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Growing Community Gardens at Church

"When someone asks me which church I'm at, I just say the one with the flowers on East University," said Patricia Yates, pastor of Village Christian Church, Auburn, Ala. They usually recognize the church by her description.

Yates, who has been with the congregation a couple of years, said the garden was established in 1996, shortly after the congregation moved to its current location after buying three acres of land and constructing a small church building. Now, flowers are planted along about 1/4 mile of road frontage near the church and two acres or more of the land is landscaped, thanks to the vision of one member's husband who has a horticulture background.

Just this spring, Yates reported that 4,000 tulips were in bloom! The garden includes a reflection pool, benches and paths wide enough for a wheelchair, said Yates. Easter sunrise services are held in the garden and she hopes down the road to include "meditation/campfire style services."

Not every congregation has three acres of land and horticulturists available to set up and maintain a garden, but that should not deter Disciples who see the value of a congregational community garden, whether it be flowers or food. With only a 10 x 20 foot plot of land and a vision for the kind of garden to plant, consider these possibilities. A community garden could:

• become a ministry of the congregation;
• combine the wisdom of older members with the energy of younger members;
• provide flowers for shut-ins and healthy produce for the local food bank or your congregation's food pantry;
• provide educational opportunities on poverty, hunger and environmental issues;
• provide a space of beauty for the community;
• provide therapeutic stress-relief for church members who don't have yard space for their own garden;
• create potential partnerships with local farmers markets for selling excess produce;
• offer a good use for unused land near the church building.

... and more. The possibilities are endless!

So how do we get started?

Resources abound for budding community gardens. Consider that every state has a Master Gardener program and a county extension office. Extension staff and Master Gardeners are available to give presentations and offer help as you establish your community garden.

So how can Disciples congregations participate in what some would consider taking Volunteers in Missions "getting dirty for Jesus" philosophy to new levels?

Tips for getting started

• Find out who in your congregation is interested in volunteering;
• Identify a location for your garden;
• Gather gardening resources appropriate for your area, including local Master Gardeners;
• Find out what resources can be donated, such as tilling services, compost, mulch, and manure;
• Enroll in the Master Gardener class.

Creating what one writer calls "the new gardens of Eden," a community garden can be a rewarding ministry of the congregation, as it has been for Village Christian Church. But Rev. Yates concedes that it is a lot of work! "It takes dedicated people who really love doing it," said Yates. But ultimately, Yates said the garden offers "a way of saying we are welcoming and we care about our community."

Angela Herrmann, director of Web site development, is a native of Indiana and a member of Central Christian Church, Indianapolis. Herrmann has been certified as a Master Gardener for nearly three years.

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