Synopses & Reviews
A thrift store in inner-city Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Exactly the place where you’d expect to meet Jesus, right?
Jane Knuth’s middle-class, suburban, church-going background had not prepared her well to serve as a volunteer at an inner-city thrift store. Reluctantly, she decided to give it a try.
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane’s unexpected, soul-stirring experiences at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Rather than viewing society’s poor as problems to be solved, Jane begins to see them, one at a time, in a completely different light—as saints who can lead us straight to the heart of Christ.
Jane’s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of the book: When we serve the poor, they end up giving us much more than we could ever give them. Each chapter introduces readers to new “saints,” as Jane thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her frequent encounters with the poorest people were really opportunities to meet Jesus—25¢ at a time.
Jane Knuth has been volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the last 15 years. She is also an eighth-grade math teacher. Jane and her husband, Dean, live in Portage, Michigan. This is Jane’s first book.
A thrift store in inner-city Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Exactly the place where you’d expect to meet Jesus, right?
Jane Knuth’s middle-class, suburban, church-going background had not prepared her well to serve as a volunteer at an inner-city thrift store. Reluctantly, she decided to give it a try.
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane’s unexpected, soul-stirring experiences at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Rather than viewing society’s poor as problems to be solved, Jane begins to see them, one at a time, in a completely different light—as saints who can lead us straight to the heart of Christ.
Jane’s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of the book: When we serve the poor, they end up giving us much more than we could ever give them. Each chapter introduces readers to new “saints,” as Jane thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her frequent encounters with the poorest people were really opportunities to meet Jesus—25¢ at a time.
Jane Knuth has been volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the last 15 years. She is also an eighth-grade math teacher. Jane and her husband, Dean, live in Portage, Michigan. This is Jane’s first book.
Review
"[Jane Knuth's] stories of the people that visit the store are very inspiring and she uses these stories to teach us the Vincentian principles of divine providence, spirituality and seeing the face of Christ in the poor."
--Ozanam News
Review
The stories are fascinating, the reflections probing.
--Review for Religious
Review
"I love Jane Knuth’s books
Thrift Store Saints and
Thrift Store Graces."
--Ray Dupont, National Saint Vincent de Paul Stores Committee Chairperson
Synopsis
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth’s experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset of the book, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end of the book, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again.
Synopsis
First place winner for "Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith" from the Catholic Press Association
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth's experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset of the book, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end of the book, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again.
Knuth's transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of Thrift Store Saints: When we serve the poor, they end up helping us as much as we help them. Throughout the book we are introduced to new "saints," as Knuth thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her encounters with the poorest people led her to the greatest riches of God's grace.
Thrift Store Saints makes clear that it doesn't require heroic Mother Teresa-types to make a difference with the poor, and it even more powerfully shows us that working with them is not gloomy, depressing work. Knuth's moving stories demonstrate the profound joy any of us can experience when we see serving the poor not as social work, but as a spiritual path that leads us to the heart of Jesus.
Synopsis
First place winner for "Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith" from the Catholic Press Association!
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth’s experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset of the book, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end of the book, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again.
Knuth’s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of Thrift Store Saints: When we serve the poor, they end up helping us as much as we help them. Throughout the book we are introduced to new “saints,” as Knuth thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her encounters with the poorest people led her to the greatest riches of God’s grace.
Thrift Store Saints makes clear that it doesn’t require heroic Mother Teresa-types to make a difference with the poor, and it even more powerfully shows us that working with them is not gloomy, depressing work. Knuth’s moving stories demonstrate the profound joy any of us can experience when we see serving the poor not as social work, but as a spiritual path that leads us to the heart of Jesus.
Synopsis
Delightfully conversational and inviting, Love Will Steer Me True shows how a mother and daughter swerve and weave their way into a new understanding of themselves, of their familial relationship, and of their faith. Laugh, learn, and wonder along with Jane and Ellen as they begin to tackle their new realities.
Synopsis
When Ellen Knuth, a recent college graduate, decided to take a teaching job that sent her to across the world to a remote part of Japan, her mother Jane first felt the palpitations of worry. The closest Christian church was two hours by bullet train, and Jane couldn’t be sure what kind of spiritual support her daughter would have available. Ellen, about to embark on a momentous experience, was more concerned about navigating cultural differences and handling her first classroom than the Mass schedule of far-flung churches.
Thus a mother and daughter begin a cross-continental, winding journey in learning to relate to one another and their personal faith through the different lenses of their lives. With each section written individually, Jane and Ellen separately tackle their own perspectives on faith, family, and their place in the world. Somehow, they must find a path that allows Jane to let go of her spiritual plans for Ellen, and Ellen to let God find her wherever she is.
Delightfully conversational and inviting, Love Will Steer Me True shows how a mother and daughter swerve and weave their way into a new understanding of themselves, of their familial relationship, and of their faith. Laugh, learn, and wonder along with Jane and Ellen as they begin to tackle their new realities.
About the Author
Ellen Knuth recently returned to the USA after 5 years in Japan. Having already been an English teacher, a singer in a rock band, a dairy princess, a MC, and a newspaper columnist, Ellen now works as a university relations manager for a study and intern abroad company. Settled (for now) in Clinton Twp, MI, she travels extensively, writes occasionally, and sings constantly.
This is Ellen’s first book.
Jane Knuth has been volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the last 19 years. A part-time math tutor, Jane also teaches Ukrainian Easter egg decorating, does hand bookbinding, and writes a monthly column for The Good News, the newspaper of the Diocese of Kalamazoo. She and her husband, Dean, live in Portage, Michigan and have two daughters, Ellen and Martha.
In 2011, Jane’s first book, Thrift Store Saints, was awarded first place from the Catholic Press Association for Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith.
Table of Contents
Contents
A Note from the Author vii
Preface xi
Is This a Church? 1
1 Dorothy 5
2 Losing My Balance 13
3 A Street Theologian 21
4 Reinforcements 29
5 Home Visits 41
6 Willing to Be Disturbed 51
7 Saints and Sinners 57
8 As Much Fun as Christmas 65
9 What’s a Welcome Worth? 71
10 Whose Pope Is He Anyway? 87
11 Tim 97
12 Ordinary Days 103
13 Thrifty Givers 111
14 Flying the Same Plane 119
15 Not My Poor People 127
16 Four Women 133
17 Echoes of Christmas 139
18 Cool 143
19 Replanting the Forest 147
A Conversation with Author Jane Knuth 151
Acknowledgments 157