Welcome to Church in the Wild: Windsor church members gather for lakeside worship

Members of a Windsor church can watch ducks paddle on Sky Lake, hear geese honk overhead and see chipmunks rustle through the leaves during Sunday services.

Welcome to Church in the Wild, which holds outdoor services at Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center in Windsor on Sunday afternoons from April through December, weather permitting.

“We are focused on connecting with and caring for creation,” said the Rev. Corey Turnpenny, the church’s pastor.

Services are held on the shores of Sky Lake. Benches are arranged in a circle, she said.

“Our service is a lot more conversational,” she said. “We invite people to ask questions and share their perspectives and thoughts.”

Part of the service allows worshippers to simply sit and enjoy the natural beauty around them, Turnpenny said.

“It’s a gorgeous setting,” she said. “We just try to soak it up and be in it for a while.”

On some Sundays, nature dwellers have joined the service, the pastor said.

“Sometimes, birds will sit right down in the middle of the circle,” she said.

Once, a swarm of dragonflies stopped by. Honking geese have swooped overhead. Brave chipmunks have rustled the leaves and come over for a closer look while shyer ones have scurried past. Church members have seen a blue heron so many times that they consider it the church’s mascot, the pastor said.

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“We really feel we have a lot to learn from creation and from our more than human neighbors — the plants and animals that are with us in our worship,” she said. “We do try to look at them and learn from their wisdom.”

On rainy Sundays or during colder months, church members gather inside the lodge at Sky Lake. Church members go outside to gather what they can for the altar including logs for the fire.

“We still feel very connected to nature,” she said. “We do find ways of keeping worship wild.”

In January and February, services were conducted via Zoom. In March, services were conducted in the chapel of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton. Services are resuming at Sky Lake this month, Turnpenny said.

While she is an ordained United Methodist minister, services are open to everyone, she said. “We welcome people from any denomination and any faith."

Church in the Wild strives to be an alternative to traditional worship and a way to bring people together, Turnpenny said.

“We understand everybody comes in with their own beliefs and backgrounds,” she said. “We really have enjoyed learning from each other and exploring various traditions.”

Worshippers can even get a ride to Sky Lake if they need it, the pastor said.

“If you’re on the way from Endicott to Windsor, we can pick you up,” she said.

During the rest of the week, the church focuses on acts of charity such as sponsoring a monthly free laundry night at a Binghamton church. Church members also work with other community organizations who are connected with nature and the environment including VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments) and Binghamton Food Rescue, Turnpenny said.

“We love to partner with and help other community organizations,” she said. “We’re happy partners in the work of social justice.” 

More about Church in the Wild

Sunday services are held at 4 p.m. at Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center in Windsor starting in April. Rev. Corey Turnpenny leads services there.

If you need help with laundry: Church in the Wild sponsors a free laundry night from 5-8 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Leroy Coin Laundry, 67 Leroy St., Binghamton.

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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Windsor NY church worships lakeside to 'connect with creation'