Worship Among the Produce

Ryhall Methodist Church in Rutland (part of the Stamford circuit in Lincolnshire) has taken its Harvest worship beyond the church walls and out into the fields. After being inspired by Wholehearted, the Methodist Church gathering focused on mission and evangelism, Ryhall Methodist Church held its Harvest festival in the village allotment, taking faith, food, and fellowship into the community.

The idea began during a parish council meeting where local groups were invited to share their work. Among the groups were the village allotment committee, which had recently revitalised its plots and created spaces for the community. Maz Roberts, a local preacher in the circuit and a steward who had attended the Wholehearted weekend, was keen to put their new found enthusiasm into practice, “When the allotment committee spoke, I just kept whispering ‘Harvest Festival!’ to Revd Bekkie,” said Maz.

Revd Bekkie, immediately saw the potential. “I had been exploring the role of nature in scripture, so Maz’s idea of harvest at the allotments felt like the perfect place to begin.”

The allotment committee agreed and the planning began.

The allotment holders embraced the idea, helping with set-up, providing refreshments, and even building a cross on the morning of the service. One allotment holder joined the worship and read the lesson, while others listened while tending their plots.

The Methodist congregation brought music, food, and enthusiasm. The allotment holders provided offerings of fresh produce that were donated to the local projects Second Helpings and George’s Food Hub, both of which provide meals and groceries to the community.

But the real fruit of the event Revd Bekkie reflected, was in the spiritual. “We saw God in the friendships and connections being made, in the different gifts people brought, and in the beauty of creation that surrounded us. It was a powerful reminder of our calling to reconnect with the land, to care for one another, and to listen for God’s voice in unexpected places.”

Practical outcomes flowed directly from worship too, including commitments from members and allotment holders to support elderly neighbours and to campaign for more mindful hedge-cutting so berries can be harvested rather than be lost.

The allotment congregation is already planning more events. A carol service on the land is set for December, drawing on the imagery of shepherds in the fields and the Magi journeying from afar and during next Holy Week, the local school will join in with a reflective activity, using the allotment garden as a place to walk through the story of Gethsemane and the Stations of the Cross.