Christian Retailing

GENI: Making time for what truly matters Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 03:15 PM America/New_York

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

For church bookstore managers and workers, this time of year can come and go without our “feet touching the ground.” It seems once Thanksgiving week comes, almost before we know it New Year’s Day has arrived.

In the midst of taking care of the urgent, it is all too easy to miss the truly lasting things of this time of celebration, so my prayer for you during this season is that you will take time for faith, family and friends.

These are some of the things I find most important at Christmastime:

C is for Christ. He is the centerpiece of this special time of year. Without Him. Dec. 25 would be just another date on the calendar

H is for home. This time of year our hearts turn back to that first place we called home, as well as that place that we now call home.

R is for remembering. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to look back at old photographs of Christmases past. There are silly things, special gifts, family members now passed and celebrations to be treasured.

I is for illuminate. Christmas is filled with lights—on the tree, around the house and all around the city. But mostly it is filled with the “light of the world.” In a very dark time in our world, Christ comes to shed the light of His truth.

S is for salvation. Because of Christmas and the reason for this season, salvation came into the world. And because of salvation, there is hope beyond this world.

T is for the tree that most of us put in our homes. It also reminds us of the tree that came into the life of Christ as the cross on which He bore our sins.

M is for Mary, the mother of the One whose birth we celebrate; the young woman who nurtured the child who was Messiah. I love the line in the song, “Mary, Did You Know,” that asks, “Did you know that when you kissed him, you kissed the face of God?”

A is for angels, the angels that announced the birth of the Christ whose birth we celebrate. On a clear cool night, I love to look into the heavens and imagine what it might be like to see the skies filled with angels singing “Hosanna.”

S is for shepherds—those who followed. They followed a star to a manger and a Savior. We follow the Savior to the cross and eternal life.

There are so many things that are a part of this wonderful time, and for each of us, there are special people and special times. I pray that God would bring each of you special gifts of peace, love and joy this Christmas season.

 
REGIONAL REPORTS: Florida event lessons, Texas leadership change Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 03:01 PM America/New_York

Charis 'sets the bar high' for store events

 A church bookstore has been singled out as a model for hosting author events.

Diane Moody sang the praises of Charis Christian Bookstore after visiting the outlet at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks in Largo, Fla., to promote her first book, Confessions of a Prayer Slacker (Sheaf House Publishers).

Moody contrasted the stellar effort of the store with the reception she had received elsewhere, including at a “major bookseller” in her Nashville hometown where her name was misspelled on the last-minute sign put up to promote her visit.

Writing about her experiences in a blog posting, 'Book Signings: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” Moody told how staff at Charis contacted the distributor ahead of time to ensure the store had plenty of copies of her book and promoted the event at the church in its newspaper, on TV screens and in the bulletin.

In addition there was an endcap display in the heart of the store, a table for signing copies and a place for signing books when she spoke to women's groups elsewhere in the church later.

Moody's previous experiences had been less happy, including visiting a conference center bookstore where the staff “wasn’t the least bit interested in making the event successful.” There was no signage or advertising, and the manager turned down an offer of bookmarks to hand out in advance. “She set up our table in the most off-the-path location on campus” and scheduled the event during the dinner hour.

At First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, Moody sold 85 books at the in-store signing alone. She applauded Charis Manager Martha Brangenberg for “setting the bar high.”

 

Designer takes over store 

The man who helped design an award-winning church bookstore has taken over the running of the operation.

Longtime design consultant Barney Paradise is the new Director of Resource Ministries at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. The church's Passages store was named Mid-Sized Church Bookstore of the Year for 2010 by The Church Bookstore magazine.

Paradise has taken over the leadership of the bookstore ministry—which includes a location on a satellite campus and plans for another—from Bobby Williams. A former regional director of the Church Bookstore Network, Williams has been named Director of Gateway Publishing Create for the growing church.

Through his own Design Identity consultancy and previous work with other design groups, Paradise has been involved in designing around 300 Christian retail and church stores. Paradise has assigned the day-to-day running of his business to two staff, but will be involved in new projects from time to time.

Paradise said that he was excited by his new role, which he was invited to consider when Williams, with whom he had worked on the new Passages store, moved to another ministry in the church.

“I think that the church bookstore is developing into the true retail ministry arm of the church,” Paradise said. “It's making sure that the proper resources that are going to empower and edify people in their growth with Christ are getting into their hands.”

 
CHURCH STORE NEWS: 'The danger of complacency' Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:56 PM America/New_York

Church stores leaders who bank on their customers having more loyalty than other shoppers because of the church connection need to think again, warns CBA Chairman George Thomsen.

“Today's younger consumers in particular are very aware of and loyal to their options of convenience, selection and price,” he writes in the December issue of the trade association's Retailers + Resources magazine. “They'll shop where their needs are best served.”

Thomsen offers his caution in the latest in a series of articles focused on church stores, highlighting the six major threats he says church stores face if they are not well planned and prepared.

The general manager of The Harvest Store at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., also emphasizes the need to be willing to adapt and to have a clear handle on the store's financial performance.

“In many cases, no one's putting any pressure on us to perform well,” he observes. “It's easy to become complacent or feel we're safe. Often, the church-store manager doesn't perceive a threat until it's too late.”

 

 
INSIGHTS: How to 'shut up shop' Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:52 PM America/New_York

by Joan Searcy

How we handle keeping regular store hours so that customers can depend on us is an important element of business and ministry. So what about those occasions when you’re not able to offer normal service?

Meetings: For bookstore staff meetings, we try to remain on site, close to the store, if not actually just at the back of the premises, so any unusual questions or circumstances can be resolved immediately, and the manager keeps her cell phone available.

All church-staff retreats at which bookstore staff are expected have presented a dilemma that we have resolved by deciding it’s best just to close the store after church services on the Sunday before the event and re-open at our usual time Wednesday.

Since that has been our practice for some years now, many members of the church are aware of the unusual schedule. However, we do put posters on the doors of the store a week in advance to advise shoppers of the change, and we ensure that there are notices in all of the church publications. We also spread the word verbally to our regular customers.

Business: A week before the actual day for our inventory, we make sure that as much merchandise as possible is counted—items being stored for holiday sales, back stock and anything not currently out on shelves for sale.

On inventory day, teams of employees and volunteers start counting stock in the store about two hours before the store closes. One employee continues to man the counter while also looking up anything on the computer that isn’t priced for those taking inventory.

Regular maintenance and cleaning is scheduled for after hours by the janitorial staff or building department of the church. Occasionally it is necessary for some repair work to be done during regular bookstore hours, but customers don’t seem to mind stepping over or around men working.

Our merchandising displays are set up and maintained during store hours, as are receiving, pricing and displaying new merchandise. The atmosphere in the bookstore is one of “calm chaos”—it seems so peaceful and inviting to our customers, but things are always changing right in front of their eyes.

—Joan Searcy is a sales associate at Inklings Bookstore at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

 
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: Recommended reading Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:46 PM America/New_York

Don't limit the creation of recommended reading lists to pastors and others in leadership. Invite store staff members and volunteers to offer their own suggestions, as does Vine Books & Music at Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati. Involving others on the bookstore team will help them feel even more a part of the ministry of the store and also promote other good resources to members of the church.

 

 
ADVICE: Dear Betty Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:43 PM America/New_York

With all the new technology available to us, should we still be carrying paper calendars? Isn’t everyone going digital?

That is an interesting and challenging question that even old Betty has been toying with recently. You are right in that many of us now have iPhones or BlackBerrys that house our calendars. In fact, I have so many pieces of technology that have calendars that I have a hard time settling on which one to use.

Yet, there are still times when I rely on the small printed calendar I received from one of the insurance agents in my church, when I need to know when payday falls or what day of the month the youth choir will sing in the services. Maybe it’s my age or maybe it’s habit, but I still want to see it and hold it in my hands.

Whether or not to carry the 2010 wall calendars is the decision of the hour or if undated perpetual calendars are your “safe” choice for next year, the answer is to be knowledgeable of your customer base. Will Aunt Mae be upset if you don’t have the wall calendar with “Really Woolly,” or will Margaret Ann be shopping elsewhere to find her pocket calendar that fits just right in her well-worn Bible cover? These are things you must consider.

I have decided to cut down on the printed calendars with dates, but have enough in stock for those regulars who count on me to supply their yearly purchase. However, I have also moved in more non-dated journals, memo books and so forth, for the younger soccer moms who really need a place to jot down their grocery list and Bible promise for the day. Sounds like a good plan for me and hopefully you can arrive at one that fits your store and your favorite customers.

Got a question for Betty Bookstore? Write to her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 
CHURCH LIFE: Looking for a quick fix Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:40 PM America/New_York

Two issues of particular interest and concern to church bookstores are among six key “megathemes” in church life and society highlighted by Barna Group.

Reflecting on studies undertaken in 2010, the leading Christian organization notes that “the Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate,” and “growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.”

What used to be basic, universally known truths about Christianity are now “unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans—especially young adults,” the organization says in an end-of-year review. Among the findings in 2010 were that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Other examples included the finding that few adults believe that their faith is meant to be the focal point of their life or to be integrated into every aspect of their existence. Additionally, a growing majority believe the Holy Spirit is a symbol of God's presence or power, but not a living entity.

In regards to life lessons, most teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships and travel. “Faith is significant to them, but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams,” the Barna review observed.

Among adults, the areas of growing importance are lifestyle comfort, success and personal achievements. “Those dimensions have risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family. The turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to economic concerns or relational pressures. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence and simplicity are rare.”

Source: Barna Group.

To read the report in full, go to http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010

 
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: One thing for '11 Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:39 PM America/New_York

What is a change you plan at your store to make the coming year a good one? Aiming to increase staff training, organize more events, redesign and redecorate?

Share your New Year's resolutions with others at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK Print Email
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:37 PM America/New_York

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14, New International Version