Church Uses Gift of Hospitality to Welcome Thousands

Ask pastor Scott Bowman and many of the New Harvest Assembly of God’s congregation if they’re available the first Thursday through Sunday of August — any August — and the response will likely include a smile, a chuckle, and a brief “if-you-only-knew” shake of the head.

Every year on those four days, the World’s Longest Yard Sale, also known as the 127 Yard Sale, is held. But it’s not just a catchy name. The sale stretches 690 miles on U.S. Route 127 from just north of Addison, Michigan, through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia, to finish in Gadsden, Alabama.

And New Harvest Assembly in Frankfort, Kentucky, happens to be located on U.S. Route 127— about 30 miles short of being in the dead center of that 690-mile stretch — and every year the church plays host to dozens of vendors on its 23-acre property and to thousands of guests from nearby and across the country.

“Every year, 40 to 45 vendors rent out lots on the church property for the yard sale,” Bowman says. “The vendors are from all over the country . . . and people from all over the country also come to shop.”

Bowman says that all the money the church raises through the 127 Yard Sale goes into missions and outreaches to the community.

“September is our Month of Missions,” he explains. “We have missionary guests throughout the month, and we want to be able to put some money in their pockets. We also help sponsor a local girls and guys retreat for substance abuse prevention. In addition, the money raised helps up with a monthly food pantry and hot meal we offer to the community.”

Bowman says that on average, the church, which averages about 85 on Sundays, raises between $7,000 and $10,000 for missions and outreaches through the yard sale.

Perhaps one of the most recently appreciated outreaches to the community was when the church helped sponsor (along with Franklin County’s Agency for Substance Abuse Policy) Hoggy’s Ice Cream truck to give away ice cream cones for two hours in a local park — with 700 cones being distributed on a hot July afternoon.

And the yard sale is what helps makes special outreaches like that possible.

In addition, through having the largest vendor site in Franklin County, the church’s location has become well known by community members.

“The church has been a vendor site for the 127 Yard Sale for decades now,” Bowman says. “I believe most people in our community have been on our grounds at one time or another through the years and nearly everyone knows us either as the blue-roof church (for the obvious reason) or the yard-sale church.”

Bowman notes that without nearly half the church volunteering to help in one way or the other, it wouldn’t be possible to host the site.

“There are a lot of logistics involved with the yard sale,” Bowman says. “Even just the parking. We have people directing traffic as we park people in a hayfield behind the church — the line of cars often stretches all the way back out to the highway.”

However, as so many do volunteer to help with the event, Bowman has witnessed a secondary blessing.

“I believe a gift of the Spirit is hospitality,” Bowman says. “And we all do our very best to provide a blessing of hospitality to the vendors and the guests who come to shop.”

One of the scheduled blessings — besides having an ice cream truck on site — is a Friday morning breakfast.

“Every year on Friday, we do a vendors’ breakfast,” Bowman says. “A bunch of men come in at 5 in the morning and we make a big breakfast for the vendors, just to bless them and thank them for helping us raise money for missions — and give a little gospel message.”

Yet, the gift of hospitality includes more than a breakfast or warm smile.

“It’s not uncommon for me to look outside and see one of our volunteers praying with someone,” Bowman says. “And I remember last year, a woman was admiring our church’s administrator’s 127 Yard Sale shirt the church had made years ago. Our administrator went and changed into another shirt and gave the woman the shirt right off her back . . . it’s those kinds of things people never forget.”

That spirit of hospitality isn’t something Bowman imagines or hopes for as he says many times people have commented on how welcomed they feel and how much they appreciate that welcoming presence.

“We love being a vendor at New Harvest during the yard sale because it’s just a great place to be,” says Chrissy Hogsten, owner of Hoggy’s Ice Cream. “The pastor and his family are so kind, easy to work with, and of course they love ice cream! It’s just a great atmosphere . . . I’ve had the chance to interact with some members of his congregation that are there working, and they are kind and helpful. I also love the way Scott’s (Bowman’s) kids pitch in and help keep everything running smoothly. It’s an awesome team effort!”

Although a yard sale may not at first seem like a strong outreach event, for New Harvest AG, they’ve found that sharing their gift of hospitality not only connects them with their community, but also helps them invest in their community and missions efforts around the world.