Material Religion of (Greater) Reading, PA

This coffee shop, Sacred Grounds, is located inside Glad Tidings Assembly of God. It is not only there to bring revenue to the church, but also a percentage of what is earned goes towards the church's missions fund. The café has a menu that is very much like any other popular Coffee Shop, but with a greater purpose than simply monetary gain. Not only do some of the proceeds go towards missions, it provides a place to build community in the church. It is located in the middle of the church lobby, and many members and visitors go there to fellowship before or after church, and hangout at the seating area next to it, which is also across from the bookstore. It is a large church, and having a place to spend time together and build relationships is a great way to make a big church feel smaller and bring people together.   

The bookstore, located across from the coffee shop, serves the purpose of bringing money into the church, but also is an opportunity for members to pick up Christian literature that was talked about in the service, study Bibles, and other useful things for those that want to grow in their faith. It is a convenient way to provide reading material, such as literature and study Bibles, for members and visitors. For example, when guest speakers comes, who wrote a book or books, they are in the bookstore to make it easily accessible to purchase. The bookstore is called Scrolls, in relation to most original biblical texts being recorded on ancient scrolls.  

In the 1950s, Christian bookstores and retail items related to Protestantism began to take off. As the economy changed, and the structure of communities shifted, Christian bookstores became very popular. From 1965-1975, the number of stores went from 725-1850, and sales in those stores grew annually by 16%, in just a few years. From there, the market for Christian items became highly in demand, and this brought a new era of what items were desired. Instead of "trinkets", most sought items with substance. Instead of things to put on the wall or a shelf, they were looking for material that would help them grow spiritually, and help others do the same. That is much of what is found in the Scrolls Bookstore in Glad Tidings. It is mostly reading material for any stage of the pursuit of faith.  There has been much debate on what is exploiting sacred objects, and making them profane because of the fact that they are so common, and mass produced. However, by selling books to grow rather than items to display, it seeks to stay truer to the original purpose of for faith not show.  

I used to volunteer in the café, with my aunt and uncle. It was a way not only for me to spend time with them, but also to meet other people in the church coming by for their coffee. It earned me service hours for my requirements for certain classes in high school, and for my scholarship at Albright. It was very enjoyable, relaxed, and rewarding to watch all the families and friends getting coffee and spending time together before or after church. The atmosphere is unique from any other coffee shop, because you can hear the sermon and worship music through the speakers in the lobby, and see it on the TV screens, if the service is taking place at the time. Between that and the many conversations, it is very lively. Though the bookstore and coffee shop are a way of making money by the marketing of different religious sayings and items, the results and impact go far deeper than just monetary gain. Both the bookstore and the coffee shop contribute to building community for the people in the church, funding those going on missions trips, and providing material for personal growth. People will buy coffee and books elsewhere if not there, so it is smart to use what the opportunities   provided by the sale of those items. 

Collen McDannell. Material Christianity: Religion and Popular Culture in America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995) 5.