Village Church Hosts Plant Exchange Outreach

Village Church’s third annual plant exchange took place Sunday, June 1, and pulled a crowd of nearly 350 people over the span of the afternoon. With two shaded tents set up to shelter the visitors and plants from the summer sun’s appearance, a wide variety of indoor and outdoor plants as well as gardening tools and seeds were exchanged. An "Ask A Gardener" table attracted those who needed specialist help; and gardening educational material was offered, including a copy of "Happiness Digest" (aka "Steps to Christ")--the version with a flower on the cover.

One gardener brought some of her hundreds of varieties of dahlia bulbs which were snapped up almost as quickly as her table full of tomato plants! Others brought cuttings of houseplants, bulbs they had thinned out of their beds, extra seedlings that didn't fit into their gardens, or plants they didn't want anymore. Several arrived, lamenting the fact that they didn't have anything to exchange and were happy to learn that they didn't have to bring anything, they could simply take whatever they wished.

The plant exchange proved a great opportunity to mingle with the Berrien Springs community, as nearly half of the attendees were non-Adventists. Many visitors expressed gratitude for the chance to get out of the house and back into their gardens. And all left with their new, leafy acquisitions plus a leaflet of all upcoming events at Village church.