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This week we said goodbye to Sylvia, she died peacefully at the age of 102.
Sylvia was involved early in the ministry of Greensborough Christian Book Centre and the Turning Point Coffee Lounge (as it was known then). A prayer warrior, she backed up her prayer with a 4 and a half day a week voluntary commitment which, over the following 32 or so years, did decrease .... until she retired. She set a bench mark that retirements wouldn’t be accepted until you reached the sprightly age of 95.
Her customer service was knowledgeable, thorough and tenacious – searching for just the right product until the customer left happy and her patience was seemingly in-exhaustible. Racing her to reach any rubbish fallen on the ground to tidy the place up, indoors or outdoors, quickly became a losers' game.
When I caught up with her on her 100th birthday she told me she continues to pray for the bookshop. Servant-hearted and humble, her contribution to this ministry (and others) was immeasurable and is still missed.
AND she is not the only one.
Over the last few years, and especially due to COVID we have lost several of our wonderful volunteers and I would love to take this opportunity to acknowledge their dedication to this ministry.
Joy, ever gracious, loving, kind, gentle and faithful to her Lord, retired just a year before she met him face to face after many years of service here and at the grand age of 95.
Margaret - who still pops in, generously, and gives us a hand but is essentially locked down due to health issues, has given her time freely to the bookshop and its ministry for many years.
Madge, who has retired having served first in the coffee shop and then in the book shop over what must be at least 25 years.
All of these wonderful people and the many others have a love for the Lord, a love for the His people and also for books. We are so grateful for their generosity, dedication and love for our Lord.
PS - We do need volunteers. If you are interested please contact us and have a chat with Christine.