op-shopping around
This last saturday heralded the start of a new initiative with our gen x congregations. Our new ministry centre incorporates an op-shop which is staffed during the week predominantly by members of our blended congregation and people on our work for the dole program. Money raised in the op-shop goes towards our careworks fund, which is used to support compassionate ministries such as our food bank, our connect congregation, and to assist with emergency needs of people in our community.
As a part of our spiritual discipline of serving other people, our gen x congregations have volunteered to staff the op-shop on saturdays every week - a day when it otherwise wouldn’t be open. We staff it on a rotating roster, with everyone volunteering a day every six weeks or so. Not much of a commitment for us individually, but over the course of a year it means that our congregation members will help to raise a significant amount of money for our careworks fund, as well as making new connections with people in the community.
I am really excited about this. Mainly because many of our gen x congregation members would be unable or unwilling to make a commitment to staff the shop on a weekly basis. But through a corporate commitment, we can do it. And that contribution and work is something that we can identify as a real concrete accomplishment that is possible because we are working together as a larger group of people.
July 20th, 2004 at 11:44 pm
“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
July 23rd, 2004 at 9:10 am
Is that like a thrift store? Cool.
July 26th, 2004 at 8:51 am
Yep, a thirfy shop. In Australia, they are called opportunity shops - op shop for short. They sell bric-a-brac, clothes, furniture etc.
At our new ministry centre our op shop is right up the front on a busy street. It is allowing us to make connection with a whole range of people - particularly people in need. It also gives us resources to offer free beds, clothes etc for people in emergency situations.