Vision

The big picture...

We are a simple ‘back to basics’ church, literally a church without walls as we have no building. This really frees us. It means we're mobile, we're everywhere, and we understand that 'church' is wherever the people gather to be with God, and reminds us God is everywhere, including within each of us.

A meal features in all our gatherings. This helps us slow down, connect, be grateful and feel loved. At The Table all are welcome regardless of age, beliefs, our past or present. All we need to be fed is to be hungry.

Wild Worship

We believe it's important to take time to reconnect with God's creation and rediscover our place in it, noticing how God speaks to us through it. Walking in the woods, gazing at the night stars, observing the birds, feeling the shift of the seasons... We want to learn to tread lightly on the earth and appreciate the vast beauty of this part of God's Kingdom.

Drawing on the Forest Church movement and our rich Northern Celtic heritage, we're an intentionally outdoor community. After all, most of the things Jesus taught His disciples and the crowds who followed Him, He taught outdoors.

Our desire to care for creation influences much of what we do. We aim to only serve ethically sourced food that would otherwise be wasted, and partner with local charity The Pickle Palace, and Gibside Community Farm. Not having a building keeps our carbon footprint very low.

Children

Being part of Creation and made in God's image influences so much of how and why we do things in this church. One example is the place of children. We see no reason why children should be any less valued or respected, any less likely to be listened to, included or learned from, than any other age group.

You will see children meaningfully involved in all aspects of our community life, including leading and decision making. We are committed to helping children to identify and build their skills and gifts and to share them when they are ready.

That said, we encourage children to be children, so they are not expected to sit in silence and listen, as developmentally many find this hard (including adults, see our section on neurodiversity). They are free to interact with worship in their own way at their own pace. We only have two rules; children are to stay within the physical boundaries- as marked- for their own safety, and no child or adult is permitted to use their words or bodies to harm another.

Inclusion

If you identify as queer (or something else under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella) and are wondering if this church is a safe place for you, yes, it is.

God made each of us in His image. Every single human is a precious, valuable, image bearer of the Creator. No conditions, no clauses.

Queer Christians are part of our community including our leadership. So friend, if reading this makes you feel big emotions, we know. We do. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you home.