You can read more about the spiritual values, contemplative attitude, and practical mysticism that inspires the workshop and its vision here.

But what to we do? What could you learn, make, practice yourself?

An assortment of wooden tools, toys, furniture and boats. These include small plywood dories (a type of rowboat), a “6 hour canoe” (seen above in process and launch), furniture such as small tables made from locally available and recovered woods, lap desks, assorted old-timer wooden toys (screen free play!), walking sticks, paddles, a bat house, and more. Recently I’ve begun to learn more about relief-printmaking, and wooden instrument building beckons. And the work of repair, mending and maintaining is a constant opportunity for ingenuity, thought, thrift.

I work primarily with hand-tools, whose use and care require certain habits of attention and intention. Like working with draft animals, they may slow you down a bit, but with practice, a person can work with quality and efficiency with them in hand.

Below are two examples of classes and community projects I have offered. I could think with you about something similar in your place.

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Project-Based Classes and Events

Wooden Candle Stand

This class is intended for complete beginners, so that you gain familiarity with basic woodworking tools, materials, skills and safety, as well as confidence to pursue further learning and making. This class is very portable, and would be a great activity for church, youth group, scouts, or others.

You can see an example on the landing page. You will learn:

  • wood and lumber dimensions

  • how to measure, mark and cut to a line with a handsaw

  • how to cut a simple joint with saw and chisel

  • and how to bore a hole with a brace and bit

  • and more!

Community-Builds: Benches & More

I helped plan and host a bench-build at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in May 2022.

It was a wonderful day where a variety of church folks came out to have a great time building welcome benches for the church grounds.

I would love to bring a similar project to your congregation or community.

You will be amazed at the gifts, abilities and desires to learn and serve you can discover!

Planting with the Workshop and Wild Indigo Guild

Wood for boats, tables, tools, toys, printmaking, furniture-to get it, we cut down living trees. So I try to use wood locally & regeneratively harvested, or recycled/recovered.

But I also work with others to also to both propagate and plant trees, as well as energize and equip churches and other small communities to take part in restoration of earth.

I grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, and love to serve these up at home and to workshop guests.

With my partner in ministry John Creasy, we delight to help churches listen for God’s voice and work that renews them and creation, and encourage them to grow trees.

We have a small tree nursery that focuses on native (to SW PA) woody plants and edible/fruit and nut bearing trees. We are quite excited about hickories, oaks, chestnuts, walnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, and some other fun stuff!

Learn more about this work and how you can take part at www.wild-indigo-guild.com