St. Bede’s Plant Sale
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Westport recently hosted a spring plant sale designed to connect local growers with rural gardeners. Inspired by Junior Warden Roger Findhal’s experience in the Creek County Farmers Market, the event aimed to provide a low-cost venue for startup nurseries while showcasing St. Bede’s new pollinator gardens, and introduce the community to St. Bede’s.
The plant sale was made possible by the Diocesan Vitality Granting Program, which covered the event’s primary expenses. This grant allowed St. Bede’s to provide free booth space and distribute 300 tree seedlings. The event saw a 90% volunteer participation rate from the congregation; members managed networking, hospitality, and logistics for an estimated 150 guests.
Donna Horton, a member at St. Bede’s, shared: “I have always enjoyed working as part of a team, and St. Bedian’s do, too. They SHOW UP, and they pitch in! That is one of St. Bede’s congregational superpowers, along with building close relationships. As the event got closer, we began finding our individual superpowers, too: networking, problem-solving, hospitality, listening, and writing thank-you notes."
Members at St. Bede’s learned that planning a community event like this is hard work, but well worth it. Donna noted that God was present throughout the process: “The challenge of hosting a big event stretched our congregation, and not just physically. We were able to trust God, count on each other, try new things, and be open to letting God use our hands, ears, and voices in the world.”
The goal of the event was never to be a fundraiser; the primary purpose was to help people find St. Bede's and learn about their mission as a church. The Rev. Lee Stephens, Vicar of St. Bede’s, shared: “One [connection] in particular was with a young woman seeking a faith path forward for her and her husband after some bad experiences. People from the surrounding area, from Tulsa to Cleveland, were a part of the crowd. This was well worth the effort and good for our parish.”
