In December 2023, St. Paul's United Methodist Church (UMC), 100 W. Main St., Mountville, held its inaugural craft show. The holiday event featured a variety of vendors and a silent auction, and it served as a fundraiser for the church's community outreach initiatives in the Hempfield and Penn Manor areas. The craft show was a resounding success, and after popular demand, it will return to St. Paul's UMC from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The craft show will follow a similar format to last year; the event will feature multiple vendors and artisan crafters, as well as a silent auction that guests may bid on until 1:30 p.m. Vendors will operate stands in the fellowship hall of the church, and this year's event will be attended by local businesses such as Tastefully Simple, Life Expressions, Thingamajigs & Whatnot, Southern Fields Home, Paparazzi, Linda's Design Originals and Kathy's Kreations, among many others. Items available to purchase will include home decor, handmade jewelry, crocheted accessories, woodworking items, spices, baked goods and kitchenware. The silent auction will feature items donated by participating vendors and various businesses in the community, including tickets to local experiences.

In 2023, the craft show at St. Paul's UMC included a food truck for guests to purchase refreshments throughout the day. This year, volunteers from the church's congregation will sell homemade breakfast and lunch items.

"We received a lot of positive feedback about how many different items were available to purchase. None of the vendors sold the same thing," said event organizer Julie Ehrgood. "I handpicked each and every one to be a variety, and I kept it small so they could all get a good amount of business."

Proceeds from the craft show will benefit the church's many community outreach programs and ministries. Throughout the year, the church supports local food banks, nonprofit organizations, schools and fire departments. St. Paul's UMC also opens its building to allow Boy Scout troops, addiction recovery support groups and community service groups to hold meetings and events in the fellowship hall.

In 2023, Julie proposed hosting a craft show at St. Paul's UMC to raise money for the church's community service projects and ministries. Julie and her husband, Francis, reside in Washington Boro, and they became members of the church three years ago. Shortly after Julie joined the church, she felt called to lead a ministry to support other members of the congregation. Julie began organizing auctions and galas to raise funds for nonprofits throughout Lancaster County, and she now leads the Caring Hands committee at the church. Caring Hands supports members of the church who are experiencing severe illnesses by delivering meals and cards, cleaning individuals' homes and visiting patients while they undergo hospital treatment.

For more information, visit http://www.saintpaulsumc.church.