p Crowded, full of colorful pumpkins, straw people and hay, the Methodist Church’s Pumpkin Patch this year is well decorated by volunteers of the church.
u A patch of pumpkins suggests little but a good time. After all, the pumpkins will have their own face and a chance to be friendly with the straw people.
Ever see a family as happy as this? Not likely.The pumpkins and straw people are in a first-class patch. Local Methodists know how to treat them.
The youth program in Atlanta’s Methodist church is called “Nitro” in order to suggest a flame or a light unto the world.
A first this year in the Atlanta Methodist Church pumpkin patch event are the bales of hay which add a touch of farm life to the scene.
Methodist Pumpkin Patch
Atlanta, Cass County and local Methodists have a whale of a pumpkin patch this year.
Indeed, several local schools are sending their primary students to the church’s patch for science and art lessons. Everyone likes to touch and hold a pumpkin.
A pumpkin is, in fact, a fruit. They are also squash and gourds, at least according to the Farmer’s Almanac. All of those edible, seed-filled squash and gourds are fruit.
The church has a definite reason for its patch and the effort taken to create it.
“It’s for children and missions,” tells pastor Stewart Kouba. “Children, like pumpkins, are God’s creations. They may be different and unusual. But we appreciate them all. We celebrate them and their season. Children come to this patch, and we tell them stories. We give them a demonstration involving science and learning about seeds. They take a picture. It’s an important event in the life of this church.”
The patch gets created each fall by volunteers throughout the church. About a week ago on a Saturday, an 18-wheeler rolled up to the churchyard and 15 to 20 church volunteers unloaded it and began setting and decorating the patch. No pumpkin ever had a better place to be friends with smiling straw people, hay and other gourds.
The church calls its youth program Nitro Youth Ministries.
“The name relates to reaching out and starting a flame,” the minister said. “It’s our way of celebrating the fall.”
The church will also be having a fall festival from 10: 00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday which usually turns into a major event for fun and celebration. Then, the church also will host a trunk or treat evening on Halloween night Oct. 31 for the public.
“These two events are so well done they attract lines of cars bringing people to enjoy them,” Kouba continued.
The Pumpin Patch project is led by church members Devin Stroman and Stephanie Bridges.
“But really. It is everyone,” Stroman said. “It’s just a big time for the church and our influence on the public. We want our youth program to be a light unto the world.”
The pumpkin Patch will remain open through Tuesday, Oct. 21. Until that time, someone at the church will be present in the patch to help the customer purchase a pumpkin. At the end of the event, the children each receive a small pumpkin.