Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) will hold a joint climate summit for youth and young Adults on Friday, July 7, at the Kansas City Convention Center.
According to MC USA, the guest keynote speaker is Talitha Amadea Aho, the writer of "In Deep Waters: Spiritual Care for Young People in a Climate Crisis."
Amadea Aho, formerly a Presbyterian pastor in Oakland, California, has extensive experience working with young people as a chaplain at a children's hospital in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Due to her line of work, she has observed the spiritual distress that climate change has brought upon young individuals.
According to Doug Kaufman, the Director of Pastoral Ecology at Anabaptist Climate Collaborative, this problem must be addressed by everyone affected.
It was because, naturally, young people will bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change.
Climate Summit
The summit aims to assemble specialists in climate change, spiritual activism, and social justice.
Its goal is to discuss how young individuals aged 14 to 25 can utilize their faith to tackle the spiritual and human crises resulting from climate change.
Since March 1, registration for the event has been open, and the cost is $49 per person, including lunch.
There will be contemporary worship services to open and close the event.
There will also be a panel discussion and breakout sessions where attendees can interact with one another on a range of subjects.
These topics will include political advocacy, grassroots environmental efforts, and climate anxiety.
MC USA is partnering with Mennonite Creation Care Network and Anabaptist Climate Collaborative to provide participants with a holistic understanding of the climate change crisis and ways to cope and get involved.
According to Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, MC USA denominational minister for Peace and Justice, they recognize the disproportionate effects of climate change on everyone, particularly low-income communities worldwide, who bear the least responsibility for its creation.
She stated that addressing the underlying causes by concentrating on solutions that offer renewable energy and land use management is a matter of justice that concerns everyone.
With this, she has no doubt that the youth and young adults will lead as they progress.
Panelists
Koufman stated that he is delighted that the speakers bring diverse perspectives to the climate summit.
By learning from one another and confronting unsettling emotions related to climate, Kaufman feels that they can empower others to take action for a brighter future.
The summit will feature panelists, including Luke Beck Kreider, Lynn Hur, Sarah Narah, and Sibonokuhle Ncube.
Kreider is an assistant professor of Religion and Sustainability at Goshen College, with a focus on environmental issues and their intersection with social and political dynamics.
Meanwhile, Hur is a recent graduate of UCLA and will speak about urban planning for sustainable and equitable public spaces.
On the other hand, Nahar is a non-violent action trainer and theologian studying ecological regeneration and spiritual activism as a doctoral student at Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF.
Ncube, meanwhile, is the former director of the Compassionate Development Services of the Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe and a member of the Mennonite World Conference's Creation Care Task Force.
Jennifer Schrock, the director of the Mennonite Creation Care Network, expressed hope that attendees will exit from the conference feeling surprised and hopeful.
She hopes that they will be surprised by the diverse range of ways that people are working on climate change and that they will be grateful to know that they are not alone in their efforts.
Schrock also wants young people to see that the Church is walking alongside them in addressing the issue of climate change and that their presence and partnership are valued.
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