January Edition

Bidding Wars

Mission causes win at church’s annual auction

By Terri Byrd

Pastor Jay and Melanie Kieve got so caught up in their church’s mission auction that they were bid- ding against each other. He says the annual event is a fellowship opportunity as well as a fundraiser for the Pelham, Ala., congregation.PELHAM, Ala. — When you enter the doors at Crosscreek Baptist Church, you hear lots of laughter and catch the aroma of hamburgers and chocolate. Members and visitors crowd the fellowship hall of the small church, piling plates with mini burgers, taco salad, and homemade fudge and brownies.

Children from two to 12, dressed in Santa hats, circle the floor in picnic fashion with cupcake icing on their faces while adults gather in folding chairs with plates on their laps — and checkbooks in their pockets. This good Advent Sunday is time for Crosscreek’s 26th annual missions auction.

Proceeds from the auction of homemade items and services support Crosscreek’s mission efforts and its partners for the coming year. Those include a mission trip to Mexico, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Alabama CBF, Global Women and CBF missionaries Jon and Tanya Parks.

Typically, the church raises one-fourth of its annual missions budget from the auction. Crosscreek pastor Jay Kieve is a young man with a bald head, a wicked sense of humor and a strong sense of justice. He greets everyone who walks through the door with a smile on his face and a warm hug.

Jay’s wife, Melanie, has a contagious smile too and links her arm through mine as we head to peruse the tables laden with auction treasures.

“The missions auction is a fellowship event as well as a fundraiser for missions,” said Jay Kieve. “We enjoy good food and good company as we vie for Christmas items.”

With a long history of doing good, this early December event helps set the tone for Crosscreek’s Advent and Christmas celebrations. And items created by children often bring the highest bids.

The missions auction began in 1986 when the women’s missions group at Crosscreek sought new ways to raise funds to support international missionaries. During the first few years of the auction, only the women’s group participated in purchasing homemade items and food. But soon the auction grew to include the entire congregation.

Now, each year congregation members and friends contribute items to be auctioned that range from homemade cakes and pies to furniture, home maintenance services, quilts and decorative items. Some items come from minis- tries and mission endeavors around the world. At the latest auction, notable entries included hand-painted bobble-head Santas and snowmen, handmade Christmas ornaments, and a unique outdoor shower.

Cowboy-hat-wearing auctioneer Fred Wilhite calls for bids. A volunteer, he holds the bidding open until pies sell for $70 or a child’s painting fetches $80 or more.

A bobble-head Santa brings in $210. Whoops of laughter explode around the room as bidding wars and friendly “fights” break out over favorite items.

“If you raise that bid one more time, I’ll break your legs!” cries out one lady seeking the much-desired three pounds of Fantasy Fudge on the auction block.

“OK, it’s yours,” laughs a man, two rows ahead, as he lowers his hand. They end up sharing the fudge.

Pastor Jay bids on a decorative metal Christmas tree. Melanie’s hand quickly rises to counter the bid.

“Hey, you’re bidding against me!” he calls out to his wife.

“Oops! Sorry honey,” she laughs. “You go right ahead.” Everyone in the room laughs.

However, they are outbid by a church member who pays a high premium for the decorative Christmas tree — and then gives it to the Kieves as a gift before leaving the church that evening. With the bidding conducted in a fun and playfully competitive manner, Crosscreek’s mission causes are the real winners of the night.

The emcee for the evening is David Farry, a chaplain and church member who has served on the missions committee. He moves the evening and the items along with delightful puns that keep the crowd moaning and laughing.

“I started emceeing when I was on the missions committee and they needed a volunteer,” he said. “And then I had so much fun, that I continued.”

This year his wife, Stacy Farry, is co-chair with Cathy Lee of the missions committee that spends months preparing for the auction.

“We have a saying,” says David Farry. “What happens at the missions auction — spreads around the world.”

There are no leftovers. Every item is sold and followed by a round of applause.

When the auction comes to a close, Kieve offers a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing: “God of multiplication, God of all great gifts, God of all creation, we give you thanks.”

As the prayer flows, the meaning behind all the fun and fellowship rises to fill the room. More than $6,000 has been raised in less than two hours by fewer than 100 people — all in a fun-filled effort to support important mission endeavors and the people who serve the name of Christ near and far. BT

—Jay Kieve contributed to this story. He can be reached at pastor@crosscreekbaptist.org for information on holding a missions auction.