Gower's Wonder of Wellbeing project launched

A project to help connect people to a sense of God’s peace and presence around Gower's historic churches and surrounding landscape has been launched.

The Wonder of Wellbeing: Renewal and Hope through Gower’s Beauty and Adventure project will offer creative activities and reflective sessions, including a new Wild Church.

Rev'd Peter Lewis, Gower Ministry Area leader, said: "We feel God’s direction in this venture. I arrived in post here last June already having been prompted to better relate Gower’s beauty and adventure to faith in ways to encourage folk that God’s blessing is for all.

"Oxwich congregation had a legacy that they wanted to use and we successfully match-funded this with Swansea’s levelling-up fund, Rural Anchor, which allows us to now employ a project co-ordinator for a pilot year before we look for a sustainable future.

"Along the way we’ve networked with many organisations and individuals who feel inspired to join in. I’m particularly looking forward to starting up both Wild Church - worship & wonder activities outside - and school holidays children’s work as we link up with families."

The project will be co-ordinated by Chloe Thomas, who said: "This is a dream post for me, as I’m a fine artist finishing a MA in Arts Practice (Arts, Health & Well-being). I’m from Swansea and, although not from the Church in Wales, I’m a church leader in Skewen and have a passion for both Gower communities and to see people encounter God through creativity.

"We’ll be offering three aspects of wellbeing in our walks, creative sessions, mini-retreats, and workshops: a secular stream that follows an NHS approach for five aspects to wellbeing that we’re planning offer in partnership with local health groups; a discipling stream that explores Christian expressions of prayer and spirituality; and spiritual tourism based on our recently established Gower Pilgrimage Way that links our 17 historic Gower churches."

The project was launched at St Illtyd's Church in Oxwich, which will serve as its base.

Fr Tim Ardouin, priest in Gower Ministry Area, said: "There is a deep sense of spirituality in the land here, with the rugged marshes of the north and our local Celtic saints. We aspire to be faithful to their tradition in ways that can open people’s hearts to the mystery of God’s love for each of them."