Reports designed to ‘raise awareness’ of importance of reporting to information pools

Christian retailers are being given the opportunity to study publishers’ sales data to help them stay on top of the market.

Stores that provide information for the PubTrack Christian data service can now obtain quarterly reports that track eight categories—Auto/Biography, Bibles, Biblical Studies & Reference, Christian Life & Inspiration, Christian Fiction, Diet & Health, Pentecostal & Charismatic and Kids.

Operated by bibliographic information specialist R.R. Bowker and marketed by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), PubTrack Christian collects data from more than 500 Christian retail outlets across the country.

The Quarterly Category Analysis Reports detail the market share of publishers, leading suppliers by sales, listings of the top authors, information about average title retail price and “most efficient authors” in terms of sales per title.

Introduced last year, the reports have so far been available only to publishers. PubTrack Christian publisher subscriptions include three free category reports, with the others available for $750 each annually. Non-PubTrack Christian publishers pay $1,000 a year per category.

The response to the reports had been “very positive,” said ECPA Director of Information and Education Michael Covington, with many subscribing publishers signing up to receive additional reports.

Now retailers who provide their sales data to PubTrack Christian will be able to obtain a year of quarterly analysis reports for $49 per category. The fee was to cover administrative costs, Covington said.

“Providing these reports to retailers is not a revenue stream, but instead is meant to raise awareness of the importance of reporting to industry data pools, and the potential benefits for doing so mean that publishers can create more targeted Christian-retail strategies,” he said.

Used to produce the ECPA’s monthly best-seller lists, PubTrack Christian “was built to serve the publishing community as they seek to create better strategies for selling more books through Christian retail,” said Covington. “We are often thanked by Christian retailers who receive the lists,” he added. “We feel that stores who submit their data should also have the opportunity to benefit from the intelligence created from it.”

The PubTrack Christian data is available only to publishers and retailers involved with the Christian retail channel. The monthly ECPA charts are based on trade discounted titles selling in at least 20% of reporting stores. The association also recently launched a multi-channel sales chart, drawn from Christian, general market and Internet retailers.

Marcus Yoars takes over at ‘Charisma,’ which unveils a new-media relaunch

A new editor has been named for Charisma magazine as the publication approaches its 35th anniversary serving the charismatic movement with a relaunch and a new-media focus.

Marcus Yoars has replaced J. Lee Grady, who stepped down after 11 years at the helm. Only the third editor in the magazine’s history, at 34 Yoars is the same age Grady was when he joined the publication 17 years ago.

“We see this transition as very strategic,” said Steve Strang, founding editor and founder of publisher Strang Communications. “It comes at the same time we are relaunching Charisma with a renewed focus and some exciting new initiatives.”

Grady departed to become editor of
Experience, the official magazine of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church under which he is ordained, and develop his ministry The Mordecai Project—which focuses on empowering women for leadership and confronting the abuse of women around the world.

Yoars takes over at Charisma after serving as editor of Strang Communications’ Ministry Today for three years. Born and raised on the mission field in Hong Kong, Yoars has been in publishing for more than 15 years, including serving as an editor for Thomas Nelson, LifeWay and Focus on the Family.

“It’s a new day for Charisma,” Yoars said. “We’ve been preaching that around the Strang offices for months, but it’s exciting to finally see things taking shape as we transition into a new Charisma starting in May. Lee (Grady) did a phenomenal job of further establishing the magazine as a hub in the Spirit-filled community, and I plan to continue that ongoing conversation with longtime readers and critics alike. It just might look a little different and take place in some new vehicles.”

Relaunched with the May issue, Charisma features a new design, including shorter articles and new contributors. Editorial content is presented in three new sections that aim to “Inspire, ‘Inform, Empower.” Other changes include a new logo and tagline, “Life in the Spirit.” Dropped from the title is + Christian Life, referring to the name of the magazine Charisma absorbed in 1986.

In addition, the new Charisma offers an interactive digital edition with exclusive additional content, including videos, podcasts, music and photo galleries. Other new media developments include an enhanced Web site, www.charismamag.com, and a breaking news mobile phone application.

“Seasons change,” said Strang, who launched the magazine in August 1975. “While Charisma was born in the midst of a dynamic spiritual movement, the dynamics of that movement have changed and God is doing new things.

“We want to stay in step with the Holy Spirit’s new direction,” Strang added. “That is why we are relaunching our publication to better serve our subscribers, reach younger readers and better serve the global church.”

Strang Communications Co. has also published Christian Retailing magazine since 1986, adding The Church Bookstore and Inspirational Gift Trends supplements in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and organized The Gathering for the past six years.

Group adopts new management model, drops CEO search

CBA has scrapped its search for a replacement for longtime President and CEO Bill Anderson, instead appointing Curtis Riskey as executive director of the retailers’ trade association.

The owner of a Christian bookstore in Oshkosh, Wis., Riskey, 43, has been on the staff of CBA since 2007 and served as its interim executive director since Anderson’s departure last October.

Riskey’s appointment—the first time a retailer has headed the organization—was welcomed widely by other industry leaders and CBA members.

Announcing the move, CBA said that the organization would be “using an executive director management model going forward,” forgoing the need to find a new president/CEO.

CBA Chairman-elect George Thomsen said that Riskey’s leadership in the past few months had “exemplified his knowledge of the many facets of Christian retail, his acumen for connecting with a variety of industry leaders to work together on common goals and his dedication to the success of this industry even amid current global economic challenges.”

It was important that Riskey “not only has a heart for retailers, but is a retailer himself,” Thomsen added.

Evangelical Christian Publishers Association President and CEO Mark Kuyper—a former CBA vice president—called Riskey “an excellent choice,” describing him as “a man of creative vision and great integrity.” He “understands the challenging issues facing Christian retailers, but sees options and opportunities for growth and ministry,” Kuyper added.

Gift company P. Graham Dunn President Peter Dunn, a former CBA board member, told Christian Retailing that Riskey had “shown strong leadership in his past experiences within the Christian bookstore market” and understood “the nuances of our market.” “I feel Curtis is well-poised to provide the leadership that the industry needs to face the challenges of an ever-changing market in the years to come.”

LifeWay Christian Stores Vice President Mark Scott said he was excited about Riskey’s appointment. “Curtis has exhibited a strong understanding of the strategic issues facing our industry,” he said. “He also possesses the relational skills to help industry leaders work together toward common goals. Most importantly, he has a genuine passion for the ministry of Christian retail.”

For Jim Powell, president of Christian Trade Association International, Riskey’s new role was “an exciting development.” He added: “With all the changes in the industry, CBA needs strong staff leadership, which Curtis will give.”

The move would help ensure long-term viability of CBA’s International Christian Retail Show, which is so critical to the industry worldwide and to American and international suppliers who relate to the wider world,” Powell told Christian Retailing.

Jim Kregel, president of Kregel Parable Christian Stores in Grand Rapids, Mich., said that Riskey was “a man with a genuine heart for ministry,” who also “possesses a wide range of business and technological acumen.”

Brenda Harrison, co-owner of Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Bedford, Ind., said the fact that Riskey “is a retailer himself makes him a good choice.” Having read articles he had written and heard him speak, she said he was “very knowledgeable and an excellent speaker.”

Lorraine Valk, co-owner of Banner Books Parable Christian Store of St. Joseph in St. Joseph, Mich., said Riskey “has great qualifications for the position.” “He has a diverse background that will definately be beneficial,” she said.

Appointing Riskey, CBA said it would be “using an executive-director management model going forward.” Regarding the change in management style, Thomsen said that the board felt it “best fits CBA’s needs for this day and age.”

The model would allow Riskey to lead the organization, while continuing to give personal attention to key programs and member services in which he was already involved. His job responsibilities and level of authority “are very similar” to Anderson’s. “There will be some minor shifting of labor onto the board,” Thomsen added.

Prior to joining CBA staff as strategic solutions executive—while retaining ownership of his BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) Books and Café in Oshkosh, opened in 2000—Riskey served on the organization’s Independent Retail Advisory Council and taught in its Professional Christian Retailer Certification program. He was also a member of Christian Retailing’s editorial advisory board.

In the CBA statement announcing his appointment, Riskey said he was humbled and excited. “I have a vision for the role CBA is going to play. My heart is with Christian retailers, who are truly missionaries in the communities they serve, and I want to see them succeed.”

With 10 years in the appliance industry before opening his store, Riskey holds a business degree from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. He and his wife, Barbara, have three children.

Anderson’s Oct. 30, 2009, resignation—after more than 30 years with CBA, 24 of them as president—took many in the industry by surprise. No reason was given for his departure.

Christian retailers increase emphasis on ‘what you won’t find at Wal-Mart’ by being ‘more intentional’

Forget price, Christian stores are placing a renewed emphasis on one area of service where their big business competitors haven’t got a prayer of measuring up.

While many Christian retailers have long been ready to offer personal prayer to customers looking for help beyond a purchase, some are now being more intentional about the caring interaction “you won’t get at Wal-Mart.”

Initiatives include stores that promote a public prayer board and another where customers are invited to join in an informal prayer circle each afternoon.

The emphasis is “something that Christian retailers can do to demonstrate a real and tangible difference in the marketplace,” observed Curtis Riskey, executive director of CBA. “I have been in awe of the power of prayer in Christian retail stores and I hope it will continue.”

Customers at Kregel Parable Christian Stores in Grand Rapids, Mich., can pin prayer requests on the wall at both outlets, which introduced the public forum after unveiling a new mission statement last year to mark their centenary, “Sharing Hope for Today... and every tomorrow!”

The prayer centers are located near the checkouts in high traffic areas and notes are kept up for a month, with those taking part encouraged to return to give updates. Recent appeals include “strength and good health” for someone being treated for cancer and “wisdom for Diane as she seeks healing in her relationship with her daughter.”

“Things might look difficult right now, but we know that God answers prayer and we wanted to be more intentional about that,” said Kregel President Jim Kregel. “It’s been one more positive addition to the atmosphere and to the service that we offer.”

Like the Kregel staff and workers at many other Christian stores, management and frontliners at the CLC (Christian Literature Crusade) Christian Bookstore in Chestnut Hill, Pa., pray together before opening for business—but also recently introduced a mid-afternoon prayer time that customers are invited to join in with.

“Anyone that wants to is invited to participate. We just hold hands and pray,” said Manager Frank Falzone. “Some of the customers are very surprised and have told us that they feel blessed that we take the time to pray for others’ needs.”

One of the brief prayer times ended with a customer being led to Christ after the man told staff when they gathered together that he did not know whether he was saved. Members of the team then helped him select a Bible and gave him a free copy of Josh McDowell’s More Than a Conqueror to celebrate his decision.

“It was marvelous, one of those God moments,” said frontliner Yvonne Little, who first suggested the informal prayer times. “The man had been in church for many years but had never really understood who Christ is. I think God led him to our place because He knew what we were up to.”

Riskey said that CBA viewed Christian bookstores as “ministry initiators” in their communities, which “carries with it a responsibility to pray.

“Most of our stores and certainly our best Christian stores are role models for prayer, both internally and with customers, local church leaders and local ministries. ... It’s part and parcel of what Christian stores are all about.”

Inklings Bookstore at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., is “like the local bar—people bear their hearts to the bartenders and sometimes will tell us things they maybe feel they cannot tell a pastor,” said manager Rusty Miller. “People are always very appreciative when we offer to pray for them.”

After one prayer time with a customer that left all those involved “a little teary,” one store worker told the woman, “You wouldn’t get that in Wal-Mart, would you?,” Miller recalled. “It kind of relieved the tension a little bit.”

At The Closer Walk in Fredericksburg, Texas, owner Sheila Sattler Kale has extended her focus on prayer out into the local community, coordinating a regular informal prayer gathering “asking for the presence of God to come in to the community and change what needs to be changed.”

“As a bookstore, we don’t have a vested interest in promoting any specific church,” she said. “I’m sort of a neutral voice and it has been a huge blessing to me to get to be part of it.”

Shoppers at Mardel Christian & Education are invited to leave prayer requests on special forms left at the stores’ free coffee counter, which staff respond to during their daily meeting. In addition, “if a staff person is comfortable praying for a customer and feels led to do so, then that is a wonderful ministry oppprtunbity,” said chain President Jason Green.

Staff at C28 clothing stores—located in malls where many visitors do not necessarily know that the business is Christian-based—”strive to pray with every customer,” said founder and CEO Aurelio Barreto. The California-based chain has prayer boards at some of its outlets, which have recorded more than 14,500 salvations since the first one opened in 2001.

At LifeWay Christian Stores, spokesperson Brooklyn Lowery said that managers in the chain were encouraged to hold a prayer time with staff at the start of each day. “Additionally, store personnel often pray with and for customers as appropriate to the customer’s stated or perceived situation.”

Riskey said that prayer in stores was part of what sets Christian retail apart from other channels.

“Active Christians go to Christian stores to fully engage in their passion for their faith and their passion to reach out and help others who are hurting. ... There is value add here, which has resulted in very loyal customers who visit the stores regularly and generate higher transaction rates than stores in other comparable retail segments,” he said.

“That’s because these people are not only nurturing their personal faith walks, but buying resources for personal evangelism and care of others.”

New and revised studies from 'Be' teacher Warren Wiersbe, whose 'words transcend generations'

The words of one of Christian publishing's most celebrated writers are being introduced to new readers, thanks to a variety of new resources from different publishers.

New titles and revised studies from Warren Wiersbe—an internationally known Bible teacher, broadcaster, former pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago and the author of more than 150 books—have been or will be published by David C. Cook, Baker Books and CLC Publications.

In September, Cook released The Transformation Study Bible, comprising commentary from the 50-plus books in the popular "Be" Bible commentaries spanning 30 years. In January, the publisher also began releasing revised editions of the "Be" books such as Be Diligent, Be Authentic, Be Basic and Be Obedient as well as four books in "The Wiersbe Bible Study Series"—new companion pieces for the "Be" series for small groups.

"I believe Dr. Wiersbe is a special and gifted Bible teacher whose words transcend generations," said Dan Rich, senior vice president and publisher for Cook. "He has a gift to make Scripture come alive and make everyday sense to the average Joe. As he says, he puts the cookies on the bottom shelf. Such a gift needs to be preserved and passed on to our children and, in turn, to their children."

Wiersbe, now 81, is also still delivering new material for readers. Two new books, Too Soon to Quit (CLC Publications), about finishing well, and On Earth As It Is In Heaven (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group)—a look at the Lord's prayer—released in February.

"I'm a maverick," Wiersbe told Christian Retailing. "If I have an idea for a book, I go to work. I don't tell anyone, and when it's finished, I worry about finding a publisher and contracts."

The "Be" series has more than 6 million copies in print. Last summer at the International Christian Retail Show, Wiersbe was honored with a CBA Life Impact Award in recognition of his "devotion to Christ and faithfulness to God's Word," as a result of which "multiplied millions of believers around the globe have discovered the glory of God and have seen Christ come to life in relevant ways."

Wiersbe attributed part of its longevity to its accessibility for the average reader or Bible student.

"I'm a one-gifted person," he said. "I admire those multi-gifted people. All I do is use words, and I've tried very hard to present them where a man, woman, teenager could all read and understand them. One of the greatest compliments I've ever received is when a kid came out of one of my sermons and said, 'I understood every word you said.' "

Wiersbe also expressed amazement at news of a Pentateuch collection of the "BE" books, focusing on the first five books of the Old Testament, which was translated and introduced to Chinese readers.

"It's remarkable," he said. "They're distributing (them) with the permission of the communist government. It's inexplicable. When you hear things like that, it makes you say, 'Hey, God's at work.' "

Wiersbe is again at work on another new book, focusing on the "I am" statements of God from the Bible. Release date, title and publisher have not been announced.

Promotions that help Christian retailers in 'slumping economy' have been 'incredibly successful'

Christian publishers say they have received "a fantastic response" to promotions designed to offer help to bookstores in light of the continuing recession.

NavPress' $5 Book Deal—a Christian retail channel exclusive—has proved "a tremendous success" so far, company officials said. Launched in January and continuing through December, independent Christian stores can purchase the month's pre-selected NavPress title for $2.75 and then sell it for $5. As of the first week of January, more than 11,900 units of the pre-selected titles had sold, NavPress officials said.

"This is a fantastic response at an incredible opportunity for the independent retailer," said NavPress Sales Manager Eric Helus.

The $5 Book Deal lineup—which features NavPress top sellers—includes Becoming a Woman of Excellence by Cynthia Heald (May); Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely by Melody Carlson (July); Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow (September); and Abba's Child by Brennan Manning (December).

"The $5 price has been the magic number over the past year or two in retail," Helus said. "Our yearlong offering helps make a sampling of our best-selling titles available at a price point that will allow the reader who might not be familiar with or interested in buy and read these books. At the same time, retailers can cross-promote the $5 books with the respective author's other titles to increase sales."

Meanwhile, Thomas Nelson Fiction's new line of "first novels," which began selling for $2.99 in November through the Christian retail channel, has been "incredibly successful," said Allen Arnold, the company's senior vice president and publisher for fiction.

The first four in the promotion were Chosen by Ted Dekker, Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter, Without a Trace by Colleen Coble and Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman. Four more titles were released last month, including Tim Downs' First the Dead and Robert Whitlow's Deeper Water.

"The first four titles … have sold through at a brisk pace," Arnold told Christian Retailing. "Even more exciting is that the readers are coming back to Christian retail for additional novels in these series at full retail price. ... This is a low-cost, low-risk sampling program for fiction lovers to discover their next favorite author and series. A true win for the author, the retailer, the reader and Thomas Nelson.

"We've sold many, many thousands of each title, and could have sold even more except the promotion was limited to upfront orders within a certain window of time, " added Arnold, noting that Nelson will continue the promotion "as long as retailers continue to support it." "The long-term payoff is how many new readers of each series we create, and the initial read on that is very strong."

Elsewhere, Barbour Publishing's Sales Rescue Package initiative for retailers was successful, company officials said. Designed to help stores generate sales and launched during the International Christian Retail Show last summer, the risk-free program featured a special introductory offer to Barbour's new DayMaker Gift Book Program, which included 180-day billing, 29 new gift items and 50% discount as well as free freight, free returns and free corrugate display.

"Many retailers have commented on how much they appreciate Barbour's efforts to help them in this slumping economy," Nola Haney, sales manager at Barbour, told Christian Retailing.

"With the rollout of our new permanent fixture and a new name, DayMaker Inspirational Gifts, the program is continuing."

Barbour has sold the packages to nearly 400 Christian stores, she added.

Academics dissect Christian games and dolls in considering 'good or ill' of religious toys

Some of the leading Christian toys and games have come under scrutiny from two academics examining the intersection of faith, play and business.

The likes of Missionary Conquest, Kingdom of Heaven and the Messengers of Faith Bible dolls are "palpable evidence of global commerce, pluralism and shifts in social engagement—signifiers of 21st century meaning-making," according to Nikki Bado-Fralick and Rebecca Sachs Norris.

The pair—associate professor and director of the religious studies program at Iowa State University and associate professor and chair of religious and theological studies at Merrimack College respectively—discuss "the mixture of consumerism with religiosity" in their Toying With God: The World of Religious Games and Dolls.

Released in February by Baylor University Press, the duo's 232-page book asks whether humans have "blended fun with spirituality for good or for ill?" Though the book includes details of Jewish and Muslim play products, most of the emphasis is on Christian materials.

The book came out as one of the Christian suppliers referenced in it—the makers of the "Left Behind" video games—announced that its second offering, Left Behind: Tribulation Forces, had been accepted by Family Christian Stores for the leading chain's computer game selection.

The move "supports our belief that Christian video games will become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the video game business in the next five years," said Troy Lyndon, CEO of maker Inspired Media Entertainment.

In their book, Bado-Fralick and Norris note criticism of the first Left Behind: Eternal Forces game for its violent content and wonder whether Bible character action toys from One2believe's Spirit Warriors and Almighty Heroes—created by G.I. Joe originator Don Levine—are "harmless and wholesome alternatives to more destructive toys or are they helping to prepare children for religiously sanctioned violence?"

Other Christian games the authors look at include Bibleland, The Richest Christian, Journeys of Paul and The Ungame. Toys from evangelical suppliers that are referenced include Resurrection Eggs, the Armor of God play sets and the Train Up a Child Bible figures, which include a Job model with realistic sores.

While tracing the historic place of dolls and figures in religion, the book observes that contemporary versions provide "an interesting intersection of religion with identities of race, gender, sex and politics."

Among the writers' criticisms are that while Journeys of Paul "supports a non-competitive atmosphere ... it contradicts the idea of community itself, since there is no cooperation or meaningful interaction between players."

They are harsher on Missionary Conquest, whose name is "more than suggestive of colonialism" and which "displays stereotyped and arrogant attitudes that are no laughing matter outside of the world of board games and in the real world of global politics." Though the game may be intended as lighthearted, they say, it "displays a frightening ethnocentrism that is quite dangerous given the political climate of the present day."

Considering the ways ritual and play contribute to learning, Bado-Fralick and Norris said that "there are strong suggestions that ritualized play with religious games and toys can indeed perform a formative role in the development of children—but quite possibly not in the manner intended."

Religious video games also came up for evaluation recently at the technology news and analysis Web site, arstechnica.com. It referenced Left Behind: Eternal Forces and other Christian games in an article looking at "when religion and games intersect—and how it often goes badly."

The report judged that "games with heavy religious content are usually fringe projects, independently created and oftentimes sporting dodgy production values." It added: "By including anything that goes even remotely beyond basic concepts or happens to be even a bit controversial, developers risk the ire of a lot of people who could easily be offended enough to boycott the title."

Appeal for help to stay in business prompts donations from churches and retailers

A longtime Christian store has received "a big response" to an e-mail S.O.S. appeal for help to stay in business.

Located six miles north of Detroit, His Hand Christian Bookstore in Warren, Mich., has been open for 35 years, but was in danger of having to close its doors because it was about $50,000 in debt.

"It's not just the economy," owner Betty Stutzky wrote in an e-mail circulated in January. "It's the big chain stores, the Internet and maybe apathy."

Stutzky—who wrote the e-mail along with her husband, Harold, and granddaughter, Julie Rastelli, both of whom work at the store—sought donations for their 1,600-square-foot store. Harold Stutzky said that the store's $1,700 monthly rent was paid for February, largely from donations received after Christian Retailing reported about their situation.

"We got a big response," he told Christian Retailing. "We've gotten calls from Portland, Ore., New Orleans and Georgia, to name a few. We've received over $10,000, and it's still coming in.

"People are sending us notes and scriptures," he added. "Six Christian stores and former retailers have sent us money. One gave us $100. They understand what we're going through because they're going through the same thing. … It makes us feel really good. If this wouldn't have happened, we would have closed on Feb. 1."

Noting that more than 150 people, churches and Christian retailers "followed their heart and sent a gift,' Harold Stutzky said they were "forever thankful" for the response and were "praying for wisdom to use the gifts wisely to further God's kingdom."

Evangelical category 'didn't perform well' in 2009, publisher reports

Thomas Nelson remains the top Christian publisher in terms of revenue, and its evangelical book market share grew from 29.3% to 32.6% in 2009, according to the Nashville-based publisher's reports of the top 10 U.S. book publishers.

In a recent blog posting, Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt revealed data from the company's two top 10 lists of leading trade and Christian publishers. Based on revenues for the 12 months ending Dec. 31, the lists were created from a proprietary database developed by Nelson and derived from various point-of-sale (P.O.S.) systems from multiple sales channels.

Random House remained the No. 1 trade publisher, growing its market share from 15.9% to 17.5%. Pearson, which includes Penguin Group (USA), was the second-leading trade publisher, although its market share was relatively flat—from 11% to 11.3%. Hachette Book Group USA moved up from No. 5 to No. 3, largely due to the success of the "Twilight" series.

"Thomas Nelson maintained its position at No. 7, but our market share (among trade publishers) dropped," Hyatt wrote on his blog. "Frankly, the entire Christian category didn't perform well, as evidenced by the fact that we actually gained share in the Christian segment. Tyndale House Publishers fell off the list completely."

In terms of the leading Christian publishers, the top four remained the same, although Zondervan and Tyndale both lost market share, while Baker Publishing Group sales remained flat. Propelled by The Love Dare—by Fireproof movie-making brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick—B&H Publishing Group climbed from No. 7 to No. 5, while FaithWords dropped from No. 7 to No. 10.

"All in all, the last two years have been tough," said Hyatt, noting that it has been almost two years since his previous summary of the data. "I think the Christian segment in particular has suffered for lack of a blockbuster title to drive people to our category. When you have mega-bestsellers like The Prayer of Jabez, the 'Left Behind' series, The Purpose Driven Life and Your Best Life Now, all publishers benefit because it gets people in the stores. We haven't really seen anything comparable for 18 months.

"But publishing is kind of like the weather," Hyatt added. "Christian publishing, especially, has gone through a dry spell. But this will eventually change. While I never want to presume on the future, if history is any guide, we are overdue for some rain."

Meanwhile, The Love Dare (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group) surpassed William P. Young's The Shack (Windblown Media/Hachette Book Group) as the best-selling Christian book of 2009, according to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

The publishers group recently released its listing of last year's best-performing titles. Francis Chan's Crazy Love (David C. Cook) was third 0n the 2009 list, ahead of Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson). The top 10 also included Gary Chapman's perennial The Five Love Languages (Northfield Publishing/Moody Publishers) at No.6.

ECPA also recently released its top 10 best-selling Christian authors, with Max Lucado listed as No. 1, followed by Stephen and Alex Kendrick and Karen Kingsbury. Next were Stormie Omartian, William P. Young, Ted Dekker and Francis Chan.

'Outreach Magazine' honors the best Christian evangelism resources from the past year

Books by Crossway, Zondervan, Harvest House Publishers, Bethany House Publishers, InterVarsity Press (IVP), Regal Books and David C. Cook were among those recognized by Outreach Magazine's 7th Annual Outreach Resource of the Year Awards, honoring the best Christian evangelism products.

Like last year, Outreach did not award one overall Outreach Resource of the Year because of the variety of the nominated resources and the subjects they covered.

Announced in the magazine's March/April issue, the winner in the Evangelism category was Learning Evangelism From Jesus by Jerram Barrs (Crossway), while Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World by David A. Livermore (Baker Academic/Baker Publishing Group) was recognized in the Cross-Cultural Ministry category.

In the Apologetics category, the winners were Apologetics for a New Generation: A Biblical and Culturally Relevant Approach to Talking About God, edited by Sean McDowell (Harvest House) and Heaven and the Afterlife by James L. Garlow with Keith Wall (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group).

In the Justice category, the winners were: Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World by Mae Elise Cannon (BridgeLeader Books/IVP); The Justice Project, edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla and Ashley Bunting Seeber (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group); and Follow Me to Freedom: Leading and Following as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne and John M. Perkins (Regal Books).

The winners in the Compassion category were When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (Moody Publishers) and The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning (David C. Cook).

In the Leadership category, the winners were Ignite: How to Spark Immediate Growth in Your Church by Nelson Searcy with Jennifer Dykes Henson (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group) and Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group).

The winners in the Culture category were: SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World by Douglas Estes (Zondervan); Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community by Andrew Marin (IVP); and The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected are Redefining Community by Jesse Rice (David C. Cook). Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving Event Kit (Big Idea) won the Children's Outreach category.

In the Youth Outreach category, the winners were: Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide … by Reggie Joiner (David C. Cook); nuChristian: Finding Faith in a New Generation by Russell E.D. Rathbun (Judson Press); Fire Starter: Fuel Your Passion by Greg Stier with Jane Dratz (Dare2Share); and The Question of Homosexuality: A Conversation for Youth about Same-Sex Attraction DVD by Scott Davis (Harvest House).

The winners in the Pass-Along Resources category were: The Karma of Jesus: Do We Really Reap What We Sow? by Mark Herringshaw (Bethany House) and The God Question: An Invitation to a Life of Meaning by J.P. Moreland (Harvest House). The Sycamore Approach DVD and Workbook (Leafwood) won the Small-Group Curricula category.

In the State of the Church category, the winners were Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement by Mel Lawrenz and Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church by Reggie McNeal (both Jossey-Bass and Leadership Network).

Publishers and organizations that produced outreach-related resources submitted nearly 160 resources published between Nov. 1, 2008 and Oct. 31, 2009.

The magazine's editorial staff pared the nominees to 110 resources, which were placed into 12 categories. An expert panelists—which included authors Craig Detweiler, Samuel Chand, Gary McIntosh and Mark DeYmaz—then identified a total of 25 Outreach Resources of the Year.