OUTDOOR CHURCH

We are in a beautiful part of the world and love getting outside to worship God and celebrate his creation. Read on for more about the fortnightly Outdoor Church and the quarterly Outdoor Church Goes Wild.

On the first and third Sunday of every month (all year round) we have Outdoor Church, which begins at 9.30am after our Christian meditation (which is at 9am in the church). If it's pouring we'll stay indoors, although sometimes the "get active" people will venture out in rainy conditions, too.

Our rough timings are as follows:

9.30 - 10am we start with breakfast (free, no need to book or bring anything), with coffee, tea, pastries and hot chocolate and marshmallows. If you have any dietary requirements, it's a good idea to let us know in advance at stmaryswelshnewton@gmail.com so we can be sure to provide what you need. You can join us at any point - no need to rush if you're running late!

10am: when we've finished breakfast there's a short time of worship.

10.15am: after that we all gather around the firepit (weather permitting - see above) for a brief introduction to a passage from the Bible. Sometimes we act bits of it out!

10.30am: you can choose to get active with activities around the churchyard exploring a Bible passage or theme, or you can stay around the firepit for a discussion about a Bible passage.

11am: at the end we all meet again for a quick chat about what we learned and some prayers. We end around 11.30am.

Have a look below at our video and photos which show what it's like.

Outdoor church at St Mary's

Pastries

We start with breakfast

Gathering around the fire pit

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Outdoor church at St Mary's

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Outdoor Church goes WILD

Once every three months we hold hold a special family adventure afternoon of bushcraft, Bible stories, food and fun, at nearby Buckholt Bryngaer Woodland, a beautiful hilltop spot with views of the Black Mountains, a base camp with shelter, toilet and parking nearby. It's for all ages and children are especially welcome. The next one will be 2-4pm on Sunday 29 November (Advent Sunday), where we'll be exploring a darkness and light theme. If you'd like to come, please sign up here.

What happens?

Building and creating things with natural materials
Exploring woodland trails, games and mini-challenges
Hearing Bible stories and bringing them to life
Singing, praying and discovering God in creation
Crafts, games and fun by the campfire
Snacks and drinks

Have a scroll through the photos below to see what some recent ones were like!