Ecumenical Spring Celebrations

In support of local pastoral leaders and in faithful response to Jesus' prayer "that all of them may be one" (John 17:21), Kinship Farm occasionally supports events where Christians throughout the North Shore and beyond can come together to share in the beauty of nature and ecumenical fellowship. (Kinship Farm does not exist to promote any one particular “brand” of theology or to initiate religious events on our own, but we do stand ready to support anyone who seeks to foster and improve relationships across differences.)

Ecumenical Spring Celebration 2025 - Saturday, March 29

ESC 2025 will center around an outdoor ecumenical Christian worship service that will run from 3:00-3:30pm. For an hour beforehand (2:00-3:00pm) and afterwards (3:30-4:30), participants may peacefully and contemplatively walk along a woodland trail and/or choose to stop and engage with displays offered by Christians from a variety of denominations. Displays may include scripture and other text, music, art, woodworking, and other creative, interactive, youth-friendly displays about spirituality that is informed by Christ Jesus and that promotes healthy relationships and/or celebrates the natural outdoor setting.

The worship service and displays will be suitable for youth, teens, and adults and general registration is free.

We regret and apologize that the trails, tents, and worship service will not be equipped with facilities or features to ensure full accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges.

The general registration deadline is March 21, 2025. Click on the blue button below to register.

FREE Ecumenical Spring Celebration Registration

Tented display applications must be received by March 14, 2025. Each displaying entity will be provided with a basic setup, including a tent, table, and chairs, on the day of the event. Display attendants are responsible for bringing any additional materials needed to present their interactive message respectfully. Please note that all display messages are subject to approval by the ESC Committee.

The application for displays and general registration button can be found below. Christian churches and organizations are already applying to host tents, which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

If you know of a church who might like to participate in the planning of the worship service or to host a booth, please forward this information to them.

Display Application Form for a 10’x10’ Tented Area

Partners

The Garden School in Beverly, MA is partnering with us this year to host the Ecumenical Spring Celebration.

The worship service planning committee is currently forming, and more participants are welcome. The team will begin collaborating in January.

Dedication of the Great Room to Jesus, The Man

Prior to the 2pm start of the Ecumenical Spring Celebration, The Garden School has planned a very special celebration of their newly renovated Great Room. The Dedication is scheduled from 1:30-2:00pm.

We kindly ask you to register all adults and children for the Dedication below.

Please direct all questions and inquiries about the Dedication to The Garden School at: info@thegardenschool.org

Great Room Dedication free registration

You will need to register for The Garden School's Great Room Dedication and Kinship Farm's Ecumenical Spring Celebration separately.

FREE Ecumenical Spring Celebration Registration

For more information about the Ecumenical Spring Celebration 2025 and other Kinship Farm activities, contact info@kinshipfarm.org

Ecumenical Spring Celebration 2024 - Saturday, March 16

It was a beautiful, sunny, brisk afternoon. Amid grand trees swaying in a gentle breeze, and a precious concert of bird songs celebrating the coming season, attendees walked woodland trails, visited informational, inspirational, open-air tented displays, and settled in for outdoor worship with familiar and new acquaintances.

Displays invited attendees to consider their relationships with the environment and with each other, and to express their individual spirituality.

Stacey Keane led the worship service with grace and inclusivity. Worship included elements such as an acapella rendering of the Canticle of the Creatures, a Scriptural reading from Ezekiel 47:7-12, prayers, and opportunities for attendees to reflect and to share with others as inspired. The service concluded with other songs based upon ‘Church of the Wild’ by Victoria Loorz.

Afterward, several attendees exchanged contact information and gratefully acknowledged how the natural setting both complemented the sacred communal worship and gave them an expanded capacity to pause and reflect upon the blessings bestowed on us by the Divine.

The photos below were lovingly taken compiled into a video by Angie Estevez. Angie was an essential part of the planning and development team. Angie serves as a Chaplain at the Rockingham County Correctional Facility and is a Funeral Celebrant with I'll Stand By You.

Also essential in the planning and development was Holly Ardito from the First Church of Rowley. Holly proudly serves as Chair of the First Church of Rowley's Missions Team. The Missions Team is an active group who devote their energies toward helping others in need and in addition to hosting events to foster a feeling of connection among members of their congregation as well as the wider community. Active in her community of Rowley, she serves on the Board of the Library Trustees.

Just a few months after the ECS, Stacey Keane graduated from Boston University's School of Theology with a Master's of Divinity. We thank her for her contributions towards the planning and development of the ECS as she simultaneously studied towards her degree and served as a wife, mother, and active community member. Stacey is now a proud Member in Discernment for Ordination in the United Church of Christ.