Summer Adult Bible School 2026

Healing by and for Nature

All are invited! This summer’s program is focused on our relationship with nature, the world around us, and God’s natural order. This is the sixth summer Adult Bible School has been offered, and participants have found the opportunity for learning and connection to be very meaningful.

In times of personal struggle and also challenging times of change in our country and society, many of us have found comfort and solace in nature. A simple walk in the woods can be healing as we struggle with our concerns and fears. At the same time, nature, that which heals us, is itself in need of healing, as it struggles with the growing stresses our planet experiences, often caused by human habitation and habit.

There are six sessions on Wednesday mornings in the new adult education room on the lower level, beginning at 10:00 am. Select sessions offer the option of participating by Zoom.

In addition to the Wednesday morning sessions, there will be a five-session series on Forest Bathing hosted by Pastor Katie on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm.

Morning Sessions:

June 17 - Larry Pinnow, our former visitation pastor and a frequent presenter in adult education at Midvale, will focus on Biblical Reflections in Healing in and with Nature. Presentation available in person and by Zoom. Register by Sunday, June 14.

June 24 - Jeff Wild, a retired pastor, a member of Midvale, involved in gardening and firearm reclamation, will continue the theological reflection focusing on creation as an ongoing process. Presentation available in person and by Zoom. Register by Sunday, June 21.

July 8 - Meg and Glen Nielson, members of St. Stephen Lutheran Church here in Madison, who are returning a family farm in Minnesota to sustainable agricultural practices, will turn our attention to the challenges, possibilities, and joys involved in this process. Presentation available in person and by Zoom. Register by Sunday, July 5.

July 15 - Judy Nolde, a member of Midvale, a deacon who is the chaplain at Central Wisconsin Center, and who focuses on art and faith in spiritual formation will lead a workshop on the creative exploration of nature in poetry and art. Please bring a small item or object from your natural area for us to work with in the workshop if you would like. Register by Sunday, July 12.

August 5 - Ken Smith, current visitation pastor of Midvale will lead a three station book workshop in which we encounter three different books in the area of nature, healing, and theology. One of the books will be Victoria Loorz’s Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred, a look at the wild church or outdoor worship movement. Also, we will work with Zoë Schlanger’s The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth, a look at how plants may be more aware of us and their world than we think. And, a third book to be determined by the previous presentations and discussions. Register by Sunday, August 2.

August 19 - Katie Baardseth, one of our Midvale pastors, will share her experiences with nature and faith, and how nature engages us and shapes our spiritual journey. Pastor Katie holds a Shinrin-Yoku certification, a discipline focused on healing through experiences and rituals in nature. Presentation available in person and by Zoom. Register by Sunday, August 16.

Please join us for as many of the sessions as you would like. You may pre-register for all sessions or for individual sessions by contacting the church office (info@midvalelutheran.org, (608) 238-7119) or by using the links above.

Volunteers are needed to to help with refreshments - contact Pastor Ken if you can support the program in this way: kens@midvalelutheran.org.

Natural Faith

Forest Bathing, Faith, and the Healing Power of Creation

This summer Pastor Katie will be offering Natural Faith, a five-session series rooted in the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku — or “forest bathing.” Forest bathing is simply the practice of stepping outside and opening yourself to the healing presence of the natural world. Woven together with the wisdom of our Lutheran faith, these sessions will invite healing, wonder, reflection, and community.

Each session is one hour long, self-contained, and open to everyone — no experience required, and no commitment to attend them all. Come to one, come to all, come as summer allows. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors to join you!