What Is This All About?

Manchester (New Kensington, Pa.) RPC in Upper Burrell Township, just northeast of Pittsburgh, conducts a flea market on the first Saturday of every month.

In the winter months it is held in the basement of the church. The flea market has helped many people in many different ways. We sell items below market value so customers get what they need and want at a very reasonable price. Many people have purchased a lot of kitchen items when setting up housekeeping. Parents of college students have found our items to be beneficial.

We give away medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, braces, and canes. We also give away baby items to new or expecting mothers. The proceeds go to the mercy fund of the church, which helps those in need. It has helped to buy groceries, pay utility bills, fix cars, or even repair houses. But the primary goal is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. The flea market is a mission field for planting seeds.

How Did It Come About?

After my wife, Dorey, passed into glory in 2016, and I retired, I was quite beside myself in not knowing my purpose anymore. The Lord knew what I needed! Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” I know exactly where I’m supposed to be.

When I was on a mission trip in Australia in 2017, an activity that was popular was to visit thrift stores. There was always a good crowd and plenty of good secondhand merchandise. I thought it was very interesting how people were attracted to it.

The winter of 2017 was very hard on our church’s gravel parking lot. It was a muddy mess with potholes and bumps. It actually had become a hazard. Our church budget could not afford a new paved parking lot. How could we come up with the money to have it paved? That’s when it hit me! We could do a fundraiser by conducting some type of sale, like a thrift store, open to the public. The term “flea market” seemed more attractive. Outside would be great, like a yard sale, but not very practical if we wanted to do this every Saturday. The basement of the church could work if it was cleaned out (it had become a place to collect junk), painted, and slightly remodeled. It would be set up so that every week it is ready to go.

Larry Howells, my good friend and fellow deacon, and I embarked on the project to prepare the basement by May 2018, hopefully in time for the garage and yard sale season. We made it. We opened the first Saturday in May and continued through the end of September. We established the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each week.

What were the challenges?

The first challenge was to convince the session it would be worth a try. There were a few in our congregation who thought the idea was odd. With the session’s blessing, we proceeded. We asked the congregation to clean out their closets, basements, attics, and garages. They responded graciously; we had enough items to get started.

I knew that just because we build it doesn’t mean they will come (referring to the line from Field of Dreams). I knew from my career as an insurance agent that activity is needed to stimulate business. This was another challenge; how were we going to do that? Ultimately, we also knew that it was in the Lord’s hands whether this venture would work or not.

Initially, we made a large sign and put it near the road in front of the church. We also had 1,000 fliers made. On Saturdays, a few of us would travel around to local yard sales and pass out the fliers. We also stood at grocery stores and passed them out to the patrons when they were coming out of the store. We did this until the fliers ran out. At first, response was slow. I think the first day we only had a few people come through. The month of May was very slow, and it did not look promising.

On a very limited budget, how do we let people know we are here? We discovered that Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are free and productive ways of advertising. By mid-June, we were flourishing. Merchandise donations kept coming from a lot of different places. We went from one basement room to three rooms and a hallway. Sadly, at times I even have to decline some donations for lack of space. Most of the time, there are three of us who work the flea market: Larry, Linda McMannis, and myself. Others have helped out on occasion and have found it to be a rewarding experience.

What Were the Goals?

Raising funds to pave the parking lot was the original goal. However, we quickly realized it was a great opportunity to share the gospel with our neighbors. We had a nice pamphlet made up that we would hand to our customers. It has a little description of our church and beliefs, and also has a few questions to stimulate their thinking on eternity. By the end of the summer, we had realized our monetary goal and proceeded to have the parking lot paved. After praying for the Lord’s guidance again and with the session’s blessing, Larry and I decided to continue the flea market as an outreach to the community. The first Saturday of every month seems to be the best choice. This time, the proceeds would go into the mercy fund and help those in need. Customers like that idea and, even though they might not buy anything, sometimes they still give a donation for that cause.

Has It Been Fruitful?

Many great conversations have occurred between the customers and our members who have worked the flea market. Our hope is that they leave with a desire to hear more of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A question on the brochure and one I like to ask people is, “What do you think happens to you when you die?” I have found answers to be of three general kinds:

1. Believers respond with positive affirmation of believing and trusting in Christ for their salvation. I say amen to them, and usually a joyful conversation ensues.

2. Some say “Nothing; when you’re dead, you’re dead.” I am surprised at how many people say this and don’t believe in God or a god. I want to quote Psalm 14:1 to them: “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” At this point, I throw them out! Just kidding. Of course I still try to share the hope of the gospel.

3. Probably the largest response I get is, “Oh, I think I should go to heaven, I’m a pretty good person.” At this point, we try to introduce them to the “Roman road” (Rom. 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:8–10), John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8–9, or just strike up a meaningful conversation.

No matter what the response is and how we respond, it does give us an opportunity to plant seeds for God’s glory. We know that, even though we may not see immediate results, it is up to the Lord to water those seeds and bring fruit.

One very memorable seed-to-fruit occurrence was when a lady named Barb came to the flea market. Her husband had just passed away unexpectedly, and she was very distraught. She and her husband were not in the habit of going to church anywhere. They were of Roman Catholic background. It was obvious she needed some answers to what life was all about, and to discover the truth about God.

After some conversations with a few of us, she started coming to Manchester RPC faithfully. During one conversation, she expressed her trust and belief in Jesus Christ and seemed to be more content with her lot. One Sunday, she did not show for service, and the following week she did not show either. We followed up with her daughter and discovered she had passed away quickly due to pancreatic cancer. We praise the Lord that she professed faith in Christ before she died.

So yes, I believe the venture has been fruitful. Lord willing, we will continue to plant the seeds knowing He will water those seeds as He sees fit and bring them to fruit.