Nestled in the quiet region of Sandnes, Norway, Bogafjell has become a beacon for environmental stewardship, community engagement, and youth empowerment. What began as a simple initiative within the local church has grown into a powerful movement that is teaching young people the importance of faith, responsibility, and care for God’s creation. Through a unique project centered around a community garden, Bogafjell’s youth have learned valuable life lessons while making a tangible difference in their local environment.
The idea for the Bogafjell kitchen garden was sparked in 2019, when Eivind Kråvik, the youth pastor at Bogafjell Church, sought to engage the church’s teenagers in a project that combined faith with action. His vision was simple: to create a space where young people could learn about sustainability, care for creation, and take responsibility for a long-term project. But what made this initiative unique was its focus on giving the youth ownership over the process, allowing them to lead and make decisions.
Early in the project, the challenges were evident. Building a kitchen garden from scratch wasn’t easy, especially for a group of teenagers with little experience in gardening. There were moments of frustration, like when one of the youth injured himself with a tool and joked that the garden would be “built with blood, sweat, and tears.” Yet, despite the obstacles, the group pressed on, learning not only how to plant vegetables and build a deer-proof fence but also how to work together as a team. By May of 2019, the kitchen garden was complete, and the group planted a variety of vegetables, including carrots and potatoes, in their new garden beds.
The beauty of the Bogafjell garden project isn’t just in the crops it produces—it’s in the lessons learned along the way. The youth at Bogafjell Church have gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between faith and environmental responsibility. “We are trying to imitate God’s creation,” explains one of the young gardeners. The team adopted a “No Dig” method of gardening, which focuses on minimal soil disruption and encourages the growth of healthy soil through composting. This approach not only nurtures the earth but also helps capture carbon in the soil, reducing the community’s carbon footprint. For the youth involved, this method became more than a technique; it became a way to connect their faith with environmental care, seeing themselves as stewards of God’s creation.
As the garden flourished, so did the young people’s sense of accomplishment. When the autumn harvest came, the vegetables they had grown were used to make meals for the community, including a celebratory feast during a visit from the local bishop. The pride the youth felt in feeding their community from the fruits of their labor was evident. It was a powerful reminder that even small actions, like planting a garden, can have a ripple effect in building community and caring for the environment.
The success of the Bogafjell kitchen garden has extended beyond the church. Local parents, who initially wondered how the youth could be motivated to engage in such a project, began to see the value of hands-on environmental stewardship. Some were inspired to get involved themselves, helping with maintenance or providing support for the garden. The church’s neighbors also took notice, leading to conversations about how faith communities can lead in addressing environmental issues.
At its core, the Bogafjell project is about more than just gardening—it’s about teaching young people to live out their faith in practical ways. Through their work in the kitchen garden, the youth have learned the value of perseverance, teamwork, and responsibility. Most importantly, they have seen how their small actions can contribute to a larger mission: caring for God’s creation and serving their community. In this way, Bogafjell has become a model for how churches can inspire and empower the next generation to live out their faith with purpose and action.