The Land is an outdoor faith community dedicated to connecting with and caring for creation. This dedication to caring for creation is visible in all we do at The Land; including our Saturday morning worship gatherings, our Prairie School education program for children, our community garden feeding our neighbors in need, and our summer youth mission program offering young people an opportunity to reconnect with their call to care for creation. In every program at The Land, we remain committed to cultivating an inclusive spiritual community that affirms all people as beloved children of God.
Located on 10-acres of undeveloped prairie lands in Aurora Colorado, The Land provides sacred space for participants to reconnect to creation in the community. Every physical installation at The Land integrates service, spirituality, and story. The cobblestone labyrinth, the perimeter prayer pathway, the canopy sanctuary, and the community garden all exist to deepen our sacred connection to the earth and to our community.
When participants step onto The Land, they are truly walking on sacred ground. Behind every visible physical installation at The Land, exists an invisible story of connection and community. The Gamble Oak at the south end of the garden was planted in honor of a beloved member of our community, Clea Edelblute. This is just one story of many reminding us that each visible element at The Land symbolizes a sacred story that will always be remembered.
The Land was incorporated as a 501c3 organization in 2015 and began gathering for weekly worship on Saturdays at 10 am in June of 2018. The Land is an official new church start of the Mountain Sky Area Conference of the United Methodist Church and an organizational member of the Wild Church Network.
The Land does not have a system for traditional church membership. This is because we believe that all people belong equally regardless of frequency of participation. Additionally, The Land affirms the rights of all people to participate in holy sacraments and stands in solidarity with communities who have been and continue to be marginalized in certain institutional and independent churches.
In 2021, The Land has committed to four areas of focus. These four areas include feeding people, conserving the prairie, sharing our space, and redefining worship. So far this year, the expansion of programming has included doubling the size of our community garden, tripling the size of our canopy sanctuary, and developing and launching our prairie school education program for elementary school children.