It has been a long, hard winter in most parts of the country. We even had snow in Houston, where I hang my hat and plug in my computer. But this last weekend I took a drive and saw what is a sure sign of spring and a new beginning in Texas—bluebonnets!

They are the state flower of Texas and at this time of year—especially after a very wet, cold, miserable winter—fill fields and roadsides throughout the state. As I was driving, looking at all of the evidence of a new beginning for the landscape of South Texas, I began thinking about our upcoming The Gathering 2010 and the Christian retail world.

We all know that retail of all kinds is struggling. According to some reports, Christian retail seems to be losing traction in the marketplace, and it would be easy to believe that there is no hope for the industry as a whole.

I felt that way last winter, when it seemed like there would never be sunshine again in South Texas. My family, who lives in Ohio, had more than 60 inches of snow. I am sure those who dealt with all of the snow and ice truly felt there was no hope for spring.

But spring did come—the wildflowers are blooming, the sun is shining most days, and there is nothing but promise in the air. And that is how I am feeling about our industry.

More than 20 workshops are included in the April 21-23 program at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., which also features open-forum discussions on key industry issues, an exhibit floor and times of fellowship.

Listing: For complete details about the program and to register, go to
https://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/the-gathering/.

Listening: You can find out more about what will be happening by hearing Christian Retailing Editor Andy Butcher and Publisher Dave Condiff chat about what is going to be happening at The Gathering 2010. Go to www.christianretailing.com/images/stories/audio/thegatheringchatedited.mp3.

Lodging: Members of host church Southeast Christian are opening their homes to help lower the costs for The Gathering participants. For information on Southeast hospitality, send details (when and how you will arrive, whether you need to be picked up at the airport and how many people are in your group and their gender) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

He will be participating in an open session about CBA and the future of the industry Wednesday, April 21, and will then be available to talk with store representatives individually and in small groups to offer advice on different aspects of retail operations.

What questions would you like to put to him, either about big-picture industry issues or fine-detail retail practices? Send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The right use of color plays a very important part in creating a particular feel in your store, but it's an often overlooked aspect of design. If your store's colors are cold, it will seem less inviting and your shoppers will probably not linger inside very long.

Stores where space is limited might think this solves the overcrowding problem, encouraging people to get in and out more quickly. But, in reality, a cold store will negatively affect sales.

Within every color, there are tones that are cold as well as warm, cool and hot. You have to find the right shade of a color to add warmth.

Tones: Think about the different stores you may frequent. Consider the contrast between Starbucks and Jamba Juice, for instance. Starbucks' earthy tones present a warm and inviting, come-sit-and-stay-awhile atmosphere, whereas Jamba Juice's citrusy palette projects a cool, full-of-energy, don't-sit-down sense.

Every store handles requests from its membership differently. Because the church store is "owned" by the members of the church, many times they feel that you should do anything they want. But remember—your most important job is to be a good steward of your resources.

Whenever I feel pressured to do anything, ol' Betty takes a step back and thinks for a moment. Nothing good comes from hasty decisions. Tell the person who's made the request that you'll get back to them—don't make a decision on the spot. Then ask yourself these questions:

* Is this my decision to make? For some, it will fall under the authority of the store manager. Other store managers answer to a committee or business administrator.

If you answer to a committee or business manager, then hooray for you—pass the buck.

If you as the store manager are responsible for the decision, think about the next question.

But while younger believers express greater openness to the Spirit-filled movement, it faces a challenge as it looks to the future, says David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, which
has just concluded a study into how four different generations of American adults identify themselves as charismatic or Pentecostal believers.

"The next generation of charismatic and Pentecostal Christians spends less time defending their views to others, but also seems much less certain what they believe or how to put their faith into action," said Kinnaman.

"It raises the question of what will define the next generation of young charismatics and Pentecostal believers in the U.S. Facing less criticism from within the ranks of Christians, they must focus on being grounded theologically and finding a way to live faithfully within the broader culture of arts, media, technology, science and business."

Kinnaman's comments were based on findings that included:

* Baby Busters (ages 26 to 44) were the generation of self-identified Christians most likely to claim a charismatic or Pentecostal connection (29%), slightly higher than the 26% among Mosaics (ages 18 to 25) and the 25% among the eldest of Americans (25% among those 64 and older).

* Baby Boomers (aged 46 to 63), the generation that introduced America to "Jesus freaks" and other marks of spiritual intensity, was least likely to identify as charismatic or Pentecostal (20%).

Share your ideas and thoughts with others at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..