Forest Church
In partnership with Glevum Forest Church, we create regular opportunities for communal worship in outdoor spaces
What is Glevum Forest Church?
Glevum Forest Church is an informal group who run regular gatherings at Dragon Wood and Robinswood Hill in Gloucester. These gatherings are held in the ethos of Forest Church, a non-heirarchical movement focussing on connecting with God through nature, reconnecting Christians to the natural world, and exploring the overlap between Christianity and animism or pagan religions.
The main home of Glevum Forest Church on the web is their Facebook group. Gatherings are always advertised on the events page of the group, and there are also photos of previous gatherings, and opportunities for discussion.
You can also sign up to receive emails about forthcoming gatherings here.
What is Forest Church like?
Of course, the main thing is that we’re outside rather than in a church building. As a result, it’s usually more flexible and loosely structured than many church services. There are echoes of church traditions – there will most likely be a couple of readings and some prayers, maybe a song or two.
Some of our practices are quite different from what you might expect to find in a church service on a Sunday. We often include craft activities, games, or observation activities to help us connect with the natural environment that we are in. Usually there are opportunities to share reflections or observations with each other, and we often end with tea and snacks, sometimes around a campfire!
Glevum Forest Church usually meets about eight times a year, often (but not always) on a Saturday afternoon. We usually alternate between Robinswood Hill, in Gloucester, and Dragon Wood, part of Birdwood Coppice, just off the A40 about 6 miles west of Gloucester. The size of the group varies from about six to about twenty participants.
Who is Forest Church for?
Everyone! Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible.
People who feel they connect best with God through nature, creativity, and meditation often find that Forest Church gives them opportunities to explore these practices more deeply.
Forest Church offers opportunities for reflection, fellowship and worship that may appeal to those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, who are questioning their faith, or who are uncomfortable in traditional church services.
Children are a much-valued part of our Forest Church community. They often find the freedom to run around outdoors and the hands-on activities a rich way to engage with spiritual themes.
We are already quite a “neurospicy” group – if you are neurodivergent, we hope you will find a welcoming space among us. If there are particular ways we can adapt gatherings to make them easier for you to participate in, please do get in touch and let us know.
If you have mobility issues, we would love to make sure that our gatherings are accessible to you! Please get in touch to let us know you would like to come, so that we can plan our gatherings accordingly (e.g. using wheelchair-friendly areas, avoiding stiles)
Of course, there are plenty of traditional churchgoers, neurotypical people, and people of all ages who value the chance to connect with God outdoors alongside other people, through a different style of worship.