In Psalm 19:1, David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

A recent Barna report suggests David is not alone in his appreciation of God’s creation. In a poll of U.S. adults who identify as Christian and/or spiritual, 1 in 4 said getting outdoors is their favored form of self-care. Respondents chose time in nature over reading books on spiritual topics (21 percent), meditating (19 percent), practicing silence (16 percent), or journaling (14 percent).

Millennials have a slight preference for putting their thoughts on paper through journaling (28 percent), though nature (24 percent) and reading (23 percent) were close seconds among these young adults.

Boomers are the biggest nature lovers (27 percent), and millennials and Generation X aren’t far behind (both at 24 percent). In fact, Barna’s data reveals that spending time in nature is one of the most popular forms of self-care across generations, income levels and education levels.

As churches plan activities that will bring people together this spring, perhaps they should consider heading outdoors.