Steven Curtis Chapman, Laura Story and Matthew West are among the major music artists who will kick off the first day of the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), to be held June 23-26 at America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis.

The artists are part of the lineup for the Worship Him service and New Voices Showcase concert, both to be held at the Ferrara Theater and open to the public. Worship Him is set for 7 p.m., Sunday, June 23, followed by the New Voices at 8:30 p.m.

Story, whose song "Blessings" was named Top Christian Song earlier this year during the Billboard Music Awards, will open the Worship Him service. She will be followed by Max Lucado, the keynote speaker of the service whose newest book, You'll Get Through This, will be released by Thomas Nelson on Sept. 10.

Chapman, who is working on a new Reunion Records album to release in October, will lead worship following Lucado's message.

"It's an album of hope," said Chapman, who with his wife, Mary Beth, lost their 5-year-old daughter, Maria, in an accident in May 2008. "It's an album about being through hard things, and never forgetting those hard things, but knowing now what it looks like on the other side—the depth of relationship with Jesus it brings, the trust and comfort in Christ you find, and the hope for all that's ahead because of God's faithfulness."

West will host the New Voices Showcase, featuring American Idol contestant Danny Gokey, As One, The Vespers, Thi'sl, Todd Ballard and Red Roots. In October, NavPress will release Gokey's Hope in Front of Me, in which he shares his American Idol experience, his wife's unexpected death and new beginnings after devastating loss.

Visit www.christianretailshow.com for more information on ICRS.

To submit your company's booth listing, free of charge, visit www.christianretailing.com/icrs.

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