Christian retailers are being given a guide to next year's Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs, to help prepare local churches for the 2011 community-outreach season.

Christian Trade Association International's (CTAI) Marketsquare Europe 2010 drew 50 Eastern European publishers earlier this month, including representatives from Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Ukraine.

Held Oct. 1-2 in Oradea, Romania, the event took place just prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair for the convenience of American and other publishers who were in Europe at the time.

Many Christian bookstores fear that they may be in danger of losing the next generation of consumers—and those to follow—to the Internet and general market bookstore chains.

But twentysomethings do still shop at Christian retail stores—and prefer them rather than other channels in some instances.

“If I want something specific, then I may go to a Christian bookstore because I know I’ll have a better chance of finding many products by different Christian authors at a Christian bookstore,” Sarah Stegall, a 22-year-old from Fort Meade, Fla., said during a consumer roundtable discussion with Christian Retailing.

Though an Internet shopper, Faith Lawrence, aged 23, from Ashburn, Va., said that she would turn to a Christian store for seasonal gifts. “I look at the Christian bookstore for a meaningful gift or a thoughtful gift. They tend to have quality things that you can give to somebody and I like that.”

Jenny Smith, 27, said that she thought it was “hard to market Christianity to twentysomethings because (to them), it is very cheesy and just very outdated” and suggested more stores incorporate a café, lounge area and free WiFi to draw younger shoppers.

Christian stores were important, she said, because “(they do) target an audience that wouldn’t be able to find the supplies just anywhere.”

Read more of the roundtable conversation in the November issue of Christian Retailing.

Best-selling author John Eldredge has signed a multi-book contract with Hachette Book Group 's FaithWords division.

Author Corner, at www.christianretailing.com, offers a glimpse into the personal lives of writers as they share what motivates them, how they work and people and books that have been influential in their lives. They also offer a personal message to Christian store owners, managers and staff.

"We know there is a special sense of affinity for those in the Christian book world and we wanted to help foster that," he said. "Personal connection is important, and these interviews will help retailers and even consumers get to know more about the person behind the pen in a way that will allow them to feel more engaged with and aware of their work."

Author Corner has gone live with interviews from more than 80 authors at last month's American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in Indianapolis. Among those answering questions were suspense writer James Scott Bell, who tells how Christian fiction "gives me the opportunity to explore the issues of faith that were always of ultimate concern to me."

Historical romance writer Tracie Peterson credits her mother with helping her become a successful storyteller. "Desperate" to keep her daughter quiet in church, "she gave me a pencil and paper and told me to write something ... because she was very smart, after church she asked me to tell her the story," Peterson said.

Cynthia Ruchti, ACFW president, said: "Christian Retailing's Author Corner affords retailers a peek into the personalities and stories behind Christian fiction's storytellers, and it offers the authors a rare opportunity to connect with the retailers who put their books into the hands of customers.

"Like pulling up a chair to share a cup of coffee or tea with the people whose books grace the shelves of their stores and the lives of their readers, Author Corner provides another dimension, a deeper connection," she added.

More interviews will be added, with published authors invited to submit their own contributions. Details are available from Christian Retailing Managing Editor Christine Johnson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to watch Author Corner video clips.

Christian bookstore chains and marketing groups are taking varying approaches for delivering e-books to their stores in order to help them compete in the mushrooming digital market—the fastest-growing sector in the publishing industry.

Skip Prichard, president and chief executive officer of Ingram Content Group—which includes Christian products distributor Spring Arbor—told Christian Retailing that the company was working with several retailers on a digital book solution, but he could not elaborate on specifics.

Parable Group CEO Steve Potratz told Christian Retailing that the marketing group was "actively working" on a digital solution for its franchise stores, which will be connected with its e-commerce site, Parable.com.

Potratz added that it is "extremely important" for all Christian retailers to be proactive regarding digital books. "With digital music, we were not aggressive and lost a lot of business," he said. "We don't have to lose books. In fact, I am confident we can win this one. ... It's going to require some major capital investments—and that is where the challenge lies."

Kirk Blank—president of Munce Group, which serves nearly 500 stores nationwide—told Christian Retailing that the marketing group was "working on a solution" for its member stores.

Read the complete report in the November issue of Christian Retailing magazine.