Rev. Paul M. Turner

Outdoor Church in Atlanta’s Candler Park

Yes, it’s true, Gentle Spirit Christian Church meets outdoors, rain or shine, every Sunday at 10:30am in the spring, summer and fall.

We’re that serious about being welcoming.

The Church Without Walls

gentle spirit christian church in candler park

Every Sunday at 10:30am, rain or shine, in picnic Pavilion 2 in Candler Park. Once you pull into the 1500 McLendon Avenue NE entrance you’ll see us on the right about halfway down the parking lot.

Things to know

While we may not have walls in the sanctuary, we do have a roof over our heads and a place to sit.

Remember to wear one more layer than you think you’ll need (unless it’s the middle of summer), because the shade of the picnic pavilion has a remarkable cooling effect most of the year, something warm to cover your head in the cold months, and insulated waterproof shoes if it’s wet out.

The nearest public restroom is across the parking lot at the Candler Park Pool.

Accessibility

The picnic pavilion where we worship isn’t wheelchair accessible from the parking lot. We wish that weren’t the case, but we only have so much pull with the city, so we’ve been praying to a higher authority about it.

Benefits & quirks

You can bring your dog.

There’s a playground nearby, so little ones have a great excuse not to sit through the whole service.

There are always hot beverages, which are especially welcome on chillier mornings.

You can truly come as you are, wardrobe-wise. (But see the protip on the left re layering in colder weather.)

Exceptions

In the event that another party has reserved picnic Pavilion 2, we can generally be found down the hill in Pavilion 1.

In the event of extreme weather, when we move indoors to the Chapel of First Christian Church of Decatur — in which case, we post a notice on our homepage and in the weekly newsletter.

If there’s a festival in the park, when we move to the corner of McLendon Avenue and Candler Park Drive — in which case, we post a notice on our homepage and in the weekly newsletter.

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