WARSAW —”Thou Shalt Never Pay Retail” may not be a commandment in the Bible, but for the congregation of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Warsaw this mantra has allowed them to purchase an incredible $1,000 worth of food bank donation items for just over $200.

A $200 anonymous seed donation was entrusted to some “coupon-and-sale-savvy” members in order to gain the most “bang for the congregation’s buck.” By using shopping sales and clearance, along with coupons, the St. Peter’s team of wise stewards saved roughly $700 off retail prices.

These items, along with several carloads of additional donations, were delivered to the Concordia Theological Seminary’s Co-Op food bank in Fort Wayne early in October.

The Co-Op helps seminarians and their families supplement their budgets by providing food, paper products and consumables on a need-based point system.

To further the blessing, St. Peters Lutheran Church of Warsaw decided to include the Co-Op in their 2016 alms box giving using 3 John 5-8 as their scriptural basis raising an additional $150.00.

“It is amazing to see God multiply blessings in such a wonderful way!” exclaimed St. Peter’s pastor, Michael Barnes. “As a poor seminarian myself in the past, I can certainly say that these gifts are needed and will be appreciated.” he continued.