Why a rummage sale encapsulates everything good about a church.

We did it…the entire congregation at San Carlos UMC came together to support an event that brings out the best in what a church can and should be. In the hours and days following this year’s rummage sale (our first in over 10 years AND the beginning of an annual happening) I heard many questions about the sale: How did it go? Was it successful?…All questions essentially leading to the bottom line of; how much money did you make? Well, we did make $3,627, modest gains in terms of what other church’s have made recently or even the amounts that this congregation has logged in our record books. However, as you may already know, success of an “event” isn’t measured by the bottom line. Success is measured by much more, and I would like to share some of that with you.

                I qualify this event as enormously successful because in my humble opinion it highlights everything good about a church. For an event/ministry to be successful it needs to incorporate and engage a large percentage of the congregation, more than the few amazing souls in our community that always dedicate their time, energy, and gifts to the church. By my count, or rough estimate, when you count the people who donated, volunteered, and shopped there were easily over 200 participants…amazing!!!

                Secondly, without getting into the finer details or political discussion of where we find ourselves in our world economically, we may all agree…Times are tough!  And yet we have people giving, and I don’t mean begrudgingly giving out of guilt, I mean giving with a smile on their face happy to free themselves of things they paid a lot of money for.  So people give freely, they give items the church can then sell at a very low price. Items that allow others in our community the opportunity to have clothing, shoes, baby supplies, books, towels, linens, toys, kitchen supplies, electronics, furniture, and the “nic-nac” that turns a house into a home.

                And so the church was able to take a week to look in their homes and decide if there were some things they could do without. People gave these items that at one time were important enough to spend tens, hundreds, and thousands of dollars.  The church then became a place the surrounding community could come and purchase items, like a market place. However, this wasn’t the type of market where Jesus would have been looking to turn over some tables and make a mess of the place. This was a market where others could benefit from paying for gently used items at a huge discount.

                Donating items and time to help make this rummage sale happen allowed the church to share a little bit of the material wealth we are blessed with in order to share in the humanity that God blesses us all with. James 2.15-16 reminds the faithful about this kind of sharing, a sharing that was accomplished through this year’s rummage sale.  A very big thank you to all who donated and participated!  Amen.

-Cody Clark

Massive Rummage Sale! Saturday October 8

     The collection of all donations has begun!

For the entire week of October 3-7 we will collect donations from Church & Preschool members in the San Carlos UMC-Youth & Education building. Collections times are 8:00am-5:00pm. Items to bring; clothing, furniture, toys, books, decor, linens, etc. Please remember to donate only items that are in “like new” or “new” condition.

    The sale is Saturday October 8 from 7:00-11:00am. See you there!