The dialogue at Monday morning’s ICRS General Session centered around engagement, as a panel of well-known speakers, authors and store owners talked to retailers about “Building Relationship Based on Truth.”

Youth speakers Bob Lenz and Josh McDowell joined Hobby Lobby founder and Chairman of the Board Steve Green, Sue Smith of Baker Book House and CBA President Curtis Riskey to talk about ways retailers can rise above the crowd.

Green told retailers about the plans underway to open a Museum of the Bible near the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The museum is expected to house the more than 40,000 pieces of ancient texts, scrolls and other artifacts Green has collected. McDowell also shared how impactful ancient artifacts have been on the students with whom he works.

“We believe the Bible speaks for itself,” Green said. “That people can see the evidence and hear the facts and make a decision about whether or not they have faith by themselves.”

Panelists discussed community engagement and the need to concentrate on building relationships with local churches, civic organizations, schools and the customers in their community.

“The Word says to speak the truth in love, and love requires relationship,” Lenz said.

Lenz joined retailer Kevin Ferguson of Willamette Valley Christian Supply and continued the engagement conversation with retailers at the Monday morning Breakout Session: "Use Your Christ-Like Passion to Engage Church and Community.”

Ferguson told retailers to keep track of what is selling in their stores and use that as a gauge of what the felt needs are in the community.

“I noticed that sympathy cards were flying off my shelves,” Ferguson said. “Baby boomers are aging and passing away, and I shared that with pastors I know, that I was selling a lot of sympathy cards. Then I let them know about several books and resources we have in the store on grieving and suffering.”

Ferguson intentionally builds relationships with pastors, recently calling a publisher to negotiate the same price point a local church could have gotten on Amazon for an order of 300 of the same title for a churchwide study.

“Now that church calls me for every single resource,” Ferguson said. “Yes, they can order it online, but they come to me because now we have a relationship.”

• Prev
• Next