Story of the Week: A Garden Dream
Woodmen's Downtown gardening connect group is helping flowers and the community to flourish!
“It’s fun to create something beautiful together!” That’s how Theresa Leyba describes Woodmen Downtown’s Gardening Connect Group.
If you drive by the corner of Platte and Cascade on a Saturday morning, you’ll probably see group members nurturing the plants in front of the church. They’ve worked in the hot summer sun and on days with spring snow still on the ground. They started with planting pansies in the spring, leading up to Easter weekend, and this summer they’ve moved to drought-tolerant perennials for sustainability.
From lavender, to salvia, to Shasta daisies, these friends have planted more than a dozen different varieties of plants. And of course, they’ve pulled a lot of weeds! The group is made up of passionate gardeners who love getting their hands dirty and nurturing God’s creation. There are even two certified master gardeners in the crew.
A GARDEN PEOPLE
As much as the group members care about seeing flowers bloom, there’s a deeper reason that brings them together. As part of the Woodmen community, they care about people. The group is a mix of generations and includes men and women. Together, they’re creating a welcoming, wonderful setting for the folks who walk into worship each weekend, and they’re building connections with one another.
Serena Wolford says, “It’s a blessing to share my gardening interest with other believers and participate in fellowship while getting my hands dirty.”
Mary Beth Edwards adds, “I’ve especially enjoyed getting to know others during our time as a garden group.” Woodmen Connect Groups are designed to create space for folks to come together in a fun, relaxed setting around a shared interest. And the gardening group has done just that for these gardeners.
The group has gathered in homes to share meals — a brunch at Mark and Nancy Chabica’s place, and a barbecue at Sandy and Darrell Fledderjohann’s. They took time to enjoy each other’s gardens as well.
“I’ve definitely enjoyed meeting new people. It was fun to visit the gardens of other people, too,” says Nancy. “Every Sunday when we approach the building, I spy out all the changes and additions, and just admire what God is allowing us to develop.”
A GARDEN DREAM
On Saturday mornings, downtown neighbors often walk by and say hello or ask a question. Group members take the opportunity to offer a word of hope, invite a new friend to church, or point someone in the direction of helpful downtown resources to meet an immediate need.
One gentleman was admiring the downtown campus mural, and then walked over to the gardeners to find out a little more. He took the time to join in and help the group pull weeds.
As he shared his story, he told of a dream to start a garden to provide opportunities for unhoused people to grow their own food, since he had once lived on the streets. The next day, he joined in the worship service at Woodmen Downtown.
A GARDEN PATH
“When people who are passionate about gardening get together, there’s a common bond — being out in nature, shooting the breeze while you’re digging in the dirt,” Dawn McCaleb says with a smile. “We’re all in our grubby clothes and there’s definitely no pretense. There’s never a lull in the conversation!”
When group members come into worship, it’s great to see familiar faces. “Getting to know the people in this group … makes the downtown campus feel even more like home,” says Denise Moser.
The group has been a pathway for members to find a Woodmen Community Group or make a connection with women’s ministry. Some group members have joined one another for downtown walks during the week.
They keep in touch through a group thread to coordinate taking turns watering plants at the church midweek. And members share photos of their gardens and plants like other people might share photos of their pets or grandkids.
A GARDEN DESIGN
Summer group leader Lori Harms once asked the group to share how they first came to enjoy gardening. As members shared, a common thread blossomed: They all came to love gardening through relationships.
And perhaps that’s not a surprise. After all, when God created humanity in His image, He began in a garden. He made us for relationship, and He walked in the cool of the day with the first people.
It seems that we reflect something of God’s design for relationship and flourishing when we participate with others, joining Him in intentionally bringing order and splendor from the soil.
Nancy sums it up like this: “There’s just a joy in working together to create something beautiful.”
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