Just outside St. Charles Christian Church in New Town, a quiet corner of the church grounds has gradually become something more.
The Serenity Garden began several years ago with a simple bench placed on the lawn facing the church’s large stained-glass window. At night, spotlights inside the sanctuary illuminate the window, allowing the artwork normally seen during worship to also be viewed from outside. The church describes the space as an “external sanctuary,” offering neighbors a place to pause and reflect without having to walk through the church doors.
Over the past two years, the space has continued to develop. A Pietà depicting Mary holding the body of Jesus was added to an area the church calls its miniature Garden of Eden. This year brought flowers and planters, along with a cross and a mailbox where anyone can leave a prayer request.
Together, those additions have created a place intentionally set aside for stillness, reflection and prayer.
An Invitation to Pray
For Christians, prayer is more than finding a peaceful place or taking a few quiet moments away from a busy day. Scripture invites us to bring our fears, needs, gratitude and concerns directly to God.
The Apostle Peter puts that invitation simply: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
A garden can give us a quiet place to stop, reflect and pray. And because Jesus is our “great high priest,” Hebrews gives this invitation: “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14,16)
Through Christ, we can approach God wherever we are.
Praying for One Another
The garden’s prayer mailbox offers visitors another opportunity: asking others to pray with them.
Blank cards and a pencil are available in the box, or visitors may bring a request with them. According to the church, requests are shared anonymously during Sunday worship when the congregation shares its “joys and concerns.” Someone seeking personal support can include contact information so the pastor can follow up directly.
That simple practice reflects one of the clearest instructions found in Scripture: “Pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)
Throughout the Bible, Christians are called not only to bring their own needs before God, but also to care for those around them. Galatians 6:2 tells believers, “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Sometimes that means providing practical help or listening during a difficult season. Sometimes it means simply saying, “I will pray for you,” and then doing it.
The church says creating relationships and community that can help people weather life’s storms is an important part of why the Serenity Garden was developed.
Love Beyond the Church Walls
The cross standing in the Serenity Garden also points to the center of the Christian message.
Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s love for us becomes the reason Christians are called to extend love and care to others. First John 4:19 puts it simply: “We love because he first loved us.”
That desire to extend love beyond the walls of the church is at the heart of how St. Charles Christian Church describes the purpose of the Serenity Garden. The garden is intended to welcome someone who simply wants to sit quietly for a few minutes as well as someone carrying a concern and hoping others will join them in prayer.
In a busy world, sometimes simply stopping can be difficult. A bench, flowers and a quiet corner of the neighborhood can provide the setting. But the message of Scripture points beyond the setting - to a God who cares for us and invites us to pray, a Savior through whom we can confidently approach Him, and a community of believers called to pray for and care for one another.
So whether you stop to sit quietly, carry a concern that feels too heavy to carry alone, or simply want someone to pray for you, the invitation is simple.
Take a moment. Leave a prayer request if you have one.
And wherever you are, remember the invitation God has already given:
Bring it to Him.
St. Charles Christian Church
3337 Rue Royale, St. Charles, MO 63301
Sunday Service: 9:30am
www.stcharleschristianchurch.org
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).