There are a lot of places you can go to find answers- we are a place you can come wrestle with your questions.
For many, faith deconstruction is a painful and isolating experience. Many of us were taught to build our faith with bricks of doctrine, like the concept of original sin or the theology of substitutionary atonement. But over time we found those bricks were not a reliable foundation for the weight of our questions and lived experiences. Now, we are surrounded by the mess left behind, and don’t know how to rebuild.
If that is you, you are not alone. There is a place where faith shifts are welcome, not as a one and done experience, but as a natural part of the cycles of life, just like the seasons of loss and rebirth that happen in the natural world year after year.
“It feels safe to say anything.” - Kristina
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"I had never truly seen myself as an image of God.” - Tony
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"Men who are serious about doing the work of untangling themselves from patriarchy should begin here.“ - Todd
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“Rooting into these texts in community has re-opened them to me.” - Sara
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“What I did not expect was to experience such a deep transformation of my mind, body and soul.” - Ashley
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“It feels safe to say anything.” - Kristina — "I had never truly seen myself as an image of God.” - Tony — "Men who are serious about doing the work of untangling themselves from patriarchy should begin here.“ - Todd — “Rooting into these texts in community has re-opened them to me.” - Sara — “What I did not expect was to experience such a deep transformation of my mind, body and soul.” - Ashley —
At 40 Orchards, we see faith not as a tower built from bricks of doctrine,
but a garden cultivated with seeds of the sacred.
Building a Tower
Fill-in-the-blank Bible studies
One central voice telling others what to believe
Lists of instructions
Using religious tradition and rigid structure to look for the “right” answers
The congregation is told a narrow set of life applications from a passage
A focus on each person’s role in upholding the institution
Interpretation that centralizes patriarchal interpretations
Limiting rules about who can be in & who is left out
Cultivating a Garden
Midrash Scripture Circles
Female co-leadership that invites communal wisdom
Facilitated conversations
Using historical context and biblical languages to ask better questions
The community is encouraged to take their next steps according to what they see
A value of allowing each person’s journey to lead them
Questions that search for voices that have been overlooked
An inclusive & affirming space for all to belong
Our circles are places the curious, doubters, and hope-seekers can come rebuild a more expansive faith.
Through guided facilitation, our circles of 8-12 people stay committed to rooting deeply, learning from each other, expecting goodness, wrestling together, and searching for more. Our vision is for our community to cultivate wholeness, hope, and freedom, for ourselves and for others. See more about our mission, vision, and values here.
Learn with us on your timeline with our Compost for the Garden email or Searching the Sacred podcast. Drop in for a one-time commitment with Sunday Brunch, Matriarchy Mondays, or Seven Hours. Commit to a community circle with Seven Circles or the Cohort Circle. Learn more about our programs here.