Beyond the Pews: Finding the Sacred in the Sands and Spaces of Gower

It is always a tricky thing to explain what we do, because we do so much. As a team, we have found it really difficult to put into a neat box but, if we had to sum it up, it would be this: we create safe and inviting spaces for people to explore faith and spirituality across the Gower Peninsula through creative means.

What does that actually look like? Well, it's essentially breaking down Christian teaching and taking what is traditionally found in a Sunday service to where people actually meet, rather than expecting them to come to a specific service or a building. We want to meet people where they are at.

The Wild and the Creative

One of the most vibrant parts of our work is the Wild Church events we run every month. These are usually outdoor events where our Faith and Wellbeing Guide, Dan, meets people at a certain point on the Gower. From there, they walk together to a second point and, on that journey, stop to engage in reflective activities along the way.

During our last walk, we were looking at Lent and the barrenness of the surroundings - just twigs and no leaves. People began finding 'dead debris' and, together, they built this really massive nest. They started seeking out little offerings - bits of flower, acorns, or pinecones - to put inside. It was a beautiful sight to see: kids who are 10 years old alongside adults in their late 70s all participating together. It's truly multi-generational. We might read some relevant scripture, share reflections on what we've done, and perhaps finish with breath prayers before an invitation to stay for a coffee.

We use art in a similar way to open doors. We recently launched an installation called Surrender at St Mary's in Rhossili, featuring work by local artist and church member Liliane Davies. We had eight large pieces of her art hung right around the church accompanied by her soul-seeking poetry and a driftwood structure where people could thread their reflections on pause questions posed by our Creative Practitioner, Chloe, in bright colours.

We invited people to an activity where they had 10 minutes to draw something based on one of Liliane's poems, but then, after those 10 minutes, they had to leave what they'd started and take over someone else's work. It was a fascinating exploration of what surrendering actually feels like.

Vulnerability and Value

As the seasons change, so does our location. We are currently planning our two-week beach work down on Oxwich Bay for July and August. We set up a massive gazebo and offer what we call 'mini mindful moments'. It's a space where anyone on the beach can come and engage with us. We provide opportunities to create beach art with us and our wonderful church member volunteers or take something away to do as a family, all under the umbrella of wellbeing and faith.

Some of the most profound work happens in the quietest, most unexpected places. Using Jeremiah 1:5 as our foundation, "I knew you in your mother's womb" we work in the Neonatal Unit at Swansea Hospital with traumatised parents, using creativity to help them process the immense pressure of the intensive care unit.

Then there is our work with Faith in Families. Just yesterday, we spent the day with two groups of mothers in Swansea's lower-income neighbourhoods. We did an exercise where they had to write a letter of honour to someone who had influenced them - a friend, a loved one, or even the centre itself.

Now, these are often women who have had to become "hard" because of the life experiences thrown at them. Yet there we were, with women completely teary – completely embarrassed, but teary at the vulnerability of either being told that they were of value to somebody else in that room or listening to other people's expressions of vulnerability in that room. One woman wrote to her estranged mother, another wrote to the grandmother who brought her up and passed away just days after the birth of her child, and another couple of women wrote to the Faith in Families centre to say how much it had changed their lives.

For Chloe and I it has become the best part of our week, because that's changing the very core of how people see themselves through a banner of spirituality and God's endless love. We are taking Church to where people are at.

Seismic Moments

We've had those seismic moments where you realise all the buildup and preparation has been worth it. I remember the Gower Show last year. We had a big tent with activities and a puppet group called Steps of Faith. There was a young farmer standing outside with a pint, just transfixed by the show.

One of the team Penny, went over and had a chat with him, asking if he had a faith. He said he didn't, but through that conversation, there was an offer of prayer. He looked at her really surprised and said, "Oh, nobody's ever offered to pray for me before". It was just a random young man in his 20s, exploring something brand new and not being terrified by it.

Then there was the 14-year-old lad who had been dragged to our art installation by his mum. He turned to me and said, "I didn't know I could access a church through art". And then he added, "I really wish my dad had been here - I'm going to bring him". Or the woman at Faith in Families who said to her friend, "If we'd had this when we were in comp, my life would have been really different".

A Unique Space

If the Wonder of Wellbeing wasn't here, I don't think the people we work with would have anywhere else to go. We've created something unique. Most traditional services across the Gower are quite structured - you come in, you have a prayer, a hymn, a 10-minute homily, and then you go.

What we provide through the beauty of creation - walking the Gower, being on the beach, or through creative mediums - allows people to sit, relax, and ask the questions they might not feel they have the space to ask in traditional settings. We aren't there to preach at people; we are just approachable and curious about their lives – we believe that we are being led by the Holy Spirit, showing Jesus wherever we go.

A Place to Ask Questions

If I could tell people just one thing about the Wonder of Wellbeing, it is that it is a truly safe space. It is a space to come and ask those deep questions that we all wrestle with - about life, about spirituality, and about our purpose - and to explore them a bit more deeply.