Recap: St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2026

Well, boys and girls, another Des Moines St. Patrick’s Day Parade outreach is in the books, checked off, and completed. As in previous years, it was sponsored by Tulip Gospel Outreach and partnered with Calvary Chapel Des Moines, and yours truly. Despite the freezing temperatures, our official season opener was a great success.

The day started with gathering at Calvary Chapel Des Moines and preparing snacks, tracts, and the teaching I had prepared. My wife and I wanted to do something special for this group, so instead of buying donuts or Casey’s breakfast pizza, we decided to go for a somewhat healthier spread:

• Steel-cut gluten-free overnight oats in a crock pot
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Banannas
• Cut up apples
• Rasins
• Cranberries
• Maple Syrup
• Milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, coffee, tea, and bottled water

Even though not a lot of folks grabbed a bite at the start of the parade, after hoofing it for over six miles, we were seriously hungry for some grub!

Teaching

This year, Jon made a decisive choice to have me teach the group in person rather than relying on someone remotely via Zoom. With my recent experience teaching Gospel Reset through February, I was well-prepared, and this format provided a refreshing alternative to our usual evangelism discussions. The talk was a success, and I am confident that many participants recognized the necessity of evolving our approach to presenting the gospel the way Paul did in Acts 17, especially in today’s post-metamodernist society that has lost its biblical foundation of God’s Word.

Getting into positions

Once we got past the staging area of the parade near Zombie Burger, we realized how much the freezing temperatures kept the crowds back. It looked like the empty city streets on the set of The Walking Dead. They were empty with only some brave souls on the edge of the sidewalks freezing and bundled up.

My group thought it was best to hit the skywalk not only for the larger crowds, but to get out of the cold. As we weaved through the suspended tunnel, we caught not only those dressed in green waiting for the parade, but the people stuck working on the holiday heading to their lunch break.

As noon approached and the parade was set to begin, the crowd began to swell; it may not have matched previous years, but we confidently distributed an even greater number of tracts, ensuring we reached everyone who missed out the first time.

Even though the attendance was modest, I confidently distributed around 150 tracts, while Kelly, a new member from my church, impressively handed out about 250. Grant, a teenager from Kasin’s church, distributed roughly 45 tracts but engaged in a meaningful conversation with a man in the skywalk. Adam encountered a former coworker, took the opportunity to give him a tract, and prayed for him with sincerity. Christian, a young man from Albia had a great conversation with a Jewish man who was open to learn about Jesus Christ and possibly read the New Testament.

Gathering afterwards

When we got back to the church, we grabbed some much-needed nourishment and talked about our individual experiences on the street passing out tracts. It was interesting in that we all experienced little pushback and rejection. Most people received them with kindness and joy; very few said no. Maybe for them it was too cold to argue! But one thing was clear—with the few who attended this year’s parade, more people in general received a tract from us.

Consider joining us next year

Not every year experiences this level of cold, and we often enjoy days in the lower 70s. We invite you to join us next year and stay tuned for more events in the near future. As the weather warms, we will actively be out in the Des Moines area, sharing the gospel and inviting everyone to respond to the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.