Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Let's Activate The Lord's Acre @ Tinney Chapel in 2012
Let's Activate The Lord's Acre @ Tinney Chapel UMC, The Quintessential Country Church
Tinney Chapel UMC has a long history of sponsoring public events at the quintessential country church, dating back to its founding in February, 1900, when the church was even more country than it is today.
Fish frys, iron kettle stews, chili cookoffs, Rural Life Sunday celebrations and a host of other colorful events have become traditional at Tinney Chapel, a two-time winner of the Marvin T. Judy Award from the North Texas UMC Conference for excellence in rural ministry. Some of these events have been fundraisers and some have been just for fun, fellowship and--yes--ministries of love.
But, Tinney Chapel, the church that is always ready to say "yes" to prospective new ideas with the age-old promise of telling the old, old story in ever new ways, has itself been challenged as never before by an energetic new pastor, Brother Carl Sterling, who received his appointment to this charge just this past June.
Brother Carl's latest challenge to Tinney Chapel came Monday evening, Oct. 15, at the church's monthly administrative council meeting, when he called upon the congregation to stage a Lord's Acre event for the evening of Saturday, Nov. 17, 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
The purpose of this event will be "all the above," and is intended to promote fellowship while obeying the Lord's command to love one another and, oh yes, to raise funds for the ministry of this century-old church, founded in 1900 by Ambrose Tinney, a cotton farmer from Alabama who came to Texas seeking greener pastures for his agricultural pursuits and a new Methodist pastorate located in what was then almost backwoods country during his horse-and-buggy era, but is now just a few minutes drive from beautiful, downtown center-city Winnsboro.
Brother Carl will, himself, serve as chairperson of this event, a first for Tinney Chapel, at least in modern times, and his number-one helper will be Elaine Tinney Banks, herself a great grandchild of Ambrose Tinney. Together, they plan to organize and stage iron-kettle stew and chili feeds for the public, a high-powered pie auction, featuring some of the most delicious and potentially exotic dishes by the best cooks in northeast Texas, the latter a kind of spinoff from the old box suppers of bygone days. Tinney Chapel's own Bob Deitering, son of a legendary auctioneer, will handle the auctioneering chores for this unique challenge.
For connoisseurs and collectors, Tinney Chapel will comb the countryside for trinkets and treasures previously undreamed of for both a live auction and a simultaneous silent auction. If you have been hankering for that certain item, whether common or collectible, chances are that you will find it among the beads, baubles and beautiful specimens of all descriptions at Tinney Chapel's upcoming outdoor event on the 3-acre campus of the quintessential country church.
And that's just for starters. Be sure to put this event on your calendar now, tell all your friends and bring your whole family for an evening under the rustic rural stars: 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
Below is an article from Yahoo Contributor Network which details some of the history of the Lord's Acre project and its hallowed tradition among United Methodist Churches:
Lord's Acre Sales Are a Tradition in the United Methodist Church
By Kathy Barnes-Hemsworth
In the 1940s, they were widely promoted in the Holston Conference
as a fundraiser for the churches and for different missions projects.
They traditionally have been held in the more rural communities.
They
got their name because in the beginning, farmers would donate an acre
of their land "to the Lord." The congregation would choose a certain
crop to tend on that acre, such as cane to make into sorghum, or
vegetables or fruits.
Most churches that
participate today have smaller congregations and the funds are needed to
supplement the church income. Usually, the funds are designated for
certain projects, such as building maintenance. Often, a percentage is
set-aside for missions or special projects.Lord's
Acre Sales continue today, mostly in the more rural areas.
Some of the
communities have grown and have "citified" versions of the Lord's Acre
Sale or have converted to having bazaars or festivals.
A
traditional Lord's Acre Sale often includes a meal prepared by the
church congregation. Following the meal, there is an auction. Throughout
the years, the sales have become more diverse-they offer more than just
homegrown produce. Handcrafted items, such as quilts, furniture, and
baskets have been added.
However, the
majority of items found at Lord's Acre Sales are either homegrown or
homemade. Often, as in past years, families go to the sales to stock up
for winter, purchasing produce, hams, or home canned goods.
Because the sales are held at harvest time, in September or October, people stock up on gifts for the holidays ahead, and buy arts and crafts.
Because the sales are held at harvest time, in September or October, people stock up on gifts for the holidays ahead, and buy arts and crafts.
The
amount of money raised at the sales varies greatly, but many churches
depend on the funds from the annual event to keep things running
smoothly through the following year. Within a few hours, many churches
can raise several thousand dollars.
Members of the congregation put in
countless hours of work to make items and prepare them for the sale, and
to prepare the facilities to welcome those who attend the sale.Lord's
Acre Sales have become a tradition in many communities, with many
churches having had the annual events for 50 or more years.
Link to this online article:
Labels: Lord's Acre, Rev. Carl Sterling, the quintessential country church, Tinney Chapel UMC
