Walking church – Teme Valley South Rural Mission Area
Teme Valley South’s Walking Church is advertised to congregations across the whole 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.
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.”
Forest church – St Peter’s Church, Pedmore
St Peter’s Church in Pedmore, Stourbridge hold a monthly Forest Church for families during the spring and summer months, which takes place around the churchyard and happens outside regardless of the weather – families are just encouraged to dress appropriately!”
The ‘service’ which is never longer than an hour 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!
Wild church – St Martin’s Holt, West Worcester Beacon Benefice
Aimed at families, Wild church meets monthly outside in all weathers at St Martin’s Holt.
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.