“All the believers were together and had all things in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” Acts 2:44-45

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give to the needy."  Luke 12:32-33

VIRTUAL YARD SALE

Some of us at Downtown Presbyterian have discussed how we might have an online “virtual” yard sale that benefits the church and its members, in the spirit of the biblical passages above.

We would hope that this evolves as a tradition of kingdom work among members and attenders at DPC, as opposed to a church “program”. In that regard, the “rules” are loose ones, but we would encourage people to use the idea in a wholehearted, frequent, and flexible way, cheerfully and with the intentions referenced above. So, LET’S GET TO IT!

Guidelines:

1.  List your items for sale on craigslist.org, Greenville/Upstate section as you normally would.  Keep in mind through the whole process that this should be just like the church having a yardsale, except that you never cart your stuff to a specific location on a specific date and time.   

2.  Simply put "DPC" in the subject line.  Ex.:  ”Large Oak Desk, light color DPC”, or “DPC Kitchen Pots and Pans.”

3.  Price the item at fair market value (FMV).  This is what you would expect someone outside the church community to pay. I am told 40% of what an item would cost new is a good rule of thumb.  Gentlemen's/Ladies’ agreement:  20% discount for people involved with the church, or who come to us through the church’s ministries.

4.  When you get a call about the item, make arrangements with the person to show them the item.  When they pay, have them make the check out to Downtown Presbyterian Church, and put in the "historically connected box" at worship.  Or, if you wish, let them make the donation to the church directly.  The church is activating a Paypal account which would be accessible on the church website for making payments/donations.

FAQ's:

Q: I have not used Craigslist before. How do I do this?
A: It is easy! Visit www.craigslist.org, and follow the online instructions. Remember put “DPC” in the subject line, so the item will be searchable as an item donated to the church.

Q: What if someone NOT involved at DPC wants to buy the item?
A: Firstly, be careful meeting them to show them the item, b/c we all know outsiders are dangerous and not to be trusted. (Just kidding!)  It basically works the same as someone “in” the church.  You may choose to or not to offer the 20% discount.  They would still pay the church, not you. The price listed may in effect help select for people who hear about the item through the church, effectively giving our church community and affiliated ministries first dibs.

Q: Is my gift tax-deductible?
A: Yes.  You would claim it just as you would any other donation.  Generally, you would claim FMV, but it is between you, God, your accountant, your tax attorney, and whether you look good in orange.  Large gifts may require a specific receipt from the church, and we are not at that stage yet, but I hope we can accomodate that should the need arise.  I think this applies to gifts over $500 in value.

Q: What if the person is needy, or cannot afford to pay?
A: Hopefully, we will be able to prudently open up this service to ministries the church works with currently, in which case the church could forego payment of items you donate. If you meet up with a true NEED (not necessarily just someone who would like a deal), you might make the executive decision on behalf of the church to offer a discount, just as you might at a church yard sale. Or, if the item has been listed a long time, you might elect to edit your listing to encourage it to sell. Discounts should not impact your donation for tax purposes. And hopefully it would be clear whether the buyer was legitimately referred b/c of an association with DPC.

Q: What if an item does not sell?
A: My suggestion is that you lower the price every couple of weeks until it does sell.  If it does not, donate it to Goodwill, Habitat, Salvation Army, etc.  Or, you could sell it or give it away elsewhere.  I would hope that you would leave the item posted for a period of time so that if the need arises it is there.  I do not know offhand how often you have to renew Craigslist listings.

Q: I often sell stuff on craigslist myself. Can I still do this?
A: Of course. We would just ask that if you use the “DPC” tag in the subject line, that you consider the item a donation to the church, and not expect to keep any portion of proceeds for yourself.

Q: What about services?
A: Craigslist does allow for a large variety of services, roommate connections, etc. If you want to donate services to the church, treat the service just as you would a donated item. If you want to keep the proceeds from the services, please do not use the “DPC” tag. If it is a listing that would not result in a payment, by all means, use the DPC tag if in your estimation, it builds Christian community.

Q: Is this just a way of generating revenue for the church?
A: No. It is a way for the members of the church, and other attenders and “friends of DPC” to both 1) support the church with gifts in addition to cash donations, and 2) to go about “having all things in common” (i.e. to go about both facets of kingdom work described in Acts).

Q: What about items or services wanted?
A: Absolutely! It may be that someone has an extra washer or dryer, but has not thought that someone might be able to use it. Same goes for firewood, skills people might have, roomates the might like to be or consider having. So...let’s keep the site FULL of stuff we can bless others with, or would be blessed by--and be a blessing to the DPC war chest too. I am happy to answer questions, be the “point man” on this, etc., but unfortunately, would not be the best person for a lot of technical (computer) assistance. Hopefully, you can find a DPC listing on craigslist that might be able to help you list stuff. Hint, hint. : )

Q: What about large items, like a house or car? I want to support the church, but I would like to make my home/car/home for rent available to the church community first, without necessarily donating it.

A: Making money for the church is only ONE goal. I would suggest that you list your home for rent or home or car for sale, with DPC in the subject. When and if it sells/rents, prayerfully consider a donation to the church. This may build community, and make something great available within the church community. It is between you and God how you give back as the Lord blesses you. For smaller items, I would suggest donating the item/proceeds to the church and taking the tax deduction yourself.

Michael Greene (864.616.7560, doobsdad@charter.net)