Palm Sunday Path
ESTHER, an ecumenical ministry in Appleton is currently organizing for advocacy on Palm Sunday and Beyond.
Organizing for Palm Sunday Path in Appleton Underway
• Sunday, February 15, 10:45-11:15AM: First informational meeting in Fellowship Hall at First Congregational.
• Sunday, February 22, 6:00PM: Community Singalong: Songs of Justice, Songs of Peace in the Sanctuary at First Congregational.
• Thursday, March 5th 6:00-8:00-pm: Know Your Rights and Supporting Immigrants in our Community, a multi-church immigration training. Program with Molly Smiltneek, JD, Immigration Attorney who works with World Relief Wisconsin. Learn about the current state of the immigration system and prepare ourselves for government enforcement here in the Fox Valley at First Congregational.
• Sunday, March 29, 1:00-3:00PM: Multi Church & Interfaith Rally in Houdini Plaza. Come join hundreds to voice our scriptural mandate to love our brothers and sisters.
• TBD- April Sustained Action Organization:
Prepare and organize for sustained advocacy. We will learn how to resist harmful legislative efforts through local, state and national governance.
Palm Sunday Path
As Christians, we stand for healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger. We stand for telling the truth and honoring the dignity and worth of every child of God. As we live through a period of rapidly consolidating authoritarian power in our country, the dominating politics of hate, fear, greed, and division, are violating our values and tearing our country and democracy apart. We are living in an emergency, and we need to decide that now is our time to act in a new way. Now is our March on Washington moment. Now is our Confessing Church moment.
In response, a broad coalition of clergy, congregations, denominational leaders, and faith based organizations are coming together launching a path to mass actions for Christians across the country.
Step 1: Palm Sunday afternoon, March 29th, 2026.
Jesus entered into Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover, on a donkey, a symbol of a just, humble leader that honors the dignity and needs of the children of God, one that heals the sick, feeds the hungry, honors and welcomes the stranger. Historians tell us Roman authorities entered Jerusalem at the same time to show the power of the Roman empire and to control this freedom festival. Jesus provoked and drew a contrast. We will too.
We will march, proclaiming God’s values in contrast to the dominant politics of hate, greed, and injustice. We will be Christ’s body now.
Our goal is tens of thousands of Christians marching in St. Paul, other regional centers, and hundreds of thousands more in state Capitols and cities across the country.
Step 2: Sustained Action on Medicaid Cuts, SNAP Benefit Cuts, and Immigration
The first thing Jesus did after entering Jerusalem was to overturn tables in the Temple, taking disruptive action provoking his fellow worshippers to stand publicly for the values of their faith and against the greed and injustice of the empire. We stand for healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger. Our goal is local actions on thousands of county boards at once to fight for our healthcare, the food on our tables, our rights, and fair and free elections.
Step 3: July 3rd Action
These actions will lead to a mass action in Philadelphia on July 3rd, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from a king. We will draw a contrast to the military parade being planned in Washington D.C. on the 4th. We will protect the sick, the hungry, and our neighbors. We will protect our freedom of speech and our ability to proclaim the gospel. We will tell our nation that what is happening in our country is wrong, and there is another way.
Next Steps: Congregation Training Planning Calls
These Zoom calls will help us plan and lead in-person training sessions with congregation teams and their clergy that will take responsibility for organizing their Palm Sunday afternoon actions, county board actions, and set the stage for building to a mass action in Philadelphia on July 3rd.
QR Code for Online Version of Document with Links
Palm Sunday Path Description and Upcoming Events
