OAKWOOD -- An Oakwood church's sale of children's items this weekend benefits children beyond those who get clothing or toys at a discount price.

McEver Road United Methodist Church's Little Sprouts Children's Consignment Sale, held Friday and Saturday, raises money for the church's children's ministry. The church had a variety of items for children such as clothes, toys, movies and nursery decorations, many offered at half the regular retail price.

Grace Cole of Flowery Branch is in charge of the biannual sale, which occurs in the spring and fall and is open to all shoppers.

"We feel like we're serving the community," Cole said.

Some proceeds will go to the church's "Kidz Town," which Cole said is going to be like a town set up in the lower level of the church's main building. Proceeds also go to the church's other children's programs.

The McEver Road church got help starting its consignment sale from The Springs Church in Flowery Branch, which also holds a consignment sale. The Springs' "Little Lambs" sale will be next Friday and Saturday.

Kristy Lentz of Gainesville, a Little Sprouts volunteer, says she works the sale "to help out and to shop early."

She also volunteers at the Little Lambs consignment sale at The Springs. Lentz said that the best part of the sale is "getting quality clothes at a discount price."

Those discount prices drew shoppers from across the area to take advantage of the bargains. For Kimberly Dial of Oakwood, it was her first experience at a church consignment sale, but she said she plans to return. "I came to look for things for my own kids," Dial said.

Melissa Graham of Braselton said: "I just look for these on Bargain Watcher, and I saw this was coming up. I just like coming here."

Cassie Marsh of Oakwood, also a first-time consignment shopper, brought her son. "We're looking to see if we can find something in his size," Marsh said. "We saw the signs and thought we would check it out."

Anybody can donate or consign items for the Little Sprouts sale. And volunteers don't have to be members of the church to work the consignment sales.

"It's not to make them come to the church, it's to serve the community," Cole said. She said "the talents of the whole group" of volunteers made the consignment sale successful.

"It's the power of the people," she said.