Store offers help for needy and youth ministry

Posted: 8/03/07

Store offers help for needy and youth ministry

By Whitney Farr

Communications Intern

EVANT—Coffee addicts might not mind paying $4 for a frappe, but Agape Thrift Store in Evant sold a brand new espresso machine for a mere three bucks.

Coffee drinkers may not be the only ones paying too much. Every item in Agape is sold for $1, unless otherwise marked.

First Baptist Church in Evant opened Agape Thrift Store March 24 to aid needy people in its community by providing discounted clothing, housewares, furniture and other items, and to fund the congregation’s youth and children’s programs.

“This town is 25 miles away from a Wal-Mart, and that is a lot of money in gas, so people go here first to look for what they need,” Pastor David Bonnet said.

As the only English-speaking Baptist church in a town of 393 people, First Baptist felt called to minister to the children and youth in the community. The church, which averages 55 during Sunday services, was going into the red each month trying to fund its youth ministry.

Bill and Sherri Manning, who are now the managers of Agape, shared the idea of creating a thrift store that would meet the needs of the church youth ministry while responding to the needs of the people in Evant.

“If folks come in and they really need something, they don’t have to pay. We also provide a lot of clothing to go into Mexico,” volunteer Joe Lee said. “It’s part of our mission in life to help the unfortunate.”

Not long ago, a needy man passing through Evant on a bike sought help from First Baptist. The church took him to the thrift store and gave him much-needed clothing, shoes and personal items.

“It’s intended to be one big act of love in our community,” Bonnet said.

Lives have been touched, and the community of Evant has gotten closer since the store’s opening, Sherri Manning said.

“You have to help the physical needs of people before you can minister to their souls,” she said. “One woman came into the store saying she hadn’t been very faithful in her walk with Christ, but that the Christian music we were playing touched her heart. Just music—it planted a seed.”

Shoppers find surprises on the shelves every week as new items are donated, including plenty of hunting gear, said Lisa Bonnet, pastor’s wife and youth minister at First Baptist.

“We were wondering at first how many donations we would receive in a town this small, but the people have been remarkable—we receive a lot of new stuff,” Lee said. “I never thought we would be this blessed.”

Carolyn Huncke was out of town when her youth group was raising funds for camp, so she volunteered at Agape and received credit toward camp. A lot of interesting things are donated to the store, according to Huncke.

“They have this nose-picker that you plug into the wall and it has a finger,” Huncke said. “It’s still there, surprisingly.”

Agape Thrift Store is located on Brooks road, just off of US-281 in Evant, and is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.