THE CHURCH
Leatherwood Church in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
THE CHALLENGE
Develop an effective outreach to a farming community.
ONE BIG IDEA
Host Tractor Sunday.
Situated in northwestern New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Leatherwood Church is surrounded on three sides by farms. The rural location inspired Pastor Doug Henry to come up with a new outreach centered on something almost everyone in the area has: a tractor.
In 2007 the church held their first Tractor Sunday, a gathering where people drove their tractors to the church to show them off, much like a car show, and everybody brought a sack lunch. At that time, Henry had been pastor for a couple of years, and the church ran about 40 attendees. Today, more than 150 people attend the church and Tractor Sunday is an annual event held the Sunday before Labor Day weekend.
At one Tractor Sunday, Henry met Nancy and Leroy Stewart. “Right away they became vital members of the church.”
Both Leroy and Nancy have since passed, but church members still remember them fondly.
“One year Nancy brought her vintage push mower,” says Henry. “It won second place in the miscellaneous category.”
For Tractor Sunday in 2024, the 112 machines on display were judged in five different categories: show, working, lawn, kids and miscellaneous; attendance approached nearly 1,000 people.
“[They] even come from out of state,” Henry adds, even though the church only promotes the outreach through local newspapers, flyers and Facebook.
The family-friendly event included free doughnuts and coffee, food trucks, live music and bounce houses. Everything shuts down around 11:00 a.m. for a church service that includes music and a clear presentation of the gospel.
“We may gain one or two families in our church each year [from the event],” notes Henry.
Leatherwood Church partners with local businesses, such as Tractor Supply Co., to provide prizes and supplies. Other churches also join in to help. Grace Community Church in Sligo, Pennsylvania, for example, sends people to help run activities with an eye toward sharing the love of Christ.
In addition, Tractor Sunday has raised funds for such ministry efforts as purchasing a tractor for missionaries in Romania.
With a little creativity, Leatherwood Church has turned a humble farm implement into a powerful tool for outreach.
