St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington is excited to launch the Garden of Grace, a key project of its newly formed Creation Care ministry. Situated within the Town of Huntington’s Robert Kubecka Organic Garden, the church has rented three plots, totaling 1,500 square feet. This initiative is designed to provide fresh, organic produce and beautiful flowers for those in need, while also fostering a sense of community and spiritual connection through hands-on gardening experiences.
The Garden of Grace has three primary objectives:
Fighting Food Insecurity: The garden’s main purpose is to grow nutritious, organic vegetables to support local food-insecure and migrant populations. All of the produce is donated to Huntington-based organizations including the Helping Hand Mission, the Family Service League, and the Tri Community and Youth Agency. These groups are vital to serving the increasing number of Long Islanders facing food insecurity, a challenge that has escalated since the pandemic. In its first year, the garden will focus on high-yield crops like tomatoes, zucchinis, peppers, and leafy greens to maximize output and provide a meaningful contribution to those in need.
Cultivating Beauty and Connection: In addition to vegetables, the garden will produce a variety of flowers—both annuals and perennials—planted along the plot’s borders. These flowers will be shared with individuals who could benefit from a simple, uplifting gift, whether it’s a homebound parishioner receiving a Eucharistic visit, a person in counseling, or someone simply in need of a reminder of grace. Flowers will also be used to beautify the church and its gatherings, such as Sunday breakfasts, further connecting the congregation to the Garden of Grace.
Offering a Hands-on Spiritual Experience: Gardening in the Garden of Grace is designed to nurture the spirit as well as the earth. Through this hands-on, creation-focused ministry, parishioners—particularly youth—will have the opportunity to work together, deepen their connection to the natural world, and grow spiritually as they tend to the garden. Gardening sessions will be organized to encourage fellowship and learning, and the garden will also serve as a gathering space for youth group meetings, especially during the summer months. The garden’s centerpiece will be a peace obelisk, creating a focal point for prayer, reflection, and conversation between parishioners and the wider community.
Led by the church’s Rector, a certified Master Gardener through Cornell Cooperative Extension, the garden project is grounded in a commitment to sustainable agriculture. Organic methods will be used to ensure the vegetables and flowers produced are as nutritious and beneficial as possible, while also supporting the long-term health of the soil and environment.
The Garden of Grace aligns with St. John’s broader mission to serve the Huntington community beyond its walls. As the garden grows, the church hopes to cultivate not only produce but also relationships—with fellow gardeners at the Kubecka Organic Garden, the wider community, and other parishes involved in similar Creation Care ministries across the diocese. This inaugural project represents a significant step toward establishing St. John’s as a leader in both environmental stewardship and community service.
In addition to its primary goals, the garden also addresses the growing issue of loneliness and disconnection by providing an opportunity for people to come together in a shared space. Whether through the simple gift of a flower, a brief conversation while working in the garden, or the spiritual act of nurturing life through gardening, the Garden of Grace seeks to offer both physical and emotional nourishment.
Ultimately, the garden is a testament to St. John’s belief in the power of grace—freely given and received—and its ability to transform lives. By fostering a connection to the earth, to each other, and to those in need, the Garden of Grace embodies the church’s commitment to care for creation and for the community it serves.