BURTON BRIDGE MINISTRY TO MOVE THRIFT STORE INTO BETHANY CHRISTIAN CHURCH BUILDING

  

The Burton Bridge Ministry’s thrift store will soon move to a new location.

At the ministry’s meeting last month, the board of directors voted to move operations of The Corner Shoppe to the Bethany Christian Church building.  The ministry is purchasing the church building and the adjacent vacant lot at 307 and 315 North Brazos Street.

With the upcoming acquisition, the ministry will move its office and food pantry to the current thrift store building at 601 North Main Street.  Remodeling of the church is expected to complete by the end of the year, with the thrift store reopening in its new location in January 2022.  The office will move shortly thereafter.

According to a release, the ministry hopes to eventually use the church building for its administrative office and small community event hall to host senior meals, job training seminars and youth programs.  It also seeks to eventually place a second building on the vacant lot at North Brazos and East Burton Streets, which it says will be used for the thrift store, furniture sales and possibly a food pantry.

The ministry says it has raised $80,000 to date through a capital campaign effort, and has a commitment from Carmine State Bank for a loan.

While the closing on the church building is scheduled for early October, the church will ceremonially hand over the keys to the ministry on Sunday, after its final worship service at the location.  The ceremony will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. and will feature light refreshments.

The church congregation will meet as a “home church” with locations announced weekly until the new worship chapel is completed on the site of the original “Bethany” on Christian Cemetery Road.