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

I love Christmas. Some of my fondest memories are of the Christmas season, so this week I would like to get a bit personal and share with you some of the things that mean the most to me at this special time of year.

I love nativity sets, whether they are the large outside variety or the tiny ones we put in the house. They seem to be the one decoration that reminds the world of the real reason we celebrate this time of year.

I have a friend that has more than 1,200 nativity sets that he has collected from all over the world! They have a permanent home in our church lobby, where they occupy eight curios cabinets that line a long hallway. Each Sunday I look into a different cabinet and see how Christians in some country far away see the birth of Christ.

Christmas programs at church have always been wonderful... beginning with the "bathrobe" shepherds in the little Freewill Baptist Church I attended in a small town in Kentucky all the way to the elaborate production of Houston's First Baptist Church with live animals and 500 participants, nothing excites me more than to watch the body of Christ commemorate His birth with an interpretation of the nativity story. It always sends chills up my spine as the angels proclaim Christ's coming.

So his recent, sobering assessment of the state of the church bookstore movement deserves serious reflection from others in the Church Bookstore Network.

For while there has been a large increase in the number of church stores in recent years, "we're starting to see some adjustments," notes Thomsen, manager of The Harvest Store at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. "Church leaders have found that it's not as easy as 'build it and they will come,'" he writes in an article in the latest issue of CBA's Retailers + Resources magazine.

Thomsen lists eight reasons for the problems faced by some church stores, including wrong assumptions about business, poor decisions and lack of expertise, poor accounting and cash flow, and deficient internal marketing.

Too many churches opened stores without being aware that more than half of their business would be on Sundays—when people who would not go out of their way to visit during the week, were on the campus. "Consequently, many stores have found that being open seven days a week isn't a sustainable model," he says.

In addition, leaders don't often enough take into account the "economic realities of retail," he cautions—citing blanket discounting. This is "a guarantee that the store will not be profitable."

But with a clearer focus and business model, church stores can do well, he says. "A well-run church store can and should be profitable and generate positive cash flow for the church."

You can receive a registration—worth $125—when you place a qualifying order during the online Virtual Christmas Showcase currently being hosted by Christian Retailing magazine.

The three-day event in Louisville promises to be our best yet, with time for fellowship, worship, inspiration, training and business. It's an invaluable opportunity to connect with leading suppliers, fellow church bookstore staff and other Christian retailers from across the country.

To find out more about the free registration, go to http://vcs.christianretailing.com.

A business card with an associate's name and store information on it can be an effective customer service tool. It will not only help promote your business, but could also promote something even more valuable than potential customers—employee loyalty.

When you invest in your employees and give them "ownership" by printing them personalized business cards, you are saying to them, "I value you." You are building them up and showing them respect by involving them in the ministry of your store.

When printing business cards, you must make a purchase of usually around 250 cards for each person, so be sure to wait until the employee is past the "trial" period, is proving to be a valuable employee and is planning on staying at the store. But after that, don't hesitate to spend some money on personalized cards.

Business cards with a blank space for a name to fill in not only look unprofessional, but they also communicate that the store can't keep its employees. Personalized business cards are worth the investment.

I love the early months of the year and find them refreshing after the busy hectic schedule of the Christmas holidays: after the holidays, people tend to slow their shopping patterns down or change them. You can make use of this slower-than-usual time by doing a variety of projects that keep employees busy.

A busy January and February filled with concentrated effort will be one of great reward. Some things your schedule might include:

Cleaning: Most stores have been heavily stocked and had large amounts of traffic. Use this time to dust and clean all the shelves, throwing away all the trash. This is a good time to find the empty coffee cups hidden behind the commentaries.

Inventory: Gather the remaining Christmas items, and verify amounts. Make a decision as to whether you are storing away for next year or going to place on sale. Store any items left for next year, and mark clearly for easy access next year.

A Sale: Schedule an annual winter sale. Sales drives traffic to the store.

Planning: Host a staff planning session and map out calendar events for the remainder of the year.

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The conclusion that "biblical literacy is neither a current reality nor a goal in the U.S." is one of four major trends identified in a look back at 2009 studies.

"Bible reading has become the religious equivalent of sound-bite journalism," commented founder George Barna. "When people read from the Bible they typically open it, read a brief passage without much regard for the context, and consider the primary thought or feeling that the passage provided. If they are comfortable with it, they accept it; otherwise, they deem it interesting but irrelevant to their life, and move on.

"There is shockingly little growth evident in people's understanding of the fundamental themes of the scriptures and amazingly little interest in deepening their knowledge and application of biblical principles."

Among the findings that prompted Barna's concern were that:

- 68% of self-identified Christians had heard of spiritual gifts, a decline in the past decade; a minority (roughly one-third) could actually identify a biblical spiritual gift they claim to possess

- Less than one out of every five born again adults (19%) had a biblical worldview, which is unchanged in the past 15 years

- Just half of all self-identified Christians firmly believed the Bible to be totally accurate in all of the principles that it teaches

- Barely one-quarter of adults (27%) were confident that Satan exists

- Less than four out of every ten self-identified Christians firmly accept the teaching that a person can be influenced by spiritual forces, such as angels or demons

Source: The Barna Group

Read the full report at http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/325-barna-studies-the-research-offers-a-year-in-review-perspective

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"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

- Jeremiah 17:10, New International Version