“The heavens are Yours, and the earth is Yours; everything in the world is Yours—You created it all” (Psalm 89:11).

Introduction

Throughout the world, The Salvation Army Worship and Community Centers are unique in their architectural structure and grounds. However, in most corps there is a portion of the property that needs a little extra TLC (trimming, labor, compost). This offers the women’s ministries group an opportunity to provide service through beautifying the grounds of the corps.

Games Ideas

Check on the Internet for quizzes, crosswords or matching games, which help identify plants and flowers versus weeds and invasive plants. The following are helpful sites:

Weed Science Society of America: http://wssa.net/wssa/weed/weed.quiz
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: https://plants.usda.gov

Speakers

Contact any of the following individuals or groups to describe which plants thrive best and what weeds or invasive plants are in your area: Master Gardener, College Extension Program Office and/or your area Garden Club.

Service Project Idea

Have the women’s ministries group chose a spot at the corps to maintain for a year or more. This will need to be done in stages following the suggestions below:

• Pull out all the invasive plants and weeds
• Provide the spot with fertile and tilled soil—possibly garden soil or compost
• Plant best-thriving plants, both perennial and annual
• Maintain the weeds, plants and soil by checking on them every two weeks during the growing season
• Provide corps with planters or raised garden beds. Specific suggestions below:
  • Choose a large spot or medium size planters to begin this project
  • Choose seeds, bulbs, vegetables or flowering plants to grow in the beds or planters
  • Provide correct soil (for seeds a light seed starting soil) possibly a simple potting soil
• Label each planting by name, date planted and weather conditions it thrives in
• Maintain growing plants and seeds throughout the season
• Use the vegetables grown for corps meals; use the cut flowers as indoor decorations or simply enjoy the beauty each flowering plant provides

Flowers—God’s Creation

There are few creations more beautiful than a purple tulip, yellow iris or white peony flowering in the spring. In summer, we can see and smell red roses, blue hydrangeas or annual orange zinnias in bloom. All flowers and vegetables can provide beauty and grace to the spaces they inhabit. Each season of the year God shows us that even the smallest snowdrop flower can provide just a glimpse of His beautiful creation. Looking closely at an iris you can see for yourself the intricate detail of lines, spots and colors the Lord created in His repertoire.

As part of our stewardship to the Lord we need to care for the property God has provided. We need to spend time physically removing weeds and other invasive plants. It takes time and hard work to weed a garden.

As we weed the garden, we also need to weed out the things that inherently take over our lives even when we do not realize it. Is there anything you might need to weed out from the choices you’ve made in your life? Just as God allows well–cared–for plants to thrive, He does the same for us when we acknowledge we need Him to make us beautiful on the inside just as He does with flowers during the growing season.

In Psalm 89:11 we read, “The heavens are Yours, and Yours also the earth; You founded the world and all that is in it.” It is our special calling to worship and praise God for all His creation and it’s our duty to enhance that beauty in the places He has called us to worship.