Shop Christmas Bazaar to Support Mission Trip

This holiday market features works from some of the best artists and craftspeople in Green Country.

A passion for crafts, a church that was overlooked and a mission team that needed funds was all it took for Margaret Conner to start putting together ideas for what was to become one of Owasso’s finest arts and crafts shows.

On November 7, Faith Lutheran Church in Owasso will present their third annual Christmas Bazaar. This holiday market features works from some of the best artists and craftspeople in Green Country. A selective group with a variety of skills will come from Mannford, Sand Springs, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Collinsville, Skiatook, Sperry, Claremore and, of course, Owasso.

Items are handcrafted, with no market or resale merchandise. And everything is priced with budgets in mind.  

Margaret recalls how a local school had given up its long tradition of a popular crafts show. A friend said she had never heard of Faith Lutheran Church, even though she drove by it every day. The church’s Groundwork Guatemala Mission Team was looking for a way to fund their next trip. All of these needs came together at the same time. So Margaret called upon fellow crafter Sheila Bougher and mission team member Rose Rhodes.

“That’s how we put together our first show,” she says. “Now in our third year, we still have most of the same vendors and lots more.”

Among the holiday gift items are pottery, baskets, wood pieces, stained glass, hand-turned fountain pens, candles, dough ornaments and all kinds of needlework. Shoppers can also find quilts, crocheted sweaters, scarves, pillows, comforters, lap blankets and baby items.

Members of the Red Hat Society – ladies 50 and older who celebrate their seniority by “just having fun” – will offer handmade clothing in their signature red and purple colors.

A homemade lunch and special bake sale are everyone’s favorite breaks from shopping. Door prizes will be awarded every 15 minutes, with items donated by vendors.

Tickets will also be on sale for chances to win a colorful 91-inch by 108-inch yo-yo quilt, as well as 19 original themed gift baskets sponsored by local businesses and church families. Themes include Made in Oklahoma, Everything Spaghetti, Everything Coffee, Everything Wine, OSU, Red Hats, Christian Reading, Car Care, Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Children’s Crafts, Divas, and Bath & Body Pampering.

“This whole project is a labor of love,” says Rose, one of six members of the church’s mission team. Proceeds from the bazaar will support their summer 2010 trip to Guatemala City.

According to Rose, crime and corruption go hand in hand with poverty in this third world city, which has seven million people in its metropolitan area. “There is no drinkable water anywhere in the city,” she says.

The mission team carries backpacks filled with medical supplies, school supplies and hygiene kits. They do Bible studies and home visits, and provide lunches Monday through Friday for “the poorest of the poor,” who scavenge through the city dump for food.

The church group aims to bless as many people as possible. They have included space for Blue Star Mothers to provide information about their care packages for overseas troops and to collect donations.

The Christmas Bazaar opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. There is no admission charge. They just want everybody to come to the church at 9222 N. Garnett, pick up a gift or two, and help a worthy cause. For more information or to inquire about space availability, call (918) 272-9858.

For more information, contact

Faith Lutheran Church

9222 N. Garnett

Owasso, OK 74055

(918) 272-9858

www.faithlutheranowasso.org