“At that point it becomes more than a retail transaction.”

Janet Mabie
Special to Spur Ottawa

It started with a plan for a 3-month pop-up store in the old Salem Storehouse location. The Inspirational Value Centre (IVC) would help to soften the blow of the first Christmas without Salem Storehouse, which had closed earlier in the year. It would provide a warm environment to buy Christian books and products, an alternative to the new norm of ordering online. After three successful years, IVC will close its doors permanently on Saturday, May 25, 2019.

“The reason the store is closing at this time is the landlord’s major renovation of the space,” says Jared Gordon, manager of IVC. “It was not feasible to move elsewhere.”

IVC owners (Foundation Distributing) asked Gordon to manage the store in January 2016. Encouraged and guided by Doug Sprunt, who owned Salem Storehouse for 33 years, Gordon accepted his new responsibilities with joy and humility.

“We will never know where the resources went or what the story that God was writing was. We simply trust Him with the results.” Photo courtesy of the Inspirational Value Centre.

“It was my absolute pleasure to have seen him embrace a new career and learn so quickly how to manage a retail store,” shares Sprunt.

IVC quickly began to touch the lives of people and various ministries in Ottawa and beyond. On one occasion, a non-Christian customer came in searching for truth. Gordon says he had the privilege of helping the customer find their first Bible.

“At that point it becomes more than a retail transaction,” he says, adding that the store, itself, became a ministry. “We have seen God work in many ways. I have seen customers come in, distressed about what is going on in their lives, and leave encouraged and prayed for. We always wanted this store to be about so much more than making purchases—that eternal fruit would come out of their interactions.”

Gordon tells of a customer who bought a box of plastic Communion cups to take with him back to his congregation in Iraq—where there are so few supplies.

“We will never know where the resources went or what the story that God was writing was. We simply trust Him with the results.”

“I know I speak for all the staff and ownership when I say we were truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve Ottawa.”

Terri Skuce serves as the administrator of the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program. They host continuing education events twice a year and had IVC staff participate, setting up book tables.

“[Gordon] was so warm and wonderful to work with, truly caring and kind-hearted and happy to help out when and where he could,” Skuce says. “IVC will be missed and Jared will be missed. I know that God has great plans for him.”

Gordon says what he will miss most of all is the customers.

“It was a joy every day to serve them. We share our love for Jesus Christ and so I have had the privilege of serving my brothers and sisters in Christ, even if I didn’t know their names.

“I know I speak for all the staff and ownership when I say we were truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve Ottawa and the surrounding areas and we are so grateful it lasted much longer than the original three-month plan.”