The pro-marriage hit Fireproof (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity Distribution) shot up to the top of the SoundScan Christian Videos list for sales the week ending Feb. 1, while Gaither Vocal Band Reunion Volume One (Gaither Music Group/EMI CMG Distribution) reached No. 1 on the Christian/Gospel music Christian retail chart.

After Fireproof , the best-selling DVDs were: 2. Facing the Giants (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity); 3. Gaither Vocal Band Reunion Volume One (Gaither Music Group/EMI CMG); 4. Gaither Vocal Band Reunion Volume Two (Gaither Music Group/EMI CMG); 5. Flywheel (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity); 6. Alligator Hunter, Life at the Pond (Isaac Entertainment/Word Distribution); 7. The Gift of Christmas, Really Woolly (Flying Rhinoceros/DaySpring); 8. The Second Chance (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity); 9. Wow Gospel 2009 by various artists (Wow Gospel/Provident-Integrity); and 10. Love's Enduring Promise (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment/Word).

'Struggling' store closes: Just for Heaven's Sake, the Christian bookstore in Tampa, Fla., that expanded to become Saint Thomas Café last year—is closing after 13 years. Said owner Darlene Yetta: “We've always struggled, and I needed to get a job that paid.”

The St. Petersburg Times

'Shack' changes publishing: William P. Young's The Shack is cited as an example of how new technology has meant that “vanity publishing has become practically respectable,” in an essay on the changing face of the book world.

TIME magazine

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1873122-4,00.html

Author's 'empty nest' inspiration: Sharlene MacLaren's career as a novelist—which has just seen her seventh book, Hannah Grace: The Daughter of Jacob Kane, released by Whitaker Publishing—when as an empty nest parent she “asked God to give me direction for the next season of my life.”

The Grand Haven Tribune

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/paid/293621262241857.bsp

'Gaither means Gospel': The name Gaither “is synonymous with gospel like the name Rolling Stones is with rock 'n' roll.”

The Huntsville (Ala.) Times

http://www.al.com/religion/huntsvilletimes/news.ssf?/base/living/1232705734193000.xml&coll=1

A purpose-driven magazine: Rick Warren's new quarterly Purpose Driven Connection, published with Reader's Digest Association, is not just a magazine but the name for “a multimedia, multiplatform community.”

Advertising Age

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=134076

Urban publishing expands: Where there was once only Bill Cosby and T.D. Jakes, “a whole new generation of writers of color are creating books to inspire and entertain.”

The Bradenton (Fla.) Herald

http://www.bradenton.com/701/story/1176488.html

'Magic' basketball moments: Pat Williams, the Orlando Magic's senior vice president, is a prolific writer whose latest, Chicken Soup for the Soul Inside Basketball, out next month, is “packed with 101 short basketball inspirational stories.”

The Rocky Mountain News

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/nuggets/archives/2009/01/schemmel_writes.html

'Amazing' creation of 'CompassionArt': Michael W. Smith says that his involvement in the CompassionArt album which brought together leading Christian songwriters to raise money for charity was “one of the most amazing times of my career.”

The (Nashville) Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090125/TUNEIN/901250324/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

Charity music's big goal: Proceeds from the multi-artist CompassionArt CD raising money to help relieve poverty could “make a difference for several generations.”

Reuters

http://uk.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUKTRE50N0NQ20090124

'Naked' honesty about faith: Andrew Farley, a professor of applied linguistics at Texas Tech and pastor of Lubbock Bible Church in Lubbock, Texas, addresses performance-based Christianity in The Naked Gospel, to be published in August by Zondervan.

The Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/012409/loc_380938956.shtml

Denominational store closes: Pathway Bookstore in Cleveland, Tenn., “may or may not be revived in a smaller footprint,” according to Scot Carter, director of Department of Communications for the Church of God International Offices.

The Cleveland (Tenn.) Banner

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=046FFEB3-19B9-E2E2-672710F5AB5DB704

Church store shuts doors: Faith, Hope & Love Christian Books and Gifts Store in New Britain, Conn., opened in 2006 by members of the town's McCullough Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, has closed.

The New Britain (Conn.) Herald

http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2009/01/25/news/doc497d2a9407872502647911.txt

Store owners' email scam: Randy and Jill King, owners of Kings Christian Bookstore in Boone, Iowa, were subject of an email scam after their business email account was hacked.

KCCI.com

http://www.kcci.com/news/18568450/detail.html

New store in Canada: Faith Family Books and Gifts opens in Scarborough, Ontario in April, managed by two former employees of R.G. Mitchell which closed its stores last year.

Quill& Quire magazine

http://www.quillandquire.com/google/article.cfm?article_id=10473

Young author's motherly inspiration: University of Georgia pre-journalism student Brittney Holmes, whose third inspirational novel comes out this summer, credits as one of her inspirations her mom, best-selling author Kendra Norman-Bellamy.

The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.)

http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2009/01/26/News/University.Freshman.To.Release.Third.Novel-3596338.shtml

As Christian suppliers and retailers face a slump in consumer spending, they are looking to children’s products as a bright spot on a gloomy horizon.

A strong line of new releases and innovative marketing efforts offer hope for the spring and summer seasons, while stores have been urged to ensure that they cater to the tastes of increasingly media-savvy young visitors.

As Christian suppliers and retailers face a slump in consumer spending, they are looking to children’s products as a bright spot on a gloomy horizon.

A strong line of new releases and innovative marketing efforts offer hope for the spring and summer seasons, while stores have been urged to ensure that they cater to the tastes of increasingly media-savvy young visitors.

Type: Chain
Region: Midwest
Location: Second upper floor of a large suburban mall
Appearance:
Inventory:
Staff:

External appearance: The large name in bright letters made it easy to locate the store, even from far across the mall.

Through the years Christian Retailing has detailed many promotions within the Christian products industry—from CEOs of large companies to other positions.

Now I am happy to announce a significant promotion for the magazine itself—Dave Condiff is now publisher of the Christian Retailing group, which includes not only this title but also Inspirational Gift Trends and The Church Bookstore.