If you're not careful, what started as a retail outlet can become much more—the church Lost and Found, the information desk for visitors, the place for members to sell whatever they want and the registration table for ministry events.

In other words, your church bookstore can become a dumping ground for the ministries and members of the church.

We discovered this when we opened our church bookstore 19 years ago. After being inundated with all manner of requests, we discovered that the best way to handle them was to set guidelines and boundaries.

First, policies must be developed in writing so that everyone in the store knows how to address specific requests. Then the store manager should review the policies with the staff and volunteers to make sure everyone is on the same page.

For example, several church members decided that the bookstore would be a great location to drop off materials for another member to pick up at a later date or after Sunday services. This would create a nightmare scenario for us when desk and counter space got covered with items that were supposed to be picked up two or three weeks ago.

The answer—create a policy that you do not accept anything from anyone unless it is for the bookstore staff. All store employees should enforce this policy at the door, so customers won't have to discuss it with management every time a request is made.

Another important aspect of setting boundaries is to be consistent with the policy. Showing favoritism can create conflict as well as damage your testimony before your bookstore staff and church members.
If you choose to disregard the policy for certain people, you have defeated the purpose for which the boundaries were set in the first place.

If your store is like ours, you often get requests to borrow materials or give them as donations for door prizes or special events. Remember, it is OK to say no at the time a request is made if you do not have anything to give away.

To avoid saying no all the time, consider keeping some items that are slightly damaged or some overstock merchandise for the purpose of helping ministries in need.

Requests to sell products from church members and non-members alike can become a nuisance for any church bookstore—especially when they come on a weekly, or daily, basis.

Again, the solution is to have a written policy or criteria to decide which products to sell in the bookstore.

Whenever someone makes a request, tell them you would be happy to review their book, listen to their CD or review their product if they leave it with you, and that a follow-up call will be made within two weeks.

Try not to turn down anyone without reviewing the product because, as we have discovered, some of the best talent and creativity may be sitting in your own church pews.

--Terri Williams has managed Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship's bookstore in Dallas for more than 20 years.

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