LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — It's more than a bookstore at Rejoice Christian Books and Gifts in Lawrenceville; when stopping by the shop, you're more than likely to leave with a community advocate or even a friend.
Ms. Ojay Jones says she does everything possible to make her small Christian bookstore a safe home for all, going above and beyond for her customers whenever she gets the opportunity.
"I am here to be a profit. I want to train people, young people and older people, not to pay it forward but to share love and genuine love, too. I don't want nothing from you but to love you," she added.
The bubbly Christian Bookstore owner recently appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show.
"It's going to be a memory for a lifetime because I didn't expect what they did to not be a local broadcast but national. That was so rewarding," Jones said about her time on the show.
Jones opened her business in Lawrenceville in 2021. During the pandemic, she saw that her neighborhood lacked a Christian bookstore, so she opened hers to provide a safe place for people. Since opening, Jones was voted Best of Gwinnett Bookstore for 2023 and 2022. She also added that she received accolades from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and was voted the Neighborhood Favorite Award on the Next Door App.
While on the show, she shared the impact that books and owning a bookstore have had on her life.
"Books have always been a very critical part of my life, giving me personal inspiration. And to combine that personally with the bookstore was great because books provide information, inspiration and motivation," she said on Wednesday. "And if a person, whether it be a child or an adult, can find themselves to dive into a book or dare I say Bible, I tell you the life that you get out of that material, those books are life-changing. So I wanted to make sure that I made it accessible."
Jones gave a testimony of a man who came to her shop early. She opened her doors for the customer without hesitation. As she began asking more questions, she learned his story and learned that the man's loved one was in crisis. Their loved one asked for a specific Bible, and Jones helped the man find exactly what he was looking for.
Weeks later, the man came in with his loved one, who was in better shape, and his loved one had a chance to thank Jones in person.
Lawrenceville bookstore owner goes above and beyond for her community 'to share genuine love'
"Knowing how I want other people to be treated, not the way I necessarily was treated, I'm able to give that back. I'm able to smile and talk to people, and laugh. I'm able to give the best of me to the community, and they give me the best of themselves," Jones said.
She told 11Alive that after appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show, she noticed a slight customer influx. But as she changes lives and supports the people in her community, she struggles to keep her doors open.
Jones has been self-funding her bookstore since it opened. She previously worked two full-time jobs and ran her bookstore full-time, dedicated to helping those in need.
She tried finding traditional means of paying for her business, but she was turned away and advised to go the nontraditional route. She also has young interns whom she is looking to pay for their hard work as they help pay it forward with her.
Despite her struggles, Jones says helping the community, her pastor and her faith keeps her going.
She has plans to eventually get a mobile bookstore truck to take books to seniors around the metro area and continue helping the youth.
To watch the Christian bookstore owner on the Jennifer Hudson show, watch the video below.
