Make social and environmental justice part of your congregation's Palm Sunday celebration

Palm Sunday is April 5, 2009

The Eco-Palm Project
Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, accented by the jubilant waving of palm branches, is re-enacted each Palm Sunday in Presbyterian and other Christian congregations worldwide as Holy Week observances begin. Unfortunately for the communities where these palms are harvested, palm fronds do not always represent the same jubilation they do for us.

In 2007 the PC(USA) teamed up with Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services and the University of Minnesota to offer congregations the option of purchasing responsibly harvested eco-palm branches for Palm Sunday. The palms come from communities in Mexico and Guatamala where workers are paid fairly and engage in sustainable harvesting in order to protect the local ecosystem. Learn more about the benefits of Eco-Palms.

Online ordering new for 2009! Orders are due by March 9 if paying by credit card (March 2 if paying by check). Learn about pricing, ordering options and more.

Read the Presbyterian News Service article about Eco-Palms.

Young Adult Eco-Stewards Sought

Applications are being sought for the Eco-Stewards program of the Presbyterian Conservation Corps (PCC), a Christian community responding to God's call through applied eco-stewardship. The PPC is looking for Eco-Steward applicants from ages 18-24 years old who demonstrate interest in church, camp, and environmental concerns. The application deadline is May 1, 2009. To download the application, go to http://www.presbyterianconservationcorps.org/2009.html.

Each program will comprise of two components at different sites: 1. Eco-Stewards Training (3-4 days) and 2. Eco-Stewards Hand-On Program (3-4 days). The two programs are as follows: West: July 5-12 at Highlands Camp in Allenspark, CO and Greenwood Farm in Hardin, MT and Midwest: August 2-9 at Stronghold Retreat Center in Oregon, IL and Chicago, IL. PCC will transport participants between each site, but participants are responsible for travel to the training, and from the program component.
A joint program of Presbyterian Conservation Corps and Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, the Eco-Stewards program seeks to train and inspire young adults in the ways of eco-stewardship within the wider context of our Christian faith. The overarching goal of this new initiative is to help inspire Presbyterian Church, USA churches and their members to become better caretakers of planet earth, our God given island home.