Main Street United Methodist Church (UMC) encourages the community to purchase pumpkins from their annual pumpkin patch in order to continue their funding of the many organizations and ministries they support.
The pumpkin patch, in its 21st year, was originally started by the J.C. Grose Sunday School class as a way to raise money for missions. The pumpkin patch was later turned over to Director of Youth and College Age Ministries Wayne Purdy and Director of Christian Education Pastor Amy Burton.
“The money we raise does not stay here. It goes back into the community and is used toward missions in the U.S.,” Purdy said, noting the pumpkins are grown on an Indian reservation in New Mexico.
Purdy said with a willing effort from church volunteers on Saturday, the pumpkins were successfully set out on time.
“We had 175-200 church members unloading those pumpkins on Saturday in the rain,” he added.
Purdy said several of the organizations and ministries the church supports include The Shepherd’s Center of Kernersville, Crisis Control Ministry, Children of Zion, Appalachia Service Project, ReCreation Experiences Mission and Ministry, Next Step Ministries, Open Arms Ministry, and Bethesda Center, to name a few.
Dave Torbett, executive director for ReCreation Experiences Mission and Ministry, shared what the funding from the pumpkin patch means to them.
“Main Street United Methodist Church is a true testament to what the church is and should be. Over the last decade, they have been an incredible partner and community of support for the outreach ministry, ReCreation Experiences. Their Youth Ministry, led by Wayne, has continued to impact the community and the world through the good services to so many people in need. The adult members of the church reach out through service events and by supporting and encouraging a strong youth ministry. It is a privilege and an honor to be a partner with Main Street and the good people there,” he said.
Carol Fulton, senior pastor of Children of Zion Community Church and founder and executive director of Children of Zion Outreach Ministry, located in east Winston-Salem, shared how important the funds from Main Street UMC’s pumpkin patch are to her ministry. She noted that along with Main Street UMC, four other churches help support the Children of Zion Outreach Ministry.
“They prepare 160 to 175 meals and bring them to Rubert Bell Park off Mount Zion Place in Winston-Salem on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday after we hold a service in the park around 12:30,” she said. “They prepare hot meals, bag lunches and, in good weather, we play games and do activities.”
Fulton, a Kernersville resident, said she started out helping children, but has branched out to helping the homeless and people falling on hard times as well.
“The money goes to buy the food and clothing if anyone needs it,” she said, as she shared that she buys coats and jeans as the weather gets colder. “We had a family with eight children that needed clothes for back to school. That was a family in Kernersville.”
For Christmas, Fulton also gives the children a bag of items that include hats, gloves, a scarf, candy and a toy and shared that some parents have told her that is the only gift their child will receive for Christmas.
“The meal money they give us helps to free up other funds to do things like take children on field trips or to keep the lights on in a child’s house so they can do their homework at night,” she said.
Purdy said their pumpkins are priced higher than what you would find at a local grocery store; however, it’s for a good cause.
“It allows us to pay for the pumpkins and then keep a percentage. One hundred percent of the percentage we get to keep goes back out into the mission field,” he explained. “We average about $10,000 each year. We don’t keep any of the money, no matter how much we make. It all goes back out into the community.”
He added that they do not pay anyone to work the pumpkin patch.
“It’s a church-wide event and everyone pitches in. We organize volunteers to work in three-hour shifts from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays,” he said. “The pumpkin patch will be open until Halloween.”
Purdy also shared that they offer story time to groups of kids from Monday through Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. – noon. Those who are interested need to set up an appointment by calling Purdy at 336-993-3411.
Purdy said while most pumpkins range from $7 to $15, there are some smaller pumpkins and gourds that start at 50 cents, as well as very large pumpkins that range anywhere from $25 – $30.