Forest Church began as a movement in 2012 for people who encountered God in nature and wanted to offer a way of being ‘church’ for others who sensed nature as a place of spiritual encounter. It is in part inspired by the Forest School movement, in which children learn outdoors in nature.
In Severn Loop Forest Church is designed to be all-age, and takes place every six weeks or so. We travel around the Loop to different venues, but wherever we are, the format is similar. We meet at 3pm on a Sunday, begin with prayer, and then hear a bit about our location. This is a really important part of the afternoon- we are blessed in Severn Loop with many people who work in agriculture and land management. As we continue to think about how our attitude to the environment is challenged by the very present climate emergency, a good understanding of the world around us is crucial to our appreciation of our human vocation as people who care for the earth. The world is changing fast, and as Christians our place in nature is spoken over us by God- it’s good to remind ourselves that our world is our responsibility, and our engagement with it is part of our worship.
During the rest of the afternoon, we are free to explore, enjoy some reflective craft activities, sit quietly in the space or deepen our fellowship. After some time, we then gather for a short seasonal service and then a packed tea!
At our most recent Forest Church gatherings, the ages ranged from 80+ to 9 months old! To find out about future events, go to our new page. Below are a few pictures of our time together:
‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.’
Psalm 24: 1-2