cHillin' oN ebaY

Lutheran, The, Feb 2004 by Hunter, Elizabeth

Internet rummage sale part stewardship, part outreach

a typical church rummage sale conjures up images of coffee brewing and people chatting while they sift through clothing, old Tupperware, half-completed sewing projects or mysterious castoffs that call forth memories of bygone days. But the sale at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wauconda, Ill., is anything but typical. It's year-round with the hours of a 7-Eleven and thousands of bargain-hunters. It's on eBay.

Coordinated by member Penny Claiborne, the site helps Messiah with an enviable challenge: meeting the needs of a growing congregation. Since Charles Merkner arrived as pastor in 1986, the 225 worship attendance has more than doubled. And the growth shows no signs of stopping.

Less than a year old, the site doesn't just help parishioners rid their households of unwanted stuff. It also raises money for a new 623-seat sanctuary to be completed by Easter 2004. Subtracting eBay listing fees (under 5 percent of the item's cost) and postal costs, the church nets about $400 a month, automatically deposited into its checking account.

Claiborne volunteers her work, about two hours a day. She took on the responsibility after another member moved. Claiborne calls what Messiah is doing good stewardship, saying: "I look at things in stores and wonder where all this stuff is going to end up. Wouldn't it make God happy if we reused more things? Doesn't that convey a thankfulness for what God gives us?"

To help members select donations, Claiborne printed a list of things easy to sell and inexpensive to ship. Books on tape, but not paperback bestsellers. Video games, but not heavy desktop computers. And so on. Because the items are donated (givers receive tax receipts), Claiborne can price things lower than many other eBay sellers. That's fine, since there's never a shortage of donations-that's clear by one glance at Claiborne's packed basement.

She posts 10 to 20 items at a time on the site, giving a starting bid, setting the auction length (two to seven days) and checking daily to see what has sold. "The problem is keeping up with it, since people buy so quickly," she says. Selling the fastest are collector plates, fabric, books on tape, exercise videos and member Jack Olsen's 1950s sports magazines that went for $30 to $40 each.

Everything has sold

"If it doesn't sell, I'll donate it to Goodwill. But so far everything from the church has sold," Claiborne says. That includes toilet-paper holders, used embroidery floss and antique postcards one member's sister mailed to her from sites all over the United States. "These have gone for anywhere from 25 cents to $31," she says, shaking her head in amazement as she ruffles through shoeboxes of nearly 2,000 remaining postcards she hasn't yet put up for sale.

Claiborne has run her own eBay business for two years for extra income. "You have to be willing to work at it," she says. "You've got to pick the stuff up, [digitally] photograph it, inventory it, list it [on the eBay site] and sell it. Then you have to ship it within a week or people get antsy."

She's a regular fixture at the local post office, so much so that when other patrons see her, it incites a mad rush to the walk-up counter. "Oh, they see me coming and they run for it," she says, laughing.

A cheery, wise-cracking former Baptist with a Southern drawl and a smile as sweet as molasses, Claiborne possesses a deep love for the ELCA's sense of welcome and grace, the vernacular of someone who spends a lot of time with young people and a serious appreciation for eBay, which she describes as "off the chain." She even bought her dog, Gigi, on that site.

Reaching out

Underneath Claiborne's confident exterior are vulnerability, tenderness and deep faith. A survivor of childhood poverty and neglect, she credits God with helping her heal, graduate from college, start her family, and volunteer with young single mothers and prison inmates. "I started to understand then what people want: to feel Christian love but not be forced to eat it," she says.

That's one reason for the eBay site, Claiborne says. "It isn't just to make money," she explains. "People actually read the 'about me' page that tells about our ministry. They read our mission statement. It makes them feel good to support a church. They e-mail me to ask how the church is doing. And if they're Lutheran, too, I hear about it."

Every day, someone writes to her-a thank-you note or perhaps details about themselves. One man who bought a tiny plastic bean action figure sent her a three-page letter describing what the transaction meant for his life. Others have sent more money than the actual cost, hoping to support the church's efforts.

Since bidders may be seekers, Claiborne tries to sell books or materials that teach the faith. She also hopes to start including a simple devotional message in every order.

"God's love needs to go into unconventional areas like eBay," she says. "We've got to go out among real people, lonely people. But you can't just sling the Baby Jesus around and throw God in people's faces. You gotta be there with people. After a while people see your faith and want to be like you. It's about showing love.... A lot of lonely people use eBay as a network for friends. So our church is here, too, chillin' on eBay. Wanna chill with us?"