Shopping for Christmas cards used to be a source of frustration for Sandra King.
Over the years, King found that fewer and fewer stores carried cards with a real Christian flavour. There were lots of cards offering “seasons greetings” and the like, but few that mentioned or even hinted at Christ’s birth.
“I want my cards to say that because that’s what I’m celebrating - the birth of Christ,” says King.
On Tuesday, King drove several kilometres to Universal Church Supplies at 11105 102nd Ave, Edmonton. While there, she stocked up on Christmas cards with an unambiguous Christian message, and also bought a special Bible as a Christmas gift for her grown-up daughter.
Since discovering the store many years ago, King has become a regular visitor. She likes Universal’s broad selection of inspirational books, music, and other merchandise.
King, who works as a pastoral assistant at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sherwood Park, enjoys the oasis of calm she finds at Christian bookstores like Universal.
The store is one of at least a dozen in the Edmonton area where Christians aren’t greeted with blank stares if they ask about books, music or other goods connected to their faith.
In his office, store manager Roger Lamoureux says that whatever the customer flow, the environment is always relaxed compared with the “frantic desperation” at many places.
And unlike some stores, his staff aren’t out to squeeze every last dollar out of customers. In fact, Curtis Stang, the owner of Universal, is giving staff the day off on Dec. 24, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Another store that’s popular with many Christians, but also those with a strong social conscience, is Ten Thousand Villages at 10432 82nd Ave. The store is one of six in the province operated by the Mennonite Central Committee.
A non-profit organization, Ten Thousand Villages specializes in fair-trade gifts and decor items - including lots of Christmassy fare like Nativity displays.
“Essentially everything is from Third World Countries,” says Diane Reddekopp, a co-manager.
A Sunday School teacher at a local Mennonite church, Reddekopp was a volunteer for five years before the manager’s job became available.
“I liked the fit; I liked what the store stood for,” says Reddekopp, who points out that Third World artisans are paid 25 per cent of the retail cost of their items as opposed to one per cent at most retail stores.
For shoppers who aren’t already aware, volunteers explain to those needing help what the store stands for.
On a recent Saturday, there were smiles even on the faces of people queuing at the counter with about a dozen other customers. If anybody minds, it doesn’t show.
Reddekopp isn’t surprised. In the short time she has been a manager, a few customers have told her they do all their Christmas shopping at Ten Thousand Villages because “they know that marginalized people are being helped.”
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