Spring Rummage Sale/Fall Craft Fair are Great Avenues for Fund Raisers

This idea comes from a former music director of the Ottumwa First Presbyterian Church, Gail Masinda.
In these days of tight budgets, being good stewards of our resources is more important than ever. My husband John and I are exhibiting/selling our photography at art shows (www.AsWeSeeNature.com), and apparently others in the area know about us. I received an e-mail from a local church asking if we would be interested in their craft fair. They open up their facilities (could be a fellowship hall, a gym, etc.) to crafters and home businesses (Avon, Scentsy, etc.) and ‘rent’ tables at $15 for an 8 ft. table (plus the area behind the table, about 4 ft. deep). The ‘show’ runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ladies of the church serve lunch (as a fund raiser) to the public. There will be a bake sale as well. All proceeds from the food they sell and the table rental goes towards youth and mission projects. All proceeds from goods sold by each vendor goes to that vendor. Each vendor is asked (as an option) to donate an item for door prizes.
Another area church does a similar thing, but their fund raiser is an outdoor rummage sale. 10'x10' spaces are ‘rented’ on the church grounds and each person brings whatever rummage sale type items they want to sell. Again, the proceeds from the space rental goes toward church.
In both of these examples, the person renting the space is responsible for the setup, display, and tear down of their space. The costs to the church are minimal, since overhead has to be paid whether the facilities are being used or not. Advertising of the event is done by the hosting church. Spaces are available to church members and non-members.
The church raises dollars through space rental and food sales. They gain local recognition from their advertising. People who may have never been to the church before now know where it is. Greeters can be powerful witnesses to hospitality, openness and acceptance. All of this from using resources already owned by the church. Now that’s good stewardship!

God in America Series is Coming to PBS October 11, 12 & 13

The God in America series offers an investigative look into how religion shaped our national identity, our schools and our politics. The three episodes will air at 8 p.m. CT: Oct. 11 - A New Adam/ A New Eden, Oct. 12 - Rebirth/A New Light from Above, and Oct. 13 - Soul of a Nation/of God and Caesar. Check your local PBS station to see viewing times for your area.

The six-hour series is coming to PBS from American Experience, FRONTLINE, and their partners at the National Center for Media Engagement (NCME). Together they invite you to join in a National Outreach Campaign of community engagement. Through partnerships with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, the Fetzer Institute, Sacred Space International and others, they hope to extend the reach of the series.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Register your community group, house of worship or association and appear on our list of cooperating organizations. Receive program updates, behind-the-scenes stories from the filmmakers, sneak previews and resources to promote the national broadcast.


2. Create a page in the God in America Faithbook (coming soon) and share it with friends online.


3. Organize a Sacred Spaces event in your community or attend one of our great eight city tours this fall in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Santa Fe, San Francisco and Portland, Ore.


4. Host a viewing party.


5. Discuss and share your experience online and offline with family, friends and your community.


6. Join the growing list of organizations participating in the God in America national outreach campaign.

If you have questions about the God in America series or the outreach campaign, contact WGBH Outreach Director Erin Martin Kane at: 617-300-5969, erin_martin_kane@wgbh.org.

Mission Dollar Challenge Consultation is Oct. 27

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. The Stewardship and Mission Interpretation and the Budget and Finance committees are looking into rescheduling this event.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, church session members are invited to attend the Mission Dollar Challenge Consultation 2010, from 1-4 p.m. at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, 6426 Merle Hay Rd., Johnston. This workshop is sponsored by the Stewardship and Mission Interpretation and the Budget and Finance committees of the Des Moines Presbytery.

For many congregations, financial support has been limited by a current income situation affected by the economy, increased pension dues, higher operating costs and rapidly aging buildings in need of repairs. Our committees believe that the condition has not prevented a great deal of mission from being done locally that the presbytery as a whole has not been made aware. We are asking you to come to the consultation prepared to share the outreach mission of your congregation with session members of other churches in the presbytery. We also want to provide an opportunity for us to be challenged in our giving locally and globally.

Churches are asked to send 1-2 session members and have them bring the 2008/2009 church annual budgets. Participants will return prepared to help sessions set goals for funding 2010 mission work of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To RSVP, contact the Presbytery Office, 515-276-4991.

Lunch & Learn Sessions are Winding Down for 2009

The Communications' Lunch & Learn Series is winding down for 2009. Many members of our Des Moines Presbytery congregations have benefitted from attending these informational communication workshops, held monthly on the third Thursday from Noon - 1 p.m. If you currently work at a church, either as a staff member, volunteer or lay leader, you are invited to join us this Thursday, Sept. 17. Bring your brown bag lunch to our Presbytery office at: 2400 86th St., Suite 20, Urbandale, IA 50322. We’ll provide the beverages. The fee is FREE!

New option: Attend by Webconference and teleconference! If interested in this option, please call the Presbytery's Director of Communications Kim Coulter at 515-276-4991, to discuss whether your computer and phone are compatible. You'll then be given the passcode and login information in time for Thursday's Lunch & Learn Session.

This week's topic has been changed to "How to use Photographs in your Church Ministry". Participants are encouraged to bring questions, samples, and insights related to using pictures to tell your churches' stories or maybe using images in worship. In addition to the featured topic, there will be time to network and discuss off-topic items. Such as to share recent projects or accomplishments, or ask those “burning questions”.

2009 Dates and Topics:

September 17 – How to use Photographs in your Church Ministry
October 15 – Public Relations 101 – How to Get Church News Noticed
November 19 – Annual & Statistical Reports, Newsletters and E-announcements (bring samples)

RAGBRAI is Riding through Our Presbytery!

The following of our Des Moines Presbytery churches are supporting riders July 18-25, during the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa:

Monday, July 20 – The First Presbyterian Church, 907 Grove Ave., Corning, will have a lunch stop and pie stand. Last time the bikers came through they sold 600 slices – that’s 100 pies! Yum!

The ride will stop in Greenfield overnight where the First Presbyterian Church of Greenfield, 102 S.W. Kent St. (Hwy. 92), will host a chicken and noodle dinner from of 5-8 p.m. Menu includes: chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, watermelon and drinks. Cost is $8 with a wristband and $9 for all others.

Tuesday, July 21 – The Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 200 S. Howard St., Indianola, will have an overnight stay for a team of 70 Cedar Rapids riders and are providing a lunch food item of corn-on-the-cob from 11-2 p.m. That same day, they’ll provide 700-800 dinners from 4-8 p.m. Menu includes: pulled-pork sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob with chips and ice cream.

Wednesday, July 22 – The First Presbyterian Church, 737 Braden Ave., Chariton, will be serving a pork loin dinner when RAGBRAI riders stay overnight in their town. The meal will include sliced pork loin, baked potato with the trimmings, green beans, roll, pie and drinks for $8. The charge will be $9 without the registered wristband. They are planning to serve 600. Organ and piano music will be offered to those waiting in the sanctuary.

Thursday, July 23 – The riders will stay overnight in Ottumwa and the First Presbyterian Church, 228 W. 4th St., Ottumwa, will host the local Good Samaritan Society which is serving 500 pork loin dinners at the First Presbyterian Church. Yum!

Communications Lunch and Learn Opportunities

The Presbytery's Communications Lunch and Learn Series begins February 21, from Noon - 1 p.m., churches in the Presbytery of Des Moines, are invited to attend these informational sessions at the office at 2400 86th St., Suite 20, Urbandale, Iowa.

If you currently work at a church, either as a staff member or volunteer, you are invited to join these informal discussions and information sharing groups.

Each month a topic is identified around which the majority of the discussion will revolve. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, samples, and insights related to the topic of the day. In addition to the featured topic, each session will include time to network and discuss off-topic items; such as to share recent projects or accomplishments, or ask your “burning questions” (whether they are related to the topic or not).

All lunch sessions are free and no RSVP is necessary, just bring your brown bag lunch and be ready to participate! (A microwave and frig are available too.)

Time and Location:
Times for all lunches are Noon - 1 p.m. at the Presbytery of Des Moines Office, 2400 86th St., Suite 20, Urbandale, IA 50322
Directions and Parking

2008 Dates and Topics (the 3rd Thursday of each month, except June)
February 21 – Brochures (please bring samples of your church’s brochures)
March 27 – Newsletters & E-mail Announcements (bring samples)
April 17 – Writing and Distributing Press Releases
May 15 – Web Sites: Basic (design, troubleshooting, etc.)
June 26 – Watch LIVE Podcast of the 218th General Assembly from San Jose, Calif.
July 17 – Stretching Your Church Office Staff/Volunteers
August 21 – Maximizing Your Database for Church Marketing: To ACS or Not
September 18 – (Re)Transforming Your Church
October 16 – Annual Reports (bring samples of your annual reports)
November 20 – New Media: Blogs, Podcasts, Wikis and more