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By Penny Fletcher
penny@observernews.net
SUN CITY CENTER - Last week I found a store that wasn’t out to sell me anything.
It was different being in a store where people were encouraged to come in just to look around even if they didn’t intend to buy.
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| Muriel Thomasson, left, shows new items for sale at the Pages of Life Christian bookstore located in the United Methodist Church, 1210 Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center to store volunteer Helen Helm. Meanwhile, Linda Graham, who spearheaded turning the church library into a Christian book store, checks out new CDs. The store sells not only books, Christian CDs and tapes, but also a large variety of specialty items including T-shirts, hand-carved Catholic and Protestant wooden icons and holiday items suited to every Christian taste.
Penny Fletcher Photos |
“All of us are volunteers with a heart for caring for people,” said Linda Graham. “Sometimes, people come in just to talk- maybe unburden themselves by discussing a problem with one of the volunteers. We’re here for everybody whether we sell them anything or not.”
All the money above the store’s operational costs goes to caring for people in the community. It has provided donations to several area missions and helped start a mission in Gibsonton.
Linda, who until recently worked as a Hospice nurse, got the idea for a Christian store because the closest such store is in Brandon. The Methodist church offered space and utilities and other churches were enlisted for volunteers and start-up help.
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| South County residents enjoy the annual “gently-used” book sale at the shop which was held last week. From left are Charlene Hoover, Mary Giuseppetti and Marge Hunt. |
In an effort to be ecumenical, there is a nondenominational Bible study held in the back room of the store Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m.
As I walked around examining the unusual collection of things on the shelves, visitors and buyers regularly came in and browsed. It was definitely a busy place.
All together there are about 20 volunteers and the store is open 110 hours a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 3-5:30 p.m. The store is also open Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. so people can browse or buy before and after attending services at area churches.
Catering to all varieties of Christian denominational tastes is important to volunteers.
“We have things that will appeal to all types of Protestants and Catholics,” she said. “What an adventure it has been.”
At first, Linda thought one small room would be enough space, but the store has now expanded into three rooms and is still growing. It carries cards and gifts, T-shirts, all kinds of Bibles and inspirational books and takes special orders from customers who want or need a specific item, like a large print book or book on tape.
It has gifts like olive wood and tuga palm carvings of Mary and Jesus, angels and other religious figures and jewelry has also recently been added to the stock.
“I was questioned a lot about where I got the ‘Hallelujah Ladies’ necklace I wear,” she said, showing it to me. The necklace contains four women in various poses of prayer, some with uplifted hands. “So we just started adding pieces.”
Because there are so many local crafters, and they did not want to exclude some and not others from selling homemade items, the store decided not to carry any local artist’s work.
Besides selling, ordering, stocking shelves and listening and talking with the people who come through the door, there is plenty of heavy work to do and the church’s senior pastor Warren Langer, associate pastor Fred Gardner, part-time pastor Gary Bullock and Linda’s husband Julian Graham are often asked to help with it.
“You don’t have to be a member of this church to help out. We can use anyone,” Linda said. “And others can do this same thing too if they want. So many churches seem to have old, dusty libraries. One night at a meeting, I just said ‘why can’t we have a book store,’ I never intended to say anything like that, it just came out. And right away we got the opportunity to buy out a bookstore in Ellenton that was closing. We bought a few books and things but then they called the last day, when they had to clear everything out, and we ended up with racks and shelving and the rest of their stock so we knew this was meant to be.”
Some of the shelving and racks that weren’t needed were later sold to two churches in Lakeland that were also starting book stores and that gave the Sun City Center store some money with which they could begin work.
“This really showed us what faith can do,” Linda said.
To find out more about it, just drop by and browse.
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