Pledge-drive promotion for Gary Chapman’s ‘universal’ best-seller will ‘help bring in new audiences’

One of Christian retailing’s perennial best-sellers has made its way to DVD almost 20 years after it was first published.

Author and counselor Gary Chapman is captured presenting his teaching on The 5 Love Languages in a 65-minute program released in May by DPTV Media. Retailing for $14.98, it is being distributed to Christian and general market outlets by E1 Entertainment Distribution U.S.

Since it was published in 1992, Chapman’s guide to communication and relationships has sold more than 5.5 million copies and been a fixture on industry best-seller lists. It has also seen five spin-off titles—“Love Languages” editions for children, teens, singles and men and The Heart of the Five Love Languages.

Chapman was filmed presenting his popular message at the studios of Detroit Public Television in Wixom, Mich., where it aired in December 2009. The program is being released nationally on public television during this month’s fund-raising drive.

“Love as a topic is really universal, just like music,” said DPTV Media Label Manager Aimee Longato. “The information in this program is vital for all ages … whether you are a parent, newlywed, a spouse in a 10-, 20-, 30-plus year marriage or dating. When you start to speak your loved ones’ love language, you change the emotional climate of that relationship.”

Longato added that “with the high success of the book, it’s anticipated that this material is strongly needed and a visual offering of the material will help bring in new audiences who would rather hear the material delivered from the author as opposed to reading it.”

Janis Backing, publicity manager at Moody Publishers, said that there would be no promotions tied directly to the DVD, but the company planned to make people aware of the release through social media and at the official Five Love Languages Web site.

Moody had considered producing its own DVD, “but the cost of producing it in high definition and other factors have prevented us from doing so,” she added. “Dr. Chapman was invited by the DPTV group to present the message for their pledge drive in December, and so they decided to record it and create the DVD as a pledge gift along with the book.”

Bodie and Brock Thoene, Frank Peretti sign new contracts with Summerside Press, Howard Books

Three of Christian fiction’s leading names from the last 20 years are on the move for their next new releases.

Husband-and-wife team Bodie and Brock Thoene have signed with Summerside Press for a sequel to their two popular previous “Zion” series, while Frank Peretti has contracted with Howard Books to publish his first solo work since 2005.

The Thoenes’ “The Zion Diaries” revisits the World War II setting of their “Zion Covenant” series and “Zion Chronicles” series, which were published by Tyndale House Publishers.

The first in the new three-title series, The Gathering Storm, will be released in August and tell the story of Loralei Kepler, the daughter of a German resistance leader and school headmaster. The as-yet-untitled second and third books will follow in spring and fall of 2011.

The Thoenes’ partnership with Summerside follows the company’s publishing in May of Love Finds You in Lahaina as part of its “Love Finds You” romance series. Based on the story of Hawaiian princess Kaiulani, the novel had been written years ago, but remained unpublished.

Bodie Thoene said that fans had been asking for another “Zion” series for more than two decades, but she and her husband had felt led by God to first complete their “A.D.” series of Bible-based novels published by Tyndale.

“We discovered a strong mutual interest in pursuing this new and exciting Zion series,” said Summerside President Carlton Garborg. “It was perfect timing, as we were poised on the edge of our next expansion—launching a general, author-driven fiction line. We’re delighted to kick off this Signature Series, which will feature established and up-and-coming authors, with the Thoenes.”

This summer, Summerside is to follow “Love Finds You” with the new “When I Fall in Love” line, built around the titles of famous songs like Love Me Tender and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

Peretti’s Howard Books title will come out in late 2011 and be his first since 2006’s House (Thomas Nelson), co-written with Ted Dekker, and the first title written solely by Peretti since 2005’s New York Times best-selling Monster (Thomas Nelson).

Peretti is “a natural storyteller and we’re pleased to collaborate with him on delivering this next title to his waiting audience,” said Rebekah Nesbitt, vice president and editor in chief for Howard Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint.

The Thoenes have written more than 50 works of award-winning historical fiction, selling a total of more than 20 million copies. Peretti has more than 12 million books in print.

Holiday shopping habits ‘established through the year,’ notes CBA leader Curtis Riskey

Preparing to make the most of the crucial Christmas shopping season involves more than just ordering key product in plenty of time, according to CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey.

Stores need to be working hard the rest of the year to ensure that they are at the top of consumers’ mind when the holiday comes round, he said.

“People make decisions on where they buy at Christmas not just on a sale at the end of the year, but also on which stores are their favorites and who they are buying for,” Riskey told Christian Retailing. “These are habits established through the year.

“Store experience continues to be a critical factor for brick-and-mortar stores, particularly Christian stores that currently are not able to engage customers effectively with digital products—something that must be addressed in our industry,” he added.

Riskey was speaking in the wake of CBA’s State of the Industry report for 2010 that found Christian stores reporting an average 2.1% decrease in net holiday sales last Christmas, while the National Retail Federation found all 2009 season retail sales up only 1.1% from the same 2008 period.

Riskey said that the retail sales decline for Christian stores in 2009 compared favorably to the 10.75% drop seen in 2008 and reflected a need for retailers “to continue maximizing customer engagement throughout the year.”

While between 50% and 60% of some stores’ sales occur in the fourth quarter, “there are opportunities throughout the year to merchandise more aggressively and to participate in ministry,” he added.

Stores should be at the forefront of Christmas celebrations, Riskey said. “Store decorations and environment, events, sales and promotions should be aligned with what Christmas is all about: the birth of our Savior.

“Emotional connections to core customers and active Christians will help sustain the loyal relationships already built with them throughout the year, giving them something more important than a cheap gift that could be bought anywhere,” he added.

As CBA plans consumer-awareness programs for the end of the year, “customer engagement” will continue to be important, Riskey said. “This will not only be driven by the transaction but by communication—information that affects what core customers are interested in—and relationships.”

Stores needed to connect with customers “in a more relational way than a transactional way. Meaning, it’s not about the sale but about what happens because of the sale or during the sale. And it’s not about mass communication, it’s about connecting directly with a passionate group or tribe that thinks and feels like you do.”

Phil Vischer’s new Tyndale House Publishers series draws ‘strong reactions’ from some viewers

VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer has defended his major new children’s Bible series from criticisms that it includes an “anti-Christian” reference.

Vischer addressed the concerns in blog postings following the launch of the first two installments of the 13-part “What’s in the Bible?” DVD series from Tyndale House Publishers.

A few fans had written in to complain about a joke about the big-bang theory in the first video, In The Beginning, because they believed that the theory was anti-Christian “and therefore shouldn’t be mentioned in any way in a Christian video,” he noted.

Initially surprised by the response “since the reference was just a humorous aside,” Vischer decided he needed to address it head-on “before too many people get concerned (about) ‘un-Christian jokes,’ ” he said.

“Actually, it’s quite the opposite,” he wrote, discussing different Christian views on the world’s orgin. “Rather than feeling the big-bang theory is ‘anti-biblical,’ many scientists believe it actually supports the Bible,” he said. “The big bang theory cries out for a Creator. That’s why I included it in my show.”

Katara Patton, acquisitions director of children and youth for Tyndale, said that the company had received “a few strong reactions to the comment.” Vischer had sent personal responses to those concerned and explained his rationale, “particularly that he is not taking a position on the theory in the DVD. He is not attempting to teach the theory or present a position on it,” she told Christian Retailing.

“Overall, people have loved the DVD, and sales are building steadily,” she added. “We see an increase in sales each week.” There were no plans to edit out the reference in future editions, she said.

Among those with whom Vischer made contact was Lorena Allen, manager of Harvest Bookstore at Eastview Christian Church in Normal, Ill. The new series was on sale at the store until Allen was made aware of the big-bang reference by a member of the church’s children’s ministry team.

The DVD has since been pulled from the shelves. “Kids are so impressionable and they will watch this until it is memorized,” said Allen. “Any reference to the big bang can cause confusion later when they begin to discuss it with science teachers.”

Allen contacted Tyndale House with her concerns and later heard directly from Vischer explaining his position. “I understand his response, but I still hold firm to the fact that it is referred to and, to me, the best solution is to cut it on the next run,” she said. “It is not ‘in the Bible’ and it is not theologically a neutral subject.

“We will not carry the series unless I get an OK from the children’s department here,” Allen added. “We are taking the cautious approach on the rest of the series since we haven’t viewed it in its entirety. Probably 98% of it is good, it just needs a tweak. Unfortunately, it was too late prior to release.”

At his blog, Vischer wrote: “The Bible is always correct in what it says. We―as humans―are sometimes incorrect in our interpretations of what it means. Same thing with science. Let’s agree on the facts, and agree that it’s okay sometimes to disagree on how we interpret those facts.”

Meanwhile, the third installment of the series, Wanderin’ in the Desert, was released in June. Featuring two 25-minute episodes, the DVD seeks to help children understand how Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy fit in with Genesis and Exodus.

Tyndale officials said social media has helped effectively launch What’s in the Bible? Besides a Web site and blog with a video introducing the series, the publisher started Twitter and Facebook pages, featuring various contests and special promotions in an effort to get 1,000 followers and fans on both social networking sites.