Several hundred conventioneers last night received encouragement from two authors with several projects designed to make an impact on culture.

During Pacesetter-which featured worship band Sonicflood-popular speaker Josh McDowell and former NFL coach Joe Gibbs offered Christian suppliers, publishers and retailers a message on living with hope for the future.

"I thank God for the publishers," said McDowell, who has written 112 books, selling 51 million copies. "Without them, most of us (authors) wouldn't reach our audience. You retailers are the critical link between the publishers and the audience."

McDowell then proceeded to list alarming statistics on the spiritual beliefs of teens, including that 91% of evangelical youth say there is no absolute truth and that 65% believe there is no way to tell which religion is true.

"Can we do something about it?" he asked. "Absolutely. We can make a difference. ... We need to return the reliability of Scripture and the reality of the resurrection. ... We can turn it around."

McDowell praised Regal Books for the recent simultaneous release of three of his books, including Evidence for the Resurrection; Jesus: Dead or Alive?: Evidence for the Resurrection; and Jesus Is Alive!: Evidence for the Resurrection. Each title was written for adults, teens and children, respectively. McDowell also praised Tyndale House Publishers for recently releasing an updated version of his best-seller More Than a Carpenter.

Meanwhile, Gibbs discussed Game Plan for Life, to be released July 21 by Tyndale. Besides sharing Gibbs' story, struggles and triumphs, the book seeks to help men lead more productive, meaningful and God-centered lives-using football as an analogy.

"Life is a game," said Gibbs, who recently launched a ministry through Joe Gibbs Racing called Game Plan for Life, www.gameplanforlife.org. "God is the head coach. We are the players. ... Everyone needs to have a game plan (to win). ... God has left us a perfect game-plan book (in the Bible). That's what this book is about. ... Hopefully, Game Plan for Life is a modern-day, relevant game plan for life."

Tom Cowley, author of A Biography of Jesus (Eagle's Nest Press), said he was impressed by both McDowell and Gibbs. "I thought Josh was right on regarding the young people," he told Christian Retailing. "We have to focus on the truth of Jesus. I'm excited about the vision of Joe for Game Plan for Life. It's a wonderful concept to think of God as our coach."

Tyndale House Publishers received CBA's first Channel Champion award last night in recognition of the company's support in growing the Christian retail channel.

Tyndale President Mark Taylor received the trophy from CBA President Bill Anderson, who said that the Carol Stream, Ill.-based company's "overall business model positions Christian retailers as their most passionate and dedicated business partners in reaching consumers for Christ."

The new award is given to a company that helps Christian retailers better partner with their local community and churches; has excellent customer service policies; creates programs and products that impact core issues like customers, inventory and staff; and creates programs that help boost traffic and awareness of stores.

Announcing the award, Anderson noted Tyndale's "wildly successful" channel exclusives, such as the Operation Worship Bible campaign and the Campaign Financial Aid, and its exclusive sponsorship of CBA's new Customer Inventory Accelerator program.

Receiving the trophy, Taylor told retailers that "we in Christian publishing recognize that without you we cannot do the things that God has called us to do. ... We hope that we have always been champions of the CBA channel and intend to continue that."

The rewards ceremony also honored a name familiar to many Christian stores, Bible teacher, author and broadcaster Warren W. Wiersbe, whose 160 books-including the popular "Be" series of Bible studies-have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than 4 million copies.

He received the CBA Life Impact Award in recognition of his "devotion to Christ and faithfulness to God's Word," as a result of which "multiplied millions of believers around the globe have discovered the glory of God and have seen Christ come to life in relevant ways."

Unable to travel to receive the award-accepted on his behalf by longtime friend Michael Catt, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga.-because of ill health, Wiersbe expressed his appreciation in a video message presented by publisher David C. Cook.

Bill and Tina Beyer, owners of Skia Christian store in Bentonville, Ark., were announced as winners of the first CBA Jim Carlson National Spirit of Excellence Award. The pair-who last year received the Retail Innovator of the Year Award at ICRS-were chosen from 10 stores that have previously received Spirit of Excellence awards for customer service, outreach and ministry, marketing and merchandising.

"Due to the economic crisis, we lost friends who had played major roles in the industry-some for decades," said Sylvester Ejeh, CTAI's vice chairman. "Others have grown and even increased market share. Overall, our membership has held steady. It seems the world economy hasn't impacted some countries-especially in the Global South-at all. But most countries have been hit."

During the association's annual report to members, Ejeh added that Western publishers and suppliers "are seeing international Christian product sales-which have held steady or grown as their home markets shifted-as more important than ever."

Owner of Edysyl, a bookstore, distributor and publishing house in Nigeria, Ejeh noted that CTAI, will hold its first Marketsquare Africa conventions next spring.

"This unique show will start in Ghana, journey to Nigeria and close in Kenya," he said. "We will be in each country for three days, visiting stores and suppliers, providing workshops and exhibiting products appropriate for Africa. God is moving in that great continent, and we want to be sure the right products are there."

CBA President Bill Anderson encouraged the delegates. "The work you are doing is never more important ... (because) of the chaos in the world," he said. "What feels like pressure in our industry creates opportunities. ... Thank you for the great network of gospel-promoting (work) that you're doing."

Well-known German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke-the IVC keynote speaker whose autobiography, Living a Life of Fire, was to be released by ER Productions in October-added: "I salute you all who spread the Word of God across the whole world."

The event encouraged Ify Nwosu, owner of Divine Christian Bookshop in Warri, Nigeria. "There's a lot less people here," she told Christian Retailing. "I know it's the economy. ... God is still great. I know the situation is going to change."

In addition to a special offering taken at the Sunday morning Worship Now! event, CTAI took an offering to sponsor 60 Christian retailers from mainland China to travel to Hong Kong to get vital training for Marketsquare Asia, to be held Sept. 6-8.

CTAI also honored Gospel Literature International President Georgalyn Wilkinson for her 50 years in ministry and for her organization distributing more than 3,000 titles in 70 languages. Additionally, the association recognized Mathew Vergis, who published The Christian Walk Study Bible in India.

Sunday morning's Worship Now: An Opening Worship Celebration kicked off ICRS 2009 by immediately addressing the proverbial elephant in the room, the retailers struggling in the current economy. CBA President Bill Anderson told the crowd that "these are some of the toughest days we've seen."

Still, Anderson said, "this morning's not about ICRS, it's about God," urging the estimated crowd of 600-700 to engage in worship. Speaker Anne Graham Lotz, who spoke last year and was brought back by popular demand, continued that theme, referring to the Great Depression as "the first one." Lotz went on to challenge retailers to keep the ministry foremost in their minds.

CBA is looking both ways as it welcomes suppliers and retailers to Denver for the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) this week-to the past and to the future.

The organization was due to serve cake at an early afternoon reception today to mark its 60th-anniversary convention, which CBA President Bill Anderson said was a recognition of members' "faithfulness and ministry impact through the distribution of Christ-honoring resources."

Winners were announced today in the 2009 Retailers Choice Awards, sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine. More than 250 products were nominated in 30 categories, with the winning products revealed during a press conference at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver.

Retailers were encouraged to focus more on their core customers, in a General Session: Consumer Intelligence presentation that underscored the significance of a store's best shoppers.

While 16% of all Christians' book purchases were Christian titles, for the smaller segment identified as "active Christians" by their beliefs and church involvement, almost 42% of their book buys were Christian titles.

The striking difference was revealed by Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publisher services for R.R. Bowker, as he presented some of the consumer research offered in the new CBA publication, Know Thy Customer, released this week.

Gallagher noted, too, that the average age of "active Christian" book buyers was 48, almost six years older than for all book purchasers. "Does your store reflect that?" he asked. "Not just in the product, but in signage?"

It was "absolutely critical" how stores manage their "active Christian" shoppers, Gallagher said. "Are you treating your best customers like VIPs?" he asked, suggesting stores consider specials and incentives exclusively for these consumers.

Gallagher also spotlighted the importance of another subgroup, identified as "liturgical Christians." Predominantly Roman Catholic, this group was responsible for 16% of all Christian stores purchases last year, up 2% from 2007 and making them the second largest buying block.

Observing that "active Christians" were embracing technology at a higher rate than other segments-they bought twice as many e-books in 2008-and more than half of them were involved in some form of social networking-Gallagher commented that "every Christian store should have a Facebook account." About 20% of attendees raised their hands when Gallagher asked how many stores did have a Facebook presence.

The CBA report, which marries research findings with particular strategies and ideas, sells for $149 or $99 to CBA members who buy a copy at the show.