Leading names voice support for inaugural retail awareness campaign

A bevy of authors and artists has voiced support for the first nationwide Christian Store Day, to be held Oct. 23.

More than 20 leading names from the Christian book and music world have given their backing to the initiative to raise awareness of Christian retail stores.

“Local Christian bookstores play an essential role in the placing of Christian books into the hands of those who need them,” said best-selling novelist Francine Rivers in one the endorsements at the Web site promoting the event, modeled after the successful Record Store Day that has championed independent music retailers over the past few years.

“Left Behind” series co-author Jerry Jenkins wrote that he was “a huge fan of the local Christian retailer and always have been. The people on the frontlines are the ones really selling the books that change lives, and I’m eternally grateful.”

Award-winning writer Philip Yancey said that book sales work best “when guided by real people who sense a buyer’s needs and interests and can custom-tailor a suggestion. Ordering a book online or in a megastore removes that personal, even pastoral connection.”

Young adult author Bryan Davis, a regular visitor to Christian stores on book signing events, said that they “seem to know their customers far better than do mainstream bookstores, and they are friendlier and more accommodating. “

Musician Mark Schultz noted that “it’s such a gift to be able to walk into a store where Christian values are celebrated.”

Others contributing messages of support include Anne Graham Lotz, Brandilyn Collins, Randy Alcorn and Point of Grace member Shelley Breen. Michael W. Smith and the members of Third Day are among musicians who have recorded video and audio messages of support for the site, too.

The messages have been collected at www.christianstoreday.com, where visitors can learn about the charitable part of the campaign and access a link that will tell them where the location of their closest participating store. By late August more than 100 independent stores had registered for the campaign, joining LifeWay Christian Stores in the event. Closing date for sign-ups was due to be Sept. 23.

Among those committed to taking part is Bill Ballou, owner of The Solid Rock in Kearney, Neb., who has been in business for almost 40 years. It would be good to be part of a national event that helped raise the profile of Christian stores, he said. “A lot of people still like to shop locally even though they have the Internet.”

Ballou said that he planned to link Christian Store Day to the annual customer appreciation promotion he does and may invite local Christian firefighters and police officers to the store to meet children as part of the day’s special events.

Meanwhile, suppliers sponsoring the promotion have been coordinating with their artists and authors who either live near a participating store or are due to be on tour near one on Oct. 23, to arrange in-store appearances.

Central to the promotion is a $5 benefit CD to raise money for Compassion, Samaritan’s Purse and World Vision efforts in Haiti. With songs from artists including Newsboys and Tobymac, the CD will also include a book download, three digital titles and the first episode of Phil Vischer’s new children’s DVD series, “What’s in the Bible?”

More than 100 books, CDs and and DVDs will be available for sale as $5, $10 and half-price specials, with vendors supporting the effort also providing free products for hourly giveaways.

Backed by CBA, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the Christian Music Trade Association, the event is being sponsored by Tyndale House Publishers, Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Word Distribution, EMI CMG Music Distribution and Provident-Integrity Distribution.