Experiencing Nature, Designing Restoration
Our culture is out of rhythm with creation.The future of our planet depends on all of us. Wild Indigo can help you and your church discover God’s call to restoration and help mobilize your community toward life giving action.
All Creation Longs for Restoration, Lets Bring it Together
A very brief overview of our offerings:
Through the Learn and Explore phase of the Wild Indigo Guilds program we’ll help you reconnect with God through contemplative practices, readings, community and study of permaculture.
In the Dream and Design Phase we help you find ways to bring restoration and healing to creation through practices as simple as recycling and composting and as significant as native habitat restoration or permaculture design.
The Dig-In Phase is where the “compost meets the soil.” In the final stage of the program we’ll get our hands dirty together as we begin the projects you and your community dream up.
A swamp white oak, grown in the Garfield Farm nursery from seed, was the first tree Wild Indigo Guild planted in 2024 at Westminster Church in Greensburg, PA. Many more to come!
Congregations as Solutions
In 2008 The Open Door Church and our neighbors began to create a three acre urban farm called Garfield Community Farm. GCF exists today to grow food for our neighborhood, demonstrate ecological restoration on degraded land, and provide education for children through adult folks. GCF is our inspiration for Wild Indigo, that other faith communities are desiring to mobilize and take similar action.
Have you ever thought about how much land is owned by communities of faith? Churches all over the country mow huge swathes of lawn every day. Others maintain giant parking lots way bigger than they need. Storm water issues arise, chemicals are used on lawns, money and labor is wasted. What if congregations created projects using their land and buildings for food production, community food pantries, ecological restoration, reforestation, etc.,the possibilities go on and on!
God is a creative God, who created a beautiful, resilient and amazing world for us. God also created us in God’s image, meaning we are insanely creative and capable of creating beauty and resilience.
Wild Indigo Guilds are small groups of change makers within congregations who are ready to go on a spiritual and creative journey with us. Every guild will be different, shaped by its context, the gifts of its members, and the creative ideas that God forms within them.
Each guild is not only about “doing” things but begins with spiritual formation, helping members sink deeply into God’s goodness. Creation becomes the location that we hear and experience the Divine as we foster ears to hear and eyes to see God’s presence with us in every inch of Creation.
Wild Indigo Guilds
In early 2024 we launched our “Wild Indigo Guild” program, a holistic approach to spiritual formation, nature based contemplative practices, and congregational action for climate, food justice and ecological restoration. The program begins with eight guided sessions to help small groups (we call them guilds) connect with Spirit, creation and one another. If this sounds like something you or your faith community is ready for, click the link below for more details and get in touch soon!
Helping congregations and individuals connect with God, others and the Natural World through hands on practice of ecological restoration, environmental justice and organic gardening.
Wild Indigo: whats with the name? Wild Indigo is an amazing plant. There are several species that we call Wild Indigo, All of them have an ability to nourish and heal depleted soils. They are native to North America and provide nectar for a plethora of pollinators and beneficial insects. All of these plants have relationships with moths and butterflies, including the incredible Peacock moth, providing food and habitat for their survival.
We strive to emulate Wild Indigo by connecting with each other, God and the natural world to develop supportive and resilient relationships.
Like the communities in nature, we believe communities of people will be the driving force of change in our world.
Guilds: learn, dream and build together!
Wild Indigo Guilds are small groups of people, often from congregations, who commit to learn together, dream together and build together toward a better world. By developing a deeper connection with God, others and the natural world, guilds will become ready to discern how their land and buildings can be used for ecological restoration and food production.
