20 people from across the Taunton Archdeaconry and beyond gathered in glorious sunshine on Saturday morning in the churchyard at St James Church, Taunton. The event led by the Go Team and involving Net Zero Enabler, Dan Wills, aimed to explore the potential of our outdoor spaces for mission, worship and creation care.
The morning began with popcorn cooked over the firepit and was followed by four activities which included making bird feeders from orange skins, a conversation around the benefits and challenges of using our outdoor spaces, a tour of the churchyard with Sue and Richard Carpenter who are passionate about increasing the biodiversity and accessibility of the space and the opportunity to try out the Welly Boot Church resource, created by Ruth Levett, to help people of all ages connect with God in the great outdoors.
The whole morning was blessed with sunshine, birdsong and the sound of a county cricket match over the wall. The participants and the team learnt so much from each other about what can work in different locations and lots of ideas were shared. The morning concluded with a simple time of prayer and reflection based on Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed.
Rev. Jane Durham, Vicar in the Wheathill Benefice said:
“We went to the Outdoor Church morning in Taunton, hoping for some ideas for our fledgling Outdoor Church Fresh Expression, and our Eco Church development. It was really useful; networking and hearing other’s stories, having glimpses into resources that are available, discovering a campfire popcorn pan, and enjoying a couple of hours out in the sun with others concerned for new ways to reach beyond the church walls. Excellent all round, thank you to the Go Team & others.”
Holly Stevens, Children and Families Worker in the Seven Sowers Benefice added her reflections from the morning:
“During the session we looked at seeds; and it’s given me a new perspective. Seeds hold so much potential inside them, a whole tree can grow from a small seed. We each have so much potential inside of us just waiting to grow.”
Ruth Slade from the Go Team commented
“It was great to see people of all ages getting involved with the activities and sharing their own experiences of church outdoors. There’s so much potential for using outdoor spaces, we hope people left inspired and encouraged to try something new.”
If you are interested in exploring outdoors with your church and community, do get in touch with your archdeaconry Go Team Adviser. A list of links to ideas and resources shared at the event can be found here: https://linktr.ee/gooutdoorslinks