First Baptist’s ‘I Love India’ garage sale returns
Published 10:20 am Friday, March 20, 2015
For the fourth year running, the “I Love India” garage sale has returned.
Sponsored by First Baptist Church, the annual event supports Agape Outreach Ministries India.
Sunday Holmes, garage sale chairman, said the event will be in the FBC gym and starts next Friday with a preview sale from 6 to 8 p.m. The preview sale has a $5 entrance fee. The sale continues Saturday from 6:30 to 10 a.m. The Saturday sale has no entrance fee.
“We have everything you can imagine,” Holmes said. “It’s probably the biggest garage sale you will ever go to.”
Holmes said they have electronics, clothes, furniture, strollers and many other things.
“If you can name it, you can probably find it,” she said.
Holmes said there is also a Bargain Boutique that will be set up for some of the nicer clothes and shoes.
“I got a North Face jacket last year for $5,” she said.
Sam and Jezy Barghese, members of First Baptist Church, run Agape Outreach Ministries India. Originally from India, the Bargheses spend half the year in India and half the year in Brookhaven. They joined the church when Sam was in seminary. The ministry has founded over 50 churches in three different Indian states.
Holmes said every dollar they make goes to the organization. She said normally their money goes to pay pastors’ salary or for infrastructure.
Last year, the money helped complete the first floor of a children’s home. The home is part of an effort to help provide education to low income or orphan children.
Other money has gone to building churches because a lot of the congregations don’t have a physical building. The temporary meeting places are outdoors and during the rainy season this can be detrimental.
“As soon as a church is established, they try to go ahead and get a building,” she said.
Holmes said a pastor needs about $200 a month to fully support himself and not have to hold any other job. She said the congregations are giving as much as they can, but these are generally areas of poverty.
“We need to give out of our excess as Americans,” she said.