After decades in ministry, Bible study, and seminary training, the three of us who founded Eden Project realized something surprising: we were still lonely for God. It wasn’t that we lacked theology or biblical literacy—we had plenty of that. The problem was deeper.
Most of us in the evangelical tradition have been formed almost entirely in the “left brain”—learning facts, solving problems, getting the right answers. Those things matter, but they’re not enough.
We’ve often missed the other half of being human: our God-given capacity to feel, to locate ourselves emotionally, and to bring our full selves into relationship.
King David understood this. He was a warrior and a leader, but also a poet and a man who prayed from the heart. His psalms are raw, emotional, and deeply honest before God.
Jesus modeled it too—think of him in Gethsemane, afraid, longing for his friends’ presence, telling the truth about his need.
This is not weakness. It’s being fully human.
When we disconnect from our own emotional life, we place a low ceiling on intimacy with God and others. We’ll almost inevitably reach for substitutes—addictions, distractions, or unhealthy patterns—to simulate the connection we were made for.
But when we slow down, tell the truth about what’s happening inside, and bring it into God’s presence, something changes. We move from knowing about him to actually experiencing his love. And that’s the only environment where we can grow mature in love.
At Eden Project, we help people make that shift. Through retreats, cohorts, and safe relational spaces, we retrain people to connect deeply with God, themselves, and others—so they can live at home in the love of God. This is more than information; it’s transformation. And we’d love to help you experience it too.
To dive deeper into this topic check out this week’s YouTube video titled:
Why God Feels Distant — And How to Draw Close Again
Stories of Transformation:
From Propositional Truth to Daily Experience
“It’s hard for me to put into words how God used the Eden Lead year in my life — probably because I am now experiencing what I have always known to be true, that God loves me. Through the retreats, relationships, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s love is no longer a propositional truth in my head but a daily relational experience of nearness, joy, and peace. Thank you, Eden Team for all your labor in praying, planning, creating content, facilitating experiences, answering questions, and modeling what you are teaching. Truly, I will always be thankful to God for you!”
— Lawson
Lawson’s story captures what The Eden Project is all about: moving beyond intellectual agreement with the idea that God loves us, into the lived reality of his presence, joy, and peace. Every retreat, every conversation, every prayer is designed to create that kind of space—where God’s love is not just something you believe, but something you experience.
Help Us Keep Going.
Because of partners like you, Lawson’s life was changed.
Today, he wakes up every morning experiencing God’s nearness, joy, and peace—not just believing in His love, but living in it.
You can help create more stories like this.
The Eden Project runs on the faithful generosity of people who believe in the work—people like you. If this mission has impacted you or someone you love, consider making a tax-deductible gift to help sustain our ministry and expand the reach of what God is doing through Eden.
