Scheduled for Saturday, June 6, the 2009 Gathering--a Nashville-area event named after celebrations described in Dekker's "The Circle Trilogy"--is expected to attract more than 500 participants who will take part in several activities, including a Q-and-A with the novelist, drama, dance and multimedia elements.

Red Helmet by Homer Hickam (Thomas Nelson)--narrated by Kirsten Potter (Oasis Audio)--won a gold award in the Audio Fiction category, while Together: A Novel of Shared Vision by Tom Sullivan and Betty White (Thomas Nelson), narrated by Sullivan and White (Oasis Audio), nabbed a silver award and The Shack by William P. Young (Windblown Media/Hachette Book Group USA), narrated by Roger Mueller (Oasis Audio), garnered a bronze award.

LaRue, whose solo debut Let the Road Pave Itself was released April 7 by BEC Recordings (EMI CMG Distribution), has had three song placements on TV shows Ghost Whisperer, One Tree Hill and Harper's Island.

Wiersbe is an internationally known Bible teacher, former pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago and the author of more than 150 books. Featuring updated content, a new introduction by Ken Baugh and new study questions for each chapter, the eight revised "BE" series volumes will include the following studies: Be Comforted (Isaiah); Be Daring (Acts 13-28); Be Determined (Nehemiah); Be Dynamic (Acts 1-12); Be Free (Galatians); Be Hopeful (1 Peter); Be Patient (Job); Be Real (1 John).

The store's "Calvin: A Baker Book House Forum" on July 7 will feature a discussion between three Calvin scholars intended for what organizers call "the serious-minded theologian," while "the light-hearted Calvinist" will be the focus three days later.

Trent Halverson says that paying attention to the basics of good customer service should help owners and managers reduce their losses to light-fingered visitors.

"We have to be willing to examine our lives to see if there is any potential for hypocrisy," says Dannah Gresh, author of the "Secret Keeper Girl" teen series and founder of the Pure Freedom ministry. Is there "a disconnect between what we are selling and how we are living," she asks in an appeal in the next issue of Christian Retailing magazine.