The dedicated team of volunteers who operate our successful thrift store mission said good-bye and thank you to its founder, Stephanie Potts. She’d pondered the idea of opening a thrift store for several months before putting out feelers in the congregation for who might help her. The response was more than she’d hoped for! Look at this group! And there are several other volunteers who couldn’t be at this meeting. The store opened in March 2023. It is an incredible blessing to the church and the community. The volunteers do an amazing job of setting up a welcoming, beautiful place to shop. They sort through donations and spiff them up for the greatest appeal and value. They welcome customers with such warmth that many open up about their lives. It is a place to connect as well as to shop. They provide free clothes to our neighbors in need. Stephanie had a vision for what was possible, was willing to step out and share that vision and invite others to join her in creating something. Her vision from the start was a collaborative venture where no one person was in charge, but that all involved shared their gifts and ideas. The whole team made that happen and it is a beautiful thing.

Stephanie we are all so grateful to you for sharing your vision, for empowering others, for blessing the church and the community. You will be sorely missed, and we wish you every good thing in this next phase of life beyond Franklin. Your ministry here was well done, good and faithful servant. Godspeed.