With a pastor at the helm, Kingstone Media Group offers cross-over comics with a Christian worldview

In a world where “gay” characters are becoming more accepted in comic books, companies like Kingstone Media Group continue to stand on biblical principles, offering such titles as The Book of Revelation and The Pilgrim’s Progress.

“I’m really all about outreach and evangelism as a pastor,” said Ayris, CEO of the company and an executive pastor at First Baptist Church in Leesburg, Fla., outside of Orlando. His career experience also includes film and television production.

“We see it as a way to get the conversation going,” he added of the company’s work that often has cross-over potential into the general market.

Offering comic books and graphic novels for the next generation—which, Ayris notes, adults read as well—Kingstone Media offers “pretty test-driven” publications, he said.

Diamond Comic Distributors—the leading comic book and graphic novel distributor in the general market—picked up Kingstone’s titles. Companies in India and the Netherlands are also distributing Kingstone works.

In the last year, Kingstone has released comic books on the story of Jonah, Moses, Exodus and more.

“Comics decrease biblical illiteracy,” Ayris said, pointing out that parents and pastors have told him that their kids are “now more interested in Bible stories and they’re also retaining their knowledge of the Bible.”

The Book of God, a graphic novel for ages 9-13, has been optioned for a movie. In it, Ben Avery, lead writer and editor, shows how the Bible came into existence.

“We have to capture kids’ hearts and imaginations,” Ayris said.

Next January, Kingstone will publish Eternity, the first graphic novel by best-selling author Randy Alcorn (Heaven, Courageous) that will tell the New Testament story of Lazarus and the rich man.

The company is also committed to completing The Kingstone Bible in graphic novel form with high-end artwork within the next two years.

A recent addition to the Kingstone Media team is Gary ?, formerly a vice president with the VeggieTales franchise. Its president, Steve Blount, and director, Gene Mims, are former executives of LifeWay.

“We recognize that today’s audience does much of their reading in the digital format,” Ayris said. “That’s why The Book of God and all of our comics and graphic novels are available via multiple digital channels including iPad apps, Droid, Kindle, iBookstore and others.”

With offices in Leesburg and Tampa, Fla., and Dallas, Kingstone Media Group comprises Kingstone Comics; Bay Forest, with “cinema-quality” novels by best-selling authors such as Ace Collins and Ray Blackston, which are distributed by Atlas Books; and Kingstone Entertainment, the film development, finance and production arm. Kingstone also publishes Spanish-language graphic novels and comics.

In related news, the Christian Comic Arts Society, in partnership with Zondervan, hosted a mixer and two professional panels at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Held in July, the event is billed as the largest pop-culture entertainment event in the world.

Approximately 4,000 samplers of Zondervan’s The Book of Revelation (January 2013) were handed out, and the graphic novel’s artist, Chris Koelle, participated in Comic-Con panel discussions.

“We couldn’t be happier with the final product, or the reaction of graphic novel lovers of every stripe who gave us such positive feedback,” said Chip Brown, senior vice president and Bible publisher at Zondervan.

Additionally, more than 4,000 copies of Passport to Christians in Comics were distributed to attendees. The info-graphic charted the location of Christians who are active in the comics industry and offered a map where they could be found at Comic-Con events and booths.

Christian publishers are gearing up to supply fans of fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien with movie tie-in titles ahead of the much-anticipated December theatrical release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Based on Tolkien’s book The Hobbit—a prequel of sorts to his trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”—the movie will follow the quest of Bilbo Baggins as he finds a mysterious ring and learns a thing or two about good and evil.

“Tolkien fans will be looking … for further insight into the book that inspired the movie,” said Beth Hood-Fromm, owner and chief publicist with OMG Publicity, which is promoting Abingdon Press’ The Christian World of The Hobbit (October).

Julie Backman, associate publicity manager at Abingdon, said the book will be advertised with various marketing groups and will be carried by major bookstore chains.

Abingdon also distributed advance reader copies to booksellers and librarians at Book Expo America in June and the International Christian Retail Show in July.

“Initial pre-orders are healthy,” Backman said.

Barbour Publishing released A Hobbit Devotional in September.

Shalyn Sattler, director of trade marketing at Barbour, said this is the first time the company has released any titles that tie in with films such as Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring or C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

“There is a huge fan base for all things “Lord of the Rings” and J.R.R. Tolkien, and the upcoming movie has helped to build excitement and create interest in Hobbit-related products,” said Sattler, noting that Barbour is seeing “steady” sales, but expects an increase closer to the holidays.

Barbour is tapping into social media, the Web and marketing groups to promote the devotional book.

Barnabas Piper, audience development manager, spiritual growth at Moody Publishers, said On the Shoulders of Hobbits (October) could have been released in the spring, but the company delayed publication because of the late-2012 movie release. It’s a “natural marketing connection” he said.

Written by a professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University, On the Shoulder of Hobbits is about virtue and reality and good and evil, Piper said, noting he expects the book to have a long shelf life, as the story of The Hobbit will be told in three parts over a few years.

Along with the usual retail channels, Moody is reaching out to Tolkien and Lewis societies as well as the homeschool community and classical Christian education schools and organizations.

Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich., plans to sell all of the major Hobbit-related titles this fall.

“What a great time to sell Hobbit books with the movie coming out,” said Sue Smith, the store’s manager, adding that The Hobbit has much to teach “about God and our Christian walk.”

However, not everyone is enthusiastic about some of the forthcoming tie-in books. Rick Lewis, co-owner of Logos of Dallas, said he only plans to carry Matthew Dickerson’s A Hobbit Journey (September, Brazos Press/Baker Publishing Group).

“I am a great believer in reading the primary book,” Lewis said, “Tolkien is pretty straightforward in his tale. When I consider the value of time, I don't see reading these ancillary titles.”

Thomas Nelson pulls David Barton's controversial best-seller, citing historical errors

Despite Thomas Nelson canceling David Barton's controversial best-seller about Thomas Jefferson, the conservative historian has continued to sell the book through WallBuilders. It has now reportedly been picked up by Mercury Ink, the publishing imprint of Mercury Radio Arts, a multimedia production company owned by conservative talker Glenn Beck, who wrote the foreword to the Jefferson book.

"We find it regrettable that Thomas Nelson never contacted us with even one specific area of concern before curtly notifying us they had dropped the work," Barton, named by TIME magazine as one of the 25 most influential American evangelicals in 2005, wrote on his WallBuilders website. “Had they done so, we would have been happy to provide them with the thorough and extensive historical documentation for any question or issue they raised; they never asked. The Jefferson Lies has not been pulled from publication and it will continue to sell nationally.”

Released in April, The Jefferson Lies claims to expose common myths about Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s third president.

“The purpose of the book was to show that the current portrayals of Jefferson as an ardent secularist guy are not accurate,” Barton said in an Aug. 16 podcast on WallBuilders' website. “And so we go through and show how all the things that he did, how that he would never separate, [never subscribe to] today’s version of separation of church and state because we just show, literally, just numbers and numbers and repeated numbers of his actions, including faith in the public arena, that he didn’t want a secular public square, that he wasn’t hostile to Christianity.

“In the last 15 years of his life, he became hostile to specific doctrines, but never to Christianity itself and never worked to expunge Christianity, and so if we take that away from the left, they’ve got nothing left to stand on,” he added.

But after a group of conservative scholars claimed that Barton’s take on Jefferson was factually incorrect, Nelson decided to pull The Jefferson Lies at the end of July.

“The company was contacted by a number of people expressing concerns about the book, which we took very seriously,” said Casey Harrell, director of corporate communications for Thomas Nelson. “The company tried to sort out matters of opinion or interpretation, and in the course of our review learned that there were some historical details included in the book that were not adequately supported. Because of these deficiencies we decided that it was in the best interest of our readers to cease publication and distribution.”

Harrell told Christian Retailing that Nelson would not release “specifically how many people expressed concerns—only that there were several who expressed concerns about the historical accuracy of the book.”

“We are not releasing any additional information other than the publishing relationship has ceased and between Thomas Nelson and Mr. Barton, and we do not expect to publish his works in the future,” she said.

However, Barton has defended The Jefferson Lies, stating that Nelson never mentioned any concerns about the book, which made the New York Times best-seller list after its April release.

“While Thomas Nelson may have 'lost confidence' in the work, others have not and the book has already been picked up by a much larger national publisher and distributor,” wrote Barton, a graduate of Oral Roberts University. “Even at the time Nelson dropped the work, [the company] admitted that it was still selling very well.”

At press time, The Jefferson Lies was still the top-selling book about Jefferson on Amazon.com, the New York Times reported. It also remained for sale on the website of WallBuilders, a pro-family organization founded by Barton that presents America’s history and heroes with an emphasis on its moral, religious and constitutional heritage.

“The tragedy is that right now you have taken a New York Times best-selling book that presents a side of Jefferson most people haven’t seen in 50 years and they are just squelching that debate, which is what they want,” Barton said during the podcast. “They don’t want that side of Jefferson coming out. The good news is they haven’t done it. …

“It’s going to be real clear this was an agenda-driven attack, and as more and more evidence is coming out on who this guy is, people are going to see that this is like an attack from The Huffington Post, this is like an attack from MSNBC, this is a philosophical worldview apart from the rest of us.”

Despite losses, CBA leader is 'encouraged' with the number of stores opening versus previous years

Despite several Christian retailers recently going out of business, including former CBA Chairman Jim Whitaker closing his longtime store, the head of the Christian booksellers association says he is encouraged with the number of stores opening versus previous years.

Although 54 stores closed in 2011, 32 stores opened last year—more than twice as many opening in 2010, according to CBA. In 2010, 77 stores closed, while 14 stores opened that year.

“We're encouraged by seeing a number of stores opening versus previous years,” CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey told Christian Retailing. “Their model has changed. They're doing things differently. Those are things we're taking a look at. They're approaching the market differently, and that's a good thing.”

However, some veteran retailers decided to shutter their businesses this summer. Citing the tough economy and stiff competition, Whitaker and his wife, Bonnie, closed New Life Christian Stores in Lynchburg, Va., at the end of August.

“After 23-plus years of serving the Lord through Christian retail, we feel God has something else He wants us to do,” the couple wrote on the stores' Facebook page. “With growing competition and a weak economy, we do not believe it is His will for us to struggle to make ends meet.

“We covet your prayers as we make this transition and seek God's plan for each member of our family,” they added. “We do intend to keep New Life Laser Engraving in operation [out of our home].”

The Whitakers closed their 6,000-square-foot location in July 2009, after steadily losing sales to increased local competition—including a LifeWay Christian Store that opened nearby. They moved to two smaller stores farther out of the city a few miles away, but the remaining store closed in August.

Whitaker resigned in October 2009 as CBA chairman, the same day then-CBA President and CEO Bill Anderson stepped down.

“Even though we will not have a brick-and-mortar store, we do plan to keep some vendor accounts open to serve a few customers with some bulk orders,” Whitaker said. “We are keeping the store website open for a while to allow customers to still buy some product through us that way. … One of the hardest parts of closing our bookstore is not being involved in an industry we love.

“We have many good friends that are part of Christian book-selling around the world,” he added. “We will greatly miss seeing these friends, but we intend to keep in touch through Facebook and other media.”

Meanwhile, Becky Hall Brown, owner of Place of Grace Christian Bookstore in Princeton, W.Va., decided to close her business in August. The store, which she opened in 2002, had steadily declined in sales since late 2009.

“We have had plans of moving locations for several months,” said Brown, who also has a photography business since 1997. “However, when we had exhausted all our personal financial efforts into the business, we made a very abrupt, but necessary, decision to finally close our store. Even with our myMEDIA BurnBar system in place, which enabled us on-site creation and delivery of music CDs and soundtracks, customers continue to choose Internet ordering for their soundtrack needs.

“It so annoys me to see the local Christian bookstore struggling these days,” she added. “Having given my heart and life to this ministry and industry for several years, I see the lack of concern for the small, local business most Christians have. ... Those who stand by the local store and truly savor our service and ministry to the community are those I will miss most.”

Elsewhere, Kira Brant, owner of Kira's Cottage Christian Store in Franklin, Ind., closed her store in May after nine years.

“It was time to close, even though I wasn't ready for it,” she said. “It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made, and the closing sale was almost unbearable at times. I was angry, confused, hurt. I wondered why we weren't supposed to make it.

“It wasn't that our store wasn't supposed to make it, it wasn't that we weren't good enough, strong enough or even rich enough,” Brant added. “It's that God had accomplished what He wanted to with Kira's Cottage, and it was now time to move on. That season was over in my life and I had to let it go.”

Brant is now teaching art classes, which she had done after graduating from college.

“Seeing so many other stores closing breaks my heart,” she said. “The money problems, fear of bills, worrying over what to do. It is so hard and I ache for anyone going through it. … I continually pray for all [the people] in the Christian retail industry.”

Another store—Come to the Waters Christian Books and Music in Alabaster, Ala.—was to shut its doors at the end of this month.

“We want to urge you to continue supporting small independent stores like us. Especially small independent Christian stores,” Warren Hamby, who opened Come to the Waters in 2001, wrote on the store's website. “Thousands have had to close during the last decade, and there are only two reasons we have been open this long. The first is that God wanted us to be here. The other reason is you.”

Riskey said “the loss of a Christian store often is like the loss of a friend or relative in the community.”

“It is truly a sad day when any Christian store closes,” said Riskey, who closed his store, BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) Books and Cafe in Oshkosh, Wis., in 2010 due to difficulties in running the business from a distance. Riskey moved to Colorado in 2007, when he joined CBA as strategic solutions executive.

“As the ways of business change, the role of all brick-and-mortar stores also is being redefined,” he added. “God certainly has a call on our lives as Christian retailers, and the gospel message and ministry will continue to be shared in some fashion through physical stores. As an industry, we are finding new ways to meet needs and provide Bible-based resources and materials to build faith and witness.”

Calvin Miller, author, pastor, professor and storyteller, best known for “The Singer Trilogy,” a mythic retelling of the New Testament story in the spirit of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, died in Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 19, 2012, due to complications after heart surgery. He was 75.

Miller’s The Singer, published in 1975 by InterVarsity Press (IVP), sold more than 1 million copies and introduced the trilogy, which includes The Song and The Finale. IVP published 10 of his books in total, including such recent books as Letters to Heaven, The Path of Celtic Prayer and Letters to a Young Pastor.

“IVP was proud to have put Calvin on the map of the publishing world with his surprisingly successful ‘mythic retelling’ of the gospel story,” said Andy Le Peau, associate publisher for IVP and editor of several of Miller’s books. “I enjoyed sitting side by side with him as we worked through his prose, sometimes line by line.”

Bob Fryling, publisher for IVP, spoke of The Singer as “a work of great biblical, spiritual imagination,” and said that “we will miss Calvin, but his writings continue with beauty and wisdom.”

Miller was the author of more than 100 titles, The Book of Jesus (Touchstone Faith), Into the Depths of God (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group), The Empowered Leader (B&H Academic) and Letters to Heaven (Worthy Publishing).

Thomas Nelson published his memoirs, Life Is Mostly Edges, in 2008. Matt Baugher, vice president and publisher at the company, said Miller's “legacy and the God he served so well are an ongoing inspiration to me and untold thousands of others. Several members of the Nelson team admitted that ‘Calvin truly made some dynamic contributions to the development of my heart.’ ”

With sales of more than 4 million copies worldwide, Miller’s books encompassed a variety of genres, including fiction, devotional, leadership, children’s picture books, poetry, specialty Bibles, Bible study guides and books on the deeper life. His final book, tentatively titled The Vanishing Evangelical, is set to release in March from Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group, and at the time of his death, he was working on a book about the kingdom of God.

Miller also garnered respect and praise throughout his career from peers like Luci Shaw, Max Lucado and Philip Yancey.

“As a writer, Calvin Miller offered that rare combination of preacher and artist,” Yancey said. “He looked with the eyes of an artist, sensitive to story, beauty and human empathy; then he wove it all together in a message of deep Christian hope.”

“We are all shocked and heartsick by his sudden passing,” said his longtime literary agent and friend, Greg Johnson of WordServe Literary. “He was a true renaissance man if there ever was one. Few knew that he was also a fabulous painter, a wonderful piano player … he lived to create.

“He was also an insightful and entertaining speaker with a great sense of humor,” Johnson added. “He continued to travel more than 30 weekends a year to speak at churches and seminaries. He will be greatly missed by the kingdom and all of us who had the privilege of knowing him well.”

Born Aug. 28, 1936, in Enid, Okla., Miller was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1991 to 1998, he was a professor of communication and ministry studies and writer-in-residence at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1999, he became a writer-in-residence and mentor to students through his preaching and pastoral ministry classes at Samford University Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, from where he retired just a few years ago.

Miller's first full-time pastorate was Plattsmouth Baptist Church, Plattsmouth, Neb., from 1961 to 1966. Thereafter, he served Westside Church in Omaha, Neb., as senior pastor for 25 years. During his pastorate, the congregation grew from 10 to more than 2,500 members.

Miller is survived by his wife, Barbara Miller; two children, Melanie Sloger and Timothy Miller; and four sisters.

Big Idea expects 'many wonderful things' to come out of acquisition

The animation studio that created Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon has acquired the parent company of Big Idea and its popular VeggieTales brand.

DreamWorks Animation SKG announced in July that it had entered into an agreement to buy Classic Media for $155 million in cash from Boomerang Media Holdings LLC, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR.

Classic Media owns one of the most extensive portfolios featuring many of the best-known franchises in family entertainment, including Lassie, The Lone Ranger, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Where's Waldo? and George of the Jungle.

In 2009, Boomerang Media LLC purchased Big Idea and Classic Media, which bought Big Idea after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2003.

“As we approach celebrating Big Idea's 20th anniversary [in 2013], we couldn't be more pleased to join the DreamWorks Animation team,” said Leslie Ferrell, general manager of Big Idea. “DreamWorks Animation respects and supports Big Idea's successful history in producing faith-based, family friendly entertainment and is committed to supporting our growth. We expect many wonderful things to come of this partnership.”

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said Classic Media "brings a large and diverse collection of characters and branded assets that is extremely complementary to DreamWorks Animation's franchise business.”

“We plan to leverage it across our motion picture, television, home entertainment, consumer products, digital, theme park and live entertainment channels,” he added.

In a Facebook post, Phil Vischer, VeggieTales co-creator and the voice of Bob the Tomato, said Bob and Larry have “a new daddy and he's a big, green ogre,” referring to Shrek.

“The biggest thing to point out is that VeggieTales hasn't been owned by Christians since 2003, when I lost everything in bankruptcy,” said Vischer, who is no longer part of Big Idea, but is still involved with VeggieTales projects. “So things shouldn't be much different going forward, ogre or no ogre.”

Classic Media has approximately 80 employees and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in the U.K. and at its Nashville-based Big Idea division.

B&H Publishing Group recently announced the launch of B&H Kids, a new children's imprint aiming to offer “Bible-centered, age-appropriate, engaging content for kids.”

The first children’s titles will feature two film tie-ins, including Firebird by Brent McCorkle and Amy Parker (October)—a story featured in the forthcoming movie Unconditional. The other tie-in release is Courageous Teens by Michael Catt and Amy Parker, released last month as the latest in ancillary products based on the 2011 Sherwood Pictures film, Courageous.

Dan Lynch—previously with Word Records and Tommy Nelson, the children's imprint of Thomas Nelson—heads B&H Kids as lead acquisitions editor, and Mary Katharine Hunt is vice president of marketing. Hunt is formerly a director for LifeWay Kids (which develops church curriculum for children), a division of Lifeway Christian Resources and the parent company of B&H Publishing Group.

B&H Kids is "taking off in a big way with a strong commitment to fun and innovative content and tools to engage children," Lynch said. "Whether it's print or digital, a book or an app, our products are especially geared to help parents and leaders interact with kids in ways that truly make an impact, a powerful difference in their lives."

Other B&H Kids employees include acquisitions editor Dawn Woods, formerly of Thomas Nelson, and marketing strategist Shannon Kozee, most recently a marketing manager at Big Idea, parent company of VeggieTales.

Primarily addressing ages 4-8 and 8-12, B&H Kids products will be especially geared to “empower the adults in kids’ lives,” Lynch said. Young Adult titles are expected to be added in the future.

Digital resources will be built into every product, including the Read to Me Toddlers Bible, which became available last month in English and Spanish with interactive apps, and The 365 Day Children's Bible Storybook (December).

Several complete Bibles for kids featuring "a unique range of classic and modern designs" will be published in winter 2013, the publisher said.

Ministry focus at Retailing ReBoot West, next month

Christian store owners, managers and workers will learn how to maximize the personal impact of their services, at next month’s Retailing ReBoot West.

Customer connections and customer experience are among the topics to be addressed in educational sessions at Christian Retailing’s Oct. 17-18 event at Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, Calif.

Store and supplier representatives will be taking part in a series of presentations and panel discussions also looking at key Bible and book categories and how to respond to the challenge presented by digital publishing. There will also be a focus on how stores can organize effective live events. George Thomsen, CBA chairman and bookstore consultant, is due to be among the participants.

In addition to looking at hot topics, Retailing ReBoot West will also include times of fellowship and inspiration and an exhibit floor featuring leading suppliers.

The event is being staged following the success of Retailing ReBoot in Orlando, Fla., in April. That show gave Rose Seeley, manager of Cottonwood Bookstore at Cottonwood Church, “more practical information and ideas than I have ever got from any one show I have been to.”

Seeley said: “I love ReBoot because of its size and atmosphere. It’s intimate and therefore conducive to connecting and collaborating with others. "I’m so excited that Cottonwood Church is hosting the first Retail ReBoot West because that opportunity will be made more available to churches and other stores in the West. 

“It’s part of Cottonwood’s DNA to help and empower people in ministry in order to see them succeed and flourish, so the partnership is an ideal one. Retailing ReBoot West is an opportunity not to be missed.”

For more information or to register, go to www.retailingreboot.com or email Derek Bjork at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call him at 407-333-0600, ext. 2283.

Gift leader Aurelio Barreto preaches what he practices in his innovative C28 stores

Forget selection or even product knowledge—when it comes to Christian stores’ real competitive edge, the answer is outreach, says Aurelio Barreto.

“What good is it going to a Christian store if you are not going to get prayed for?” asks the founder of the C28 chain whose edgy style and mall presence has earned secular media attention. “Prayer is powerful,” he said. “That is the competitive edge, prayer and evangelism. You evangelize somebody and you have a customer for life.”

More than 17,000 decisions for Christ have been recorded by C28 staff in the last decade, with new believers being given a free Bible and discipleship materials and being referred to a local church.

The stores’ strong ministry is born out of Barreto’s personal experience. Brought to the U.S. from Cuba by his parents, Barreto became a multimillionaire through a pet products company. But he was still dissatisfied, even contemplating suicide before being led to Christ by the principal of his children’s school.

Matching his newfound faith with his business smarts led to C28. Barreto’s efforts were recognized at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Atlanta in July, when Barreto received one of the first Champions of the Faith awards presented to industry leaders by hosts CBA and the Premier Foundation.

In a living example of his conviction, the 52-year-old used his acceptance opportunity to briefly share his personal testimony, then ask all those attending the ceremony to bow their heads in prayer while he invited those who wanted to receive Christ to raise their hands.

Later at ICRS Barreto shared his passion for prayer and evangelism with other retailers in a special workshop, “Fulfilling the Great Commission on the Sales Floor.”

“Tell me one person who cannot benefit from prayer,” Barreto said. “We offer to pray with everyone. People are blown away that we take the time.”

Outreach has been the focus of C28—whose name comes from Col. 2:8—since Barreto opened the first store in Southern California in 2000. It has been followed by more than a dozen—all in malls—though several have closed because of the economy. C28 currently operates in nine locations, two of which are franchises.

As well as serving as missionary outposts, the stores are test beds for Barreto’s Not of This World fashions and other apparel brands that sell widely in Christian and general market stores. 

“It makes you a better supplier,” he said of his stores. Testing new designs in-house first “allows me to go to a retailer with a selection that is fresh and proven.” The retail operations mean that Barreto is closely familiar with the challenges faced by Christian stores.

When C28 began, 25% of sales were for music. The category now accounts for just 4% of revenues. “The kids will come into our stores and will listen to the CD (that is playing) and download it right there,” he said.

Because of their predominantly Southern California location—two stores are in Virginia—where “people are not spending as they were,” C28 stores have been especially hit by the down economy, Barreto said. But he remains committed to his vision. “The economy is too tough to consider expanding right now. We are battening down the hatches and trying to weather the storm.”

He is optimistic, though. “I have been made to go through a few trials, and I have had to really let go because I had no choice, but once I truly let go, I realized that God was faithful and He was the one who supplied all my needs.”

As digital publishing also starts to affect print book sales, Barreto believes that diversifying into gifts is vital for stores. “There will always be a need for books and music—I still carry both,” said the gift industry representative on CBA’s board. But “gifts are the future.”

When not working on new designs for his apparel lines or traveling to share his testimony at business schools and churches, Barreto visits C28 stores weekly to see how they are doing. His greatest satisfaction comes “when people give their life to the Lord,” he said. “When one of the store kids calls me and leaves a message on my voice mail saying, ‘Aurelio, praise God, I just led a 16-year-old to the Lord,’ it’s cool.”