What is believed to be the first small group curriculum kit for churches based on a modern Christian novel is being prepared for a September release by LifeWay Church Resources in association with B&H Publishing Group.

The teaching DVD and expanded study guide will explore themes from Rooms, James L. Rubart’s best-selling debut novel about a man whose coastal Oregon house is revealed to be a physical manifestation of his soul.

“This will be a tool for churches to reach out to their members in a new way,” said Brian Daniel, LifeWay’s small group curriculum director. “It gives the small group leader an opportunity to use story to convey messages and themes found in Scripture.”

B&H fiction marketing manager Julie Gwinn said: “Jesus taught using parables; stories are certainly an effective way to stimulate thinking about important issues of life and faith. We’ve definitely seen that happening with Rooms, so we’re very excited to bring this story to the church.”

Two companies have joined forces to launch a new line of Christian T-shirts aimed at teenagers. Creation By Design has linked with K.O.T. Shirts to promote the message, “Knockin' Out Temptation.”

Founded in 2006 by Steven Kaye, Creation By Design launched a line of Bible trading cards, “My Bible Cards,” featuring computer-generated images. Last year the company introduced the “Xander Nash” children’s chapter-book series and a line of activity books, posters, artwork and postcards. K.O.T. Shirts was founded by teenager Nathan Cabrera, whose mother was killed in a gang attack on the family home.

Family Bibles are no longer just basic text editions recording births, deaths, baptisms, confirmations and marriages—and often collecting dust on bookshelves.

The subcategory now offers a variety of features—including color illustrations, drawings and art, children's stories and pictures, as well as expanded notes and records sections—all designed to encourage family members to read the Scriptures together.

Personalized editions of a book about the future of publishing helped show off STL Distribution North America's (STLD) new print-on-demand (POD) service.

Guests at the reception for the launch of the new program, at the wholesaler’s center in Elizabethton, Tenn., last week, were presented with a copy of a book detailing new print-technology opportunities featuring a photo of themselves snapped on their arrival.

Through the POD partnership with technology provider Snowfall Press and printer Dickinson Press, STLD can print and ship an individual copy of an out-of-print book the same day, for orders received by 1 p.m.

STLD President Glenn Bailey (pictured on the right) has called the new service a game changer. “Our ability to virtually carry backlist, slow-selling, long-tail and out-of-print inventory—not just better-selling titles—will enable resellers to offer thousands of additional titles,” he said.

“Publishers will be able to grow their incremental revenue, end ‘out of stock’ books by immediately printing whatever is ordered, allow niche titles to be readily available and enable same-day turn-around of orders.”

The program will also help micro-, small- and medium-sized publishers to gain access to major outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble databases in addition to Christian retail stores, Bailey said.

Jeff Brewer (pictured on the left), vice president and general manager of systems company GBR, attended the event. STL employed a few of GBR's machines in building the book-printing solution.

Jeff Gerke, president of Marcher Lord Press, said: “I have been looking for a seamless way to print books in very low numbers and get them to the broadest number of sales channels possible. The benefits offered by this alliance to small, growing publishers are exactly what my company needs.” 

Christian retailers have been encouraged to take a leaf out of the playbook of unorthodox grocery chain Trader Joe's. 

The specialty retailer with stores in nine states can offer merchandising and customer-satisfaction ideas, according to longtime Christian products industry service provider David Amster.

The Doubleday Religion imprint is being retired under changes at parent company Random House.

Catholic-interest titles from the business' Crown Publishing Group are to be published under the Image Books imprint. Established in 1954, Image is the only trade-publisher imprint devoted exclusively to Catholic-related topics.

Practical ideas for how Christian retailers can offer a customer experience that sets them apart from others will be offered at Retailing ReBoot, Christian Retailing's three-day event for church and independent stores, next month.

The suggestions will come from retailers, suppliers and authors during training presentations and discussions at the April 26-28 show, themed “Engaging Without Limits," at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center.