CALIFORNIA—On the morning of June 7, the front yard of Philadelphia Church of God members Ted and Penny Estebat was transformed into a pop-up market fair. The fundraiser was initially planned to be a yard sale but with different brethren wanting to contribute more, it grew to include a pop-up coffee shop, a burger grill, and a lemonade and bread stand.

The weather was cooler than they expected, and more would-be customers were walking and driving by the neighborhood. Some customers stayed and chatted while they browsed the wares and waited for their coffee. One of the customers, who bought the most and stayed the longest, mentioned how she enjoyed the joyful family energy the group exuded.

The PCG members aimed to make at least $1000 in the morning. By the end of the day, with barely anything left to sell, they had raised $1,643. The group had a “victory” party at the Marquez home a few houses down the street. Sharing pizza and wings for dinner and taking inspiration from the recent successes in Filipino and Australian fundraisers, the group brainstormed on what the next fundraiser could be.