Eco-Stewards

Eco-Stewards Updates

• 2013 Eco-Stewards Training Program - Connectional Urban Living as Creative Response: The June 2013 Eco-Stewards Program will be in Portland, Oregon. This place-based learning program for young adults (ages ~20-30) will consider how people of faith in the Portland area are responding in creative ways to environmental challenges such as climate change, food inequality and urban sprawl. We will spend the week exploring the city by foot, bike and public transport as we visit farmer’s markets, ecumenical partnerships, co-housing communities, food cooperatives and farms. Along the way, we’ll meet with community organizers, city planners, church leaders and environmental activists to discuss how they are laying connectional roots to build a sustainable urban community. During the week, we will also take time to reflect on our individual eco-faith journeys while staying at Camp Menucha and hiking and recreating in the Columbia River Gorge and foothills of Mt. Hood in the Cascades.  Find out more at http://ecostewardsprogram.org/
• Read about the 2012 eco-steward summer internship placements here.
  
• Want to help sponsor an eco-steward? Click here to donate.

What is Eco-Stewardship?
Eco-Stewardship is actively caring for creation as a way to love one's neighbor and better the global community. Eco-Stewards strive for six things:

1. Eco-consciousness - Seeking ecological awareness and a continuously renewed consciousness. Pursuing a knowledge the environmental issues that are affecting the different areas of the world today. Evaluating one's own contributing to those issues and finding ways to live more sustainably.
2. Being in solidarity with the poor - Focusing on environmental injustices; low-income communities in America and third world countries all over the world suffer from discrimination as hazardous factories, waste dumps, and toxic industries locate themselves in poor areas that cannot fight to keep the destruction out.
3. Living as ecological and socially responsible consumers - Being willing to examine one's shopping, food, and waste habits with an eye on sustainability. Working towards buying habits that reflect environmental and social justice values. Recognizing that food issues are at the heart of the environmental crisis and striving to eat locally and organically when possible.
4. Personal spiritual journeys - nurtured and supported by the Way of Community, honoring every individual's personal journey to a faithful response to the environmental crisis. Continuously looking inward to keep moving faithfully forward. Yet, also looking outward to a community of Eco-Stewards who support, guide, and strengthen each other along the way, growing in Christ's love.
5. Rooted in Presbyterian Reformed tradition - Sharing the many components of worship in new settings. Renewing traditions in new ways. Paying homage to a history of progressive and faithful service within the church.
6. Providing education and training that compels action - Following a curriculum with a core of eco-theology, church structure, systemic change, modes of behavior, watershed, spirituality, lifestyle simplification, self-reflection, community building, and ecological awareness. Teaching skills that can be extended into individual home communities, spreading nationwide awareness.