Opening Christian Store

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I want to know if it is contrary to the faith to open a Christian store in my rural town that caters to several Christian denominations not just Catholics. We have about 18 churches in the surrounding area (one being Catholic) and I want to know if it is a problem providing supplies to other Christian denominations (Baptists. etc) when we are Catholic. We are all Christian so I don’t see a problem as long as I do not sell books that are anti-catholic. Thanks.
 
Kaizmom said:
I want to know if it is contrary to the faith to open a Christian store in my rural town that caters to several Christian denominations not just Catholics. We have about 18 churches in the surrounding area (one being Catholic) and I want to know if it is a problem providing supplies to other Christian denominations (Baptists. etc) when we are Catholic. We are all Christian so I don’t see a problem as long as I do not sell books that are anti-catholic. Thanks.
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If you don’t carry a variety, you won’t get the non-catholic into your store where they might be introduced to Catholicism. Sounds like a good thing to me.
 
As long as it gives you money, God will be happy for you and off course dont hurt anyone 👍
 
It is not contrary to the faith…One thing though is that you could run into issues with trying to balance this. Most folks might “overlook” you having “idols” to sell (statues of Mary etc.) but what will you do is someone comes in to order a book that you know to be “anti-Catholic”?

I applaud you for wanting to do this and think it is a wonderful idea, but just know that you will need to be a “master diplomat” and have to deal with some "ticklish’ situations to make a go of it…

Peace
James
 
The only exclusively-Catholic bookstores I’m aware of tend to have an affiliation with a specific parish. They can range from the teeny tiny little giftshop in a corner to a large standalone storefront offsite.

In general, when I find a Christian store, the Catholic section tends to be one part of it. Other denominations tend to have their specific sections, too, but the main part of it gives the feel of Generic Christian, if that makes sense.

I can’t think of any problems in trying to cater to a wider audience. It makes sense. Good luck with your enterprise! 👍
 
Kaizmom said:
I want to know if it is contrary to the faith to open a Christian store in my rural town that caters to several Christian denominations not just Catholics. We have about 18 churches in the surrounding area (one being Catholic) and I want to know if it is a problem providing supplies to other Christian denominations (Baptists. etc) when we are Catholic. We are all Christian so I don’t see a problem as long as I do not sell books that are anti-catholic. Thanks.
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I think that should be fine. Good luck with starting your own business!
 
Maracuya said:
As long as it gives you money, God will be happy for you and off course dont hurt anyone 👍
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I’m sure God is not to worried about the money factor in this situation… I wouldn’t want to confuse anyone 🤷!
 
JRKH said:
It is not contrary to the faith…One thing though is that you could run into issues with trying to balance this. Most folks might “overlook” you having “idols” to sell (statues of Mary etc.) but what will you do is someone comes in to order a book that you know to be “anti-Catholic”?

I applaud you for wanting to do this and think it is a wonderful idea, but just know that you will need to be a “master diplomat” and have to deal with some "ticklish’ situations to make a go of it…

Peace
James
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temptation from the evil one= ticklish situations?
 
The only concern I can think of is selling books that teach things that are counter to the Catholic faith. On the other hand, if you opened a regular bookstore and you sold books written by anti-Catholic writers, I don’t think there would be sin there. I guess the difference is that when you run a specifically religiously-themed bookstore, then you have somewhat of a mission going on. You are obligated to be more choosy and make sure what you are selling is the truth. Everyone who goes into Barnes and Noble understand that the opinions of the writers are not generally the opinions of the store owner.
 
To the OP, I think it’s great that you’re opening your own business. Good luck! My big concern also would be to avoid books with anti-Catholic content. Otherwise, I think it’s fantastic.
midori said:
In general, when I find a Christian store, the Catholic section tends to be one part of it. Other denominations tend to have their specific sections, too, but the main part of it gives the feel of Generic Christian, if that makes sense.
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My favorite local bookstore is exclusively Catholic. My wife & I know that we don’t have to be concerned with the content of anything we get there, whether for us or the kids. There is a general Christian bookstore nearby that we like, though it’s not nearly as conducive toward Catholics. I was looking to get a Bible several months ago (the only one we had in the house previously was my father-in-law’s massive King James version). When I asked there, I was told they don’t carry Catholic Bibles (no NABRE or Douay-Rheims). I also noticed they didn’t carry the Catechism or a lot of the children’s books we’ve gotten for our kids from the Catholic book store. Plus, when we told the man I’m assuming was the owner we were Catholic (he asked where we were having our daughter baptized), he frowned and shook his head.
 
Just as a follow-up on the “anti-Catholic” books matter.

It seems that “brick and mortar” book selling is not that lucrative anymore since it is quite easy to order whatever you wish off the internet. So this might not be too big of a deal.

I suspect that the larger market is going to be in cards, gifts, church supplies etc…

Peace
James
 
I want to put my 2 cents in too…I feel better about the Catholic-only store. We have one that is also a home to a religious group. They also have a library of books and videos, have prayer meetings etc.

Coffee houses are big these days too. A Catholic Coffee House with Wifi would be cool too, with some pastries or sanwiches.

Go to a class from your local SBA.gov group. I think they usually can be found at universities or online classes.

One of the most important things is to write a business plan, for now and room to grow. To decide what kind of business is important too. sole-proprietorship and partnership are very vulnerable. If you have a partner of some kind there needs to be a written agreement.

We have a town about 30 minutes away who have entrepreneurial places. One person I know of is opening up a cake business with art classes (or should I say arts classes). Funky does well in that town. It is part of the area. I really like to travel there because I find it inspiring.

peace.
 
I think the general preference is for a Catholic store. However, please keep in mind that the OP lives in a rural area, so there may not be enough demand from Catholics only. The OP is in it to make a living. Without enough demand, she won’t be able to stay afloat. While I think the intention is good from posters here, but I think it may a bit inconsiderate not to consider the fact that it is a business, and that the OP is going to put a lot on the line, including money, time, and resources. It’s probably the MBA in me, but I just can’t stay silent when I see people giving unsound business advice.
 
AllSeasons said:
I think the general preference is for a Catholic store. However, please keep in mind that the OP lives in a rural area, so there may not be enough demand from Catholics only. The OP is in it to make a living. Without enough demand, she won’t be able to stay afloat. While I think the intention is good from posters here, but I think it may a bit inconsiderate not to consider the fact that it is a business, and that the OP is going to put a lot on the line, including money, time, and resources. It’s probably the MBA in me, but I just can’t stay silent when I see people giving unsound business advice.
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I agree that in the setting presented by the OP, it would be better to try to make it a more general “Christian” store. Broader customer base, lots of chance for interaction with many different faith traditions and spiritual growth for all involved. And as you say - it is intended to “make a living”.

That said, as the OP pointed out, there is the question of things that are “anti-Catholic” that they would wish to not carry. This principle could be easily broadened somewhat to include things that are "anti-(______). This would apply mainly to written materials and would show a balance that customers would appreciate.
Of course there are bound to be people come in and ask (or preach) about you selling “idols” and “graven images”, which simply affords another opportunity to charitably discuss beliefs…

Overall, I think that a “general”, “interfaith” store is definitely the way to go…

Peace
James
 
I see no problem with a general Christian store. I would be sure to screen the materials well so you know that you aren’t selling anything that goes against your beliefs. Other than that I think it is a great idea. It would allow the opportunity to speak with Christians from all denominations.
 
Kaizmom said:
I want to know if it is contrary to the faith to open a Christian store in my rural town that caters to several Christian denominations not just Catholics. We have about 18 churches in the surrounding area (one being Catholic) and I want to know if it is a problem providing supplies to other Christian denominations (Baptists. etc) when we are Catholic. We are all Christian so I don’t see a problem as long as I do not sell books that are anti-catholic. Thanks.
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Hey starting your own business and a Christian one. I’m so happy for you. May God bless you with good profits, great vendors and wonderful customers.
 
On the note about the statues of the Virgin Mary, I would have assumed that anyone entering an inter-denominational Christian bookstore would likely expect to find that there’s items being sold which don’t necessarily belong to their own specific denomination, and especially ones which cater to both Protestant and Catholic churches.
 
Kouyate42 said:
On the note about the statues of the Virgin Mary, I would have assumed that anyone entering an inter-denominational Christian bookstore would likely expect to find that there’s items being sold which don’t necessarily belong to their own specific denomination, and especially ones which cater to both Protestant and Catholic churches.
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I believe you are absolutely right and even more especially if this is the only religious store in the area, most people would respect that it caters to a wide range of beliefs while trying to be respectful to all.
Of course one might also expect the occasional “evangelizer” to point out the “error” of such things…:rolleyes:
In the retail business one gets all types.

Peace
James
 
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