Pumpkins, People, & Potential

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! We had our very own pumpkin patch here last month with hundreds of these fall favorites adorning the front entrance of the camp. People came from all over to pick out their favorites. We sold them for donations only, with all of the proceeds going to the summer camp scholarship fund. By the final week of October, we’d sold every last one of them, earning over $3,000 in needed camper scholarships.

An unexpected side benefit of the pumpkin patch was that, aside from just coming to pick out their pumpkins, dozens of people came to take family portraits. Some were just snapping photos of their kids surrounded by pumpkins, others hired professional photographers to take large group photos here. Every week I would see new pictures posted on social media of friends and family visiting our pumpkin patch.

It also gave us the opportunity to interact with many people who had never visited the camp before and wanted to learn more about our ministry. In fact, the front porch of the office became one of our biggest ministry tools as the Lord opened doors for us to share the love of God with a number of new friends.

It might surprise you to also know that the pumpkin patch wasn’t even our idea. OA and Charlotte’s adult granddaughter, Michelle Kramer, first proposed the idea to me last summer. It was she who made all of the arrangements regarding purchase, delivery, promotion, and finding a sponsor, AE Global Media, to cover the cost of the pumpkins. She even visited most weekends from her home near Columbia, SC to make sure things were running smoothly. We are deeply grateful to Michelle and AE Global Media for bringing the pumpkin patch to South Mountain Christian Camp.

This is how the Kingdom of God works. Every part of Christ’s body plays a vital role by following the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. You are an important part of God’s kingdom too. When you follow His guidance, you can make a difference.