For the third year in a row, generous attendees have made it possible for several managers of fledgling Christian bookstores in mainland China to travel to Hong Kong to get vital training.

A special offering taken at the Sunday morning Worship Now! event to sponsor attendance of mainland Chinese retailers at Marketsquare Asia in September raised $7,827.74, CBA President Bill Anderson announced at yesterday's show-floor ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Anderson presented an oversized check for the gift to Jim Powell, president of Christian Trade Association International (CTAI), which is organizing the Marketsquare event, to be held Sept. 6-8.

Powell thanked the crowd of approximately 175 people at the official opening for their generosity. "Our goal is 60 (mainland Chinese retailers)," he said. "We're going to keep working on this."

Sixty Christian retailers from mainland China also were able to attend Marketsquare Asia 2008 through offerings taken at the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla., last summer, including $9,205 during the Worship Now! event.