MISSOURI—Fifteen Philadelphia Church of God members from the St. Louis congregation rose before dawn on August 3 hoping to raise $1,000 at their annual flea market fundraiser. A few members went to the flea market after sunset on Saturday to reserve a good location for sales; some even spent the night with the sale items. Other members arrived around 5 a.m., carrying more items to sell.

With pleasant weather in the forecast, a large crowd poured through the gate at 6 a.m., and a steady stream of shoppers flowed through the pcg’s space until noon. Handmade signs told customers that the group was raising funds for its church, while Preaching Elder Eric Anderson demonstrated his marketing skills by staging items to catch the attention of passing shoppers.

One shopper made a donation, and others told the volunteers to keep the change, deaconess Toni Woemmel said.

Hot and tired, the members loaded the unsold items onto trailers at 2 p.m. and headed home. They had exceeded their goal by $305, and anticipate that the total will continue to rise as members sell the remaining items on consignment.