Christian publishers were challenged to think beyond the printed page last night as Evangelical Christian Publishers Association President Mark Kuyper opened the organization's spring management seminar, titled “Serving the Church,” in Newport Beach, Calif.

Detailing advances in technology that have dramatically improved electronic book capabilities as an example, Kuyper urged the 150-plus registrants to think of themselves as “content providers, not publishers,” recognizing that the way they deliver their work could change in the future.

“Books are changing radically,” Kuyper said, but it was important that companies “not make fear-based, protective decisions” as they looked to the future.

Kuyper's warning was underscored by researcher Dave Kinnamon when he spoke on “Making Sense of a Changing Church Landscape.” Vice President of The Barna Group, Kinnamon said Christian publishers had to keep on the cutting edge of technology to connect with the young generation.

One in seven Americans is functionally illiterate, he said, while one in four hasn't read a book in the last two years. Publishers needed to consider “how can we expand beyond traditional print boundaries.”

Kinnamon presented research on the church and culture, which showed American faith to be “an inch deep and a mile wide,” he said. He said publishers needed to work hard to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and fragmented audience, and focus more on producing materials that helped young Christians grow stronger in their faith.

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