Turning a Hobby into a Mission
More than a decade ago, I heard about the PW Christmas Boutique that was held at St. Mark Presbyterian during the week. Working full-time then, I thought, “That’s close enough to go during my lunch break.” That wasn’t nearly enough time to truly browse, and I came back after work and browsed (and bought) some more! Well, fast-forward to 2014 and I joined St. Mark church. I knew I wanted to get involved in church service and was honored to be asked to be a Deacon. I also began to find out how many opportunities there are for personal faith growth, service and fellowship.
For the last two years, I’ve enjoyed creating items during the year, and working at the craft fair in the PW Boutique booth in November. Because I am a rather new member, participating in activities for the Boutique has given me the chance to get to know so many women. I enjoy sewing and I have been able to contribute to various projects that had holiday themes or home dĂ©cor style trends. A focus of the Boutique booth is to create something handmade that is different from the vendors that rent space for their crafts. There may be some overlap, but the PW ladies try to keep that to a minimum. How does it get done? There have been separate crafting days at homes, at the PW Retreat, working on projects on our own, and even setting up an assembly line on my dining room table to really spread out that tends to take over the house for too long a time!
One aspect of the Boutique booth is that all sales go directly to the chosen missions that PW has designated for the year. In 2016, a few of the supported missions were BRO, Mound Ridge, Regional Girls’ Shelter of Mid-America, and Circle of Concern. As items are sold, the customer is thanked for their contribution to the missions that are supported by Presbyterian Women of St. Mark. For me, combining a favorite hobby with fellowship and service to my church, while supporting chosen missions brings so much personal satisfaction.
What happens to the PW Boutique items that are not sold? Well, watch for the November Messenger where the St. Mark Christmas Tea (formerly the Christmas Tabletop Tour and Tea) will be described.
Debbie Cloud
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