A message from Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network:

This week I received an e-mail asking me how church bookstores can best survive the downturn in giving in our churches along with lagging sales. One term came to me-special orders.

Obviously, if we find ways of spending less we will be less of a burden on the church budget. But if we are going to continue to support the ministries of our church and meet the needs of our customers, it is nearly impossible to stop spending, so we need to find that fine line between thrift and providing what is needed. I believe that line is special orders.

In order for special orders to be effective they must be dependable and consistent. When your customers discover you can provide their special item for them as quickly as-and sometimes faster than-any other mail order service, you will become their supplier of choice. Most distributors can get an item to you in between one and three days. With the minimum order now being as few as 15 books, it should be easy to get an order placed and have it in the minimum amount of time.

Another option all three major distributors offer is a direct-to-home service. Anchor's Direct Shipping, STL's Direct to Customer and Spring Arbor's Direct to Home do what the titles imply. They ship your order directly to your customer. If, like Houston's First Baptist, you have members in six counties this can be a real blessing if the customer does not drive to the church on a regular basis.

Do not make promises you cannot keep. If you are going to order the item from a publisher or a gift company it will take longer. Be sure your customer is aware of that.

Special orders can help keep your in-house inventory to a minimum and allow you to carry just those items that support your ministries along with a good assortment of Bibles.

In this time of fiscal cutbacks, the special order can be a vital tool in helping your church maintain a church bookstore ministry and be a part of the financial solution rather than the problem.

As I always say at close of our annual Gathering, this is your chance to have that one burning question answered, so feel free to e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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