What is Rewilding Faith?

Rewilding Faith is a year-long conversation space hosted by Harbour Faith Community and First Church Belfast on Rosemary Street.

Each month has one theme. These are the big questions many of us carry after evangelicalism, fundamentalism, or harmful church experiences.

This is not a membership drive, and it is not a debate club. It is a held space to breathe, listen, learn, and explore faith again with integrity and freedom.

 

The 2026 themes

(at a glance)

Spring season (Feb to JunE)

FEB: Rewilding the Bible
From Rule-Keeping to Wisdom

MAR: Rewilding God
Beyond the God We Once Knew

APR: Rewilding the Cross
Discovering God in Whom There Is No Violence

MAY: Rewilding Our Pain
Prayer, Suffering & the Practice of Presence

JUN: Rewilding the Body
Ending the Religious War on Women, Bodies & Desire

 

Autumn season (Sep to Nov)

SEPT: Rewilding Peace
Faith, Power, and the Refusal to Hate

OCT: Rewilding Hope
The End of Fear, Hell, and Retribution

NOV: Faith in the Wild
Belief and Doubt in a Pluralist World

Is this for you?

You might be here because:

  • You are tired of fear-based faith (hell, guilt, “are you saved?” anxiety).

  • You have Bible questions you are no longer willing to ignore.

  • You are LGBTQ+ (or love someone who is) and you need safety, not debate.

  • You are healing from toxic church culture, control, or spiritual shame.

  • You still want meaning, prayer, and community, but with honesty and freedom.

No pressure. No sales pitch. You can take part as much or as little as you like.

 

How does a month work?

Each theme is explored through three simple gatherings: Spark, Campfire, and Wild Practice.

Come to one. Come to all. Or dip in whenever a theme speaks to you.

 

Spark

A short, accessible talk that lights the month’s theme.
Held on the first Sunday of each month, 11am at Harbour Faith Community in Carrickfergus.

When: First Sunday, 11:00am
Recording: Shared afterwards

Campfire

A guided conversation night, more like gathering around a fire than sitting in a classroom. A small panel offers short reflections, then we open the floor for honest questions and shared discussion. We finish with one or two “Ask A Theologian” questions from the survey.

When: First Wednesday after Spark, 7:00 to 9:30pm
Where: Church Hall beside First Church, 41 Rosemary Street, Belfast BT1 1QB

Wild Practice

A simple, seasonal, embodied practice - something different from talking. It might be a sunset or sunrise gathering, a quiet walk, a short ritual in nature, or another low-pressure contemplative moment.

When/Where: Announced monthly (subscribe for updates)

 

How can I take part?

Choose what fits your life and changing rhythms. There is no “right way” to do this. You might:

  • Come to Spark only: one Sunday a month, big-idea teaching

  • Come to Campfire only: Belfast discussion nights and community

  • Go all-in for a month: Spark + Campfire + Wild Practice

  • Drop in when a theme speaks to you: you do not have to commit to the whole year

  • Catch the recordings: Spark talks will be recorded and shared afterwards

 

Coming Up First:

February: Rewilding the Bible

From Rule-Keeping to Wisdom.

Spark (Harbour, Carrickfergus): Sunday 1st February, 11:00am (recorded)
Campfire (First Church, Belfast): Wednesday 4th February, 7:00 to 9:30pm
Wild Practice: Saturday 21 February, Sunset Gathering 5pm at Giant’s Ring Belfast. More details to follow.

If the Bible has ever been used to shame, silence, or scare you, you are not alone. February will be gentle, honest, and grounded.

 

March: Rewilding God

Beyond The God We Once Knew.

Spark (Harbour, Carrickfergus): Sunday 1st March, 11:00am (recorded)
Campfire (Belfast): Wednesday 4th February, 7:00 to 9:30pm
Wild Practice: Wednesday 11th March, Evening Contemplative Practice with Rebecca Dillon and Jonny Wilson at Harbour Faith Community in Carrickfergus. More details to follow.

If you are not sure you believe in God at all, but you are still curious about meaning and mystery, you are not alone. March will welcome honest questions without pressure.

 

Our ethos (a short safety note)

This space is built on a few simple commitments:

  • We practice curiosity, not combat.

  • Questions are welcome. Shame is not.

  • We do not use dehumanising language about anyone.

  • You will not be pressured to believe, perform, or sign up to anything.

  • We aim to be a space where people can explore faith with integrity and freedom.

 

FAQs

  • No. You can come with faith, doubt, or no certainty at all.

  • It is a space for honest exploration. Some people will call it progressive; others will not. The point is that you can ask real questions without fear.

  • We are working on more online options. For now, Spark talks will be recorded and shared afterwards.

  • Yes. If we ever need to cover venue costs for Campfire nights, we will make that clear, and nobody will be excluded for lack of money.

  • Yes. Explicitly.