Diocese of Bristol is pleased that the award-winning Hazelnut Community Farm will be featured on BBC One’s Songs Of Praise this Sunday, 1st October at 1.15pm. The programme will celebrate harvest by discussing with Revd John White, the founder of Hazelnut Community Farm, how one can worship God through the practice of gardening.
Hazelnut Community Farm is based in Bristol at St Anne’s Church, Stapleton and involves the local community through sustainable growing techniques and bi-weekly gardening meets. More than half of the community are recent migrants from Hong Kong who have found the project helpful as they settle in the Bristol area.
Revd John White, Lead Minister of Hazelnut Community Farm, said: “Often when people come and visit Hazelnut they mention that it is very inspiring. Our hope is that rather than being just inspired we are encouraging churches and communities to be inspired toward action. It has been a joy to be featured in the Church Times and on Songs of Praise, we hope that this will open up Hazelnut to new opportunities to collaborate with Churches and communities to be inspired toward practical action in an age of climate emergency.”
Revd Simon Taylor, Director of Mission and Ministry Support at the Diocese, said: “Hazelnut Community Farm is a unique church within the Diocese of Bristol. It has taught and continues to teach us a great deal as we seek to respond to the Climate Emergency. It is a place where the worship of God the Creator and the needs of God’s good creation come together in innovative and powerful ways. Hazelnut inspires and provokes us, and in doing so blesses us.”
The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, visited Hazelnut Community Farm following the filming of Songs of Praise to have a glimpse at the incredible efforts put in by John and the volunteers. Furthermore, a recent feature in the Church Times emphasized the importance of reaching God through eco-conscious practices, especially during this Season of Creation.