Leaders of some of the best church bookstores in the country will be sharing their experience and expertise with other church bookstore managers and staff at the Fourth Annual Gathering of Church Bookstores in Houston next spring.

Manager-winners of the annual Church Bookstore of the Year awards presented by The Church Bookstore magazine are among the workshop leaders named for the training, fellowship and celebration event to be held at Lakewood Church, March 26-28.

Heidi Bodette, 2007 Bookstore Manager of the Year from Daily Bread Books at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minn., will help lead sessions for prospective store operators, while Deb and Kelly Graham, co-managers of Prestonwood Bookstore at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, the 2006 Church Bookstore of the Year, will speak on church staff relations and children's product trends, respectively.

Among the other presenters at the more than 20 sessions just announced will be George Thomsen, manager of Harvest Bookstore & Café at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., named one of CBA's three Stores of the Year for 2007. Additional presenters will include regional directors of the Church Bookstore Network, established two years ago to help support and encourage the growing church bookstore movement.

"We have an exciting training schedule featuring many of the recognized and respected leaders in this important retail stream," said Dave Condiff, associate publisher of The Church Bookstore magazine, which is sponsoring The Gathering. "There's something for everyone, from absolute beginners to those with lots of experience who are looking to improve their existing service."

The Gathering will also feature worship and inspiration, celebrations, an authors' reception and an exhibit floor presenting products and resources of special interest to church stores. For more information, go to www.thechurchbookstore.com. The Church Bookstore is a supplement of Christian Retailing magazine.