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By Lailani Mendoza
IT’S SPRING – the perfect time for hunting bargains at a garage sale. Evangel Church in
Kelowna held its second annual Community Garage Sale in the church parking lot,
during the morning of May 23.
“It was a great day,” said Don Richmond, community pastor at Evangel. “Some people did extremely well.”
Each participant paid a small fee to reserve a table. “Basically, that was the only charge, $10. People registered two months
previously.” On the day of the event, “they got to set up their own garage sale, along with dozens and dozens of other
ones. So it was like a garage sale shopping mall. We had 83 individual garage
sales.”
It could have been a logistical nightmare. But some 40 volunteers showed up at
6:30 am, to get the various participants efficiently processed in time for the
opening.
There were a lot of vehicles to be accommodated in the church’s huge parking lot. “It was quite a production getting them all off the road,” said Richmond. “But by 8 am, we were selling,” said Richmond.
A food concession was offered, and live music was provided by the church’s youth ministry. Children enjoyed activities like face painting, playing road
hockey and jumping inside a bouncy castle.
There were a lot of good deals to be had – and it was an environmentally friendly way of disposing of unwanted items which
other people might be able to put to good use.
More important for Richmond is that fact that this event is a good way for
church members to connect with the neighbourhood outside of the church. “It’s specially for the people in the community,” he said.
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“Basically, the idea is we want to broaden our horizons there – and encounter people who just would never ever think of doing anything in the
church. So it’s really not exclusively for church people at all.”
He added that “a vast majority” of those attending the event are likely “not part of any church.”
Richmond said some people might discover the event while just driving by the
church, and probably have never been on the church property. The garage sale is
intended as an opportunity for church members to interact and meet people in
the community, breaking the initial barrier between themselves and
non-churchgoers.
June 2009
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