NORTHUMBERLAND, Pa. — When you think of a church, you probably think of Sunday worship services. But members of Christ United Methodist Church in Northumberland hope to give people another reason to visit.
Last weekend, members opened Born Again Boutique in the lower level of the church. It's a store for anyone who needs clothing.
"The way it works is you come in with whatever clothes you already have that you no longer use. You bring them in, hand them off to us at our desk, and you shop around," Pastor Megan Millard said.
Megan Millard is a lay pastor at Christ United Methodist Church. She says this boutique isn't like regular stores because there are no price tags. Instead, shoppers can swap a donated item for a piece of clothing. All items are either new or gently used, and clothing is washed before being displayed.
Millard says Born Again Boutique was the idea of the church's former pastor.
"This was something that she had been thinking about as a way to bring new life into this space. It was a need that we saw within the community, so she basically said, 'Let's do this.' And multiple members of the congregation went, 'We got this,'" Millard said.
The boutique opened last weekend. Millard says it took about a year to put together.
"From the minute of thinking about it and getting the grant money, putting it all together, finding random pieces of furniture and light fixtures through auctions, it's been a long time coming," Millard said.
The Born Again Boutique is located on the lower level of Christ United Methodist Church in Northumberland.
The store is open Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the first and third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. until noon.
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