Long before this global pandemic, many churches and schools have found it difficult to offer high quality materials for praying with children. 

In these trying times, several catechists have approached us about how to make our materials more affordable.

Mustard Seed Training does our best to offer materials at cost while paying our artisans a living wage. We have a few new offerings to make our atrium materials more accessible to all:

1. Donate Atrium Materials Gift Card

How it works:

1. Share this link with members of your community: https://mustseed.org/products/gift-card-2

2. Tell them to set the Shipping Address for the individual or congregation you would like to place your order. We will send them a unique discount code for the amount of your gift card.

Another option is to contact Meagen at learn@mustseed.org to apply for atrium materials assistance. I will let you know if someone has donated a general gift card, and give you a unique discount code.

Have you been blessed with a little extra?

You can pay it forward by donating an atrium gift card and using your own Shipping Address. We will ask you if you would like us to pair you with a individual catechist or congregation who has applied for Atrium Materials Assistance. The recipient will be given a unique discount code for the amount of your donation.

2. Discount Materials

These discount items would be functional with a little extra sanding, painting, or wood putty. Or they are just a little "off" in some way. Figures are 1/8" wide and come with a 1/4" base.

Prices are either 35% or 50% off to make sure we can still pay the artisan who made it.

3. Donated Atrium Materials

These atrium materials have been donated, and are available FREE. We simply ask that you cover the cost of shipping plus $5 handling fee per purchase.

As donated items, we will not accept returns and cannot guarantee their durability.

If you would like to donate atrium materials for this exchange, please contact Meagen at learn@mustseed.org for approval. Do NOT send us donated materials without approval as our shipping and inventory space is limited. (It's in my house!)

4. Monks' Bread (or Other) Fundraising Campaign

Our small rural parish partners with Monks' Bread at Genesee Abbey to offer a wholesale fundraiser including a pilgrimage retreat. So far we have used our funds to purchase furniture for our CGS atria. 

This blog post details the steps to our success, so you can do it, too!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND running a wholesale fundraiser to support your atrium!

Not everyone is a woodworker, painter, or seamstress, but I was surprised by how many people would purchase an item or make a donation for this specific campaign. It also sends an important message to the kids: THIS COMMUNITY SUPPORTS YOU!

This past spring, during statewide lockdown, we ran our third successful Monks' Bread campaign to raise $600 for a parish family in crisis. I used a Google Forms/Spreadsheets to collect orders and track donations, and invited people to participate on social media, by email, and on the phone.

Additional donors from the church added $750 in cash to our campaign, helping this family navigate a difficult time.

May God bless your ministry of praying with children!

Mustard Seed Training is thrilled to partner with you to proclaim the Kingdom of God, which must be approached through the eyes of a child. Whether or not you partner with us for your atrium materials, please be assured of our prayers for your ministry and the children you serve.