Ministry Spotlight: A Peek Into Parkway's Retail Ministries
Parkway has over 30 ministries that help bring people into a relationship with God, create community, and move forward our mission (Love: God. Others. Mission.). Our retail ministries help to support this mission and further God’s kingdom in extraordinary ways!
The Parkway Exclusive team had an opportunity to talk to Laura Peters, Parkway’s Retail Ministries Coordinator, to get a sneak peek behind these awesome ministries:
BookStore
Sunday Bakery
Threads
The Café
Laura has been supporting these ministries for the last 4 years, and she said she enjoys the many relationships with Parkway members that she has through these ministries. Each of the retail ministries has a unique way of furthering the Kingdom, providing resources, and creating a vibrant church community at Parkway.
Let’s take a closer look!
The Book Store
Across from the Welcome Center in the Parkway foyer, there is a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf lined with books and other resources. This space is known as the the Book Store, and it features Bible studies, devotionals, general Christian living books, and books by Apostolic authors (including Pastor Tim Peters' new book "The Dragon Slayer" which is hot off the presses as of January!).
However, did you know that the the Book Store sells more than just books? You can get all your "church merch" at the Book Store, including Parkway t-shirts and sweatshirts. According to Laura, when new church gear is available, purchase it right away because it sells out quickly.
Find the Dream Team volunteer at the Book Store after church this Sunday to get your own copy of "The Dragon Slayer" and maybe a new Parkway sweatshirt!
WHAT TO BUY: Books, Bible studies, devotions, Pastor Tim Peters' new book and Parkway clothing.
WHEN: Only open on Sundays after church concludes.
BOOK STORE TIP: Only card accepted; no cash.
Sunday Bakery
Man shall not live by bread alone, so let's eat bagels, focaccia, and cookies! Parkway is fortunate to have a relationship with a local Panera Bread restaurant that donates day-old bread products and pastries to our church family. Every Sunday, a Dream Team volunteer picks up the Panera donation and brings it to Parkway before church even starts. Laura helps coordinate a team of volunteers that sort the bread, bagels, cookies, pastries, etc. and prepares it for disbursement after church.
If anyone at Parkway — member or guest — wants or needs bread, they can come to the area near the Cafe and pick up a bag.
WHAT TO TAKE: Depending on the week, bagels, baguettes, focaccia, bread bowls, pastries, cookies and more.
WHEN: Only open on Sundays after church concludes.
SUNDAY BAKERY TIP: All bread bags are free but donations are appreciated!
Threads
Across the parking lot from the church and tucked away in the Event Center is Parkway's very own thrift store, Threads. At Threads, anyone — whether they are a Parkway member or not — can shop for clothing at a highly discounted price.
Threads has an inventory of gently used women's, men's, juniors', kids' and baby clothing. For the first three Sundays of the month, a team of volunteers sorts new clothing donations, rotates clothing by season, and sets up displays. Anyone can walk into Threads after church and do some shopping!
Parkway’s gently used clothing store has also been a resource for members of our community in emergency situations and for supporting missionary families with clothing needs. Laura emphasized that shopping at Threads is a family-friendly experience and she encourages kids to hang out at the "kids’ station" while their adults shop.
HOW TO SHOP: Walk into Threads to purchase a grocery bag full of women's, men's juniors', kids' and baby's clothing for $5.
WHEN: Only open the first three Sundays from when church concludes to about 12:30 pm.
THREADS TIP: Do you have clothing to donate? Simply bring your donations to the north side of the Parkway Events Center and place your clothing donation in the Threads donation bins near the Threads entrance.
The Café
You’ve probably seen or heard about Parkway’s Cafe. While Laura Peters helps to oversee the Cafe as a retail ministry, this ministry is largely managed by Janel Koss, the Cafe Coach. The Parkway Cafe opened about 16 years ago and is staffed by 30 amazing volunteers — including 5 Anthem students! Janel takes care of the shopping and stocking as well as the scheduling and training of the large team of volunteers.
The Cafe offers all the usual coffee drinks that you would find at Starbucks, but proudly serves Valentine Coffee, a local Milwaukee coffee-roaster and distributor. Like all cafes, there are seasonal specials, and the Cafe is currently featuring special lattes and iced drinks for February.
While the drinks usually take the spotlight on the menu, the Cafe also sells food! You can purchase a breakfast sandwich, muffin or other snacky foods. Some food items are only available before church starts.
WHAT TO BUY: In February, get these limited-time flavors: White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha, Lavender Vanilla, Pistachio, and Strawberry Cupcake Frozen Explosion.
WHEN: Open every Sunday from 8:45-9:45 am before church and 11:45 am-12:45 pm after church.
CAFE TIP: Breakfast sandwiches sell out fast, so order yours as soon as the Café opens!
Join the Dream Team’s Retail Ministries!
Parkway’s retail ministries are manned by roughly 50 Dream Team volunteers, and all four of these ministries are always looking for new volunteers. If you're interested in getting involved to help create community at Parkway and further the Kingdom of God, take our FirstSteps class!
FirstSteps is a two-part class that helps you to learn about Parkway, your individual gifts and abilities, and how to match your interests with Parkway's Dream Team volunteer opportunities. If you’ve already taken FirstSteps, consider completing a Ministry Application and joining one of these teams today!
Don’t forget to thank a Retail Ministries volunteer on Sunday!