Two leading chains present half-off specials with an emphasis on children's products.

Mardel Christian & Education Supply is knocking 50% off items in Sheila Walsh's "Gigi, God's Little Princess" line. That prices DVDs Gigi's Big Break and Gigi: Bursting With Readiness at $7.49 each, God's Little Princess Devotional Bible hardcover at $8.49, Gigi's Royal Scepter at $5 and Gigi: God's Little Princess Doll at $9.99.

Family Christian Stores' "Share Your Faith With Your Kids" promotion sees Stephen Elkins' 100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs reduced to $9.99 while Gwen Ellis' Read and Share Bible retails for $8.49. DVDs featured include Facing the Giants ($7.49) and the Wonders of God's Creation six-disc pack ($29.99).

The chain's offer also includes products for parents. Among them are Have a New Kind by Friday by Kevin Leman ($8.99), The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian ($6.99) and Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages of Children/Teens ($7.49).

Also part of the Family email is a pre-buy offer on the hit faith-based film, The Blind Side. Available on DVD March 23, the Oscar-nominated film can be purchased in advance for $24.97, $4.01 off the regular price.

Mardel's 50%-off list also includes more than a dozen items in a Heartsong collection that includes a petite hurricane tea light holder with finch design and a 3x3 photo frame with a butterfly and bird design (both from $19.99 to $7.99) and a wall plaque featuring a white flower and bird (from $16.99 to $7.99).

Special savings for last-minute Christmas shoppers lead the offers, with LifeWay Christian Stores providing a coupon for 33% off any one item. The "Last Minute Sale" deal is available in-store between 9 a.m. and noon on Dec. 18 and 19 only.

CLC Bookcenters offers two money saving specials on Dec. 18. Shoppers can get 20% of their entire non-sale purchases between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. in the Morning Glory Sale and 8 p.m.-midnight in the Midnight Gladness Sale. Church supply and curriculum products are excluded.

LifeWay's offers is extended with a week-long special on music, ending Dec. 19. Among the CDs reduced in price are Phillips, Craig and Dean's Fearless and Leeland's Love is on the Move, both down from $15.98 to $7.99. LifeWay is also giving away a $5 Bonus Bucks card with every $25-plus gift card purchase.

Parable stores' in-store coupon is tied to its effort to share the Christmas story with others. The Parable emailing offers a discount of 25% on one non-sale New Living Translation (NLT) Bible, valid in-store through Jan. 30, 2010. The "Give Christmas Away" email encourage shoppers to forward to their friends links to free downloads of the Christmas story and the gospel of John, in the NLT.

Family Christian Stores focuses on buys for children and teens, offering savings on JAMband, Dance Praise and Guitar Praise games. The chain is also taking 25% and more off selected Bibles for children and teens, with The faithGirlz Bible (NIV) down from $34.99 to $26.24. There is also 50% off all sweatshirts, tees and caps. The email includes a coupon for an additional 25% off customers' entire purchases.

Mardel Christian & Education presents a 50% saving on the duotone ESV Study Bible, reduced to $37.50, with children's Bibles available for $9.99. Sarah Palin's Going Rogue is offered at half price, $14.49.

Christian retail offers for the week of Nov. 16

The chain's email centers on the announcement of the next film from the makers of Fireproof, not due in theaters until 2011. Using the news as an opportunity to promote special offers on Sherwood Pictures' back catalog, the email includes a link to a YouTube spot by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, introducing Courageous, to be filmed next year and centered on fatherhood.

Building on interest in the forthcoming movie—about a group of law enforcement officers—LifeWay is offering Fireproof for $19.99, down from $24.98, and the two previous titles (Facing the Giants and Flywheel) for $10 each, reduced from $14.98.

Casting Crowns' highly anticipated Until the Whole World Hears is featured on sale at Mardel Christian & Education Supply for $11.99 (usual price $13.99). The CD is priced at $11.97 at Parable stores, which also offers a 20%-off coupon for online purchases of the recording, through Saturday only.

Parable also spotlights the new God Sightings One Year Bible at $9.97, reduced from $12.99, and includes a special offer on its exclusive Christmas music collection, Simple Joys. The CD is reduced from $9.97 to $4.97, and available free with an in-store purchase of $50.

CLC Christian Bookstores' Deal of the Week is The Chronological Study Bible, usual price $44.99, reduced to $22.49. The chain's "Making Christmas Memories" mailing also offers 50% off the NKJV Study Bible, down to $19.99, and Max Lucado's Fearless down to $18.99 from $24.99.

Mardel Christian & Educational Supply is offering $5 books, DVDs and music, with featured titles such as Beverly Lewis' The Parting, David Jeremiah's The 12 Ways of Christmas and Max Lucado's You! God's Brand New Idea: Made to Be Amazing.

Movies include Facing the Giants and VeggieTales' Moe and The Big Exit, while the cut-price music includes Casting Crowns' self-titled debut album, Josh Wilson's Life Is Not A Snapshot and Barlow Girl's How Can We Be Silent: Special Edition.

The price is double at LifeWay Christian Stores for special-edition NIV Compact Thinline Bibles, reduced to $10 from $22.99. Meanwhile, the chain is offering Casting Crowns' November release, Until the Whole World Hears, for pre-purchase at $9.99—with two $5 savings cards thrown in.

At Parable stores, shoppers can get $10 off a registration for a Women of Faith conference, with a 20%-off offer on related books. With an eye toward the end of the month, Parable is also giving 20% off Halloween: What You Need to Know by Ron Rhodes and The Facts on Halloween by John Ankerberg, John Weldon & Dillon Burroughs.

Christian retail offers for the week of Sept. 28

Family Christian Stores is cutting book prices in half through Oct. 3.

Among the titles spotlighted in the "while supplies last offer" are Rob Bell's new Drop Like Stars, reduced from $34.99 to $17.99. Also featured are bestsellers Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller and John and Stasi Eldredge's Captivating, each down from $14.99 to $7.49. The audio edition of William P. Young's The Shack is reduced from $27.99 to $13.99.

The Family Christian email promotion is limited to five copies of each item per customer, and also available at the chain's Web site. The emailing also offers 40% off selected titles for women. Among the titles spotlighted are Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Wife (from $13.99 to $8.99) and Kay Arthur's A Marriage Without Regrets (from $12.99 to $7.79).

Mardel Christian & Educational Supply's latest promotion centers on DVDs from the "Love Comes Softly" series, on sale for $7.99 each. The six titles include Love Comes Softly, Love's Enduring Promise and Love's Unfolding Dream.

Mardel has also reduced Francis Chan's new book, Forgotten God, from $14.99 to $10.99, while What Difference Do It Make? is cut from $16.99 to $12.99.

It's three months until best-selling Casting Crowns' fourth album arrives on shelves, but LifeWay Christian Stores is banking on strong interest in the release with its pre-buy email offer.

The chain is making the CD, Until The Whole World Hears, available for $9.99 (regular retail price, $15.99) and throwing in two $5 savings cards, one valid through Nov. 20 and the other to be used between Nov. 30 and the end of the year.

Family Christian Stores also promotes a Casting Crowns pre-buy at its Web site, where the chain lists a regular retail price of $13.99. Offering the new CD for a pre-release price of $11.97, the chain also says it will tithe 10% of the money to its James Fund Foundation, helping feed two children for a day.

Mardel Christian & Education Supply's latest emailing promotes 50% off books, with Don Piper's best-selling 90 Minutes in Heaven reduced from $13.99 to $6.49 and the same pricing for Francis Chan's Crazy Love.

The mailing also points shoppers to stores' Super Bargain Book Section where "up to 90% off already reduced prices" is available on titles by authors including Max Lucado, Beth Moore and Karen Kingsbury.

With the July 4 celebrations approaching, patriotic themes lead the way for Parable and LifeWay Christian Stores.

Parable's emailing invites shoppers to support the Operation Worship Bible distribution campaign by purchasing copies of the special Tyndale House editions for just $4.99 each. "Our troops are serving far from their families," the invitation says. "Help them connect with their Heavenly Father."

Also featured is Certain Jeopardy, the new novel by Capt. Jeff Strueker and Alton Gansky, reduced from $14.99 to $13.19. The Parable promotion also offers an online-only 15%-off coupon for any children's item,. Through July 4.

LifeWay's "Summertime Savings" presents Oliver North's American Heroes, reduced from $24.99 to $17.99, and Thomas Nelson's new The American Patriot's Bible, NKJV, marked down from $39.99 to $24.99. The CD, America the Beautiful: Patriotic Songs & Hymns, is reduced from $6.99 to $1.99.

LifeWay's emailing includes two coupons for an additional 33% off, one for a clearance item and one for a regularly priced product. The offers are valid July 2-4.

Family Christian Stores presents two exclusives. Shoppers pre-ordering Max Lucado's Fearless for $17.49 (regular price, $24.99) can get a free download of the audio edition, usual price $17.49, while supplies last. The chain is also offering The Angus Buchan story, a DVD documentary of the South African evangelist whose life is portrayed in the movie, Faith Like Potatoes, for $5, reduced from $9.99.

Mardel Christian & Education Supply's "Bargain Bibles" promotion includes an online code for an additional 25% off other reductions. The offer reduces Nelson's Princess Bible, NKJV to $7.49 (from $24.99 regular retail) and Nelson's Next Generation New Testament Bible on CD to $14.99 ($49.99).

A tie may be a classic gift, as LifeWay Christian Stores notes in an email promotion, but the chain and other retailers suggest Bibles may make a more meaningful gift for Father's Day.

LifeWay offers a $10n saving on The Ryrie Study Bible: Expanded Edition, NASB, which usually sells for $39.99. It also prices Tony Dungy's Uncommon at $19.99 ($5 off) and John Eldredge's Fathered by God at $11.99 ($3 off).

Family Christian Stores offers the same $5 saving on Dungy's book, while presenting three Bible bargains. The Life Application Study Bible is on sale for $44.97, down from $69.99, while Manual: The NIV Bible for Men is reduced from $36.99 to $29.59. An $8 saving is available on the Personal Size Mossy Oak Giant Print Bible, priced at $31.99.

Family's announcement also includes an exclusive pre-buy offer on Mark Schultz's forthcoming release, Come Alive. The chain is giving away a free copy of the singer's Closer DVD with each $11.97 advance purchase.

Mardel Christian & Education Supply knocks a sizable $50 off the regular price of The Archaeological Study Bible, reducing it to $29.99. The chain also offers a $20 saving on the new Men's Devotional Bible (priced at $19.99) and patriotic tee-shirts for $5 each.

Mardel's mailing also promotes Music Madness on Saturday, June 9, when CDs and tee-shirts regularly priced $16.99 or under are on sale for $7.99 each.

Parable Christian Stores' Father's Day promotion offers The Dad's Bible-NCV: The Father's Plan at 50% off, for $20. The email special includes an online-only, $5 off coupon on orders of $40 or more, through Saturday, and a Summer Fun Pack Giveaway drawing of $650 worth of "books, music and more."

Christian Retail Offers for the week of May 18

LifeWay Christian Stores has announced a one-week sale on Bibles, with may leading editions half-price through May 23, while stocks last.

Among the offers are The Archaeological Study Bible (reduced from $49.99 to $24.99), the NIV Study Bible ($39.99 to $19.99) and the NIV Audio Bible ($99.99 to $49.99).

Others titles whose prices have been slashed are The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV ($39.99 to $19.99), The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB ($49.99 to $22.49) and The NIV Adventure Bible ($21.99 to $10.99).

In addition, LifeWay is offering special prices on low-cost Scriptures for evangelism, with The Invitation HCSB New Testament available in case lots for 50 cents a copy. Almost 20 other bulk evangelistic editions are available, including The Atheist Bible, for $1.75 a copy.

Christian Retail Offers for the week of May 4

With Mother's Day just a few days away, moms are naturally the focus for all the major promotions, from gifts to books.

Mardel Christian Education & Supply focuses on Willow Tree's new "Roses in My Garden" line of figurines representing children of different ages and persinaltiires. The individual pieces are on sale for $12 each. Mardel's emailing also presents Love Takes Wing, the latest Janette Oke book to make it to DVD, for $14.99 (down from $22.99) through May 9.

Family Christian Stores offers The Love Dare: Legacy Edition for $18.39, reduced from $22.99, and the movie edition of the Fireproof tie-in for $11.99 (instead of $14.99). The special collector's DVD edition of the film is on sale for $19.99 (usual price $24.99).

Parable stores present "Music for Moms," with Francesca Battistelli's My Paper Heart 20% off for online purchases at $8.39. Kari Jobe's self-titled debut is priced at $10.49. The Parable promotion also spotlights Kate Gosselin's book, Eight Little Faces: A Mom's Journey (Zondervan), with an online price of $12.97 ($14.99 regular).

LifeWay Christian Stores features resources from speaker and author Beth Moore, including Praying God's Word Day by Day (reduced from $14.99 to $11.99) and A Woman's Prayer Life, down from $14.99 to $9.99.

CLC Christian Bookcenters presents a tabletop glass "mom" heart from Dicksons for $10.99, reduced from $15.99 among its gift specials. The Women of Faith Study Bible is reduced from $34.99 to $27.99, while Joyce Meyer's Never Give Up is the Deal of the Week, available for $14.99 ($21.99).

Christian retail offers for the week of April 20

With the April 23 Dove Awards ceremony cap stoning the Christian music world's annual GMA Week gathering in Nashville, music tops the promotions for Parable and Mardel Christian Education & Supply.

Parable store shoppers are offered 20% off all 2009 Dove nominees, and encouraged to vote for the Artist and New Artist of the Year categories. The Parable emailing also offers Christian rock favorites Jars of Clay's new album, The Long Fall Back to Earth (Provident) for the online price of $11.88, reduced from $13.98.

Mardel goes further with its New Music emailing, selling the Jars album for $8.99. In addition, the Mardel offer includes "New Voices, Great Prices," with albums by Sarah Reeves, Philmont and Danyew available or $5 each.

Dove nominees including Chris Tomlin (Hello Love) are among the Albums of the Month selling for $9.97 at Family Christian Stores.

LifeWay Christian Stores is promoting a One Week Sale, through April 25, on the NIV Life Application Study Bible, with $69.99 and $79.99 priced editions available for $34.99. As part of a Mother's Day focus, the chain is offering the Grandmother's Bible NIV for $10 off the regular $49.99 retail price. Comedian Chonda Pierce's DVD, Staying' Alive Laughing! is reduced from $14.98 to $5.

Christian Retail Offers for the week of April 6

DVDs and music feature strongly in Easter week offerings, with Family Christian Stores promoting the new part-animation, part-live action adaptation of the children's classic book, The Velveteen Rabbit, for $19.99, reduced from $24.99.

The chain also presents a series of other movies for $10 each, including the pro-life drama, Bella, the historical adventure, The Final Inquiry, and the evangelistic, The Ultimate Gift. In addition, the comedy concert special, Class Clowns, features as part of the '12 Days of Easter' online special offering select items for $5 each. The DVD normally retails for $14.99.

Mardel Christian Education & Supply offers Flywheel, an earlier movie from the makers of the smash hit, Fireproof, for $5. Mardel also promotes its Easter Book & Bible Sale on April 11, which will see 25% reductions on all books, Bibles and software. Select items will be 33% to 75% off, with shoppers able to register to win a $500 gift card.

The same day, the chain will also present an assorted bargain books special, with three-for$10. Among the more than 150 titles included in the special are Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now and Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Wife.

VeggieTales' An Easter Carol DVD is on sale for $9.99, down $3 from the regular price, in Parable stores' 'Easter Gifts for Little Hearts' mailing. Other items include Zonderkidz's The Beginner's Bible for $11.97 (usually $16.99).

CLC Christian Bookcenters promotes its digital music store, offering downloads of more than 300,000 songs by Christian artists.

Christian Retail Offers for the week of March 30

Parable stores offer a free preview of the latest installment of the successful "Nooma" video series.

Corner, the 23rd of pastor-author Rob Bell's short videos, can be viewed online at the Parable Web site April 3-5.

The screening invitation is included in a "Share Your Faith" mailing that offers the "Nooma" titles for $9.97 each for online purchases, reduced from $12.99. Discounted books include Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith, down from $14.99 to $9.97. Parable also offers 20% off featured nominees for this year's Dove Awards.

Music is a focus for Mardel Christian & Educational Supply, too, with a $5 CD sale through April 11. Albums by Skillet, Mercy Me, Sara Groves, The Afters and Vota are among those available. Special editions are excluded.

Mardel also presents a "Bargain Bibles" special. Among the offers are the TNIV Thinline in blue-cream DuoTone reduced from $25.99 to $7.49, and the ESV Wide Margin hardcover, down from $34.99 to $11.24.

Family Christian Stores' "Easter Gift Ideas for the Whole Family" mailing spotlights framed art, with a coupon for 33% off any purchase of $50 or more. A separate mailing offering 50% off select women's titles also reduces Max Lucado's His Name is Jesus from $24.99 to $14.99.

The Lucado title is also featured by LifeWay Christian Stores, which offers savings of up to 55% on "Eggcellent Easter Essentials." LifeWay presents the Lucado book for $17.99, while the NIV Compact Thinline Bible is available for $10. The usual retail price is $22.99.

Christian Retail offers for the week of March 23

LifeWay Christian Stores' One Week Sale, through March 28, offers half-off savings on almost 20 items, leading with Chris Tomlin's latest Hello Love. The CD is reduced to $6.99.

Other 50% savings are available on The Passion of The Christ: Definitive Edition DVD for $13.49, a set of Resurrection Eggs for $7.47, and The VeggieTales Bible from Zonderkidz priced at $12.49.

Meanwhile, LifeWay's 24-page Easter Celebration Sale catalog prices The Word of Promise: Next Generation New Testament Audio Bible, ICB at $29.99, down from $49.99. The catalog also includes a coupon for 33% off any one regularly priced item, bought in-store.

Family Christian Stores focuses on films, presenting a $5 saving on the Fireproof: Special Collector's Edition, priced at $19.99, while the new biopic Faith Like Potatoes can be pre-purchased for $17.99, down from $24.99. Among titles available for $10 each are Bella, The Final Inquiry, The List, One Night With the King and The Ultimate Gift.

Parable stores offer resources on The Truth About Jesus, with Josh and Sean McDowell's Evidence for the Resurrection reduced from $22.99 to $19.97. Lee Strobel's The Case for the Real Jesus is down from $14.99 to $9.99. The emailing also offers 20% of all finalists and winners of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's 2009 Christian Book Awards.

Christian Retail Offers for the week of March 16

Spring is in the air and Easter is on the agenda as CLC Christian Bookcenters and Family Christian Stores look ahead to the highpoint of the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday on April 12.

CLC promotes "perfect Easter gifts for kids," with daily deals offering up to 70% off regular prices. The stores' Deal of the Week is the new Zonderkidz VeggieTales Bible, down to $15.99 from $24.99. The emailing also prices Zondervan's Adventure Bible for Early Readers, NirV at $22.99, $5 off the regular price, and includes a 20% off in-store only coupon.

Family Christian leads its Easter focus with VeggieTales' latest DVD release, Abe and the Amazing Promise, retailing for $12.97, reduced from $14.99. The same price and reduction is available for a set of Resurrection Eggs.

Mardel Christian & Educational Supply emailing leads with a special offer on all Webkinz--$10.99 or less through March 21. Also spotlighted is Karen Kingsbury's new Take One (Zondervan), for $11.99 and Max Lucado's In the Grip of Grace (Thomas Nelson) for $4.99. The "Spring Forward" selection offers CDs from $6.99 and up, starting with Vota's self-named album.