
Way in the Wilderness is a ministry of followers of Jesus, grounded in the Upper Swannanoa River Watershed and dedicated to God’s vision of beloved community and the reconciliation of all creation. Rev. Kevin Miller and Rev. Kevin Bates, together with their families, bought homes next to one another and set out on a journey to create this building-less faith community in the mountains of North Carolina. We are committed to learning to better love our neighbors and creation, believing that in doing so, all will better know and experience the love of the Creator.

Green Spaces in Ministry Part 2 – Means of Grace
This edition of the Means of Grace podcast is a three-part series highlighting four ministries in Western North Carolina who are using green spaces in ministry. These ministries meet people where they are and invite them to something new – an orchard, a story walk, a worship service, exercise, a meal. Part 2 features "The Kevins" – Kevin Miller and Kevin Bates – who are starting a new outdoor faith community in the Swannanoa Valley called Way in the Wilderness: A Church Without Walls. These episodes are airing on the Tuesdays surrounding Earth Day as a way for leaders to consider how they might connect the earth and its Creator with the lives of people in their community. One of the many blessings of living in North Carolina is access to beautiful spaces and God’s earth. These podcasts encourage you to think about your own outdoor space – it doesn’t take much – and how it can be used in ministry. Listen to Part 1, featuring The Village Green in Cashiers and G.I.F.T Aquaponics & Shepherds Garden in Wingate. Part 3 drops next Tuesday, May 4th. Resources: Earth Day Sunday – CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRIES Worship resources for Earth Day 2021 – Global Ministries (umcmission.org) Caretakers of God's Creation (umccreationcare.org) – United Methodist Creation CareCreation Care (umc.org) – Creation Care in the United Methodist Social PrinciplesClimate • GBCS (umcjustice.org) – General Board of Church and Society resourceswww.unitedmethodistwomen.org – United Methodist Women resources (search “creation”) Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith by Fred Bahnson (faithandleadership.com) Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith: Bahnson, Fred: 9781451663303: Amazon.com: Books About Us – Watershed Discipleship Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice: Myers, Ched, Nadeau, Denise M.: 9781498280761: Amazon.com: Books Koinonia Farm in Georgia: Home – Koinonia Farm
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