it. The United Church of Canada has committed to rematriation of the Tatamagouche Centre land with Women of First Light, a charitable collective of Clan Mothers, Grandmothers, and young Indigenous women from across Wabanaki. Rematriation honours this unceded land as having always been Mi’kmaw and that it continues to be a sacred, trusted gathering place for L’nu and United Church, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other communities. The rematriation process is not an extractive form of transferring ownership. Instead, it continues a long journey of love, peace, friendship, harm repair, and solidarity, the next bold step in a beautiful journey of righting relations and opening to Indigenous stewardship.  The outgoing Executive Director of the Centre, Nanci Lee, wrote a poem that can be viewed in the recent blog post reflecting on her experience at the November gathering. The 7 generations back, 7 generations forward gathering was supported in part by the Justice and Reconciliation Fund. The next application deadline for the Fund is March 15, 2024. [Image credit: Lori Ransom] Remit Response Deadline is March 31, 2024     A reminder that communities of faith are invited to register their votes for the remit process about the National Indigenous Organization. Background information may be found on the General Council website. This is an important remit in the journey of healing and reconciliation in our church. Indigenous members of the church speak to the remit in a video from the National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering. Remit votes are due March 31, 2024.   [Photo credit: The United Church of Canada] Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube Donate to The United Church of Canada and help fund life changing work around the world!

Copyright © 2024 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved.

North America Action Call! Faiths for Climate Justice 2024

The next 20 months leading up to COP30 are a decisive opportunity to turn the tide on the climate crisis. The challenges we face are daunting–

• The past year saw the highest temperatures recorded in years, and a corresponding spike in devastating deadly climate impacts and loss of livelihoods and life for millions of people.

• Water sources are drying up, temperatures are rising, soil is growing infertile.

• These factors are intensifying armed conflicts, political instability, and hunger.

The world is at a climate crossroads. We need real action.

That is why GreenFaith is coordinating the global, grassroots
Faiths for Climate Justice mobilization, May 3-12, 2024

Join us for a Faiths for Climate Justice North America Action Call:

March 7 at 7 PM EST / 6 CST / 5 MST / 4 PST

What’s needed is clear: phase out fossil fuels and scale up renewables.

And yet, governments and corporations STILL continue fossil fuel expansion—which is the opposite of progress.

People in power are indifferent to the suffering of their people.

Banks and asset managers–with enough money to bankroll a renewable energy transformation– are repeating the same mistakes that got us into this problem in the first place.

In response to this injustice, a faith-rooted climate movement is rising. Join our global faith community to publicly and creatively call for an end to fossil fuels and for polluters to pay for damages.

I'M IN!

As people of faith, we are a beacon of hope for the world. We are standing up to show the world what is possible when we refuse to accept injustice.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Equipping Congo’s youth is goal of upcoming PC(USA) conference

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Equipping Congo’s ...: Congo Mission Network conference set for March 14-16 is now open for registration February 23, 2024 At the Congo Mission Network conference,...

Presbyterian Peace & Justice - Spotlight on Self-Development of People

(Photo by Rich Copley, PMA)   As we reflect and honor the contributions of many in Black History month, I am drawn to the powerful history of SDOP, a history of beginnings that were couched in the salient issues of the late 1960s well into the early ‘70s. Issues such as political unrest, poverty, racism, sexism, economic disenfranchisement and the need for repair were key issues that were integral to the formation of SDOP in what was then known as the United Presbyterian Church. It is an understatement to say that we were formed in turbulent and revolutionary times of the Civil Rights era, but it is also equally safe to say that we were also forged in both hope and determination.   Also, in reflection about the ministry of SDOP, I think about what we, the church, have learned and continue to learn from and through this work. I think about our community partners – our teachers – who have shown us what the profound work of anti-poverty looks like in our communities. Concomitantly, we as students of this work would like to do the same for you. As you look at the links provided here, we hope that it presents an opportunity for you to learn more about us and our community partners that engage in this profound work. (Continued online)   The Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, Coordinator The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People

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Celebrate SDOP Sunday March 10; new resource and yearbook available online

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SDOP headed to Commission on the Status of Women and co-hosting March 12 program in New York (Photo by Rich Copley, PMA)

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SDOP featured on ‘Connecting Our Conversations’ podcast during visit to Presbytery of Southern New England (Photo courtesy of SDOP)

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‘The Struggle is Real’ highlights issues affecting veterans and how churches can be supportive (Photo by Benjamin Faust via Unsplash)

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SDOP disburses more than $100K in grants to seven self-help projects

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Flashback: SDOP empowers communities in Belize

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Spreading the Vision of Matthew 25 across the Church

Matthew 25 is a living translation of Jesus Christ — strengthening relationships, transforming your church, and bringing alive your commitment to those who are marginalized or in need in your community and the world around us. Make no mistake, Jesus is calling us to perform ordinary acts of compassion in daily life. But we have also been called to consider the factors that led to these conditions, to confront the causes of inequality, to confess the sin of greed and to correct the problem of poverty — whether in our own nation and neighborhood, or around the world.

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