Experiencing Nature, Designing Restoration
Our culture is out of rhythm with creation.The future of our planet depends on all of us. Wild Indigo can help you and your church discover God’s call to restoration and help mobilize your community toward life giving action.
All Creation Longs for Restoration, Lets Bring it Together
A very brief overview of our offerings:
The missional “guilds” are small groups, often from churches, that commit to the following and are led by John and Evan of Wild Indigo Guild.
Phase 1: Through the Learn and Explore phase of the Wild Indigo Guilds program we’ll help you reconnect with God through contemplative practices, readings, community and study of permaculture.
Phase 2: In the Dream and Design Phase we help “missional guilds” find ways to bring restoration and healing to creation through practices as simple as recycling and composting and as significant as native habitat restoration or permaculture design.
Phase 3: The Dig-In Phase is where the “compost meets the soil.” In the final stage of the program we’ll get our hands dirty together as we begin the projects you and your community have developed.
A swamp white oak, grown in the Garfield Farm nursery from seed, was the first tree Wild Indigo Guild planted in 2024 at Westminster Church in Greensburg, PA. Many more to come!
Congregations as Solutions
In 2008 The Open Door Church and our neighbors began to create a three acre urban farm called Garfield Community Farm. GCF exists today to grow food for our neighborhood, demonstrate ecological restoration on degraded land, and provide education for people of all ages. GCF is our inspiration for Wild Indigo Guild. We believe faith communities are desiring to mobilize and take action for their neighborhood and all creation!
Have you ever thought about how much land is owned by communities of faith? Churches all over the country mow huge swathes of lawn every day. Others maintain giant parking lots way bigger than they need. Storm water issues arise, chemicals are used on lawns, money and labor is wasted. What if congregations created projects using their land and buildings for food production, community food pantries, ecological restoration, reforestation, etc.,the possibilities go on and on!
God is a creative God, who created a beautiful, resilient and amazing world for us. God also created us in God’s image, meaning we are insanely creative and capable of creating beauty and resilience.
Wild Indigo Guilds are small groups of change makers within congregations who are ready to go on a spiritual and creative journey with us. Every guild will be different, shaped by its context, the gifts of its members, and the creative ideas that God forms within them.
Each guild is not only about “doing” things but begins with spiritual formation, helping members sink deeply into God’s goodness. Creation becomes the location that we hear and experience the Divine as we foster ears to hear and eyes to see God’s presence with us in every inch of Creation.
The Center Guild
This fall Wild Indigo Guild will begin hosting a monthly gathering at KF Farm to celebrate, connect over a shared meal, and work with our hands together. These gatherings will take place on the first Saturday of each month at 10am. All are welcome. More details to come soon!
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Helping congregations and individuals connect with God, others and the Natural World through hands on practice of ecological restoration, environmental justice and organic gardening.
Wild Indigo: whats with the name? Wild Indigo is an amazing plant. There are several species that we call Wild Indigo, All of them have an ability to nourish and heal depleted soils. They are native to North America and provide nectar for a plethora of pollinators and beneficial insects. All of these plants have relationships with moths and butterflies, including the incredible Peacock moth, providing food and habitat for their survival.
We strive to emulate Wild Indigo by connecting with each other, God and the natural world to develop supportive and resilient relationships.
Like the communities in nature, we believe communities of people will be the driving force of change in our world.
Guilds: learn, dream and build together!
Wild Indigo Guilds are small groups of people, often from congregations, who commit to learn together, dream together and build together toward a better world. By developing a deeper connection with God, others and the natural world, guilds will become ready to discern how their land and buildings can be used for ecological restoration and food production.
