UP WILD CHURCH
WHAT IS U.P. WILD CHURCH
Where has the reverence, the wonder, and the awe for the natural world gone?
Have we built too many walls over, through and around ourselves
so that we can no longer see or feel the Mystery that creates all things?
Wild Church is: A spiritual home for the seekers of beauty, wonder, & awe; where the 'church goers' supplement their journey and the 'misfits' finally feel connected within the congregation of paper birch trees & squawking geese via the Mystery which creates all things. Deep within the Christian tradition there hides a wealth of wisdom on how to cultivate this relationship. It is time to bring this authenticity forward especially in the wild setting of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
In Gathering Together:
We create opportunities to foster a deeper spiritual connection with God outdoors and through virtual nature walks online.
We meet people where they are at with no agenda and have community meet-ups with no religious language.
Wild Church is Collaborative Voice:
One that is rising up from an diverse choir of seekers who desire a faith life that is responsive to what’s happening in the world right now. Indeed, it is as if Spirit is stripping us of our man-made divisions by reconnecting us to the soil, the watersheds, the oak tree, the caterpillars, as if there, we will fall back in love & in doing so, find ourselves again.
Wild Church Values:
We are a community who openly prays for the healing of the land and our hearts, allowing for open conversation on our culture of consumption, embracing holy wisdom, and celebrating our varied personal experiences. Our intention is to provide space in which each person is able to express how they experience Creator. We listen to each others' stories, backgrounds, and language; knowing they will be different, rather than judging- we listen & resonate in our own ways. We walk Jesus' way of love and transformation and especially strive to listen and respond to the spiritual needs of those outside of traditional church contexts.
The leaves have not suddenly changed their colors at this moment, nor has the sky been transformed. All that beauty was already there. What changed? I did. This splendor was there, but I did not notice it. I became a beholder and I see what is there to be seen (M. Himes). When we step out of ourselves (ego) and into creation (eco), we begin to notice the love which supports all that exists. God is the Mystery which has created all things; for God is love and love is a relationship of which, we are called into daily.
Wild Church is For:
Everyone.
You are welcome whether you are a part of a Christian faith community already, questioning your faith, in recovery from wounds inflicted by religious trauma, simultaneously receiving nourishment from other faith traditions, or simply seeking to go deeper.
You Are The Bee:
Like bees pollinating the flowers... growing our community is all word of mouth.
You tell your story and invite your friends by sharing what you found helpful and why you attend. We invite those that we know who need to be nourished, fed, excited or inspired! You are the bee who takes the nutrients back to the hive. You are invited to actively participate in creating content, reading a poem or reflection, guiding us on a nature walk, taking photos or videos in nature, sharing your unique personality with us. The importance of community is
to be reminded that we don't need to be perfect. We're all here on this earth to learn and to leave the perfection to God.
How We Are Funded:
We are a non-profit 501(c)3 collaboration with funding support from the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan and the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod. We have members who give monthly & those who give what they can. We rely on grants and generous donors.
We believe in the curiousity and strength of our local youth to grow into Earth Keepers motivated by a moral compass rooted in their faith.
If you feel like we do, please support our future.
Have Questions?
What is the Nature Prayer Service?
This is the general program of one of the events written by an attendee:
The prayer services always start with a time of quiet conversation and welcoming. When people are ready, there is a brief introduction of attendees followed by several readings. These are a mix of "wilderness readings" and Scripture. The "wilderness readings" are usually from prominent naturalists, environmentalists, and writers who are connected with the outdoors.
Then, we do what is called a pilgrimage into nature. Generally, attendees are encouraged to meditate, observe, and pray around a theme. People spread out into the natural area around our gathering place.
After 10-15 minutes, the people are called back, and they share. They share their experience, what they noticed, what they thought, how it connected to the readings or their lives, etc.
Then, there are Prayers of the People using different elements of the Earth. We offer prayers together.
Someone from our group brings food to share and we pass peace.
Then we finish with a poem and announcements.
After the service, people stay and share tea and conversation.
Services last about 40-45 minutes, and they are delightful.
What is a Wilderness Walk?
We explore revolving locations through walks and hikes together stopping for prayer/reflection along the trail. Usually last 2 hours and range from easy to intermediate levels.
Do you do Virtual Nature Walks?
Yes! We have found a large community of people all over the world tune in. We have past online services archived on our website and air new videos on our Youtube channel. Some people watch them together with family or share links to friends who they know would enjoy a virtual stroll with a good message.
Shouldn't I limit my screentime?
es! Yes and Yes! Our nature videos should be used a form of spiritual meditation that draws us deeper into relationship with the natural world and God. We should be mindful that the dark matter behind our screens is pulling for our attention & spend most of our time away from screens while being intentional with the time we do spend online. Especially important for kids.
I'm a busy parent- do you have resources for home use?
We aren't another stress event on your calendar. All services (including Nature Prayer Service) are inclusive for kids and teens unless specified differently. Some of the hikes are intermediate to advanced where young chidren may have difficulty. Yes, we encourage you to come in person esp. to our wild school BUT a lot of us are parents who don't want to shush our kids in the pews and are rushing around to hockey practice. We still want to invite our children into wonder and practically we need to do this at home. We will be creating at home resources for 15 minute Wander & Ponders. Contact us for a hand-out.
What are community meet-ups?
A time to just be with each other - absolutely no agenda then to build relationship and community. For all ages- using intergenerational. Some are random pop-ups within our community, some are coffee hang outs at a local cafe, some groups process trauma together and others tell (mildly appropriate) jokes.
How do we awaken wonder?
By re-engaging with our child-like sense of wonder. We step into the natural world of waterfalls, bee pollination, compost, blades of grass in the sidewalk, dandelions on the lawn of empire, sandhill cranes flying overhead, Huron Mountain views and the chill of Lake Superior- we put our hands in the dirt and gaze at the stars. Creator (The Mystery/God) does the rest.
Where in the UP are you located? (branches)
We have 7 branch locations across the U.P. See our branch page to find the closest group and contact information for the volunteer leader.
Church hurt me. I won't go back. What is a story group?
A story group is a small group in a brave safe space consisting of a trained facilitator and up to six participants.
One of the primary ways you are invited to engage at Story Groups is by sharing written stories from your childhood and young adult life. These stories are important windows to gain a deeper understanding of what has shaped you into who you are today, and are a helpful way to invite you toward discovery, growth, healing, and moving toward healthier relational patterns for the future.
Clarity Statement:
For the sake of clarity in the beginning and to make this a safe place for a diverse group of individuals:
We do not:
Talk politics. We avoid labels. Many of us identify as ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat’ and favor certain politicians but political talk only leads to arguments or division.
Instead we:
Look for common denominator of caring for creation. U.P. Wild never endorses or takes a public stand on political candidates & issues, however, we do prayerfully and reflectively decide how to protect and steward our local water and environment.
We do not:
Try and convert others into our way of thinking. In our group, we may have atheists, Evangelicals, former Catholics, current Episcopalians, and followers of the moon cycles- all represented in one circle. We are not here to convert each other but to respect each other. The “I am right” way of thinking only leads to division.
Instead we:
Respect where each person is at in their spiritual journey recognizing that many of us come from backgrounds of spiritual/religious trauma. We are a group that seeks to be Christ-like, which seeks to live out the way of authentic ancient Christianity in what we believe can only be experienced through who we are - in this moment - with each other.
We do our best to not:
Use triggering language.
Instead we:
Are mindful in how we express ourselves. We do not attack others verbally with dogmatic or slanderous terms. It is okay to say that you see God as your Lord and Savior or that for you God is the Universe but when we express ourselves, we use personal statements such as, “In my tradition, I refer to God as ___.” When we share our definition of God as based on our personal histories, we allow others in the group to hold their identifications without feeling threatened. U.P. Wild views God as the Creator, the Author of all Life, the Wordless Word, who lives in and within all things.
We do our best to not:
Exclude people, guilt or shame them. We do not judge people because of ethnicity, heritage, social status, orientation or spiritual background. We do not blame or shame anyone for their past or those of their ancestors.
Instead we:
See the person as they are. We accept that we are all “lepers in need of healing”. We work to identify the commonalities we have instead by realizing that we all have gone through suffering – that trauma is a spectrum and not a hierarchy. We see others through the eyes of Christ. Allowing them to reveal their true selves (their hopes and heartaches) so that we can resonate with elements of their story just as we would like them to resonate with ours.
We do not:
Become overbearing, overpowering, rude, or try to control situations and/or people. Loud voices and aggressive language is frightening and unhealthy. We never lash out at others and we can always ask our leader to get the group back on track.
Instead we:
Use compassion and calmness. We dismiss ourselves and take a “self time out” if we begin to get upset with something or someone. We work to peacefully resolve our conflicts. We acknowledge that UP Wild Church is not for everyone. And that is okay. We are seeking to create an alternative Christian community that has never existed for many of us- and it’s not always easy but it’s worth it.
We try not to:
Bring our phones/tech with us at offerings.
Instead we:
Take the opportunities to break our personal addictions to tech/social media while encouraging
more time reconnecting with nature.
OUR HISTORY
2019 - The seeds were planted through a conversation by 2 moms re: the need for a innovative Spirit-driven ministry geared towards those who grew up in the 'church' but no longer attend Sunday services.
2020 - We began our Nature Prayer Service & Virtual Nature Walks
2021 - Developed volunteer wild crew, offerings expanded including Wilderness Walks
2022 - Monthly offerings, new people, relationship building including Wild School
2023 - Creating branches across the U.P., sustainable fundraising, more offerings
2024 - Established 7 branches, held our 1st Leaders Retreat
2025 - Focusing on community meet-ups and community needs
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