Church of the Woods
Love. Heal. Bless.
The Earth and One Another
Welcome, blessed people!
We are a church and spiritual community that gathers on sacred land in Canterbury, NH. For 90-minutes each Sunday, we follow a liturgy rooted in the Episcopal tradition.
Our service begins with readings, psalm, and song, followed by 20 minutes of silent contemplation in the forest — itself a Word of God. We walk, sit, look, listen…to encounter and engage with the sacred mysteries of death, love, and life. We return to share forest offerings, observations, questions, and reflections. The service concludes with a celebration of Holy Communion. The congregation includes trees, rock, water, people and all the creatures of the woods.
9:30am Sundays — All are welcome!
We Believe and Practice
Love
The Gospel in a word is Love.
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We see all the Earth as our neighbor.
Heal
Heal within and around you.
Church of the Woods is a sanctuary for healing the wounds inside ourselves, in each other, and in the world beyond.
Bless
Receive the Blessings of God.
Together, with the land, we receive the blessings of God. Transformed in mind, body, and soul we go forth as bearers of Divine Love.
Meet the Team
Emily Bradley
Coordinator
Rev. Susan Ackley
Priest
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Rev.Deacon Maryan Davis
Deacon
“We seek to renew a widespread understanding of the natural world as a bearer of the sacred and to restore this awareness as a foundation of both religious practice and practical action to conserve the Earth.”
— Stephen Blackmer, Founder