Cathy Williams, one of the organizers of the Friendship Church Fall Book and Bake Sale, is amazed at the number of books church members have collected to sell. "It's incredible! We have thousands," she said gesturing around the room in the church that has been designated for the book sale. "We have all genres."

Friendship's fall sale has been a fixture in the church going back more than a decade. This year's event will be held at the church, 120 W. Main St., New Holland, for two days, Friday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. In addition to nominally priced books and other media, a variety of individually wrapped baked goods will be sold both days. The church is handicapped-accessible, and plenty of free parking is available in the rear.

Williams gladly gives a tour of the sale area. "We have Christian fiction, and this section is romance," she states. "We are still working on (sorting) westerns. There are so many!"

Among the genres Friendship is advertising are cookbooks, crafting books, and suspense and mystery. "There are murder mysteries (among) other mysteries," said Williams, who noted that a number of Sue Grafton books are in that section.

Many of the books are sorted by author. Large sections are designated for prolific writers such as James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Danielle Steel, and John Grisham.

Other forms of media include CDs, DVDs, and a few VCR tapes. A large collection of PBS DVDs were recently donated. Some older comic books are included in the mix. Williams also pointed out a few books of poetry, children and young adult books, gardening, stitching, and sports. "This whole section is history and military, and we have two shelves of large print," she shared.

Funds raised by this year's sale will be donated to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Ky. Red Bird has been working to help the people of the southeastern Kentucky mountains since the early 1900s. The mission works to alleviate poverty and create healthy sustainable communities by focusing on education, health, housing improvement, outreach, and creating economic opportunity. "It's a Methodist Church related (ministry)," said Williams, who added that she had heard Red Bird is located in one of the poorest areas in the nation. Past funds have been raised for local causes such as children's camp scholarships.

Readers who would like more information about the church may search for "Friendship Church" on Facebook. Individuals with specific questions may call 717-354-0226.