First United Methodist church to sell thousands of items as it nears fundraising goal

First United Methodist Church | EastIdahoNews.com record photo

POCATELLO — As a astir seven-decade-old methodist congregation nears an eager fundraising goal, they’re holding an arena they dream will move nan run importantly person to becoming fully-funded.

The First United Methodist Church is holding a “Flash Sale” connected Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. astatine nan religion building, 200 North 15th Avenue. The waste will see a silent auction, a raffle, a cook waste and a rummage sale, which will spot “thousands” of utilized location equipment connected waste for a reasonable price.

“I would opportunity that our action correct now rivals immoderate thrift shop successful town,” said Pastor Mike Conner. “If you emotion a bully gait sale, if you emotion silent auctions, nan worldly that’s present is value stuff.”

The building wherever nan congregation gathers each Sunday has been successful request of superior repairs for years, nan astir contiguous being a caller tile to switch its leaky existent one. The religion started its “Raise nan Roof” run astatine nan opening of nan summer, pinch nan extremity of raising $360,000 dollars. As nan extremity of summertime draws near, nan run is astir 77% funded, pinch a full of astir $287,000 raised.

Not only does nan church’s congregation meet there, but Tender Loving Care, which operates independently of nan church, runs its daycare successful nan building arsenic well. The building has besides hosted organization events for illustration nan Ukrainian Cultural Festival, nan “Love Grows Here” Interfaith performance and nan Highland High School Senior Choir concert, which is why Conner calls nan building a “community asset.”

While he doesn’t deliberation nan Flash Sale will put them astatine aliases complete their backing goal, “I’m consenting to beryllium surprised,” Conner said.

Courtesy First United Methodist Church

“This is coming astatine nan tail extremity of our process and there’s been specified a bully power astir it,” Conner said. “I dream astatine nan very slightest it provides immoderate momentum and immoderate moreover broader organization consciousness to thief america scope that goal.”

Conner isn’t judge precisely really galore items will beryllium connected waste successful nan rummage sale, but nan congregation has filled up nan gymnasium pinch “thousands” of location bully products, donated by religion members and others from nan community.

“We scheduled it for this play because of group coming backmost successful municipality for school. We’ve sewage bully worldly and we’re trying to value it reasonably truthful that group who request things tin get them,” Conner said.

The silent auction will spot astir 50 things up for grabs, including a two-day travel successful a backstage compartment successful Driggs, gift baskets, original creation from section artists a brand-new campy stove and more. Raffle tickets will spell for $10, and it will characteristic items for illustration a caller laptop, much gift baskets, and plentifulness of gift certificates, including 1 worthy $100 for nan Sandpiper.

The religion has already made its first costs for nan repaired roof, truthful nan religion is connected way to person its tile replaced successful September. At this point, Conner said that group who participate successful nan Flash Sale and make further donations are helping nan congregation to not beryllium burdened pinch a ample loan.

“When you’re managing a indebtedness connected apical of your wide budget, that tin beryllium really dense successful taxing for a congregation,” Conner said.

Replacing nan degraded tile will not beryllium nan extremity of improvements made to nan building. Conner besides wants to amended nan parts of nan building utilized by Tender Loving Care.

“We person truthful galore dreams and ideas astir really to make nan daycare spaces better, to modernize them, make them accessible, make them beautiful, make them functional for nan adjacent 50 years,” Conner said.