For the fifth year in a row, Jason Ingram has been named Christian Songwriter of the Year at SESAC's annual Christian Music Awards. During the performing rights organization's 2010 ceremonies, held Feb. 24 in Nashville, Ingram was recognized for writing "Light Up the Sky," which was recorded by The Afters. Ingram also wrote "Healing Begins," which was recorded by Tenth Avenue North, and "Keep Changing the World," recorded by Mikeschair.   ?

An excerpt from Unplanned (Tyndale House Publishers) by former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director Abby Johnson was read aloud on the U.S. House of Representatives floor Feb. 18 by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who urged members to vote to defund Planned Parenthood. After hours of debate, the House voted 240-185 to block federal funding of the pro-abortion organization. Johnson's memoir shares her dramatic, controversial journey from pro-choice to pro-life in 2009. Released in January, Unplanned is now in its fourth printing.   ?

Thomas Nelson and EMI CMG Label Group have partnered on Jesus Calling: Songs Inspired By.TheMarch 8 release features three new songs from Luminate, Matthew West and Robbie Seay Band, as well as tracks from Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United, Mandisa, Sanctus Real and Steven Curtis Chapman. The project capitalizes on the popularity of Sarah Young's devotional Jesus Calling, which has sold more than a million copies since it was published in 2004.   ?

Standard Publishing's "Happy Day" book line has sold more than 4 million copies. Including titles such as I'm Glad I'm Your Mother, My Story of Jesus and God Made Puppies, the line comprises early-reader books on everyday values and virtues, seasonal books and Bible storybooks. The 70-plus item line, launched more than 30 years ago, has been expanded to include board books, digital books and compilations.

Chain says customers had 'hardly any interest' in its 'Read With Discernment' advisory program

LifeWay Christian Stores has dropped its "Read With Discernment" program, which labeled books the chain regarded as espousing "thoughts, ideas or concepts that could be considered inconsistent with historical evangelical theology."

The warning label was placed on several titles, including William P. Young's The Shack (Windblown Media/Hachette Book Group USA), Rob Bell's Sex God (Zondervan) and Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Thomas Nelson). 

The decision to drop the advisory labels was made because there had been "hardly any interest" in the practice among customers, according to Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources—the chain's parent company, Baptist Press reported. LifeWay officials declined to comment to Christian Retailing.

Some had criticized the program, which began in 2007. In an October 2010 blog post, Christian musician, author and speaker Shaun Groves wrote that he was so annoyed by the warning he found on A Million Miles in a Thousand Years in a LifeWay store that he walked out and bought the book at Barnes & Noble across the street instead.

"I felt that it was duplicitous to warn me on the one hand that what I wanted to buy was not orthodox evangelical theology, but on the other hand to profit from selling it to me anyway," Groves told Christian Retailing. "But I also realized (that) we all exercise selective discernment, reading certain books fearfully and carefully, while giving others a free pass."

Meanwhile, LifeWay Christian Stores marked its 85th anniversary in February. 

Started in 1925 with the purchase of Baptist Book Concern in Louisville, Ky., the Nashville-based chain now has more than 160 locations in 27 states, with approximately 4,500 employees.

Family Christian Stores' 'joint adventure' supports projects such as building homes and orphans care

The country's biggest Christian retail chain has launched a new initiative recruiting customers for missionary service.

Good Goers, described as a "joint adventure" of Family Christian Stores and its The James Fund charity has announced 16 service trips taking participants to Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and rural Oklahoma.

Centered on service projects such as building homes and working in orphanages, the trips are being led by Family personnel from the boardroom to the backroom.

Good Goers was established to further the work of The James Fund, which since it was founded in 2003 has sponsored mission trips with staff and given more than $2 million to organizations and projects supporting the care of widows and orphans.

"By God's grace, more customers are engaging with the mission," says the new effort's Web site, www.goodgoers.com. "Vendors are graciously helping to raise more funds; even artists are lending their voices to the cause."

The first trips listing runs through October, with teams visiting children at an orphanage in Monterrey, Mexico, building houses in Chichicastenango, Guatemala; and serving at Oaks Indian Mission in the Cherokee Nation in Oaks, Okla. Open to those aged 13 and older, the trips cost from $500 to $900, excluding travel.

Among Family personnel profiled as experienced trip leaders at the Web site is president and CEO Cliff Bartow, who has made almost 20 mission journeys. Good Goers "provides the opportunity to tend to the needs of the less fortunate, share the love of Jesus Christ and have a great adventure as well," he says at the Web site.

Also spotlighted is Peggy Hibbs, a merchandise systems manager and 26-year veteran of the business. Her two James Fund trips to the Dominican Republic "drastically changed my perspective on retirement and the things that I hold on to," she says.

According to the Good Goers Web site, the initiative is part of Family's desire for "a great role in ministry. Helping customers find, grow, share and celebrate their faith through our stores is incredibly enriching. However, we began to see that we were called to do more. For years, we prayerfully considered new opportunities to enter deeper into ministry life."

Meanwhile, Family has hired a leading e-commerce developer to design and develop a strategy to better sell products through its online store. Grand River will design and develop the Family Web site using Magento's Enterprise Edition 1.9—a system that offers a scalable, cost-effective, online retail solution with rich features, functionality and flexibility, company officials said.

"We chose Grand River based on their success developing multi-channel e-commerce solutions for retailers," said Derek Kloostra, director of e-commerce for Family Christian Stores. "It's our goal to provide the best selection of Christian lifestyle resources to help people find, grow and share their faith. We want to create an experience that delivers world-class service and fosters the Christian community."

The new Web site will make it easy to search, shop and buy products, as well as support The James Fund, the primary philanthropy of Family. Family has nearly 300 brick-and-mortar locations and more than 4,000 employees in 36 states. 

Thomas Nelson's large display 'creates a lot of buzz' at National Religious Broadcasters convention 

There were not as many Christian publishers exhibiting at this year's National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) 68th annual convention, but the event still had a strong publishing emphasis, thanks to a large exhibit of historic Bibles that spotlighted the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible (KJV).

During the Feb. 26-March 1 event in Nashville, Thomas Nelson unveiled its The Living Legacy of the Bible exhibit as part of KJV400—"400 Days of Celebration" commemorating the historical, religious and cultural impact of the KJV Bible since its publication in 1611.

Occupying 10,000 square feet in one of the ballrooms at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the exhibit—showcasing more than 4,000 years of Bible history—featured artifacts such as Dead Sea Scroll fragments, cuneiform tablets and numerous historic Bibles, including an original 1611 KJV Bible. The exhibit also featured a 6-minute sneak peek of KJB: The Story of the King James Bible, a new film by British filmmaker Norman Stone and narrated by actor John Rhys-Davies that dramatizes the birth of the Bible. 

The exhibit "created a lot of buzz" at the convention, NRB Vice President of Operations David Keith told Christian Retailing. "It was a museum-type setup. (Nelson) did a reception, program and scheduled interviews during the convention in that space."

Carla Ballerini, vice president of Thomas Nelson's Bible marketing, said that the exhibit was seen by millions through 17 live satellite television segments, which broadcast footage of the display around the world. Nelson was "exploring additional opportunities to showcase the exhibit" at other venues, Ballerini said.

Thomas Nelson's Director of Key Accounts and Ministry Development Brian Bishop said that the publisher's booth was half the size from previous years. "But since our booth was an extension of the branding of the exhibit, we felt it still gave us a good presence," he said. "The exhibit was something new, and seemed to add some buzz to the convention."

Nelson hosted six authors for book signings at the event, including Jack Countryman, Beth Ryan, Larry Stone and Pete Wilson. "NRB provides a valuable platform for networking, meeting and learning about new and trending ministry needs," he said. "Having most of our major clients present allows for us to economically share with them the products that we feel will benefit them most."

Final attendance figures for the convention were not available at press time, but Keith said that it would probably be 4%-5% more than last year's event. Down from 12 publishing houses in 2010, approximately half a dozen publishers exhibited at the convention—including Harvest House, Charisma Media, Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers. 

"There was a minor shift (in exhibitors), but (it was) not just a publisher issue," Keith said. "We view publishers as one of the partner groups for media development and distribution. All (publishers) serve a valuable role in our convention and association."

With the theme "Extend Your Reach Through Media" for the second year in a row, the convention provided a place for interaction with station managers, producers and guest coordinators, vendors and ministry representatives, according to Tyndale House Publishers Corporate Publicist Mavis Sanders.  

NRB "is also an opportunity to identify with Tyndale authors" who have broadcast ministries—including Erwin Lutzer, James Dobson and Randy Carlson, she said. 

Featured speakers at the event included Tyndale authors Gracia Burnham (In the Presence of My Enemies) and Charles Swindoll ("Paws & Tales" children's DVD series, which launched this spring).

During the convention, best-selling author and radio and television Bible teacher Kay Arthur was honored with an NRB Hall of Fame Award. Meanwhile, Harvest House Publishers author nd radio host June Hunt was recognized with a NRB Board of Directors Award.  

"Networking is the major aspect of the convention for us, as it allows us to continue building relationships and explore new projects," Harvest House Senior Publicist Christianne Debysingh told Christian Retailing. 

Retail channel awareness effort gets extended for second year, providing longer promotion window

For its second year, the national event promoting Christian retail will become Christian Store Week, Oct. 1-10. The channel awareness effort will also have broader involvement, with lead sponsor CBA anticipating all the major chains participating.

The extended time frame will provide a longer promotion window that covers multiple weekends, plus the Columbus Day holiday, "which is typically a high-traffic day at retail," said CBA Manager of Strategic Partnerships Eric Grimm.

In its debut effort Oct. 23 last year, Christian Store Day raised $60,000 to aid in relief efforts for Haiti through a compilation benefit CD. Almost 500 stores took part in the event, which included giveaways, specials and in-store appearances by local authors and artists.

A task force of industry vendors and retailers was finalizing event details in preparation for a late April announcement to include details of promotions from major vendors. The task force includes representatives from Family, LifeWay and Berean Christian Stores, Cokesbury, Mardel Christian & Education and Parable, Munce and Covenant groups and the Association of Logos Bookstores.

Plans for 2011 involve making it possible for more suppliers to participate. "Different levels of participation are being identified that will help support proposed advertising and promotion of the event, while offering greater consumer exposure for sponsors," said Grimm. "The key goals are to raise awareness of Christian stores and their ministry role in their local communities and drive new customers to stores."

Going public early with details for Christian Store Week—along with news of a new ministry partner—will give retailers time to maximize store promotions, complete store planning "and begin to engage their communities," Grimm said.

The Christian Store Week initiative is being led by CBA in association with the Christian Music Trade Association and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Nashville-based Propeller consultancy is again acting as facilitator.

"We found last year that those retailers who planned ahead, promoted the event, created store excitement and worked in partnership with local churches, ministries and other outreach programs had the most success," Grimm told Christian Retailing. "More than 70% of participating stores reported sales gains over the previous year. Through ministry partners and online partner advertising, the campaign generated more than 1.5 million advertising impressions."

Non-CBA-member stores are being invited to join the campaign. "We recognize that some stores have great business challenges now, which is why we are working to drive traffic and new customers to stores," Grimm said. "CBA changed its store-locator policy last year so all Christian stores would be listed on the store-locator to help consumers find Christian resources and materials."

Christian retailers 'will be impacted' by chain's store closures 

Borders' bankruptcy "presents opportunity" for Christian retailers—both chains and independents as well as marketing groups, according to industry leaders. They say the Christian retail channel could see a bump in business following the second-biggest U.S. bookstore chain's February filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

CBA said that Borders having to close more than 200 of its 642 stores "will be a loss of opportunities for the sale and distribution of Christian books and Bibles to a world in desperate need of them."

At the same time, the store closings "present opportunity for others, including independent retailers, to step in and fill the gap," the retailers' trade association said in a statement regarding the bankruptcy. "We have many independent retailers who, like Borders, work hard to build customer relationships and practice excellent retail. Christian retailers have an advantage in that they are excellent evangelists for Christian products."

But the retailers' trade group warned that customer loyalty only goes so far. "Customers are telling us today that if we are to continue to be successful we need to do those things—and much more," CBA said. "We can't ignore the need to be in the e-commerce game, nor can we stick our heads in the sand and hope that e-books are a short-lived fad. The transference of music sales from CDs to digital downloads was no fluke. If we do not adapt to the changing marketplace, our influence will diminish or disappear altogether.

"We must make strategic decisions and implement the right changes if we are to keep our customer base strong and remain relevant as Christian retailers, and as stewards of God's truth in print and in digital form," CBA added. 

Mardel Christian & Education President Jason Green told Christian Retailing that the Borders closures have far-reaching effects for the entire channel.

"It has been stated that there is an independent bookstore within 10 miles of almost all of the stores that are closing," he said. "This should be a significant opportunity for (Christian) booksellers to connect with new customers. Additional traffic, combined with the product mix and the types of customers that Christian retailers serve, should provide new opportunities to minister.

"Our hope is that customers who shopped at Borders will find our stores to be an uplifting, inviting place for them to shop," Green added. 

Munce Group President Kirk Blank said that the Christian retail channel "will be impacted in some way."

"After a careful analysis of the markets where Borders have closed stores, we know that there are over 50 markets where Munce Group stores continue to serve that market," he told Christian Retailing. "We have distributed this list of Munce Group stores who are in these markets to our supplier partners, and asked that they provide additional attention to the vital stores. Whether that means an additional visit from a field sales rep, an extra call from telesales or a refreshed look at the importance of independent Christian stores, this is now the time."

Munce Group has 512 member stores, nearly 400 of which serve their zip code and five surrounding square miles exclusively, Blank said.

Parable Group CEO Steve Potratz told Christian Retailing that Borders' bankruptcy "should be a wake-up call for retailers and landlords alike."

Borders was late to embrace change, he said. "This situation should cause Christian retailers to observe closely the changing marketplace and take decisive steps to address that change. Also, Borders is an example to use with landlords who are not willing to re-negotiate rent. It provides a great opportunity to show our landlords the difficulties we are facing in the changing book industry."

Meanwhile, Christian publishers are among many publishing houses owed at least $230 million by Borders, which listed total debt of $1.29 billion and supposed assets of $1.275 billion, Bloomberg reported. 

Owed $1.9 million, Zondervan was among the top 20 publishers on Borders' creditors' list. The parent company of Zondervan, HarperCollins was owed $25.8 million. The chain owed Hachette Book Group—the parent company of FaithWords—$36.9 million, while Howard Books' parent company, Simon & Schuster, was owed $33.75 million. Additionally, Random House—the parent company of Multnomah Books and WaterBrook Press—was owed $33.5 million.

Baker Publishing Group Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Lewis told Christian Retailing that the company "will lose money like most publishers, but the amount will not be disruptive to our ongoing business practices." 

Ex-CBA board member named interim head as Moe Girkins departs

Zondervan is looking for a new leader for the second time in less than six years.

President and CEO Maureen  "Moe" Girkins was to leave the company effective March 11, after it was announced that her contract was not being renewed.

The timing of her departure was a surprise to many—less than two weeks after the print debut of the updated New International Version (NIV), a major thrust for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based business.

Appointed Interim President was Scott Macdonald, acting general manager of Zondervan's The City online church community unit since last December. He is a former member of the board of CBA, who previously led a Christian retail franchise group.

A newcomer to Christian publishing with a background in high-tech business, Girkins became the first woman to head Zondervan when she took over from Doug Lockhart in January 2008. He had held the posts for  two years, replacing longtime head Bruce Ryskamp.

Zondervan declined to comment on the reason for Girkins' leaving, noting that the search for a new CEO would begin immediately, with Macdonald working "closely with Zondervan's leadership team, which combined has more than 100 years of experience with the company."

Under Girkins' leadership, Zondervan—publisher not only of the best-selling translation in the NIV, but also the best-selling hardcover nonfiction title of all time, Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life—reorganized its management structure and began to pursue digital initiatives.

In addition to acquiring The City, an online communication and administration platform for churches, it also bought popular Christian Web site BibleGateway.com. The company introduced Symtio, a system intended to help bookstores share in digital sales by retailing cards with downloadable codes. It was scrapped last year after failing to gain traction.

The company had other setbacks during Girkins' time at the helm. Warren's still-awaited next book was twice delayed, and the company put off publication of Love is in the Mix, a cookbook by TV reality star Kate Gosselin after the mother of eight and co-author of the Zondervan best-seller Multiple Blessings went through a highly publicized divorce.

When the NIV update was announced in 2008, it fell to Girkins to announce that the Today's New International Version (TNIV), criticized from its 2002 debut for gender references, would be discontinued as part of the update process. Last year, she announced that Zondervan would pull from stores Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, after it was criticized for insensitive use of Asian themes. 

But the company also saw successes under Girkins, winning Christian Book Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) in 2008 and 2010 and being named CBA's Supplier of the Year in 2008.

Zondervan spokesperson Tara Powers said that Girkins' leaving would "in no way" impact the launch of the updated NIV. "Moe has played an integral role in getting us to this point in the release," she said.

Regarding the time frame for finding a permanent replacement, Powers said that Zondervan's parent company, HarperCollins, "is committed to taking the time needed to find the right person so there is no deadline set."

Girkins was a member of the board and vice chairman at ECPA, where President and CEO Mark Kuyper said that he had been surprised by the news. "I did not expect it," he said. "Publishing is at a stage where it's probably more challenging than it has ever been as we go through this digital revolution and transformation, but I do not know anything about the details of why it happened.

"From my perception, she was doing a fabulous job," Kuyper added. "She was transforming Zondervan and pushing it towards a very digitally focused future, and seemed to have made quite a bit of progress."

In the statement announcing the leadership changes, Zondervan said that Macdonald had more than 30 years' experience in sales and Christian retailing, and had "developed growth strategies and increased profitability at multiple companies."

Macdonald became president of Lemstone Christian Stores in 2004. The franchise group added a church store service in 2005, and Macdonald was appointed to the board of CBA in 2007. 

That same year, Lemstone was renamed Insight Retail Group and later was acquired by Parable Group, after which Macdonald departed. 

Thomas Nelson sends pop-up alerts, Spring Arbor Distributors encourages broader selection

Suppliers have been stepping up efforts to help independent Christian retailers remain competitive, as other channels continue to erode their sales base.

Thomas Nelson's Hot Off the Press offers pop-up alerts on product-related breaking news to stores that download the system created by the publisher's Christian retail sales division. The application will also send out notices of upcoming author appearances and features a link that allows retailers to place orders if they decide to increase inventory levels in the light of what they learn.

In addition, the Christian sales group has created TNIndies on Facebook and Twitter to enable stores to interact and learn more about using social media in their businesses.

"We are opening up a line of communication that will be a 'win-win' for retailers, and Thomas Nelson in helping our customers increase their consumer traffic and customer base," said Russ Schwartz, director of sales for Thomas Nelson Christian independent retail. "In these fast-changing times at retail, we all need to make sure we are adapting to meeting our customers' needs."

The Hot Off the Press service is similar to Spring Arbor Wire, launched last year by Spring Arbor Distributors (SA), whose rebranding, with a broader focus, has been a success, according to Skip Prichard, president and CEO of parent company, Ingram Content Group.

The LaVergne, Tenn.-based business has been "going well" since getting a makeover last summer, he told Christian Retailing. Prichard attributed that in part to SA's having increased the range of gifts, family DVDs, music and church supplies available to help differentiate stores. Books that "might not be deemed 'Christian' " like Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken—the biography of Olympian and war hero Louie Zamperini—had done well for some stores, Prichard said.

He encouraged Christian retailers to consider expanding their children's resources, too, as parents were "looking for the bookstore to curate and provide value, to tell me what is acceptable." That could include other than specifically Christian materials. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar is not something that you would call a Christian book, but it's a wonderful book."

Such resources were more readily available to Christian stores through SA, he said, since IGC had restructured so that Christian products could be better distributed to any channel and other general market products could in turn be accessed by Christian stores. "We want to do everything we can to help Christian stores survive and thrive," said Prichard.

In a separate move, Thomas Nelson is also running an "On The House" sweepstakes in a promotion designed to help brick-and-mortar retailers, including Christian bookstores, increase traffic to their stores.

Running through April 30, the sweepstakes will "expose customers to wide selection of Thomas Nelson's books, with a chance to win great prizes"—according to Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President of ABA Sales Rick Spruill, who came up with the idea.

Customers who purchase a title from the Nashville-based publisher with a sweepstakes sticker in the back will win one of thousands of prizes, including electronic tablets, e-readers, a Thomas Nelson library and e-book downloads. A free mail-in entry option is also available, and winners will be randomly drawn to receive the prizes. 

CBA leader says round of veteran closures underscores need for 'optimum level' performance

More than two centuries of Christian retailing have come to an end with the closure of several long-standing stores whose owners are familiar to many in the industry.

Internet and digital sales were cited for the shuttering of well-known stores from California to Connecticut that between them clocked up 200-plus years' business.

Ray Primus closed the last of what were once his three Mustard Seed Christian Books & Gifts outlets, in Waterbury, Conn., in January, after 35 years. The same month saw the doors close at Treasure House Christian bookstore, operated in Longview, Wash., since the 1960s by Calvary Community Church.

February marked the final days of business for The Door Christian Bookstore in San Carlos, Calif., after more than 30 years, while south in the state Long's Christian Bookstore in Rancho Cucamonga was preparing to close down by the end of last month after more than a quarter century.

Abilene Educational Supply and Christian Bookstore on the campus of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, is preparing to go out of business next month after 60-plus years.

In addition to the Internet, big-box competition and the economy, Primus said that a lack of support from local churches had been a factor in the closure of his stores.

"It amazes me that the pastors of these churches preach to their people to give them their money to further the kingdom of God, but when it comes time for them to buy Christian items, they often go to a secular bookstore or Amazon.com, both of which sell the satanic Bible, the Koran, New Age books and porn.  

"It is like they are voting to keep those outlets available because they can save a buck or it's easier than to support their brothers in the Lord who are sacrificing their lives bringing the Word to people who might be misled by non-Christian outlets," Primus added. "On top of it all, our stores send people to their churches and help keep them going."

In an open letter to customers, Door owners Mike and Kathy Dunn said that they had not been able to withstand the storm of the economy "nor the Internet Goliath." Online retailers were "too big of foes for a mom-and-pop store."

CBA Chairman George Thomsen warned against reading too much into the closure of a group of longtime stores.

"I do not think it wise to try and jump to a single conclusion," he said. "Stores close every year for different reasons. In some cases, it could be a problem with a lease such as an increase or termination. In others, it may be the ownership is older and wants to retire, but does not have any younger family members who want to continue in the business.  

"Certainly in recent years there have been stores that have closed due to the impact of the down economy," Thomsen added. "Others have not embraced new realities or made necessary changes fast enough. If it says anything to our industry, I believe it is that this is all the more reason for retailers to be sure they are doing everything they can to operate at optimum level."

Engaging with God, customers, suppliers is focus of 'highlight' event by 'Christian Retailing' magazine

Church and independent Christian bookstore managers and staff from across the country are due to gather in Orlando, Fla., this month for three days of business and inspiration.

Managing Bible, book and gift categories and creating a successful customer experience are among the issues to be addressed at Christian Retailing's Retailing ReBoot 2011. The event themed "Engaging Without Limits" will take place April 26-28 at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center.

In addition to education sessions helping retailers connect more with suppliers and customers, there will be worship and inspirational messages as well as a suppliers' exhibit area. The program will also include an authors' reception and the announcement of the winners of the magazine's 2011 Retailers Choice Awards.

Originally organized solely for church stores and formerly called The Gathering, the event has been renamed this year to reflect its inclusion of independent retailers and the need for stores to "reset" for the future, said Christian Retailing Publisher Dave Condiff.

"The old ways of running things don't meet the current challenges and future needs of the industry," Condiff said. "But smart stores are being proactive about making changes. We want to come together to learn from and encourage each other."

For Dennis Woods, manager of Water's Edge Resource Center at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, the Christian Retailing event is "the only meeting in my travel budget. Although there are other places and venues to see and purchase product, I choose this meeting because it has both the gift vendors as well as the publishers that are willing to cater to my store and other church-owned bookstores. 

"It is also a place to meet and share with others who are struggling with the same challenges and opportunities I face on a daily basis," Woods said.

Susan Chipman, director of retail services at Granger Community Church in Granger, Ind., said: "It is simply the highlight of my business year. I've always come back with renewed energy to approach our ministry/business with fresh eyes. The connections that I've made with fellow retailers and vendors has been invaluable to the success of our store." 

The event offers a "unique combination of fellowship, fresh ideas and spiritual encouragement," said Janet McKinley, manager of The Bookstore at First Baptist Church of Atlanta. It is "an exceptional experience that is not duplicated anywhere else," she said. "The relationships that are formed there create a support system that I rely on throughout the year."

For more information, visit www.christianretailing.com/index.php/retailing-reboot/.