A garden can become a wonderful place for children’s ministry because it does not ask children to sit still before they are allowed to learn. It invites them to notice, touch, smell, ask, wonder, help, taste, wait, and try again. Children do not need much convincing that the world isRead more…

Some garden practices feel almost like prayers. Saving seeds is one of them. At first, it may look like a small practical task: drying bean pods, scooping tomato seeds into a jar, writing a label, tucking paper envelopes into a cool place for winter. But seed saving can become somethingRead more…

A garden can surprise you. For weeks, it may feel like nothing much is happening. Then suddenly there are tomatoes on every counter, beans in every bowl, herbs needing to be cut before they flower, zucchini arriving with the confidence of a weather system, and someone asking what exactly theRead more…

A church does not need a perfect plan to begin Green Ministry. It does not need a large property, a full committee, a grant, a master gardener, or a five-year strategy before taking one faithful step. Those things may help later. But they are not the beginning. The beginning isRead more…

A community garden may look like a practical project. Soil. Seeds. Compost. Water. Tools. Volunteers. Schedules. Raised beds. Tomato cages. Zucchini that gets enthusiastic. It is practical. That is part of its goodness. But for Green Ministry, a community garden can also become something deeper: common ground. Common ground isRead more…