John Nardini leaves food industry to take the lead at ‘extraordinary Christian company focused on giving hope’

Mardel Christian & Education has named John Nardini the chain’s new president. Having assumed his new post Aug. 19, Nardini brings a breadth of knowledge and expertise from more than 20 years in the Christian and retail industries.

Mart Green, owner and CEO of Mardel, is “delighted” to see Nardini at the helm. 

“He comes with a lot of passion and dedication to the Christian retail industry and is known as a thoughtful leader, recognized for his ability to prioritize opportunities for growth and direct strategic business initiatives,” Green said.

Nardini will be based at Mardel’s headquarters in Oklahoma City. 

“I am honored to work for an extraordinary Christian company focused on giving hope to people every day,” Nardini said. “I look forward to growing the Mardel brand and its products to meet the needs of families and educators across the U.S.”

Nardini comes to Mardel from Denali Flavors, a leading inventor and marketer of premium ice cream flavors, where he served as executive vice president of marketing for more than nine years. Prior to his work at Denali, Nardini held roles of increasing responsibility at Family Christian Stores for seven years, including vice president of marketing and senior vice president of marketing. He joined Family Christian from EMI CMG (now Capital Christian Music Group), where he led the marketing and sales departments as vice president of marketing for four and a half years. Before working with EMI, he was product manager for HJ Heinz and brand assistant for Proctor & Gamble.

Nardini holds a masters in business administration from Purdue University and a bachelor of science in business administration and economics from Culver-Stockton College.

Jason Green served as president at Mardel for eight years before leaving in early 2012 to become president of Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International in Hattiesburg, Miss. His departure led to a more active role for CEO Mart Green, who took on the presidency for an interim period before Nardini was hired. 

Mardel operates 35 stores in seven states with more than 800 employees.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote—who ruled in July that Apple was guilty of conspiring to fix e-book prices with five major publishers—issued her injunction on the company Sept. 6. The injunction was narrower in scope than the original recommendations from the U.S. Justice Department, as Cote had said in her initial comments on those recommendations that she wanted to make the judgment “rest as lightly as possible on how Apple runs its business.”

As expected, Cote’s injunction not only limits its agreements with the publishers, but it also requires an external monitor to review Apple’s antitrust compliance policies and procedures for two years.

Apple’s shares rose 0.6% after the injunction, as the company avoided the more draconian measures that the Justice Department had initially recommended, one that could have affected the tech giant’s supplier agreements with other media, including music, movies and TV shows.

Cote’s judgment will last for five years, but can be extended in one-year increments if deemed necessary.

“Consumers will continue to benefit from lower e-book prices as a result of the department’s enforcement action to restore competition in this important industry,” Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer said in a statement on behalf of the Justice Department.

Apple said it planned to appeal the injunction and denied the accusation.

“Apple did not conspire to fix e-book pricing,” said company spokesman Tom Neumayr. “The iBookstore gave customers more choice and injected much-needed innovation and competition into the market.”

Xulon Press founder Tom Freiling to head ‘Christian publisher for the world’ program

Tom Freiling, founder of Xulon Press, ventures back into self-publishing with the launch of Excel, a breakthrough in digital self-publishing that utilizes an exclusive technology to facilitate high-speed publishing.

Launched in September, Excel is a collaborative project owned by Charisma House and directed by Freiling. Excel is the world’s first self-publishing endeavor to offer print-on-demand technology specifically for Christian authors. This state-of-the-art typesetting program mirrors the future of the e-book market with a zero inventory system, enabling print books upon request in just 24 hours or less.

“Excel is the next generation of self-publishing,” Freiling said. “We’re taking digital publishing technology a step farther, to make it faster and easier for Christian authors to get published.”

In three do-it-yourself steps, authors have the ability to submit their manuscript for free via Excel’s website and prepare it for electronic publication to more than 30,000 bookstores in popular e-book formats.

“We don’t consider ourselves a USA publisher, or even a North American publisher—but a Christian publisher for the world,” Freiling said.

Excel also offers an online social gathering for authors to interact with experts. Authors have members-only access to a special Twitter account, Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. There will be a biweekly conference call and monthly newsletter with a book coach.

“In the past five years the self-publishing market has seen a 287% increase, with more than 200,000 titles published last year in the United States alone,” said Tessie DeVore, executive vice president of Charisma House. “Finding the right publisher has become overwhelming for Christian authors. Excel will provide something totally new and fresh, and will allow them to take their message to the world without the additional time, expense and labor of traditional publishing.”

NavPress cedes many publishing roles to new partner in order to focus on acquisition and development

NavPress and Tyndale House Publishers jointly announced Sept. 11 a new publishing alliance to grow the influence and impact of the NavPress brand. Plans are underway to increase the global distribution of the NavPress backlist and expand opportunities for new NavPress books and Bibles.

NavPress will continue to operate as the publishing arm of The Navigators ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colo. , but Tyndale is coming alongside NavPress to bring efficiencies of scale to the publishing process, including manufacturing, warehousing, selling, marketing and fulfillment. Tyndale has had a similar relationship with Focus on the Family for many years.

NavPress planned to eliminate the jobs of at least 22 of its 29 employees, according to The Gazette (Colorado Springs). The company will retain a small acquisition team, while Tyndale will soon assume most of the publisher’s other roles.

“I am excited about the alliance with Tyndale,” said Charlie Dokmo, chief of staff for The Navigators and interim CEO of NavPress. “This new publishing arrangement will allow the NavPress team to focus on what we do best, which is acquiring and developing new content—the heart and the future of every publisher.

“At the same time, this alliance will increase the opportunity for our authors to maximize their impact in the marketplace considering Tyndale’s well-regarded marketing prowess, sales talent and operating platform,” Dokmo added. “Most importantly, The Navigators is delighted to be engaging in God’s work with Tyndale and its rich heritage of ‘ministering to the spiritual needs of people.’ ”

Doug Knox, senior vice president and group publisher for Tyndale, said: “Tyndale and NavPress share a common mission, with product lines that are more complementary than competitive. Working together we can leverage each other’s strengths to accomplish better stewardship of our individual resources.”

NavPress will receive and process orders until further notice. Tyndale will begin pre-selling the NavPress 2014 summer list to the trade this month.

Controversial abortion insurance mandate heads back to federal court

Hobby Lobby and sister retailer Mardel face yet another bump in their ongoing legal battle. Federal lawyers have indicated their intent to challenge the temporary Obamacare exemption granted in July. Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services filed a federal court notice Sept. 17 in opposition to the exemption.

U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton granted Hobby Lobby and Mardel a temporary exemption from a requirement in the healthcare law that mandates employers provide insurance coverage for morning-after pills and other emergency birth control methods. The court order allows the companies to avoid hefty fines while they continue their legal challenge on religious freedom grounds.

The Green family, Christian owners of Mardel and Hobby Lobby, believe that life begins at conception and that certain birth control methods are tantamount to abortion. The companies’ current insurance plans do offer 16 other forms of birth control.

If the exemption is removed, the companies could be forced to choose between betraying their beliefs and complying with the full range of government-mandated contraceptive options or facing fines of $1.3 million a day.

Four companies honored for excellence in partnership with leading Christian retail chain

Family Christian Stores presented its 2013 Vendor Awards last month at its annual company update in Grand Rapids, Mich. Family recognized four vendors in the categories of Partnership, Business Innovation, Ministry Impact and Supplier of the Year.

“Family Christian is blessed to work with a large number of exceptional supplier partners,” said Olivia Marx, the chain’s senior vice president of merchandising. “Our annual Family Christian Vendor Awards are intended to recognize and honor the very best of those vendors in key categories each year.”

“The special partnerships we’ve built with each of these organizations, and the unique ways we’ve been able to work together, are what help Family Christian accomplish its purpose of spreading God’s Word and serving the widow and the orphan,” Marx added. “The awards are a small token of our appreciation, but we are so grateful to be working collaboratively with suppliers who share a common vision with us towards achieving our calling.”

Capitol Christian Distribution was the recipient of this year’s Partnership Award for its “strong support of Family Christian’s marketing and promotional efforts, driving solid business results for both companies,” Family Christian said. “Capitol is dedicated to getting on board with Family Christian’s direction and educating their artists and record labels about the heart of Family Christian’s ministry.”

New Day Christian Distributors received the Business Innovation Award. While New Day’s roots are in music—still a solid part of its business—its distribution categories have broadened to include fast-growing product lines, including Melissa & Doug toys and Duck Commander gifts. “Their creativity and responsiveness have driven strong results for Family Christian,” Family Christian said.

Family presented the Ministry Impact Award to Fair Trade Services, “a vendor partner whose heart for ministry aligns closely with Family Christian’s calling to follow the James 1:27 mandate,” Family Christian said. Last Christmas, Fair Trade created the second Family Christian-exclusive record to raise funds to put an end to sex trafficking worldwide. The albums have raised more than $1 million for International Justice Mission.

Dicksons took home the Supplier of the Year Award for its “exceptional service and genuine and intentional efforts to understand and meet our consumers’ ever-changing needs,” Family said. “Dicksons collaborates with Family Christian’s buyers to develop innovative products and then follows through on the product delivery to ensure advantageous margins and superior in-stock positions, fueling strong sales growth.”

Vendors also attended Family’s “Giving and Growing” gala, which  featured auctions; a panel discussion with ministry partners; and worship with Nicole C. Mullen. Vendor representatives and Family partners also engaged in work projects in the homes of area widows.

New nonprofit model means big goals and greater empowerment in giving to important faith-based causes

Family Christian Stores has long been a staple in the Christian retail arena, but while its commitment to offering quality products remains intact, big changes are going on behind the scenes. In November 2012, Family Christian Stores was purchased by three Christian businessmen who had a unique vision for the company, a vision that has quickly become a reality.

“From a customer experience standpoint, everything will remain the same in terms of, hopefully, getting the great quality and selection of Christian resources that help people find, grow and celebrate their faith in Jesus Christ,” Family Christian CEO Cliff Bartow said of the shift to nonprofit status.

The main difference, he said, is that the new owners “have a very strong desire to create a kingdom giving engine.”

“Their heart is to be able to take the earnings from Family Christian and give those earnings away to Christian charities and Christian organizations,” Bartow added of the three Atlanta businessmen who invested in the company.

Family Christian Ministries, the parent company of Family Christian Stores that also includes the chain’s ministry arms and digital platforms, has officially made the shift to nonprofit, though elements are still moving into place to maximize the effectiveness of the giving model.

Although Family will now be giving away 100% of its corporate profits, the company has been a strong proponent of Christian charity for years.

“Family Christian was already tithing 10% of our profits to our James Fund to help widows and orphans,” Bartow said. “They also saw the child sponsorship program, where last year alone we had 33,000 children sponsored through our stores, that the reoccurring revenue when you see that raises about $40 million a year for World Vision.”

This history of corporate generosity was key to bringing together Family and the new owners.

“God brought us these three businessmen in our path who are very aligned with us,” Bartow added. “The businessmen saw the generosity of our customer base already and just felt like this was something they were called to do.”

The company is focusing on this spirit of generosity in every facet of their operations.

“We’re not looking at what we can get or what we want from our customer, but more what can we do for our customer,” Bartow said.

He said the company is looking at what they can do to serve and communicate with their customers “on a personal level and engaging them that helps them feel good about themselves and about their relationship with Jesus Christ.”

“We have a written document that the three stewards signed along with myself, committing and dedicating this company to God,” Bartow said. “We are simply stewards of its resources and assets.”

The not-for-profit shift also gives customers extra incentive to shop at the chain.

“We think that it’s a pretty compelling reason to shop at Family Christian, knowing that 100% of [our] earnings are going to go to be given away to Christian charities,” Bartow said. “And so we think it’s a pretty compelling reason to spend, if not 100% of your wallet share with us, more than maybe you have in the past.”

Even though the traditional profit motive is now gone from Family’s corporate structure, it hasn’t hindered leadership’s drive to bring in revenue. If anything, the new model and its potential kingdom impact has increased that incentive.

“I think it’s important to state that not-for-profit simply means you’re not going to pay any federal income tax,” Bartow said. “It doesn’t mean you don’t want to create earnings that allow you to do something in that not-for-profit that impacts the kingdom.”

“We have a goal here in the next five years to be able to be giving away $100 million a year,” Bartow added. “We really believe that’s a realistic goal that could be achieved, and that’s some pretty significant kingdom impact.”

Resource guide will assist retailers in serving the church

Many of our readers likely have a Vacation Bible School (VBS) experience—good or bad—burned in their brain. Yes, I’m resisting the urge to tell you mine. That said, God has used VBS in many lives. Studies have shown that VBS is still a vital vehicle for communicating the gospel message and seeing hearts changed. What could be better than that?

As we approach 2014, we aim to find every new VBS program that will be sold in Christian retail stores to share in our VBS Guide. On an annual basis, we equip Christian retailers in relaying this information and product to churches, so stores can play their part in making a real difference in their communities. We trust that you will find the program listing, At-a-Glance chart and feature by Gospel Light’s Donna Lucas of benefit as you serve the VBS customer.

I’d also like to take a moment to welcome our new assistant editor, Jeremy Burns. From time to time, Jeremy will be calling retailers to find out what’s new and newsworthy, not to mention all the contacts he’ll be making with publishers and other suppliers on an ongoing basis.

As always, we invite you to connect with us on social media and share your thoughts about how Christian Retailing can serve you better.

Best-selling author David Jeremiah is grateful for retailers as ‘God’s frontline ambassadors to a hostile world’

Dr. David Jeremiah is no stranger to big releases. The New York Times best-selling author of more than 40 books and founder of Turning Point Ministries reaches tens of millions across the world through his radio and television broadcasts and through the written word. But a pair of key releases this fall sets the bar even higher for him.

The Jeremiah Study Bible, the first Bible to incorporate Jeremiah’s widely-respected commentary and insight, will be released Nov. 26 by Worthy Publishing. The leatherbound or jacketed hardcover edition of the New King James Version Bible features 8,000 individual study notes, hundreds of sidebars with word studies and historical information, and more than 60 full-page articles exploring key themes of the Christian walk, as well as an array of maps, charts, tables and a topical index and general concordance. In keeping with his commitment to making his teachings as comprehensive and accessible as possible, the volume will also include digital and multimedia resources, accessible through QR codes in the text.

“The Jeremiah Study Bible is the most important project I’ve ever worked on in my entire life because it brings everything I’ve done back to what matters most in my life and ministry: the Word of God,” Jeremiah said. “Pulling together and classifying and condensing nearly 50 years’ worth of notes and insights has been daunting at times, but I have strongly felt the Holy Spirit’s lead and encouragement along the way, and that helped a great deal as I worked through the process.”

As befitting a Bible bearing Jeremiah’s name, the commentary and supplementary tools in The Jeremiah Study Bible focus on three key questions: What does the Bible say? What does it mean? and What does it mean for you?

“My prayer is that The Jeremiah Study Bible will accomplish three things for those who want to delve more deeply into God’s Word: that it will reveal what the Bible says, illustrate what it means, and uncover what it means for them as an individual,” Jeremiah said. “God speaks to us through His Word and He’s been doing so for more than 2,000 years.”

“If someone reads the Word and doesn’t know how it applies to their life and to them personally, they will leave the Book wanting and perhaps even confused,” he added. “But if they realize what the Scriptures say to them and how they apply to real life—to their life—then there is nothing in existence more powerful and more able to change someone into the person God wants them to be.”

Worthy Publishing, a relatively new house helmed by industry veteran Byron Williamson, is gearing up for this landmark  Bible release.

“We have always been moved by Dr. Jeremiah’s ability to blend serious scholarship, practical application and inspiration,” said Williamson. “That’s his unique gift. He is such a diligent student; the long hours he invested in the development of this amazing study resource was an inspiration to all of us.”

“Dr. Jeremiah fervently believes in the need for every believer to plunge into God’s Word,” Williamson added. “His approach appeals to Christians from all walks of life and tradition.”

Last month saw the release of Jeremiah’s latest trade book, What Are You Afraid Of? (Tyndale House Publishers). Providing biblical answers to 10 of the top fears believers are facing today, the book offers a timely response to an uncertain age.

“I wrote What Are You Afraid Of? because I heard people say things I had never heard before—like, ‘I wonder if it’s safe even to go to church. I wonder if it’s safe to put my children in school. I wonder if it’s safe to eat in a public place. I wonder if it’s safe to shop in a mall,’ ” Jeremiah said. “It’s a very present problem, and obviously the Bible has a lot to say about it. I wanted to try to answer some of those questions from the Scripture.”

Jeremiah takes a personal approach to these fears and casts them in a spiritual light, referencing the most often used admonition in the Bible—“fear not”— and helping to not only put the fears in a proper frame of reference, but also illustrating how key figures from the Bible struggled with—and overcame— similar fears.

“Fear is universal—it’s the great equalizer,” he said. “Everyone is afraid of something. I realized in writing this book that, at some point in time or another in my own life, I experienced every one of these fears.”

“What Are You Afraid Of? will reveal to people who are wrestling with fear, or know someone who is, that there are biblical answers to our fear questions—and ways to face down their fear with faith,” he added.

Maria Eriksen, senior marketing director for Tyndale, sees the topic of fear as “deeply relevant in today’s fear-filled culture,” she said.

 The Jeremiah Study Bible and What Are You Afraid Of? are only the latest in a successful writing career spanning more than 30 years. Jeremiah’s keen insight and ability to translate key elements of the faith into layman’s terms has made him widely sought as a voice on spiritual issues.

“I think that God has blessed me with a writing style that ordinary people can relate to,” Jeremiah said after deferring speculation on why he so resonates with readers. “I try to utilize the power of story, just as Jesus did in His parables. Stories have a great ability to illustrate truth to people.”

“Readers of Dr. Jeremiah’s work immediately see evidence of his own fresh, in-depth Bible study,” said Williamson, who has worked with the author on multiple projects throughout his publishing career. “He has the capacity to uncover insights that arrest your attention, clarify God’s message for you and provide such practical counsel about how to live a joyful life.”

Jeremiah is also appreciative of how crucial Christian retailers have been to his writing career and to spreading the gospel, especially in the moral, economic and religious upheaval that led to the propagation of fears he addresses in What Are You Afraid Of?

“Christian retailers are absolutely essential to helping us fulfill the mission I founded my ministry, Turning Point, on more than 30 years ago: delivering the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world,” he said. “The man or woman serving God’s kingdom in a Christian retailer might be the first real face of Jesus a struggling, lost person has ever seen. That’s a mighty responsibility, but an equally mighty opportunity to win a soul for Christ.”

“Christian retailers are truly God’s frontline ambassadors to a hostile world,” he said, “and they are needed now more than ever.”

Industry cutbacks in tough economic times make staying current with the latest and greatest product ‘very difficult’ for stores

In an uncertain economy, with digital distribution of e-books and music coupling with online retail giants, one ongoing issue has made the work of brick-and-mortar Christian stores even more challenging: the decline of sales representative coverage for independent stores.

Part of this development stems from the fact that more Christian retail stores are joining marketing groups like Parable and Munce, while others are forced to close up shop because of high overhead costs and lagging sales. Publishers and vendors have been forced to cut back on field sales representation, and chains and stores joined to large marketing groups are the most cost-effective places to spend much of those vendors’ valuable man-hours.

Independent stores not tied to marketing groups often are left on their own to find their way through the myriad catalogs and collections of their various suppliers.

“It is very difficult,” said Vicki Geist, co-owner of Cedar Springs Christian Stores in Knoxville, Tenn., and new CBA board member. “We have to see what’s new on our own.”

Despite the fact that Cedar Springs is “one of the bigger stores,” Geist said that the “music reps have cut back,” and they “haven’t seen a Tyndale sales rep all year.” 

With cutbacks in those companies, she recognizes that the decreased number of sales reps remaining “can’t possibly see all the stores.”

The cuts were not a one-time occurrence either, as the number of sales reps is continuing to decline. Damascus Road Christian Books in Sacramento, Calif., has only been in business for three years, but even in that time, owner Telly King has noticed a drop in sales rep visits.

“They’re having to schedule things months and weeks in advance,” King said of the companies sending representatives. “If I couldn’t get things scheduled with a rep during the window they’re in the area, it could easily be three or four months before I get another chance.”

It’s not all bad news, though. For some store owners, the very technological revolution that has caused so many issues for the retail marketplace as a whole has also offered a helpful method of assuaging some of the difficulties caused by the present dearth of field sales reps.

“It’s kind of a mixed bag,” said Bill Ballou, owner of The Solid Rock, a Christian store that has been serving Kearney, Neb., for 40 years. Sales rep visits “used to be how [companies] would introduce their products. You didn’t get a catalog in the mail.”

Located in a relatively small community, the store would sometimes miss new releases since it didn’t get the best sales rep coverage even before the current decline. 

“With fewer sales people, there are more emails and more online presence,” Ballou said.

As many consumers and retailers alike have found, the Internet can be the great equalizer when it comes to staying informed. More and more, cost-cutting vendors and independent booksellers are turning to their online relationships and databases to compensate for the lack of in-person visits.

“The ones that we have, they are very good,” King said of her sales reps, with whom she communicates between visits via email and phone. “They understand the layout of our store, and they’re pretty good at letting me know what’s going to work.”

With limited coverage, however, “It’s a little harder,” she admitted. 

That sentiment seems to be the prevailing one, even as a greater presence in digital catalogs and online communication helps to blunt the effects of the reduction in rep visits.

“It’s just not the same,” said Geist. Though email can help independent bookstores stay in contact with their reps, it can’t truly replace “looking over the product, talking about the product and discussing what we can do to promote the product” in person with sales reps.