.png)
New Pioneer project in partnership with URC
On Sunday the 5th of November I was licensed in the amazingly sunny garden of the United Reformed Church in Skinner Street, Old Town, Poole. The licensing was a culmination of many hopes and ideas that had been growing gently over a few years to answer the questions of what could the space in front of the wonderful 1770 United Reformed Church in Skinner Street offer to the local community and what could be grown there that would bless and encourage many? And most importantly what was God wanting to do in that space to invite and welcome local people into?
​​
For a while there had been a prayerful and prophetic sense that the space could be a community garden; it could be created and nurtured into a new area where local residents could relax, enjoy nature, grow vegetables and fruit and have space to just be. And in this space, there could be a sense of Eden; an ancient call for us all to return to connecting with nature, to the source of our all our being, to caring and being involved in the natural world. This service, led by Bishop Karen Gorman and Paul Bradbury, spoke of this and the potential in this new garden to not only grow fruit and Vegetables for the local community but also for it to be a community space for gathering together, for sharing food, for exploring faith and knowing your neighbours better. It is truly exciting to see what God is already growing here. It feels very much as thought I am walking on hallowed ground; seeking to follow in the pioneering footsteps of the likes of John Wesley (senior and junior) into all that God has there.
​
I was licensed to Poole Missional Communities to work in partnership with the United Reformed Church so together we can grow and support this garden to flourish into the future; serving and facilitating community in Old Town Poole. A group has been meeting there since the start of the summer on Sunday afternoons to start to renovate the garden and this has developed now into a twice monthly gardening, soup sharing and reflective faith time and so we look to the future with great hope and ambition for it to become a truly beautiful space for all in Old Town Poole to enjoy. If you want to know more do contact Sally Taylor – sally.taylor@poolemc.org.uk