for families with children of primary school age and younger
We started with a torrent for our first session of Exeter Forest Church – the heavens opened just before we started and the skies didn’t clear until we finished packing up! However, despite the rain we were not put off and enjoyed a wonderful first session of wondering in the woods with 14 children and their parents and carers.
One of the children began the session by lighting the (much needed) fire for us to gather around. Then we spent time looking up and marvelling at the immensity of the world above us, from the trees we could see to the galaxies we couldn’t, and then looking down with our magnifying glasses at the wonders of the tiny treasures below. Did you know each handful of soil can contain up to 50 billion living organisms?!
As we were thinking about the potential of little things, and also about what Forest Church might grow into, our activity was making seed balls. Our session ended after the marshmallows with the beautiful Celtic blessing ‘Deep peace of the running wave to you’, which each of us added to with our own words, as we reflected on what we had enjoyed and wondered at during our time in the woods.
Deep peace of the pitter pattering rain to you
Deep peace of the fluffy marshmallows to you
Deep peace of the tiny treasures to you
Deep peace of Christ, of Christ the light of the world to you.
We will continue to meet at Thomas Hall School on the first Sunday of every month from 2.30pm – 3.30pm.
If you’d like to find out more or join our email list please get in touch with Abigail Hardiman on abigailhardiman@protonmail.com