Dezzerts, an ice cream parlor with a Christian ministry, has been open for a little more than a year, but it may be around for only a few more months.

As of Jan. 1, Dezzerts’ lease runs out, and the current operator has no plans to renew it.

Located just east of Varsity Theater on Lincoln Way, the store occupies the space formerly rented by Cafe Karioka, a Brazilian restaurant.

“We bought it in January of 1998, but we did not get open until Sept. 25 of that year,” said owner Dave Opfermann.

Dezzerts serves malts, shakes and other treats, as well as coffee and cappuccino.

But it is known not for its $1 malt and 25-cent root beer float specials, but for the Bible verses regularly featured in the window.

“This is just ministry. This is not business,” Opfermann said. “It’s more a gathering place than a chance for people to come and actually get something.”

Andy Kampman, senior in architecture, said when he originally entered the shop, he was very surprised by the decor.

“When I walked in, the first thing I saw was the big Jesus sign, and I said, ‘Dave, this is never gonna work!'” Kampman said, referring to the east wall of the shop decorated with the name Jesus spelled out in big green and purple letters.

Opfermann said the sign serves a purpose, as he was much more interested in prayer than profits.

“Our main focus is we try and point people to the Savior,” he said.

Opfermann thinks Dezzerts probably loses business because of the Jesus sign and the Bible verses, he said, and he makes his living running a cleaning crew at Target, 320 S. Duff Ave.

He said he worked in the newspaper and radio business for more than 20 years and had no experience running an ice cream parlor before starting Dezzerts. He got the idea to open a business with a ministry focus for college students when he lived in South Bend, Ind., home of Notre Dame University.

“This was always in the back of my mind, but I never thought I would have anything like this because it costs a lot of money,” he said.

When Opfermann’s uncle died and left him some money, he immediately put it into starting up Dezzerts.

“He left enough to start it and run a couple of years,” he said.

But Opfermann’s lease for Dezzerts runs out at the first of the year, and he has no plans to renew it.

“I think I will have a ministry on campus,” he said. Opfermann said he plans to buy advertising space to run scientific articles supporting creationism.

Although he does not plan to continue running Dezzerts, Opfermann wants to see it continued as it is.

“I think the plan right now is to find someone who would be willing to take it over,” he said. “If they were going to leave it as a ministry and keep the Jesus sign, I would sell it to them for $1.”

Several area and campus religious groups currently use Dezzerts as a meeting place. Ames’ First Assembly of God’s high school youth group meets there Sunday nights. The high school youth group from the First Evangelical Free Church of Ames gathers there after Wednesday night meetings.

Cyclone Bible Fellowship, a campus Christian group, just started volunteering to run Dezzerts on Friday nights.

“We would kind of like to have it as an alternative to everyone going to a bar,” said Cyclone Bible Fellowship Secretary Anna Hastings.

Kampman, program coordinator for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, said he and other FCA volunteers run the shop on Thursday nights to create “another place to hang out.”

“Now it has been great because some Salt Company people have been coming,” he said.

Kampman and other members of FCA are praying about the lease and what should be done with Dezzerts after Jan. 1, he said.

“I would like to see FCA getting it continued through other organizations and churches,” he said. Kampman said running Dezzerts costs about $1,000 a month.

“That $1,000 a month, $12,000 a year, is nothing to God … that amount is so minimal,” he said. “We are trusting God that He can take care of it.”

Opfermann said even though his time with Dezzerts is running out, he is glad to have had the opportunity to get it started.

“It took us nine months to open, and a lot of times I did not think it would,” he said. “I am glad every day to switch on that open sign.”