The pumpkins are here!
That phrase can encapsulate a variety of emotions. For the community, I think it’s a wonderful sign that Fall is here which means the leaves will start to change, the weather will cool off, and some holidays are approaching. For us in the church, it can mean a lot of work. There’s the unloading, which is no small feat. Many thanks to all who helped to unload the truck and much respect to the proud few who stayed for all 1483 pumpkins! And now it means that we have to show up to staff the booth and sell them all. We have to haul pumpkins, move them, and get rid of the ones that give up and start to turn. It’s a lot of work.
But it’s going somewhere. That work, that effort means something. The money we raise helps our church to fund ministries within in the church. In the past, the funds have helped to buy groceries at the Agape Center. Speaking of a lot of work, Agape takes a lot, from people buying groceries by the caseload, to packing bags, to interviewing and distributing the groceries. And then there’s the clothing closet end of it! It’s a lot of work, but think of what it means to people. It’s a few days’ worth of groceries, but that could mean the difference between making it and not.
The other thing we routinely fund through pumpkin money is our youth ministry. Because of the pumpkins, our teens are able to go on trips and do things that many of them may not have an opportunity to do otherwise. This year, the youth are being encouraged to take even more of a responsibility in helping with the patch and in a sense “earning” their trips and such. It’s a lot of work, but it’s going somewhere.
It’s passing on something to our next generation in the church. It’s reaching out to our neighbors who are hungry and in need. It’s welcoming Fall in the community and welcoming people to our church, even if it’s the lawn. It’s a lot of work, but ministry usually is.