Franklin church's garden demonstrates stewardship

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” — Alfred Austin

A bright and cheerful row of sunflowers and zinnias blooming alongside Hillsboro Road in Franklin has garnered a lot of attention from motorists and passersby. The plantings are an extension of Christ Community Church’s “Stewards Garden,” a community garden grown each year on the “back forty” acreage behind the church.

“We're daily getting calls at the church from our Franklin neighbors [telling us] how much they enjoy driving by the flowers,” said Ken Leggett, the church’s director of ministries.

Now in its eighth harvest, the garden was inspired by a sermon on stewardship delivered in fall 2008 by the church’s founding pastor, Scotty Smith.

“The name ‘Stewards Garden’ was chosen to communicate a message. We wanted to be better stewards of the acreage we bought but never used,” said Marion Seaton, a church member and garden participant.

Grammar experts take note: The lack of an apostrophe in the word "stewards" is intentional.

“We deliberately elected not to use the singular or plural possessive forms of the word 'steward.' The idea is that as stewards, we don’t possess anything; we simply care for what God has provided us to manage and care for. 'Stewards' is the noun describing us, while 'garden' is the verb to describe what we do as stewards at Christ Community,” Seaton said.

The garden has had its struggles. The flood of 2010 nearly derailed the entire project. Many members had planted for the season one week before the flood, only to have everything washed away. “The simple thing would have been to give up, to take the flood as a message, but we did not,” Seaton said.

The gardeners replanted that season and have watched the garden grow each year. Participants reap rewards greater than their bountiful harvests of produce and flowers. Many cite the relationships that are developed while working alongside one another in the garden as their greatest reward.

“My family and I are relatively new to the church, and this has been a great community for us as we connect within the church outside of Sunday mornings. I was immediately made to feel a part of the community and have met some exceptional people through the garden,” said Owen Jones, a first-time garden participant. “My family has gotten great pleasure from giving fresh produce to neighbors, church members and charitable organizations."

"The Stewards Garden has been everything I hoped it would be and more,” he added.

The garden is a place for participants of all ages and levels of gardening experience to interact with one another. Families with young children, single individuals, retirees, master gardeners and novices garden alongside each other to grow a patchwork of produce, principles and friendship.

“This is my second year with a patch in the garden. I've always loved growing things, and the [Stewards] Garden is a great way to do that. Unfortunately I tend to grow more weeds than anything else, but watching things grow is such a good reminder of life. It takes time, a bit of care and persistence. And there is something soothing about working the soil with your hands,” said Franklin resident Steve Anderson.

One gardener, a retired physician, uses his plot in the garden to grow a wide variety of crops that provide fresh vegetables to needy families in the community. He donates his harvest to Graceworks Ministries and other community benefit organizations.

Each Sunday the gardeners give away surplus produce and flowers to church members and guests in the church’s narthex.

“Sharing ideas, gardening secrets, life stories, seeds and produce is a common experience around the garden. It’s a real place of community, solace and reward for one’s gardening labors,” Leggett said.

If you go

The Stewards Garden at Christ Community Church is located on the property behind the church’s back parking lot at 1215 Hillsboro Road in Franklin.

Participation in the garden is open to all on a first-come, first-serve basis each spring. A nominal $20 fee covers access to tools, water and other supplies provided throughout the growing season.

The church welcomes the community to walk around and explore the Stewards Garden and extends an open invitation for anyone to join the Stewards Garden community. For more information, call 615-468-2200.