Martin FUMC to host 13th Annual Bazaar

Nancy Hinds

story by Press Reporter Macenna True

The First United Methodist Church of Martin will be holding their 13 th annual
Christmas luncheon, bazaar and bake sale on Saturday. The bazaar and bake sale will
take place at the church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The luncheon will be the exact menu
served at the first event and will feature a broccoli chicken braid, potato soup and spice
cake with vanilla sauce.

Around 1986, church member Bonnie Zarecor called like-minded Christians to
sew, knit, crochet, create crafts, make canned pickles or jellies and their favorite desserts
to be sold as a fundraiser for local ministries during the Christmas season. The event was
held at the old Youth building and was deemed a great success. This continued for a few
years but eventually fell off while other commitments took precedence.

Nancy Hinds was one of the original ladies that helped create the bazaar as it is
known today. She said, “After a long hiatus, Jan Harrison led a group to plan for another
bazaar. After many meetings it got off the ground and the present bazaar with the bake
sale and luncheon began in 2009.”

In recent years, Hinds, Jennifer Vincent and Shirley Borden have headed up the
bazaar. Aloha Prather, Dee Cannon and Sandra Powell have led the bake sales and
Phyllis Pritchett, Madelyn Pritchett and Vicki Smith have fine-tuned the luncheon meal
preparation.

While many fundraising events like this were thwarted by the COVID-19
pandemic, Hinds said, “We didn’t let that stop us!” Goad nodded and said, “We still sold
all of our goodies online and we were even able to take more orders that way.” She went
on to say that during the online sale people could request a certain number of dessert
items and then the bakers knew exactly how much to make. They used a “drive-thru”
method of delivery when orders were ready to be picked up.

Last year, the event was held outside at the Martin Farmer’s Market to
accommodate social distancing requirements. “These ladies have such a keen eye for
decorating and just made it look so beautiful and inviting!” Hinds said.

“It was a really chilly day,” Goad added, “but there was a fire but it just went so
well!” Still, the church is excited to once again be hosting the occasion inside.

The bazaar sells hand crafted and up-cycled trinkets and décor put together and
priced to sell by the ladies at the church. “The men help us with not only the heavy lifting
but some wood working, too,” Hinds said as she pointed out some beautifully hand
crafted wooden boxes that are meant to be sold at the fundraiser.

The bake sale features delicious deserts and baked goods. Hinds said, “Many
people purchase these baked goods and then freeze them to eat for Thanksgiving or
Christmas dessert.”

Goad said, “We will put a label on things that freeze well so that people know that
is a good option if they’d like to buy it now and eat it later.”

Tables are adorned with white tablecloths and centerpieces to host a sit-down
meal. Attendees are encouraged to dress comfortably and enjoy fellowship with others
while they dine. Tickets are $12 this year and the earlier they are purchased the better.

“We’ve completely sold out before,” Goad said. “And we don’t like to tell people
we don’t have enough for them to purchase a meal at the door, you know?”
Hinds furthered, “We can even deliver to local business for their lunch if we
know ahead of time.”

They occasionally have an outlet added affectionately called “Grandma’s Attic”
where gently used vintage Christmas décor donated by church members is sold.

Currently, the FUMC of Martin is hosting a fall décor sale at the church during
regular business hours. Community members do not have to be a church member to
participate and all are encouraged to stop by and take a look. The proceeds from this will
be tallied with the bazaar’s profits, which will be equally distributed to four local
missions. Exactly which missions will be donated to this year has not been finalized but
Goad and Hinds said they are looking into donating to UMCOR for Dresden’s tornado
relief fund.

“We have a member here who lost her home, too. The destruction there was
absolutely devastating and we would love to help,” Goad explained.

In the past, they have gifted to We Care, the Weakley County backpack program,
UTM Wesley Foundation, Wesley Senior Living, the Parsonage Fund, the Organ Fund,
UMCOR, Reelfoot Rural Ministry, Lakeshore United Methodist Church Camp and the
Carl Perkins Center.

Hinds said the ladies begin planning for the bazaar each March. Efforts continue
throughout the year to make the event as successful as possible. Adult ministries director
Kathy Smith would like to thank everyone that has come out in the past to support the
event and looks forward to seeing everyone there this weekend.