Many congregations have found that they can grow vegetables, fruits, flowers AND community! You can get your green-thumbed members involved in a new way. You can use the garden to teach the youth and others about God’s creation. You can give the produce to the poor. It’s a win for everyone.
Now is planting season, so why not consider a community garden in your congregation?
Here are some links to get you thinking and digging!
Is Your Church Ready for a Garden? This article from Flourish magazine helps you decide among many choices available.
A Seed Planted and a Garden Grown. Read about how St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis., started a garden and just a few years later is harvestign thousands of pounds of produce to give to the poor and participate in a farmer’s market, with proceeds helping to pay for church and community projects. From Lutherans Restoring Creation.
Starting a Community Garden. Here’s a article with a comprehensive list of how-to tips from the American Community Gardening Association, whose website has a plenty of other handy resources to get you going.
Creating a Faith-based Community Garden. The organization Sustainable Traditions offers a nice article with plenty of links to churches that have made community gardening an outreach ministry.