Friends,

I cannot believe that pumpkin season is over! It feels like it as just yesterday when we met the massive truck filled with 2546 patch pumpkins, 5 large bins of spookies and snowballs, 59 boxes of decorative small pumpkins and gourds, and 75 Swan gourds. Over 40 thousand pounds of gourdage!! The past few weeks have been a glorious whirlwind of learning from the pros, teaching the newbies, and helping people make memories in our patch. Many of you reading this had something to do with our pumpkin patch, whether that was working shifts, baking pumpkin bread, or just buying a few gourds. Regardless of what your involvement was, thank you.

This would be an appropriate time to highlight the ministry of those who have always gone above and beyond, and those who have recently stepped up to the plate. Behind each of these people is an interesting and compelling story about their ministry. For the sake of brevity, you’ll just get a little snap shot. Kim Witzman is often found at the patch making sure everything runs smoothly and getting things organized, all while crocheting perfect pumpkins to be sold in our patch. I honestly do not know how she does it. Melissa Brunton is arguably the most seasoned gourdonaut, and is the standard fallback person when something goes awry. Lisa and Richard Maple are our omnipresent tech gurus. Martha Beckford magically tallies our totals every single night the patch is open. Her updates always populate my inbox, and I have no idea how she does this magic. Alan Hope is the master pumpkin bread baker, and the orchestra conductor of the pumpkin unloading symphony. Tom Hargrove holds no special title, but if you need a shift filled, he is there with gusto. There are also the dozens of other longtime members that step-up year after year, not because their children will benefit from the proceeds, but because they find enjoyment and meaning in helping this ministry. Thank you all for making this possible.

This year we saw a critical mass of new volunteers rise to the occasion. Our Journey to Adulthood (J2A) group showed up in the force, learned the ropes, and kept those evening and weekend shifts filled! Behind their efforts where Courtney Jukuri, our Christian Education Minister, who kept them informed and active, and our J2A mentors, Victoria and Tom Healy and Jennifer Hanks, who worked alongside them. We also saw several new families show up to volunteer just to help out, have fun and to be part of our community. The biggest surprise was a dedicated closer, John Verghese. This poor man told me he was retiring from the Army days before the pumpkins arrived, and I got him to close almost every single night without complaint. This crew will ensure the patch will continue to be a mainstay in our community for the next generation.

Ministry can look like how you expect it, like wearing vestments behind the altar on Sunday, or sitting by someone’s bed in the hospital, but it can also take on unexpected forms. Pumpkins are frivolous fruits that we use on a silly secular holiday with ancient pagan roots, but in our particular time and place we use them as a vector to create community when so many forces push us to polarities and isolation. Do not fool yourselves, if your heart is in it, even selling pumpkins and learning people’s names can be a priceless ministry. If you want to be part of our story and do more with our ministries, do not be afraid to jump in. Brian Hart, Jenn Glassman and Bill Overby did today when they folded up the tent for the first time, and we will be thanking them next year when we pull it out again to get ready to keep on helping people make memories and realize they are part of our community.

Blessings,

Nick