A Simple Way to Serve at First Presbyterian’s Bookstore

At First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, Sundays come with more than sermons. In between services, church members browse shelves filled with fiction, nonfiction, devotionals, Bibles, class study books and greeting cards — all supporting the Presbyterian Women’s missions program.

The bookstore has even expanded its impact by partnering with Ten Thousand Villages, offering fair-trade gifts handcrafted by disadvantaged artisans from more than 35 countries. Every purchase helps extend their mission beyond church walls.

Behind the scenes, keeping the shelves staffed takes thoughtful coordination.

Bringing Calm to the Sunday Schedule

Each Sunday, five volunteers cover bookstore shifts from 9:30 a.m. to noon. For bookstore manager Kathy Gaston, organizing those shifts used to mean sending emails back and forth — and waiting as replies crossed, conflicted and required reshuffling.

“Before SignUpGenius, I would send an email to the volunteers and they would respond about their schedule,” Gaston shares. “Because of emails crossing each other and other conflicts, it took a long time to come up with a working schedule. With SignUpGenius, all I have to do is send out one schedule and volunteers can see which slots are open.”

Instead of chasing confirmations, Gaston now shares one clear sign up. Volunteers choose their shifts, see what’s available in real time, and receive automatic reminders before they serve.

The result is a smoother Sunday rhythm — one that lets the team focus less on logistics and more on supporting missions that reach far beyond Nashville.

SignUpGenius is proud to support the volunteers at First Presbyterian and the meaningful work their bookstore makes possible!

Ready to simplify volunteer scheduling and spend more time focused on your mission?