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This interview is about the history and development of the Alpha Wegweiser bookstore in Speyer. In the cozy café of the Alpha Wegweiser bookstore, I speak with Brother Viktor and Sister Frieda, as well as employees Lida and Nadine.
Stephanus: To begin, a little about the history of the business: How did you come up with the idea of founding a bookstore?
Viktor: In 1990, our congregation in Speyer had a book table run by Brother Rubin Firus. Frieda helped order the books there. She was also responsible for the church library. After Brother Rubin's death, my wife and I took over. Every Sunday, all the books, CDs, and other items had to be laid out at the end of the service and collected again after the congregation had left.
Frieda: We learned from like-minded people in Cloppenburg how to properly run a bookstore and eventually officially registered one. All discounts and proceeds benefited the mission. In 1999, we could no longer use the space in the community center for the book table and therefore moved to a vacant room at the mission.
Brother David Peters made us aware of the plight of many suffering children on the streets of Tokmak, Kyrgyzstan. We began to support this work specifically with the proceeds from our book sale. In 2003, we officially launched the "Street Children in Tokmak" project through the mission. When we saw the extent of the need on the ground, we agreed that much more money was required to build and maintain a daycare center. Therefore, we registered the "Christian Bookshop Guide" as a business. We hoped to be able to finance the daycare center this way.
Stephanus: You moved from the location of Mission Stephanus to the Kornmarkt in Speyer's city center. Why?
Frieda: The mission is located in an industrial area. So we lacked walk-in customers. We wanted to reach more people, especially more non-believers. We wanted to evangelize. That's why we moved to Kornmarkt in 2010. But the rent there was very high. At the mission, Brother Gustav Siebert had arranged a very affordable rent for us. At Kornmarkt, the additional payments and increases in costs were so high that we couldn't "breathe" anymore. We realized we couldn't make it. We wanted to close again and again. We prayed that God would show us the way if we were to close. But someone always came along and offered encouragement. Every time we thought about closing, we heard: "Oh, how wonderful that you exist! I've been searching for something like this for so long!" or "You have no idea how much of a blessing your books bring! I buy the books, read them, and pass them on, and they are read by many."
Viktor: After two years, we were able to close our doors at Kornmarkt and moved to our current location, where the rent is about half as much. We moved here with a lot of debt. We took out a loan to be able to continue operating here.
Frieda: Once, when we were already on Wormser Landstraße, before we joined Alpha, we were still in dire financial straits. With this hardship, we turned to God, asking him to give us a clear answer as to whether we should close or continue fighting.
Shortly after that, a woman came to us one Saturday. She approached me and said, “It’s so nice to see you! I was driving past the intersection when I saw your shop. I thought I absolutely had to come back and say something to you. I want to encourage you! Keep going, don’t close! Many Christian bookstores in Germany are closing; I know it’s not an easy job to make ends meet. But be brave, it’s important work!”
I was very surprised, as I didn't know the woman. So I asked her if we knew each other. She said: "No, I don't think so, as I come from Bremen." (That's about 500 km from Speyer).
She was gone as quickly as she had come. I never saw her again after that. But the answer was clear to us. We kept fighting.
Stephanus: In 2017, you joined Alpha Buchhandlung GmbH as a franchisee. What were the reasons?
Viktor: We used to fight our own battles – we were on our own when authorities came, when something broke, the program malfunctioned, or we had legal questions. We often didn't know what to do. And then a representative came along and introduced us to Alpha. Alpha is actually a former pilgrim mission from Switzerland with over 100 years of history. Today, they support many similar bookstores, and that's how we're networked. They help us with technical problems, for example. It's been a huge relief. With the program, we can trace everything, monitor inventory and availability, and much more. We also receive training and meet once a year for sharing, prayer, and fellowship. We've learned many tips and tricks there, such as how to properly display merchandise. And it's all from one source. We pay a commission for this.
Stephanus: In 2019, you took the opportunity to expand your business to include a café. Was it worthwhile? What experiences did you have with it?
Frieda: We'd had the idea for a while of meeting people over coffee and talking to them about God in a relaxed atmosphere. Before, this usually happened while standing at the checkout. Many customers come to us with lots of questions and heavy hearts. They often just want to be listened to and are looking for answers. Some don't want to go straight to church but want to unburden themselves in a neutral setting. The extension next to the bookstore had just become available, so we seized the opportunity to realize our café idea. Our active youth group from Speyer provided invaluable support with the renovation and redesign. Now, many people from outside the church also come just to have a coffee. Customers receive a blessing cookie with a Bible verse on it with their coffee. It's opened and read right away. The verses are usually so fitting that people are deeply moved. Good conversations develop, and they begin to open their hearts. In retrospect, we can say that while it hasn't necessarily been financially profitable, it's been a blessing for our customers and for evangelism! Many contacts were made as a result, and people are currently receiving ongoing support. Furthermore, all profits from the café are donated to impoverished people. This has already enabled assistance to many people in need.
Stephanus: The cakes and pastries look very professional. Were they bought?
Frieda: No, they're donated by our dear sisters! When we wanted to start this, so many sisters contacted us and now supply us with pastries and cakes. There are about 40 sisters. Sister Irina Barz handles all the organization and planning.
Can I participate? What are the requirements?
Frieda: We always need a few extra sisters who want to get involved, because mothers are frequently absent due to pregnancy. Anyone interested can simply contact Sister Irina. All you need is a health briefing.
We also need help in sales, and if someone wants to do an apprenticeship, that's an option. However, the prerequisite is a genuine passion for helping people. It would be wonderful if someone could be found, as we're not getting any younger. We'd like to pass the business on someday. We're passionate about ensuring this work continues.
Stephanus: Do people outside the parish also visit your shop? Do you have any experiences or testimonies of this?
Frieda: Once, a man, a Catholic, came in wanting to buy a prayer book. We got to talking about what a prayer actually is, and I told him that the prayers in a book are foreign prayers. They don't come from his own soul because he has a different problem or concern than the person who wrote the prayers. I explained to him that we can talk to God with simple words, no matter where we are: "God hears us everywhere! He even knows our thoughts." Then I remembered our blessing cookies from the café. I said, "I'd like to give you a blessing cookie with a message from heaven." He was allowed to choose a cookie, opened it, and read: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). He was very moved and stood before me with his mouth open. I said to him, "You see, God himself is here and hears our conversation." Before he left, he thanked me warmly for the moving conversation and said: "I can't speak so openly with my priest, but I can talk to you about anything." For customers like that, I always have a wrapped gift ready: the book "Jesus Our Destiny" by Wilhelm Busch.
People often come here and pour their hearts out during the conversation. Sometimes they start to cry, and it's important to find the right words.
Once, a Polish Catholic woman who had studied theology came to us to get some literature on Catholicism. She subsequently converted to Jesus and ordered many packages of books about Jesus to distribute in her community. As a result, more people converted. Thank God! We experience God's work here every day. We could tell testimonies for hours.
There's a possessed man here who comes quite often. Once, I was alone when he arrived. He was really shouting at me, and I had to confront him with the power of the Holy Spirit—I knew what kind of person he was. He kept coming back and just taking things without paying. I think that maybe God is using him to take things to places I could never put them. Once, when two female customers who live about 200 km away were here, and we were talking about how lately you can see the enemy attacking Christians, this man came again, shouting, took a stone cross, and approached me threateningly with his hand raised. Afterwards, I saw on the video that the two women were standing behind me, praying with their hands raised. I myself was praying in the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, he turned around and disappeared with a few things he had taken. The two women immediately asked how much the items cost and refunded them. I didn't even know them. Two weeks later, one of the two women called to ask how I was doing. She said that they prayed for me every day, asking for God's protection and that the possessed man would pass by and not be able to find the front door. I told her that I don't pray like that. I pray that God's protection is upon me and that if he wants to save the man, he is welcome to come by.
Nadine: I've been a convert for four and a half years. The bookstore is a field of evangelism in every direction! Frieda has developed such a keen sense for it through the Holy Spirit. So many people come here, from so many different faiths, and you have to deal with each one differently. Many are searching and come here, and they find the truth here. Besides, it's the only shop of its kind in the entire brotherhood, as far as I know. People from different churches call and can be sure they'll get the right books about our teachings.
Stephanus: What do you like about this job?
Lida: I like that I can evangelize – that I can tell people about Jesus. I can share stories from my life and pass on my own experiences. And what was particularly special was that we were repeatedly on the verge of closing, but each time, for different reasons, we were allowed to continue.
Nadine: I first came to this bookstore as a customer. I often spent many hours here. After hearing the stories of Frieda and the staff, God ignited in me the desire to share the good news with people here as well. Everyone really comes together here: Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, all the churches in Speyer and the surrounding area. We also regularly receive requests from the congregations of our brotherhood. And then there's Viktor, who comes by before and after work or in his free time, brings packages, and so on. Here, you're participating in a great work of God. That's why I'm here.
Entrance to the bookshop with outdoor area of the café
Stephanus: Which products sell best? What is the best-selling book?
Frieda: The Bible. By a very wide margin.
Viktor: When the new Luther Bible came out, the person in charge of Alpha called and said that we were in first place in terms of Bible sales. A lot of money was also made during the mission conferences, mainly through Bible sales.
Stephanus: Can you make a living from the business?
Viktor: In business, you usually bring the money home. Here it's the other way around: you bring the money here. For years, we had to invest here monthly just to make ends meet. If there was ever a profit, it was donated.
Frieda: When our daughter started her training here, I told her that this isn't a place where you can make good money. You receive many blessings. But the enemy can also do harm through you if you are not spiritually prepared.
Stephanus: What are your goals for the future?
Frieda: If God grants us grace, we want to continue reaching people. That was, is, and will remain our goal. Otherwise, our future lies in God's hands.
Stephanus: Is there anything else you'd like to say in closing?
Frieda: Yes, I am very grateful to God for this ministry He has placed us in. I have never regretted this decision, even though it wasn't always easy. God has always provided for us. When we could no longer manage financially, He sent us volunteers.
I am especially grateful to my husband, without whose help in the form of work, finances and much more it would never have been possible.
A special thank you to all our customers who have loyally supported us with their purchases over the years. We are especially grateful for any support through prayer!
In conclusion: We only did what we had to do, as it says in Luke 17:10: “So also you, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say: We are unworthy servants; we have done what we ought to do.”
Stephanus: Brother Viktor, Sister Frieda, and the staff, thank you so much for the fascinating conversation! The whole story is a great testimony! May God also glorify Himself through it in the magazine Stephanus – Way of Discipleship!
Tobias Vogel,
Municipality of Speyer
Opportunity to donate:
https://stephanus-zeitschrift.de/spenden/?individuell/spende
Intended use: Alpha Bookstore Signpost