USA (MNN) — For the last 20 years, World Mission has used thrift stores as part of its ministry in the U.S. But only recently has the mission organization begun expanding its thrift store ministry to serve globally, creating an international impact.
Treasures are solar powered audio Bibles. (Photo courtesy World Mission)
Greg Kelley with World Mission explains, “We have found so many people who have a passion for missions–especially unreached people groups. But they don’t have the opportunity necessarily to travel to North Africa or India and Thailand or other countries where these unreached people live.”
“So we’ve come up with a model, locally here in our community in Grand Rapids, and actually in other parts of the country, where we have volunteer thrift stores so people can serve. The net effect of them, outside of blessing their own community, is helping us send Treasures, which are solar-powered audio Bibles, into these nations of the world where people have never heard of Christ.”
It only takes four hours of volunteering to send one Treasure to someone who’s never heard the Bible. But to make these stores work, each one needs about 100 regular volunteers. Still, it’s an opportunity so many have been thankful for.
“Once people process the opportunity [to share Christ with unreached people groups], they are incredibly appreciative,” Kelley recounts.
Currently World Mission is partnering with another organization who has been creating volunteer stores for the past 20 years. Together, they’re a powerhouse created to help more World Mission thrift stores open across the country.
(Photo courtesy World Mission via Facebook)
“Our expansion of thrift stores, we wanted to do it volunteer, because the reality is people want to serve. People want to put their feet to work, so to speak, and it’s just a challenge for a lot of people to travel. But here they can serve locally in their own community in a volunteer capacity, and create revenues that will help us send the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” Kelley expresses.
Many people have been grateful for this opportunity to serve without shifting their entire schedule. If there isn’t a World Mission thrift store near you, consider starting one! To do so, contact World Mission and put together a group of leaders who’d be in charge of making the store happen.
World Mission also provides step-by-step manuals to help and is more than happy to walk beside others during this process. Furthermore, if initial inventory of product is needed, World Mission can help!
Whether you’re interested in serving locally or overseas, would you consider praying for World Mission, its thrift store ministry, and for the unreached people around the world? Pray for God to bless the ministry and use people to impact others through it. Pray also for the unreached people of this world to know Christ.
To contact World Mission, click here.
Or, call (616) 534-5689.
For information on volunteering, click here.
