Bethel Tabernacle Church of God in Frankford recently raised $2,400 with the first of two planned yard sales in support of its new ministry, Blessings Beyond Blessings.
Brenda Mumford, ministry coordinator, said the church is starting by helping an elderly couple within the church remodel their kitchen and will complete renovation work on their bathrooms this fall as well.
They plan to start the renovation work in September and aim to have it completed in just four days. In September, they will have another yard sale to raise money for the appliance package.
“A lot of people want to help. We already have three contractors and about 40 people,” said Mumford.
She said she wanted to thank area business that donated building materials for the project, as well as promises for breakfasts, lunches and other meals while the couple’s kitchen work is under way.
“Sleepy’s Mattresses donated a bed. We are getting cabinets and countertop from Cabinetry Unlimited, who are coming this week for measurements; we got carpeting from Homeworks in Bethany Beach; the kitchen and bath floors are from Interiors by Kim; we got paint from Duron and MAB; a lamp from Sea Level; we got trim work donated by T.A. Moore Trim Work; meals from Countryside Café on Route 54; Mancini’s Seaside Grill and Cottage Café. And for our yard sale, we got baked goods donated by Touch of Italy; Del Vecchio’s Bakery on Route 54; Hocker’s; Super G; and Food Lion.
The couple goes to the church regularly and are “good people,” as Mumford put it. She said they are retired and on a fixed income. The wife helps at the food bank at the church, with Mumford, and the husband, who is retired, does work for the church.
“He does a lot of things for a lot of people and, when gets paid, he has been known to give it to the youth group,” Mumford shared.
“With this new ministry,” she said, “we wanted to do unexpected things for people — nice things. And in return, they get to do something nice for someone else. It could be something small, like buying lunch for the person behind you in McDonald’s, or something big.”
The church is in the process of setting up a Web site, at blessingsbeyondblessings.com, where people will be able to write to the church and say how they have been blessed. Site visitors will then be able to register the plans they have to do something for someone else, so the ministry will be able to keep track and see how far the message goes.
Mumford said they are accepting letters by mail now, in the interim, before the Web site is completed. People can write in about someone they think might need help in some way, too. She said they have already covered the expenses to send a girl to the prom.
“We’d like to do things like that.,” she said. “We want to be able to buy a bicycle for a child that has never had one, or buy gas cards for someone who needs to visit a friend in the hospital, or do something for a neighbor that has just had surgery. I don’t really want to pay utility bills — we wanted to do something different. I will if we get desperate,” she admitted with a laugh, “but we want to do nice things.”
“I’ve been wanting to do something for a few years,” said Mumford. “I like to help people. I prayed about it a lot, and this is what I was led to do. And until I feel like I’m done, I’ll do the best I can.”
Asked if she’s gotten any feedback from the couple about the renovation, Mumford laughed.
“She did cry for three days straight. It was nice,” she said. “I work with her at the food bank at church, and I know all this needed to be done. She was telling me one day, God was going to get her a new bed, and I just smiled, because we had already gotten it.”
To send a letter to the church about someone who might need a blessing, for now, you can mail to it to 34180 Omar Rd, Frankford, DE 19945. For more information on the September sale, or to donate items, call (302) 539-5929 or (302) 539-3333.