Pastor Bruce Osterhout is not new to ministry, having served in Reading city churches for over thirty years, but his position at Zion’s Lutheran Church, getting to know Northern Berks County, and having a large community garden as part of his ministry is all relatively new. September 1, 2014, marked the start of Pastor Bruce’s journey in Shoemakersville, Perry Township.
The Northern Berks Community Garden was inspired by Zion’s interim minister, Pastor Dennis Ritter, as an outreach project into the community. A strong committee led by chairman, David Ketner, was established, and included members with either educational backgrounds or other experience in agriculture and gardening.
The garden was created not only as an outreach ministry, but to provide fresh produce to the residents of the community who use the food pantry system. In the growing season of 2014, the garden exceeded goals by producing 5,717 pounds of produce, including turnips, tomatoes, string beans, squash, radishes, peppers, onions, lettuce, kale, cabbages, and beets. The entire amount of produce was delivered by volunteers to seven food pantries in Berks County.
According to Pastor Bruce, the committee and any additional volunteers meet twice a week, Monday morning and Thursday night, to work in the garden. Tasks have been simplified by the addition of electricity and water which has been run all the way to the gate, which is located across the parking lot from the church entrance off of Zion’s Church Road.
“The generosity of people has been amazing, ” said the pastor, as he described how the needs of the garden, including a new shed to be built in April, have been covered by donations.
The committee, however, is still seeking plant sets, gardeners, drivers to move the produce to the food pantries, and additional donation money to subsidize future needs, including potentially increasing the size of the 75 x 100 plot in upcoming years.
Pastor Bruce spends time as a volunteer in the community garden, and is also increasing the church’s outreach to more effectively engage children and young adults.
With his personal mission in mind to have youth more active at Zion’s Lutheran, the pastor was happy to relay that the church website is being upgraded by member, Zachary Hoherchak, a student at Penn State Berks, as a school project.
An unusual children’s Easter program is also scheduled to replace Sunday school on Easter Day in which the children will be performing a television show, Jerusalem City News.
Other upcoming events at Zion’s Lutheran are Easter services at 6:30 and 10:30 a.m., with a breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m., Bloodmobile on Wednesday, May 27, from 3 to 7 p.m., and a car show on Sunday, May 31, from 9 to 2 p.m.
For more information about these events or being involved at Zion’s Lutheran Church or the Northern Berks community Garden, contact the church at 610-562-3112 or churchoffice@zionslutheran.org.