Vendors and authors still have only one more day to submit nominations for the 2015 Christian Retailing’s Best awards, but it is dwindling quickly. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 24.

The nomination fee is $60 per item entered, and companies do not need to send in the physical products they are submitting.

Click here to see the 2015 categories to determine the best category for your product entries, then enter your products by clicking here.

The awards sponsored by Christian Retailing were introduced in 2001 and have been acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant, life-changing products in the industry.

Visit the awards website (christianretailingsbest.com) for all the details, including the Official Rules. Email the awards coordinator (Jenny Rose Curtis) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association have reached a new five-year agreement on a labor contract that will clear out the “crisis-level congestion and backlog” at ports on the west coast.

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay applauded both parties for coming together on a new labor contract. The previous contract expired on July 1, 2014, and negotiators have been talking formally since last May.

International trade at seaports, which handles about $1 trillion annually according to newsmax.com, had become “snarled.”

“It is now time for the parties to quickly ratify the deal and immediately focus on clearing out the crisis-level congestion and backlog at the ports,” Shay said. “We also thank Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez and the administration for engaging the parties on this critically important economic and supply chain priority.

“The congestion, slowdowns and suspensions over the last few months have had a significant economic impact on the entire supply chain and those who rely on the West Coast ports to move their goods and products around the world and throughout the country. The agricultural, manufacturing, retailing and transportation industries have all suffered due to the nine-month-long contract negotiations.

“As we welcome today’s news, we must dedicate ourselves to finding a new way to ensure that this nightmare scenario is not repeated again. If we are to truly have modern international trade, supply chain and transportation systems, we must develop a better process for contract negotiations moving forward. We must commit whatever resources necessary to ensure that this will not happen again.”

A vote by union members is expected in April. The full maritime association must approve the deal as well.

Dozens of ships loaded with many types of goods are using waters off the ports as “parking lots.” It is expected to take weeks, or perhaps months, to resolve the gridlock on the docks.

This week’s bankruptcy hearing for Family Christian Stores (FCS) has drawn a great deal of interest, especially from Christian publishers who are among the unsecured creditors owed more than $40 million.

Among those present were attorneys for Moody Publishers, Rose Publishing, Crossway, InterVarsity Press, Harvest House Publishers, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, FaithWords, Barbour Publishing, Tyndale House Publishers and Baker Publishing Group.

Family Christian Stores, the nation’s largest chain of Christian book and gift stores with 266 stores in 36 states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. President and CEO Chuck Bengochea said in a release from FCS that, “this action allows us to stay in business and continue to serve our customers, our associates, our vendors and charities around the world.”

According to its Chapter 11 petition, Family Christian Stores’ annual sales have fallen from $305 million in 2008 to $230 million in 2014. The company that employs 600 full-time and 2,500 part-time workers, projects its 2015 sales to fall by at least $14 million.

Mlive.com, the website of the Grand Rapids Press, reported that some creditors “sell their goods through the stores on consignment while others are owed money for inventory on the stores’ shelves.”

The top creditors in terms of money owed are HarperCollins ($7.5 million) and Tyndale House ($1.7).

Christian Retailing solicited comment from Rose Publishing, Baker Publishing Group, Harvest House and InterVarsity Press and Moody Publishers, all of which declined to comment. However, Hendrickson Publishers released a statement regarding Family Christian Stores’ decision to file Chapter 11:

“Hendrickson Publishers was very disappointed to receive the news of the bankruptcy filing by Family Christian Stores. FCS has been a valued customer for over 20 years. We were most disappointed that their proposal would result in our receiving no payment for either our consignment inventory or our receivable due from FCS. This will pose a very difficult financial burden. Christian publishers, as a whole, would lose $20 million for consignment inventory and $40 for receivables, a staggering burden for the Christian publishing industry. We are hopeful that a more equitable resolution will emerge from the bankruptcy process, preserving the collective value to the Christian community of a healthy FCS and healthy Christian publishers.”

Mlive.com reported that, in the chain's Chapter 11 petition, FCS "asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John T. Gregg for ‘fast-track’ approval by April 30."

Family Christian Stores’ bankruptcy attorney, A. Todd Almassian, told mlive.com that he is “hopeful" the company could still complete its deadline for completing the bankruptcy. "I think a lot of progress was made today,” he said. “We’re on track to move forward.”

Concordia Publishing House has named four-year company veteran Loren Pawlitz as its new executive director of marketing and eCommerce. Pawlitz is the first person to hold this role at CPH.

Pawlitz leads a diverse team charged with creation, content and execution of videos, websites, digital marketing, traditional marketing and social media. Additionally, he oversees the communications vision and strategy for CPH.

Since coming to Concordia in 2010, Pawlitz has made major strides in the progression of digital marketing and eCommerce.

“Everything we do at CPH is designed to connect people to the Lord,” Pawlitz said. “Our day-to-day work will impact the faith life of individuals for generations to come. What a great reason to come to work each day.”

Prior to joining CPH, Pawlitz served as director of retail for Delaware North Companies Sportservice at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. He was responsible for creating the region’s most exclusive shopping experience for St. Louis Cardinals fans.

He oversaw more than 20 stores and a 200-person staff throughout the ballpark, facilitating events such as baseball games, playoffs, concerts and the Major League Baseball All-Star game.

Based on the award-winning Deep Blue Kids Bible, Cokesbury has announced Deep Blue, a new children’s curriculum releasing in June 2015 for use starting this fall.

The awe-inspiring resource includes adventure, exciting stories, science experiments, arts and crafts, animated video storytelling for today’s media-savvy kids, and active games—all combined into a living-faith experience that will help children discover what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ today. Inspired by the Bible verse “In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior” (Luke 1:47, CEB), Deep Blue marks the first new year-round children’s ministry resource in three years for the publisher, following the popular Grow, Proclaim, Serve! curriculum.

With Deep Blue, children will make Bible stories, Bible people, and Bible passages a part of their lives. They will also come to know the Bible as THEIR book and find ways to let the Bible speak to them today.

The Deep Blue Kids characters—Asia, Edgar and Kat—lead children through the Bible story using animated videos. The fully animated stories on the DVD—that also features Bible verse videos, Bible trivia and original music videos—engage kids with a familiar and fun format while colorful kid’s books engage and encourage children to “dive deeper” into the Bible to explore the depths of God’s love.

An innovative Deep Blue Adventure App will make a splash with today’s tech-savvy kids as they learn Bible truths and share God’s Word with friends. The app encourages learning throughout the week and offers a parental dashboard, mini games, customizable avatars, fun weekly mini quests and a video wall feature.

Caregivers and children’s ministry workers will discover age-appropriate learning for nine age and learning model groupings: Babies & Woddlers, Toddlers & Twos, Preschool, Early Elementary, Middle Elementary, Older Elementary, and Submerge for ages 11+. Churches with a one-room Sunday school will also find tools for those teaching ages 3-12 in a single room setting. Large group/small group format is available for larger churches where elementary children gather in large groups for the Bible story, music and movement, then break into age-level small groups to dig deeper and apply the story to their daily lives.      

Deepbluekids.com, a robust website filled with resources for leaders, kids and families, will serve as a go-to resource to maximize the Deep Blue experience. The web features include:

• Free sample lessons and other printables
• Training videos that help teachers feel prepared to lead
• Deep Blue Basics easy teach lesson summaries for substitutes or quick preparation during the week
• Scope & Sequence charts
• Fun activities for home
• Cool app that invites kids into a virtual game world
• FREE app to tell what a child learned in Sunday school
• Subscription options for leaders guides and Bible storytelling videos
• Complete listing of available resources

“Churches and teachers are eager to find ways to catch children’s imaginations, show them God’s love and ignite their passion to be followers of Jesus. Deep Blue is rich in treasured teachings and uses technology and animation that hit the mark with what young people love and expect,” says Neil M. Alexander, president and publisher. “The Cokesbury team has delivered an extraordinary learning adventure that helps children know, love and serve God.” 

Children’s ministry workers attending the Children’s Pastors Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee,  in January were treated to an exclusive first look during a special launch party event at The Tennessee Aquarium. Attendees were able to be amongst the first to dive into the Deep Blue curriculum resource offerings.

Although the Deep Blue children’s curriculum will be available starting in June 2015, pre-orders and information are currently available through cokesbury.com and the official Deepbluekids.com website. The companion Deep Blue Kids Bible offering is currently available.

BeBe and CeCe Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy and Twila Paris will be among the second class of inductees into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, the GMA has announced.

The GMA has set May 5 as the date for its second annual GMA Honors at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena. The GMA Honors event celebrates gospel music trailblazers being inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame and gives honor to individuals and organizations that are impacting our culture globally, both past and present. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. 

In addition, the GMA will honor Founding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, Bishop Paul S. Morton, The Bridge founded by Candy Christmas, Passion founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio and Porter’s Call founded by Al Andrews.

“Last year’s inaugural event was an amazing evening of firsts for our industry,” said John Huie, CAA and Co-Chair of GMA Honors. We have been encouraged by the many comments surrounding the ceremony and are thrilled to honor this year’s recipients.” 

“The GMA Foundation is charged with observing our gospel music history and its trailblazers,” says Jackie Patillo, president of the GMA Foundation. “With the ongoing support from our music community, we can fulfill the mission to foster an appreciation for our heritage and its impact for generations to come. We, as always, thank all of those involved in helping make these special celebrations possible.”

The following is a short bio of the GMA Hall of Fame inductees:

BeBe & CeCe Winans have been recording music together for more than 25 years. The brother/sister duo, part of the gospel singing Winans family and one of the most successful gospel artists of all time, have had 12-charting R&B singles, and numerous No. 1 singles on Christian, AC and CHR radio. Their accolades include numerous gold and platinum releases, plus a plethora of Dove, Grammy, Stellar, Soul Train and NAACP Image Awards.

Mark Lowry is a singer, storyteller, humorist, author and songwriter whose is a loved and trusted voice in the realm of gospel music and beyond. He had 20-plus years as the baritone singer on the Grammy and Dove award-winning Gaither Vocal Band and now serves as the comedic sidekick on tour. He also tours as a solo act with many DVD projects to his credit and has had over 400 artists record his lyric to “Mary Did You Know?”

Roland Lundy starting making noise in the industry in the early 1970s that lead to an 11-year run as president and CEO of Word Entertainment, one of the world’s leading Christian music companies.  He was responsible for the Thomas Nelson and Word consolidation that grew Word revenues to over $100 million in 1993. He later managed the sale of Word to Gaylord Entertainment. His leadership navigated the entertainment company’s very diverse roster and attracted top artistic and creative talent. He currently serves on the board of the Gospel Music Trust Fund and is Chairman of the Board for American Red Cross, Nashville Chapter.

Twila Paris is a pioneer of today’s praise and worship music movement that has lead to the informal style of worship. She has released 22 albums, amassed 33 No. 1 singles and has been named the GMA Dove Awards “Female Vocalist of the Year” three times as well as several awards in the song and album of the year categories. The accomplished singer/songwriter is not only known for creating timeless worship songs but has also written books and recorded children’s music.   

Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, Urban Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and more.

Vendors and authors still have time to submit nominations for the 2015 Christian Retailing’s Best awards, but it is dwindling quickly. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 24.

The nomination fee is $60 per item entered, and companies do not need to send in the physical products, or photos of the products, they are submitting.

Click here to see the 2015 categories to determine the best category for your product entries, then enter your products by clicking here.

The awards sponsored by Christian Retailing were introduced in 2001 and have been acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant, life-changing products in the industry.

Visit the awards website (christianretailingsbest.com) for all the details, including the Official Rules. Email the awards coordinator (Jenny Rose Curtis) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.