Sacred Space & Ceremony: Our Land Ethos

At Rainbow Bridge Church, we believe that healing begins with reverence. Before the programs, before the buildings, before the blueprints - there is the land.

This land is not a backdrop. It is the altar.

As we prepare to establish a physical sanctuary in Fort Bragg, California, we are taking the time to ask:

What does it mean to build in a sacred way?

Honoring the Original People

The area now known as Fort Bragg rests on the ancestral territory of the Northern Pomo peoples, including the Sherwood Valley Rancheria and neighboring tribes who lived, fished, prayed, and protected this coastal land long before California was a state.

We honor the original stewards of this land. We acknowledge the pain and displacement caused by colonization, missionization, and state violence. And we commit to learning, building, and healing in a way that is not extractive - but reciprocal.

Our hope is to:

• Consult with and include Native voices and local tribe knowledge in our growth

• Pay respect through land acknowledgment, ceremony, and elders in our work

We understand that isn’t something you check off a list. It’s something you live, day by day.

Ceremony & Place

Ceremony doesn’t require a cathedral. It needs intention, presence, and respect.

The sanctuary we envision will include:

• a ceremonial center inspired by the fire circle - where stories, prayers, and medicine can be shared

• A teaching space for our youth seminary rooted in reverence and ritual

• A quiet room or altar where people can come to grieve, reflect, or reconnect with spirit

• A rhythm of honoring the land’s cycles - moon cycles, solstices, and ancestral holy days

This is not just about what we build. It’s about how we build it - with prayer in the foundation and breath in every beam.

A Living Commitment

We don’t pretend to have all the answers. We’re still listening, still learning, still being shaped by the land itself.

But what we know is this:

We want to co-create a space where the Earth is not an afterthought, but a teacher. Where ceremony is woven into daily life. Where our ancestors and descendants can feel us honoring the bridge between them.

If you have wisdom to share, prayers to offer, or stories from your own lineage about sacred land practices - we’re listening.