A small package was put in the offering plate at Vine Street Christian Church on one of the first Sundays of Advent.
It was wrapped in plain white paper and secured with clear tape. The anonymous giver conveyed his or her wishes in simple, clear print: "Sell this and use the money for Vine Street's support of the poor & homeless."
Inside was a shiny Liberty $50 one-ounce gold coin.
"We opened it, unwrapped it, and bang! There comes this big coin," said Thomas Kleinert, senior minister at Vine Street.
Gold prices are through the roof right now. Church leaders quickly found a coin shop willing to pay them $1,070, slightly less than face value. But then somebody had a bright idea.
"We were just talking," he said. "Maybe someone would like to have that coin rather than the coin dealer."
So, on a whim and with nothing to lose, Vine Street set up an online auction form and put it on the church Web site. They sent word out on their mailing list to members and friends.
"If you want to own a coin that comes with a great story, here's your chance," Kleinert said.
The first bid was for the coin's face value: $1,125. It's what happened next that makes this akin to a Christmas miracle. The bids kept going up. The high bid right now stands at an astonishing $5,000.
"It was almost as if one of the magi from the east had arrived early to leave his gift at the manger," Kleinert wrote on his church blog.
Helping others isn't new
Vine Street will continue to take bids on the gold coin until noon Dec. 28. To bid, call 615-665-0677 or go to Kleinert's blog at www.vinestreet.org/blog-thomas-kleinert to find the form.
The church, at 4101 Harding Road, has a history dating to the 1820s. With a membership of about 400 members, the church gave $30,000 this year to agencies that work to help and prevent homelessness.
"The idea is to give a portion to an agency that works on prevention, give another portion to those that work with folks when they are in the ditch, and the rest to affordable housing, to keep folks in their current housing," Kleinert said.
While you are waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, Vine Street congregants will be hosting Room in the Inn, providing homeless guests a hot meal and a place to sleep in a safe environment. Their guests will also get presents: Secret Santa gifts and backpacks filled with essentials they need for life on the street.
Vine Street hosts Room in the Inn for two complete weeks every winter. They also keep bags of food ready at all times for anyone who walks in off the street and needs emergency help.
So yes, the money from the coin auction will do exactly what the mystery giver asked. It will support the poor and homeless.
But whoever you are, know this: Your present, given with a glad and generous heart, has done so very much more.
Ministry Partner George Bullard had the privilege of working with this congregation last year. This is a great opportnity for them!
