“Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” Genesis 2:8-9

What is the Restoring Eden project?

Imagine walking through the double doors of the Narthex onto a patio with freshly blooming flowers and the colorful sight of budding vegetables; space where you can sit and pray by yourself and with others; a place where you and your family and your ministry group can congregate surrounded by God’s creation and discern the movement of the Holy Spirit in your worship, gathering and planning.

Who will use this space? Who will the gardens benefit?

This new space will provide an opportunity for alternative and contemplative worship; educational use by our Sunday School, Preschool and Adult Forums; fellowship opportunity with gathering and meeting space for all generations and ministries. There will be a flower garden crafted by our own master gardeners and maintained for use by our flower guild for our sanctuary and offices. There will be fresh cuttings for our Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) to take those who are home bound at this time and for our welcoming team to share with new visitors.

There will be a vegetable garden to glean fresh produce for our partnership with Loudoun Interfaith Relief and for use by our Grace to Go and Cooks for Christ teams when preparing meals for the hungry.

How was this made possible?

Every year the Diocese of Virginia offers an opportunity for churches to apply for a Mustard Seed Grant. The grants are meant to strengthen local congregations and outreach and mission. St. David’s applied for a Mustard Seed grant for the Restoring Eden project and was awarded a sum to get the project off the ground.

The Restoring Eden project will need many hands to make light work and funds to make the finishing touches on the project take off. The Restoring Eden committee in conjunction with the Trustees will oversee the planning and construction of the space and all ministries will have a chance to participate in creating and maintaining the space and the gardens.

St. David’s will host a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in fundraising support of the Restoring Eden project. All proceeds from the Pancake Supper will go directly into the funding of the project and the needed supplies for beginning both gardens. We hope you can join us as we feast on pancakes before we begin our Lenten Fast. For more information on how you can become involved in the Restoring Eden project please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you have a talent for construction or gardening and would be interested in sharing your expertise and time please let us know.