I have just read your April editorial, “Wanted: big-picture thinkers,” and I have to say that it spoke to me loud enough to prompt this response.

I moved to the area where I live a few years ago and opened my store, expecting great support from the churches and community. After all, this is a very conservative, churchgoing, KJV-only, Southern gospel-listening bunch of people, so why wouldn’t they appreciate a Christian bookstore?

Well, I was wrong in my thinking. I have offered pastor discount programs, a place for pastors to network together, a coffee shop, a place to hold Bible studies or to just gather and many other ideas—but to no avail. Businesswise, I do well enough to pay the bills (barely, some months), but ministrywise I feel like I have failed at everything that I have tried.

If you have any suggestions that I may try, then please send them my way.

Darlene Alldredge

Owner

His Place Christian Resources

Lineville, Ala.

I enjoyed your editorial in the April issue. I have been in business seven years, and my vision for the store was and is that it would truly be an oasis for people.

I also have a coffee shop with espresso drinks/fresh fruit juices, smoothies and muffins. I had hoped the coffee shop would draw non-Christian people in and it has. I consider it my outreach.

I hope your article encourages many others to come up with creative ideas to connect and spread the gospel.

Jane Cook

Owner

Oasis Christian Bookstore

Farmington, Mo.

Thank you for the May 27 Christian Retailing Update report about our new “Free Bible Charts of the Month” program for helping bookstores. We now have nearly 100 Christian stores using this program.

I wanted you to clarify a couple of things about the article. Stores and their customers do not go to the Rose Web site, but to FreeBibleCharts.com, a deliberately non-branded Web site. Store customers do not download nine e-charts at one time. In the “Free Bible Charts of the Month” program for bookstores, they download only one free Bible e-chart per month.

For more information, contact Eric Lau at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Gretchen Goldsmith

President/CEO

Rose Publishing

I recently read a Christian Retailing report that, starting Aug. 1, every Thomas Nelson Bible will be guaranteed for life against manufacturing defects in what was “believed to be an unprecedented quality pledge.”

I would respectfully like to point out that Fireside Catholic Publishing for over 40 years has provided a Lifetime Guarantee of all its Bible line, should the Bible ever prove unsatisfactory due to manufacturing defects.

We welcome Thomas Nelson’s commitment to quality. However, it can hardly be described as unprecedented.

Mark Brosz

Vice President Sales and Marketing

Fireside Catholic Publishing