Blythswood’s shop in Ballycare, Northern Ireland, has been pioneering a new missional strategy for the organisation’s retail outlets. Each customer is offered a booklet containing a gospel message. In September the team led by Joanne Robinson distributed 400 copies of The Big Change, the testimony of Agnes Csiszer, a Christian in Romania.

“We offer it at the till,” Joanne says. “It’s an active connection with the customer. Our staff and volunteers read it first so they know what it’s about. We also have some by the prayer tree on the way out for people who have not made a purchase.

“The reaction has been positive. The fact that it’s free kind of swings it! Some say ‘I’ll take one for a friend.’ And when someone declines, we give them a smile and say that’s okay. No-one has been offended.

“We’re on a main road and have got parking so we’re really busy. Some find us by accident and some come back once or twice a week. People like the Aladdin’s cave aspect, looking for trinkets, nostalgia, jewellery and ornaments. Teenagers come in looking for vintage clothes from the 90s. People look for designer pieces which they can resell on eBay.

“I’ve been working here for seven years. My background was in childcare and I don’t go out much. But between Blythswood and church I have grown a lot. I feel more confident about talking to people.

“Blythswood’s shop can be an opportunity for churches in the area to liaise more and to support each other.”

The plan to distribute free Christian reading material has been extended to all 24 of Blythswood’s shops in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a copy of Life magazine being offered to every customer.

“Our shops see about 10,000 people in a week,” says chief executive Jeremy Ross. “Most of these people are unlikely to go to church or hear about Jesus from anyone else. My hope is that for years to come in churches throughout the UK there will be people on their way to Heaven who first encountered Jesus through something they were given to read in a Blythswood charity shop.”

Joanne in the Ballyclare shop: the offer of a Christian booklet is an active connection.