Last year's first-ever home-baked Christmas cookie sale at Rennerdale United Presbyterian Church was a sellout in just two hours.

The surprise popularity left organizers and volunteer bakers from the Collier church laughing and astonished -- but also aware that they had a fund-raising winner.

The phenomenon seems likely to be repeated this year when the kitchen doors open for cookie customers from noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow in the church, 151 Noblestown Road.

Flyers advertising the cookie sale were included with order forms for luminaria that were distributed recently by members of the church youth group.

"They delivered the order forms at 4 p.m. on a Sunday and at 4:15 p.m. my phone started ringing," recalled Sandy Ireson, of South Fayette, cookie sale chairwoman.

Clearly, this is a community with a sweet tooth and a penchant for holiday baking.

This time, however, much more planning has gone into the cookie sale, especially because everyone knows that money from the event will be put into a fund to expand the church's youth facility.

Last year, the sale raised $900 for the fund, and organizers hope tomorrow's larger sale will bring in $1,500. Church members began offering monthly fund-raisers starting in October 2006.

"I'll bet there's not going to be a person in our congregation who hasn't helped in some way," Mrs. Ireson said.

She and co-chair Barb Riedl, of Collier, estimate that about 50 people, including some who are not church members, will be contributing cookies, with each being asked to make a minimum of six dozen.

The number of volunteer bakers is significant, because the 103-year-old church, known for its community service to those of all faiths, has 110 members.

However, instead of relying only on cookie donations, the committee has held several baking sessions to increase its stash of holiday offerings. One day, those bakers, which this year consisted of about 10 people, including two men, made more than 100 nut rolls in assembly-line fashion. Another evening they baked cut-out and thumbprint cookies.

"We're not as big as the large churches where people pick cookies out of bins, but we have a great time," said Mrs. Riedl.

Besides the popular and traditional nut rolls, about half of which have already been spoken for, this year's sale will include, in part, Oreo bonbons, chocolate chips, cherry bonbons, ladylocks, pecan tassies, sugar cookies, caramel cups and snowbells plus a separate table of other holiday favorites, such as brownies, banana bread, hardtack candy, blueberry-lemon coffee cake, pumpkin rolls and caramel chocolate-dipped apples.

A box of about 30 assorted cookies will sell for $10, and prices on the individual items will vary.

"I hope it keeps growing every year," Mrs. Ireson said.