Walking church – Teme Valley South Rural Mission Area
What: Participants meet to walk, chat and celebrate the natural world together
Where: Walking Church is advertised to congregations across the whole "muddy boots" Rural Mission Area and moves location each month taking in different walks which vary in length. The first one was around a mile long. Others have been 3 miles.
Format: The group walk through the countryside together stopping for a bible reading and prayer along the way.
The planning group took a quote from environmentalist John Muir as their inspiration:
“Id rather be in the mountains thinking of God, than in church thinking about the mountains.”
Read more: https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/news/come-church-walk
Forest church – St Peter’s Church Pedmore and St Bartholomew's Tardebigge
What: Forest Church is aimed at families and at St Peter's Church Pedmore is held monthly in the Spring and Summer months. It takes place around the churchyard and happens outside regardless of the weather – families are just encouraged to dress appropriately! St Bartholomew's Tardebigge also take this stance. Their monthly service is held all year round. They have a gazebo to provide basic shelter if it is raining and a fire pit to provide warmth.
Format: At St Peter's Church in Pedmore, the service is never longer than an hour. It includes a short time of worship followed by three practical activities such as a themed trail or scavenger hunt, some basic gardening activities like planting bulbs, colouring, and puzzles. At the end, the group come back together to sing again before enjoying hot food!
At St Bartholomew's Tardebigge there is a short service where the bible is read while the children do a simple craft activity at an adjacent table. Prayers are then shared and simple hymns sung. Children are free to explore the field the service is held in if they wish. The BBQ is then fired up to provide brunch.
Read more: https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/news/forest-church-at-st-peters-pedmore
https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/news/tardebigge-parish-launch-monthly-forest-cafe-church
Wild church – St Martin’s Holt, West Worcester Beacon Benefice
What: Wild church that meets outside in all weathers at St Martin’s Holt.
Format: Aimed at families, children turn up in their wellies with their Carers and engage in nature related activities, themed by the seasons.
At one meeting they had Julie Granger come along who is a forest ranger at Monkwood (a forest on the edge of the Benefice), which proved very popular. She showed the children how to make nests out twigs and horsehair just as birds do and how to make pictures out of fragments of flowers and leaves. The run up to Christmas is usually popular too, when they make table decorations out of leaves and pinecones and other items found outside.