No One in Need
“The market was inspired by Acts, where no one was in need of anything,” says Semprun, 35, administrative lead for the Prescott, Arizona church. “We had people from our church get things they needed, and members who donated items they didn’t need any longer.
“The Book of Acts is about the church taking care of the church, but also seeing their numbers multiplied daily because others saw that take place.”
While the wife of Lead Pastor Mychal Semprun had a vision for the market five years ago, the AG church couldn’t host one until after it acquired a building.
Held in early November, the first market in 2024 served 80 people. This year, more than 500 customers shopped for everything from clothing and shoes to appliances and furniture. Children received stuffed animals, and many mothers got wipes and diapers.
A hairdresser from the church offered free haircuts, while Discovery handed out nearly a dozen $20 grocery cards. A group of men from a drug rehab center are excited they received new jackets, flannels, T-shirts, and other clothing that will enable them to reintegrate into society and apply for jobs.
One woman Semprun talked with had recently become single; Nikki sensed the Holy Spirit telling her to help the woman. After receiving a grocery card, the woman burst into tears and said, “I didn’t know how I was going to pay for groceries.”
“After she got her haircut, one four-year-old girl who had her hair curled and styled came up to me and said, ‘I look like a princess,’” Semprun says. “I started crying.”
While she doesn’t know the value of everything they gave away, Semprun says it included more than 1,000 clothing items and more than 20 boxes of Costco-sized diapers.
Amanda S. Kopcsak, 46, helped coordinate the market. As the former general manager of a large retail store, her expertise came in handy for arranging and displaying inventory.
“We wanted it to be like shopping at a T.J. Maxx,” says Kopcsak, who manages a residential community in the mountain city 100 miles north of Phoenix.
“People don’t have a lot of places to get this kind of service without someone asking for something in return. We got that question a lot: ‘Now, what do you need from me?’ I love that we’re not asking them for anything.”
Semprun says preparing for the two-day event was also a thrill. When she thought of how they lacked children’s items, the next bag she opened contained kids’ toys and clothes. Five minutes after realizing their diaper inventory needed a size 4, someone from the congregation walked in and said, “I’d like to donate some diapers; what size do you need?”
“When we were getting ready to open the first day, I noticed we didn’t have dish soap, laundry liquid, or toiletries,” Semprun says. “Then somebody called and said, ‘I just got a $100 gift card from Home Depot. What do you need?’”
In addition to members and businesses donating items or cash, other nonprofits donated—among them was Catholic Charities. Diane L. DeLong, senior program manager for the group’s North Star Youth Partnership, once employed Semprun to manage its Teen Closet.
Catholic Charities donated clothing, shoes, and toiletries, and helped publicize the market. DeLong says Discovery is an example of making a difference through acts of compassion and partnerships with other organizations that extend God’s love.
“We are cheering them on in all they do,” says DeLong, 66. “Like many others, we believe you have to go beyond the walls of your own church and find ways to serve people where they are. We’re excited to see what Discovery is doing and how they’re growing.”
Semprun thinks the community outreach is a key reason for the church’s 19 baptisms and seven baby dedications in late September.
In addition to the market, during the year Discovery—which for years met in leased spaces—cleans up a hiking and biking trail. In cooperation with the YMCA, it also maintains water stations on its parking lot for a pair of marathons (running and bike).
Currently averaging about 75 in attendance, more than half the attendees worked at the Truly Free Market. That enthusiasm is also reflected in the congregation’s donations, Semprun says.
“We were out of diapers, wipes, socks, and toiletries at the end of day one,” Nikki says. “By the start of the second day, everything was completely restocked. We had new jackets, diapers, wipes, soap, toilet paper, and household items, all donated by church members.”
Kopcsak saw the impact of that love during the market, when several people shared “heartbreaking” stories of how badly they needed some of the items, but couldn’t afford them.
The market coordinator says volunteers prayed over each item, blessing its use and the person who received it.
“There are no limitations on how the market is going to help people,” Kopcsak says. “With the growth of our church, our goal is that people have a safe place and feel comfortable here.
“We are focused on giving and educating children. That’s the generation that needs us most.”