Let’s be Frank. As in, Sinatra. It’s time we started singing a new song in our industry. Let’s replace the “My Way” solo with a lesser-known number from the man’s catalog that could feature a choir—such as, “Together.”

Tough times can make us open to new ideas, and I wonder if the day hasn’t come for a whole new level of cooperation to be pursued in our Christian products world—started and modeled by our three trade associations.

We’re grateful for the work of CBA, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and the Gospel Music Association (GMA). Each has contributed to the growth of our industry through the years, and we believe that if you’re part of reaching the world through Christian materials in any shape or form, you need to belong to these groups.

We’ve long reported on their various activities, and recently invited the leaders of each organization to contribute to a new monthly online column for our Web site (www.christianretailing.com) in which they share perspectives on what is happening in the industry. That’s just a small way in which we are trying to help foster greater connectedness within the industry.

Collectively, we’ve always talked a good game about cooperation and partnership in our world of Christian resources, and to be sure, there have been some fine examples along the way. But, for the most part, they’ve tended to be one-off alliances. In reality, we’ve been more about rugged individualism than seamless teamwork.

But if there’s an industry where mutual benefits should be attainable, surely it’s ours. After all, we do hold the ultimate reference guide to the concept as our plumb line. The Bible is full of those “one another” references.

Sure, the three trade associations have worked cooperatively to different degrees over time, but maybe we’re at a place where that needs to go up to a whole new level.

How about starting with some kind of combined industry event?

This isn’t an entirely new idea, but perhaps we are at a stage where past reasons why it wouldn’t work are no longer relevant.

No one needs persuading that, for the most part, shows aren’t working like they did. CBA continues to work on reshaping its summer thing to better serve retailers and suppliers, but the 60th anniversary event in July looks set to be negatively impacted by ECPA’s Christian Book Expo (CBE), in March.

The thinly attended consumer event diverted some marketing dollars from the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), with publishers already frustrated about dwindling returns on ICRS looking to CBE as a better place to invest.

That it turned out not to be has angered some stores. Retailer critics say that while CBE may not have been intended to hurt them—publishers maintaining that a higher profile for Christian books can only be good for everyone—its failure has, because publishers who participated in CBE will now be looking to recoup losses there ... possibly with money earmarked for supporting Christian retail efforts.

Then there are the challenges faced by the GMA, with concern about the future of music sales reflected in falling retailer attendance at its Gospel Music Week. That event’s health has not been helped by the Christian radio contingent’s decision to hold its own, separate event.

So how about something like Christian Products World, which combines elements of all three existing programs? Meeting in one place at one time, say for a week, would clearly reduce costs for suppliers. And it could help bring more attention to what is happening.

The first part could be internal to our industry, all the training and business and interaction that is still so important. Then why not open it up to the world at large at the end for a couple of days, with a consumer showcase? The GMA’s Dove Awards might be a good draw as part of that mix.

Such a big, all-in-one event in the summertime need not preclude smaller, focused programs in the winter for niche needs—such as, say, international buyers who maintain they need two buying opportunities a year.

I recognize that it’s one thing to talk “big picture” when you aren’t the one that has to go in and provide all the important details. Like where and when this might be, how it would be organized and who would get the money. But maybe it’s time to sit down and consider the possibilities.

Just the other day I read about the American Booksellers Association being in discussions with the Association of Booksellers for Children about the possibility of reuniting, 25 years after the kids’ group broke away to form its own entity.

I’m not suggesting that our three trade associations do that—though, hey, while I am thinking out loud on their behalf, why not have them all headquartered in the same place? That could ease some budget concerns right there.

Clearly, each association brings valuable and distinct service to our industry. But there’s that Scripture about three strands not being easily broken, and a combined event might not only make sense functionally.

It could perhaps also help provide the opportunity for practicising the kind of unity that, the Bible tells us, is a conduit of blessing.