Melanie Nichols, a florist instructor from Troy, North Carolina, leads a flower arrangement class, Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Randall by the River in Norwood, North Carolina. (RNS photo/Yonat Shimron)NORWOOD, N.C. (RNS) — With pruning shears in hand, 13 women gazed intently at the composition of alstroemerias, roses, carnations and eucalyptus branches they had carefully propped up in glass vases during a flower arrangement class on a recent Saturday.
The one-hour class, inside a renovated church hall, was one of the monthly “bridge” sessions offered by a United Methodist congregation to anyone living in this small town along Lake Tillery, about an hour’s drive from downtown Charlotte.
Of the 13 participants, only three were church members, though a few others had attended once or twice. Melanie Nichols, the florist instructor, made her way to each one, offering tips.
“Pull off those extra leaves growing around the base of the flower,” she advised one.
“If you place it at an angle, it helps open up your arrangement,” she recommended to another.
The church, Randall by the River, is trying something new.
People participate in a flower arrangement class, Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Randall by the River in Norwood, North Carolina. (RNS photo/Yonat Shimron)
Over the past year, it has offered numerous skill-building classes such as assembling charcuterie boards, baking dog treats, playing pickleball and decorating Christmas trees.
“Our only goal is to create community and we do that through classes,” said the Rev. Hanna Barlow, the pastor.
The classes are part of what the United Methodist Church called “Fresh Expressions,” a denominational initiative intended to connect people who may not be interested in church but are interested in learning a new skill or making new friends.
The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church has nearly 200 of these groups, started by laypeople or clergy around various non-church interests: There’s a canoeing and paddling group in Bryson City, a hiking group in Asheville, a disc golf group in Hendersonville, a weekend breakfast gathering for flea market enthusiasts in Canton. United Methodist conferences in Florida and Georgia are also actively promoting the initiative.
Fresh Expressions emerged within the Anglican and Methodist churches 20 years ago. The concept has since spread to many …
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The one-hour class, inside a renovated church hall, was one of the monthly “bridge” sessions offered by a United Methodist congregation to anyone living in this small town along Lake Tillery, about an hour’s drive from downtown Charlotte.
Of the 13 participants, only three were church members, though a few others had attended once or twice. Melanie Nichols, the florist instructor, made her way to each one, offering tips.
“Pull off those extra leaves growing around the base of the flower,” she advised one.
“If you place it at an angle, it helps open up your arrangement,” she recommended to another.
The church, Randall by the River, is trying something new.
People participate in a flower arrangement class, Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Randall by the River in Norwood, North Carolina. (RNS photo/Yonat Shimron)
Over the past year, it has offered numerous skill-building classes such as assembling charcuterie boards, baking dog treats, playing pickleball and decorating Christmas trees.
“Our only goal is to create community and we do that through classes,” said the Rev. Hanna Barlow, the pastor.
The classes are part of what the United Methodist Church called “Fresh Expressions,” a denominational initiative intended to connect people who may not be interested in church but are interested in learning a new skill or making new friends.
The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church has nearly 200 of these groups, started by laypeople or clergy around various non-church interests: There’s a canoeing and paddling group in Bryson City, a hiking group in Asheville, a disc golf group in Hendersonville, a weekend breakfast gathering for flea market enthusiasts in Canton. United Methodist conferences in Florida and Georgia are also actively promoting the initiative.
Fresh Expressions emerged within the Anglican and Methodist churches 20 years ago. The concept has since spread to many …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]