2019

 

Bringing together youth for environmental justice camps was an idea of the Justice & Witness Missional Team. From this idea, “E.C.O. 4 Youth" was developed by various church leaders of the Hawai‘i Conference to provide youth with experiences to learn and engage in Earth Care Opportunities while strengthening relationships across our congregations. 

 

Youth in grades 6-12 were invited to attend one of the two camps offered. Each camp was planned and led by a local leadership team. Twenty-nine youth gathered on Maui in October and 41 youth gathered on O‘ahu in November to learn how we are affecting our environment and what we can do to protect it. Friendships were formed and strengthened among the 70 youth participants representing four islands and ten churches of the Hawai‘i Conference.

 

Building relationships and valuing each other is not only important for us as a Church, but also in our care for the earth. When we recognize our connection to the earth and to one another, we see that our call to love each other is only made possible when we also love and protect the earth.