Christianity Today

Let's be careful here on the church bookstore and the trend it might be going torward. Didn't Jesus vent his biggest wrath on the money changers in the Temple?

Much of the momentum for rejuvenating church bookstores is coming from Strang Publishing, who also -- in a bit of a conflict of interest -- publish Christian Retailing, an industry magazine. They have a vested in this because they publish charismatic books, and many of the larger churches that can invest in a bookstore are of the Pentecostal/Charismatic variety. For them, this is about survival. But it's not just them. There are also publishers of very conservative theological books whose titles are not represented in the regular Christian bookstore environment to their satisfaction. Some are so conservative that broader based stores that want to be considered 'evangelical mainstream' don't want to touch them. So for those publishers, a church-based store provides the answer. So what you've got is the people at the extreme ends of the doctrinal continuum expressing their frustration and dissatisfaction by starting their own little, narrow outlets in protest.

I always wonder if Jesus would overturn the tables of these type stores. They always seem to be between the entry door and the worship center, just like the money changer's tables in the temple courts. Mark describes Jesus forbidding anyone "to carry merchandise through the temple courts." (Mark 11:16), and chastized them for making it a "den of robbers." John, the apostle whom Jesus loved, told the story this way, "In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:14-16) The house of gathering is not a marketplace!

Russ, try YWAM Publishing. Probably not a wholesaler but they may work out a mutually beneficial agreement with you when contacting by phone. Their missionary books, Christian Heroes: Then and Now, are simply outstanding. Teens love them, and the writing by Geoff and Janet Benge is top-notch. I've read several books about David Livingstone but I loved their book about him. They took the time to write about his life growing up and how he flubbed his first sermon.***Someone gave me the YWAM book about Gladys Aylward. Then I saw the old Hollywood film about her missionary work in China called Inn of Sixth Happiness, available at libraries. It's a terrific film but the YWAM book is even more exciting. ***Also, for those who love Christian books, request them at your local library. They will often honor requests, and it's a great way to make Christian books available to those who would never see them otherwise.

Not particularly informative, this. We are about 2 years into our "bookstore project". We took over the "tape ministry", now graduated to CDs & DVD, and turned it into a "Resource Center". That includes a mini-bookstore, specializing in Bibles, things for children and teens, and a few gift items including various home decor and accessories that help testify to our faith and church identity. We try to be a resource for feeding and building our faith, our identity as Christians and members of our church, and to facilitate sharing our beliefs and faith with others. We're really small, occupying an unused classroom that we remodeled, but we are definitely having an impact by being so readily available in a city with no remaining Christian bookstores. But our biggest problem: getting those resources ourselves. There are few places we can buy our inventory. CBD is hardly a wholesaler, leaving us enough margin to pay our way and expand on our own. So we even shop ebay! Any tips for us?