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Patches build relationships among UMs

Pumpkins were delivered Oct. 13, and the patch was to run from Oct. 14 to Halloween night, Codd said. It was to be open from noon to 8 p.m. daily.
Both St. Mark’s and Helotes Hills include a prayer-request element with their patches. St. Mark’s sets out a request box, Codd said, and prayer teams pray over every card.
Volunteers at Helotes Hills try to establish some sort of friendship with families who visit the patch, Flores said. The goal is to let visitors know that the congregation would be “more than happy to pray for them.”
Since the patch opened Oct. 1, members have prayed for many families, she added.
Sometimes people stay to receive prayer, Flores said. But most of the time, a Sunday school class prays over request cards. Members contact people who include phone numbers on their cards to let requestors know that church members have prayed. Requestors are also invited to church.
“It’s amazing some of the stories we get,” Flores said. “This started out being a fundraiser. Then we said, ‘Hey, we need to reach out to these folks because there are a lot of hurting people.’”
The key to running a patch, Flores said, is delegating volunteer leaders. The most difficult part of organizing the operation is finding volunteers to staff the patch during selling hours.
Revenue from Helotes Hills’ pumpkin sales goes into whatever fund is designated by those who volunteer to work in the patch, Flores said. That “encourages them to get out and work,” she added.

“It’s still hard (to find volunteers), especially during the daylight hours,” she said. “I’ve made a big push this year to let the senior folks, the stay-at-home moms and the retired know they can work an hour or so. And I’ve got people stepping up.”
She said she still deals with people calling to say they can’t work their scheduled shift. So she steps in herself.
Cherry Lancharic, who helps her husband, Jim, organize the pumpkin patch at Bracken UMC, Garden Ridge, said she recruits volunteers for two-hour shifts. The number of volunteers who sign up determines how many times a volunteer is asked to work.
This year, Lancharic said, she and her husband are encouraging Sunday school classes and other church groups to sign up. So far, they have many people willing to help.
Volunteers handle educational stations set up for children, Lancharic said. She is making outfits to have on hand if youngsters want to have pictures of themselves in costume. An older gentleman is providing hayrides.
Those who work look for opportunities to share Christ. On weekends, Lancharic said, volunteers could have about 1,000 opportunities—the number that visit on a typical Saturday.
“We try to make our patch an outreach tool,” Lancharic said. “We have people join (the church) every year after our patch. Usually people are interested in hearing about our church.
“If we can, we share Christ with the people who come. We’ve been praying that the Lord can use our patch to help bring people to him.”
Flores said patches serve many purpose: raising money for various ministries, reaching out to communities and building relationships within the church.
“It’s a time for the church to pull together and act as one unit,” she said.