Tag Archives: Good News

Good News as CWR appoint Roger Compton and extend ebooks range

Posted on October 31, 2011 by | Leave a comment

CONGRATULATIONS TO CWR on their recent appointment of Roger Compton as their UK Retail Merchandiser for dated, seasonal and core titles — and congratulations to Roger himself, too, of course!

In a Trade Announcement posted in the Christian Authors, Booksellers and Publishers facebook group last week (Wednesday 26th October), Eddie Olliffe wrote:

CWR is pleased to inform you that Roger Compton has been appointed as CWR’s UK Retail Merchandiser for dated, seasonal and core titles. As many of you will know, Roger has long-standing experience in sales to the specialist Christian retail sector, having worked for the past 12 years with STL Distribution, latterly Trust Media Distribution.

This is a fixed term appointment, designed to maximise the sales and visibility of our dated and seasonal ranges particularly in the busy autumn period and then beyond to Lent and Easter. Roger will complement the excellent work of our three existing contracted sales reps (from Joining the Dots plus Stewart Anderson) and Roger will work mainly in London, the South-east and the Midlands. I’m sure that many of you will be pleased to see Roger again on the patch!

Earlier in the month, Eddie also posted details of CWR’s growing range of ebooks, now available through Gardners to retailers offering ebook sales via their own sites or taking part in the Hive network; ISBNs added, full list including dated materials available to download:

CWR eISBNs (pdf, 49kb)

CWR eISBNs (pdf, 49kb)

CWR’s recent range of eBooks is available to trade customers via Gardners Digital Warehouse and Gardlink for Windows. There are five titles (see below) + five dated notes (including Every Day with Jesus) in both Kindle & ePub format.

  • One Step Beyond (Gram Seed, 9781853455896)
  • What to Say When People Need Help (Selwyn Hughes, 9781853456640)
  • God’s Questions (Phil Greenslade, 9781853456190)
  • Leadership (Phil Greenslade, 9781853455902)
  • Coached by Christ (Andy Peck, 9781853455919)

Ebooks Elsewhere…

CWR are not the only Christian publisher getting up to speed on the ebooks front, of course: Darton, Longman & Todd have a good selection available in Amazon Kindle and Apple iBook format; and SPCK have a growing range, conveniently showcased for the rest of us by Keith Jones, who are undoubtedly leading the way as a Christian ebook retailer, with regular updates posted via twitter:

If you’re serious about keeping up to speed with digital developments, make sure you’ve read Bendicte Page’s Bookseller report, 7/10/2011, Christian publishers turn to apps in market squeeze and

Update, 31/10/2011, 12 noon:

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Christian Book Trade, News, People News

Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Hub, Walsall, completes major relocation: reopens Saturday 22nd October

Posted on October 21, 2011 by | 2 Comments
Press Release, 21/10/2011: Walsall Christian Bookshop Completes Major Relocation - Opens Saturday 22nd October

Press Release, 21/10/2011: Walsall Christian Bookshop Completes Major Relocation - Opens Saturday 22nd October

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES to Luke Hughes-Bunger and his team at The Hub, Walsall, as they finalise preparations for reopening on Saturday 22nd October 2011 at their new location in Stafford Street. Adapted from the official press release, issued today:

The Hub Christian Resource Centre, Walsall, has today announced that it has completed its relocation to Stafford Street, and will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd October 2011.

Nearly 2 years after the closure of Wesley Owen and the subsequent birth of The Hub, Christian retailing in Walsall is undergoing yet another major development. The Hub, which vacated it’s former shop in The Crossing at St Paul’s in Walsall town centre less than one week ago —ringing up it’s final sale there at about 4pm on Saturday 16th October — has completed the refitting of 31-31a Stafford Street in just one week, and will open this Saturday

Although renovation of the former White Mountain store — which had sat empty for over 12 months — had been ongoing for several weeks, the fact that the staff and volunteers have completed the transformation, with no outside contractors, is nonetheless testament to their passion for the shop, their mission to keep Christian books, music, cards, gifts and resources on the high street of Walsall, and the belief of all of those who volunteered, that Christian retailing is important, and the service offered is worth preserving.

Director Luke Hughes-Bunger said,

First and foremost, we must thank each and every person who has helped us throughout these last weeks and months. Without our numerous volunteers, drivers, painters, decorators, handymen and women and well-wishers, as well as those who have supported us in prayer and financially, this move would not have been possible.

We must also thank God. Without him, there would be no reason for The Hub to even exist. It is because of Him that so many people have given so much and have continued to support the work we do.

The move, which has been on the cards for several months, is in response to numerous factors, including the ongoing recession, increasing costs, the seismic shift in the layout of Walsall’s town centre, and a desire to diversify and beyond what would have been possible at The Crossing at St Paul’s to name just a few.

Luke explains:

The move came about for a variety of reasons, you can’t put your finger on any one thing which made us say ‘go’. Everything just fell into place, and just at the right time, to make it possible, which is often how we have found God to move in these circumstances.

The recession is real, and shows no signs of letting up. We cannot simply bury our heads in the sand and hope the storm will pass. If we believe that there is still a place for Christian bookshops on the high street, which we do, then we must be proactive in finding ways to secure the survival of our shop.

It’s a buyers market right now, and the cost savings which can be achieved by moving just a few minutes away from the town centre, is very significant.

The Hub leaves The Crossing, which has been the home to Walsall’s Christian bookshop since St. Paul’s converted the ground floor to a shopping centre more than14 years, and moves to Stafford Street, the home of The Beacon, Walsall’s first independent Christian bookshop.

Christine Bunger, also a Director of the shop, said,

It’s sort of like coming full circle. As Walsall’s layout once again changes, and development continues in this part of town following major investment in the area by Tesco, Walsall College and Walsall Housing Group, it seems fitting that The Hub is able to return home to the same street where it all began with The Beacon, more than 40 years ago. Once again, an independent Christian Bookshop sits pride of place on Stafford Street.

Luke explained further:

Moving also gives us a freedom to diversify, and to grow beyond the confines of ‘The Crossing’ our home since we opened in February 2010.

That’s not to be disparaging towards our former landlords. They have been fantastic — everything we could want in a landlord in many ways — however the fact remains, much of what The Hub would like to do is already offered by St Paul’s. By moving, rather than reducing the Christian presence in the town, we are actually increasing it. St Paul’s will continue to minister to the people of the town, through the great work they do, and The Hub can minister to different people, in a different part of town.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Christian Bookshops, Independent Booksellers, News

Tagged , , , , ,

News Roundup: The New Beginnings Edition

Posted on September 1, 2011 by | 2 Comments

NEW BEGINNINGS: they’re what following Jesus is all about, from life through death and back to life again, and to get the month of September off to a good start we have a series of new beginnings to celebrate — but each has come at a cost. As I prepare this post, I’m listening to Coldplay’s latest single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, and one line seems to stand out especially: “I’d rather be a comma than a full stop” — it seems to sum up our calling as Christians, to be commas rather than full stops in God’s purposes, ready for whatever comes next. But the role of a comma, like a grain of wheat, is far from easy: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” said Jesus, “it remains only a single grain—”

Enough of my ramblings for now, however; on to the stories:

In Brief…

Christian Marketplace reports on the Altar Missals shenanigans with CTS: An unholy row over Missals

Glenn Myers, author of June’s Guest Post, Why I started telling stories to tell the truth, is now twittering with the rest of us @Glenn_Myers

Janet Wilson of Dernier Publishing fame has entered the blogosphere: head over there for the latest info on all Dernier’s books for children & teenagers.

What is the future for Christian bookselling? Clem Jackson reflects on the current state of the UK Christian book trade: join the conversation on facebook.

Cornerstone Clapham survives Riots

CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP, CLAPHAM, had a narrow escape in London’s riots as windows were smashed and a fire started, causing some £4,000 worth of damage — fortunately, however, one of the rioters had a change of heart and returned to put the fire out. A report posted by the Barnabas Fund, Christian Bookshop at Centre of Riots Saved, describes another rioter about to set fire to the premises but being dissuaded by someone, whom the shop’s owners believe was an angel, shouting, “No, don’t do that, I live upstairs!”

Whatever you make of the supposed angelic intervention, the good news is that the shop was able to resume trading after only one day. Please pray for owners Brian and Ulrike Warner as they continue to pick up the pieces…

GLO Motherwell Relaunched

CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Lacey and the team at GLO, Motherwell, on Monday’s rededication and relaunch of the shop following a comprehensive refit and re-merchandising. Andrew explains on their facebook event page:

Given the significant changes in the Book market, we have decided to re-allocate our floor area and completely re-merchandise the store. We have ‘reversed’ the shop layout to bring Card & Gift product to the front of the store, and moved the ‘Printed Page’ product to the back of the store. We continue to give God’s Word, the Bible, the ‘prime’ trading position in the store, and the popular Children’s area remains unchanged.

A summary of the benefits of the recent re-merchandise of the store

  • By moving Gift and Card products to the front of the store, we hope to encourage more friends from the local community to browse these products.
  • The range of DVDs and other media titles has been significantly increased, and a wide range of audio-books has been brought in.
  • We continue to carry a huge range of books and this has been re-merchandised to the back of the store. This area of the shop now includes a coffee machine and reading tables. Comfy chairs have been placed to enable customers to relax and browse the wide range of titles. This has created a lovely relaxed atmosphere, and DVD players and computer systems have been provided to allow customers to sample some of the resources on show.
  • Space is being created to allow a relevant range of second hand books to be sold. We are currently appealing for donations of books.
  • In response to customer requests, we are developing a suitable selection of local interest and general books.
  • The GLO Bookshop is now part of the ‘HIVE’ network of local independent bookshops. This give us the ability to retail e-Books (see the link below). The HIVE network also provides access to over 4.5 million general book and DVD titles at very competitive prices. We would encourage friends of GLO to use this facility if they require ‘general’ books, rather than Amazon! If you order from HIVE, GLO will benefit from a commission on each sale. Your items can either be delivered FREE to the GLO Bookshop in Motherwell, or delivered direct to your home for a small charge. In either case, GLO will benefit from your custom.

Photos of the new-look shop are available on facebook:

GLO Relaunch

GLO Relaunch

Goodbye LST Books & Resources: Hello Maranatha

LST BOOKS AND RESOURCES, the first shop to be listed in the UK Christian Bookshops Directory and where yours truly cut his teeth in this strange but wonderful world of Christian bookselling/retailing, is no more. The shop closed on Friday August 26th with a brief announcement on facebook:

LST Books and Resources is no more ;-( However there will be a bookshop at LST opening 30/8/2011 :-) Good Luck to Geoff and Jan. So Ciao for now

The Geoff and Jan mentioned are none other than Geoff and Jan Wallace of Maranatha Christian Bookshop, Uxbridge, fame, and I personally can think of no better hands into which the future of bookselling at LST could be entrusted. Maranatha, as it happens, was the second shop to be listed in UKCBD, which makes them an even more apt successor to the shop at LST. Geoff and Jan, I salute you and wish you every success in this new venture: may the Lord bless you as richly as he blessed me during my tenure as LST’s bookshop manager.

Please pray for Geoff and Jan, especially Jan as she manages the shop on a daily basis, pray for the LST community to fully embrace this new opportunity, and pray for my former colleague, Nick, who took on the mantle after my departure last year, as he moves on to pursue further studies.

Maranatha Uxbridge announce new branch at London School of Theology

Maranatha Uxbridge announce new branch at London School of Theology

Living Oasis…

NO NEW INFORMATION but simply a reminder to keep praying for everyone struggling after the collapse of NCT: those who have lost jobs and livelihoods; suppliers seeking redress for NCT’s debts; and those who are pressing on with the vision, for whom one of the biggest challenges will no doubt be the question of rebuilding trust with suppliers and other business partners after yet another Christian company defaults on its debts.

We’ve already seen one new beginning at Weston-super-Mare, of course, and discussions are still underway in Liverpool over the lease — if you missed it last time, see Phil Jump’s facebook note from 12th August, Living Oasis Liverpool UPDATE.

For latest news on…

and keep an eye on the various facebook pages and groups…

New Christian Bookshop in Bedford

Via twitter; further details to follow. The shop is about a 15 minute walk from the town centre, just a couple of streets away from the Jaffa Orchard café and gift shop, run by a group of people from Russell Park Baptist Church where the new shop’s owners are members:

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Bookshop Ramblings, Christian Bookshops, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Employment Tribunal awards Redundancy Payments to Durham Cathedral Shop Staff

Posted on August 25, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Cross-posted from SPCK/SSG News, Notes & Info. Matt Wardman reports, and concludes with a number of questions about some of the loose ends left hanging in this long-running saga — to which I’ve added another and to which you, gentle reader, may wish to add your own, either in the comments here or on the original post…

Durham Cathedral Shop Employees win Redundancy Payout

This news is very much of the ‘we were tipped into a swamp and lost nearly everything, but we escaped the alligators with our lives after each losing half a leg’ variety, but the staff at Durham Cathedral Shop have — 4 years after the saga to which SPCK/SSG News, Notes & Info is devoted kicked off  —received some more good news. It has been ruled that when the staff of the Durham Cathedral Shop were thrown out of their jobs in January 2010, it constituted redundancy and unfair dismissal.

Since Mark and Phil Brewer have done a vanishing trick after running the business into the ground (don’t forget that Phil Brewer used the shop to fund his Trotter-Trading Yellow private aeroplane, and that hundreds of thousands of pounds simply went missing), the Judge rules that payment can be made from State funds.

I should also say that this decision was by a previous shop management, and the shop — and particularly the staff — deserve full support.

Employment Tribunal Report

An Employment Tribunal held on Wednesday 24th August 2011 in Newcastle, and this is a report of the proceedings.

“A sorry tale which has been going on for some time has now come to this.”

The opening comment by Mr Jim Shepherd, Employment Judge, at the Employment Tribunal held on Wednesday 24th August 2011 in Newcastle, between the claimants, the staff of the Durham Cathedral Shop, and the Durham Cathedral Shop Management Company and the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills.

The start of the tale was on 22nd January 2010, when the staff of the Durham Cathedral Shop were all dismissed. The shop was one of the 23 SPCK Bookshops taken over in 2006 by the St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust run by American brothers, Mark and Phil Brewer. In 2008 the Durham shop’s management transferred to the Durham Cathedral Shop Management Company, a new company set up by the Brewer brothers. By January 2010 Durham was the only shop remaining under their control, and was a poor shadow of the flagship shop it had been in SPCK days. Phil Brewer contacted the staff and said the company had financial difficulties and he needed to talk to the Cathedral Chapter. On 22nd January 2010 the staff were summoned by the Chapter Clerk, following his discussion with Phil Brewer, and were told the shop was to close immediately. The staff received no written notice of dismissal, were not consulted in accordance with UK employment law and did not receive wages due to them, severance payment nor redundancy payment.

The staff were represented by Sara Devennie, of Beecham & Peacock, Newcastle solicitors, who were instructed by the trade union USDAW, of which all the staff are members. Beecham & Peacock received no fee for this work as part of their on-going commitment to a number of trade unions to fight for the rights of workers.

The Tribunal were presented with the detailed and complicated facts of the case, and ruled that it was unfair dismissal and redundancy. The Secretary of State’s office had investigated the solvency of the Durham Cathedral Shop Management Company and stated it was not insolvent and was still registered as a company, with the registered trading address as the Durham Cathedral Shop. However, the Tribunal Judge stated he felt it unlikely that any money would be forthcoming from the USA.

By ruling that redundancy had occurred, the Judge legalised the claim for state redundancy payments to be made by the Secretary of State. Payments of between £2,000 and £11,000 were awarded to the staff.

The Durham Cathedral Shop, under the management of Durham Cathedral, re-opened on 1st March 2010, and all of the former staff have been re-employed by Durham Cathedral.

That is excellent news, and congratulations go especially to the one member of staff who persevered with the claim. Perhaps ways can now finally be found to look forward at Durham.

Remaining Questions

There are still some very serious questions around the whole SPCK saga, which I hope will be addressed somehow.

The Brewers still deserve to be brought to book for offences committed throughout the last several years. These include the magically vanishing funds from Durham Cathedral Shop mentioned above.

But there is also the small matter of money specifically given for the support of Christian Bookselling in Newcastle, and placed in a separate fund after the sale of the Bible House Bookshop, which seems to have been misappropriated during the time of Management by the Brewer Brothers. Specifically, monies were allocated for improvements to the premises of SPCK Newcastle which – as far as we are aware – were never done. The sum involved was 5 figures.

Questions around the Governance of SPCK itself, and decisions made.

And the whole question of who is going to learn which lessons from this whole Godawful Mess, and whether they actually have been learned?

Stand Up SPCK Up

To Matt’s questions I would add: what of the Durham Cathedral and Chapter’s culpability and liability? Collusion with the Brewers in continuing to allow them to trade, failure to evict them, and — by far the worst blot in their copybook — an abysmal failure in their duty of care towards workers on their premises…

Reports Elsewhere…

→ 1 Comment

Posted in News, People News, SPCK, SPCK/SSG, SSG

Tagged , , , , , ,

Christian Bookshops Live with Hive!

Posted on August 17, 2011 by | 9 Comments
Welcome to hive

Welcome to hive

MORE THAN TEN CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOPS are now live with Hive, the initiative launched by mainstream wholesaler Gardners (discussed here earlier this year) to help bridge the gap between the online and the bricks & mortar shopping experience:

The Hive Network is a radical new concept bringing the benefits of local high street retailing to the ease and pleasure of buying your books and DVDs on the internet.

Whilst everyone enjoys supporting the local bookshops that enrich our environment and bring variety and personality into our high streets, the convenience, range and 24-hour access of shopping online is an activity that many of us enjoy and take great pleasure in. Yet, having goods delivered when we may not be around to receive them does sometimes have its drawbacks… and let’s face it; the high street wouldn’t be as exciting or as colourful without your local independent bookshops.

That’s where the Hive Network comes to the rescue!

For booksellers, the service offers a customisable homepage and a fully functional online shop serviced through their Gardners account, with customer orders and stock orders consolidated into single deliveries, reducing carbon footprint. Customers benefit from the convenience of online shopping with free delivery to the bookshop of their choice for collection at a time that suits them, free home delivery for orders over £15, or 75p for home delivery on smaller orders. The project claims to be “the future of high street shopping on the internet… and internet shopping on your high street!” — the only thing that’s needed to change that from wishful thinking to reality, gentle reader, is you and me; and remember that it’s not just Christian books you can order from your chosen hive-linked bookshop: Gardners’ full range of fiction and non-fiction, including ebooks, is available!

The Christian retailers I’m aware of that have signed up so far are listed below: click through to visit their hive shops. If none of them are in your area, you can use the store locator to find your nearest participating shop; and if your local Christian bookshop isn’t there, why not pop in and encourage them to sign up?

Some have customised their homepages — the best examples I’ve seen so far are GLO and Unicorn Tree Books (UTB) — whilst others have yet to take advantage of this option, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to the potential for embarrassment that fuelled our earlier discussions. If you’re a bookseller reading this who hasn’t customised your home page, I’d encourage you to take a look the GLO and UTB pages to see how it can be done — then go and do likewise!

Customised Hive Home Page for Unicorn Tree Books & Crafts

Customised Hive Home Page for Unicorn Tree Books & Crafts

Discover more:

→ 9 Comments

Posted in News

Tagged , , , , , ,

News Roundup: The Awards and Congratulations Edition

Posted on June 18, 2011 by | 2 Comments

OVER THE LAST MONTH or so we seem to have had a plethora of awards in the Christian book trade, so without further ado, congratulations all round to those who’ve won, commiserations to the runners-up, and one or two other congratulatory notes as well because there’s more, much more, to life than winning awards. Rumours of the trade’s demise are a tad premature, methinks…

  • Atheist Delusions Wins Michael Ramsey Prize
  • Booksellers Association launches new Facebook page
  • BRF Author Wins Ultimate Christian Library Book Award
  • CRT Awards to CWR, IVP, Salvation Army and Tyndale House (Updated 29/06/2011)
  • Hope Centre Official Opening
  • Wedding Bells at Dernier Publishing
  • SPCK’s Alan Mordue named as ‘Best Overseas Supporting Vendor’
David Bentley Hart receives the Michael Ramsey Prize 2011 from the Archbishop of Canterbury

David Bentley Hart receives the Michael Ramsey Prize 2011 from the Archbishop of Canterbury

Atheist Delusions Wins Michael Ramsey Prize

CONGRATULATIONS to David Bentley Hart, shown here receiving the Michael Ramsey Prize 2011 from the Archbishop of Canterbury for his book, Atheist Delusions, Yale University Press.

See the Press Release (27 May 2011) for full details: Winner of £10,000 Theology Prize Announced

Booksellers Association launches new Facebook page

CONGRATULATIONS to the Booksellers Association on the recent launch of their facebook page: you don’t have to be a BA member to like it, and it’s an easy way to keep up to speed with their latest news delivered direct to your facebook feed. You are on facebook, aren’t you??

Brad Lincoln receives the Speaking Volumes 'Ultimate Christian Library Book' Award 2011

Brad Lincoln receives the Speaking Volumes 'Ultimate Christian Library Book' Award 2011

BRF Author Wins Ultimate Christian Library Book Award

CONGRATULATIONS to Brad Lincoln, pictured with (left to right) Paula Renouf and Geoff Booker of Speaking Volumes, presenting him and BRF’s Karen Laister with the Ultimate Christian Library Book Award 2011 at CRE Sandown Park on 11 May 2011 for his book, One Dad Encountering God.

More details from BRF: One Dad Encountering God Wins Award!

• More pictures and previous award winners

Christian Resources Together Awards

Update, 29/06/2011: Christian Marketplace has now published the full list of award winners: Stott wins Book of the Year award; congratulations especially to Mary Bartholomew of the Good Bookstall on her Long Service Award: very well deserved indeed.

CONGRATULATIONS to the many and various winners of the numerous awards presented at this month’s Christian Resources Together event at High Leigh. The CRT publicity engine seems to be grinding a little slowly and I’ve yet to receive details of all the winners, but — with a special mention for IVP on a double win, overall Book of the Year for John Stott’s The Radical Disciple and Over 12s Book of the Year for Rachel Gardner’s Cherished — those that have come to my attention so far are:

Double Christian Resources Together Awards 2011 for IVP

Double Christian Resources Together Awards 2011 for IVP

The Mayor of Macclesfield snips the ribbon for the Hope Centre's official opening

The Mayor of Macclesfield snips the ribbon for the Hope Centre's official opening

Hope Centre Official Opening

CONGRATULATIONS to all involved in the recent official opening of Macclesfield’s new Christian bookshop and resource centre, The Hope Centre, who you’ll also find twittering with the rest of us @HopeCentreMacc. With only 6 followers as I post this update, they’re looking kinda lonely so why not head on over there and show them some twitter love? Opening day photo courtesy of Robert Marshall, @rajm: discover more on flickr.

Wedding Bells at Dernier Publishing

VERY SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS to Janet Evans of Dernier Publishing, due to marry Andrew Wilson on 2 July 2011. Janet writes:

… for those of you who don’t know, I will be marrying Andrew Wilson on 2nd July. After eight years on my own since my first husband died, it is wonderful to have someone to share life with. We met at CRE last year. (I’ve since met another couple who met at CRE!) Andrew is on the staff of a charity that supports those around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Christ. He is also a former journalist, and does some editing and proof-reading for us.

More news from Dernier Publishing coming up next week…

SPCK’s Alan Mordue named as ‘Best Overseas Supporting Vendor’

LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST, CONGRATULATIONS to SPCK Sales Director Alan Mordue, recognised by the USA’s Episcopal Booksellers’ Association award as ‘Best Overseas Supporting Vendor’ for his ongoing work over the last three years, including annual visits to the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit and Society of Biblical Literature meetings.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Book News, News, People News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mayor of Watford to Open new Living Oasis Store this weekend

Posted on May 5, 2011 by | 1 Comment
Living Oasis Watford: Official Reopening 2pm, Sat 7th May 2011

Living Oasis Watford: Official Reopening with the Mayor at 2pm, Sat 7th May 2011

THIS SATURDAY, 7th May, is expected to see hopes and dreams for Living Oasis Watford fulfilled as the store reopens at its new location at 15-17 The Parade, Watford, next door to Presence. The opening takes place at 2pm, presided over by Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill, who was also there for the original opening last year when Living Oasis took over the former Wesley Owen premises.

Hearty congratulations to all involved!

From the Christian Gateway Watford news page:

New Living Oasis Watford shop – official opening Saturday 7th May, 2pm
Living Oasis is delighted to announce the opening of its new Watford Christian resources centre, which will be located at 15-17 The Parade on the High Street (two doors up from T J Hughes).

The new store is spread over two floors, and we hope will play a significant part in helping resource and equip Watford’s Christian community to boldly share Gospel Truth in a high-quality context that connects with life in today’s world. The large shop will carry an impressive 7,000 product lines including a vibrant children’s section, a large selection of Bibles and practical theology titles…

→ 1 Comment

Posted in News

Tagged , , , , ,

Good News for Macclesfield as Hope Centre prepares to open in former Wesley Owen premises

Posted on March 16, 2011 by | 7 Comments
Hope Centre, Macclesfield: Coming soon!

Hope Centre, Macclesfield: Coming soon!

AFTER THE RECENT SLEW of bad news reports with Living Oasis closures and STL facing redundancies once again, it’s good to be able to post yet another good news story as HOPE in North East Cheshire prepares to open a new Christian coffee shop and bookshop on the site of Macclesfield’s former Wesley Owen:

The Hope Centre, is an initiative of Hope in North East Cheshire. It is based in the old Wesley Owen bookshop in Park Green, Macclesfield. It functions both as a coffee shop, and a Christian bookshop selling books, CD and other fairly traded goods. In addition to these commercial aspects is [sic] is designed to provide a beacon of hope to the people of Macclesfield.

Thirty nine churches in the area have come together to make the initiative possible and have been working on the project for the best part of a year now. From the minutes of a meeting held on July 18th 2010:

It is envisaged that the ground floor will contain a small coffee bar selling light refreshments, an information area where services and events in all churches and Hope in North East Cheshire will be available as well as access to other forms of help, a retail area selling cards, books, dvd’s, etc and a computer corner where people with no access at home can be helped online. The entrance to the shop will be made wheelchair accessible and there will be a disabled toilet on the ground floor with ramp where necessary.

The actual opening date has yet to be announced, but detailed plans have been drawn up and volunteers are being recruited: congratulations to all involved!

Hope Centre Plans

Screenshot of Hope Centre Plans: click through for a closer view

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Christian Bookshops, Independent Booksellers, News

Tagged , , , , , ,

Living Oasis Update: Harrow celebrates 1st birthday and Watford finds new premises

Posted on March 13, 2011 by | 6 Comments
Living Oasis Christian Bookshop Birthday Party

Living Oasis Christian Bookshop Birthday Party

MORE CONGRATULATIONS are in order, first of all to Living Oasis, Harrow, who celebrated their first birthday on Saturday 12th March with authors, guest speakers from London School of Theology, live music and much more — all backed up with homemade, fair trade cupcakes and tea & coffee.

Sadly I couldn’t be there myself, but if you made it, please leave a comment to tell us how it went — even better if you can supply some photos!

If Living Oasis Harrow is your local Christian bookshop, please use them — because if you don’t then we’ll lose them, and there’s been far too much of that over the last month!

Living Oasis Watford find new premises

Living Oasis Watford find new premises

Next up, congratulations to Living Oasis, Watford, who have at last managed to find new premises to move into. It’s sad news for That Burger which closed down next to Presence on the High Street, but great news for Living Oasis and for Watford’s Christian community.

Describing the move for Christian Gateway Watford, Jill, who works at the shop, writes:

We are so grateful to God for keeping us when other shops have sadly had to close due to lack of support. We desperately need Watford Christians to support the new shop. Steve Cardell has made this move possible and we are incredibly grateful to him.

The shop will continue to trade from Queen’s Road until 15th April: keep an eye on Christian Gateway Watford for news of the opening ceremony at the new site.

Please continue to pray:

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Christian Bookshops, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

News Roundup: Covenant Books, Preston, Reopens | J Marr Seafoods Sponsors Jacob’s Well | Living Oasis Prayer Line on facebook | Love Wins – or does it? | Small Publishers featured in STL Trade Emails

Posted on March 12, 2011 by | 2 Comments
BBC News, Lancashire: Christian bookshop in Preston gets lifeline

BBC News, Lancashire: Christian bookshop in Preston gets lifeline

Covenant Books, Preston, Reopens

CONGRATULATIONS to all involved in the recent resurrection of Covenant Books, Preston!

The usual story of financial constraints ended with the shop’s closure on Christmas Eve last year, but the shop’s trustees have now agreed that the shop can reopen with volunteer help, subject to review after 6 months.

Describing the shop’s difficulties to BBC Lancashire, Annie Colbert, who founded and still runs the shop, explained the cashflow problems involved in having to stock up for Christmas as early as February but then having to pay for the stock in August, long before eventually selling the stock during the Christmas period. Suppliers, facing their own financial pressures, were largely unwilling or unable to wait until stock had sold through.

J Marr Seafoods Sponsors Jacob’s Well

Fish News: J Marr sponsors Jacob's Well

Fish News: J Marr sponsors Jacob's Well

CONGRATULATIONS to Jacob’s Well, Beverley, on receiving sponsorship from J Marr Seafoods for their next container’s shipping costs to Ghana:

J. Marr (Seafoods) has strong trading links with Africa and particularly Ghana where the Jacob’s Well Appeal is working with a Ghana-registered NGO called FREED. They have asked for help in sending medicines and equipment to the Upper North West part of the country; it is the poorest part of Ghana and subsequently sterilisers, dental equipment, anaesthetic equipment and many other useful items and medicines were sent. Books and sports equipment were also provided for local schools in the area.

Read the full story: J.Marr sponsors Jacob’s Well appeal

LivingOasis Prayerline

LivingOasis Prayerline

Living Oasis Prayer Line on facebook

LIVING OASIS have launched a new profile and page on facebook:

As I prepare this post, both are looking rather lonely with only 15 friends and 8 likes respectively, so head on over there, send your friend request and hit that like button: you know you want to!

Living Oasis prayer line

Living Oasis prayer line

Neither the profile nor the page give any indication of who in the organisation is behind them or whether these particular facebook presences are intended for mutual support within the organisation, to garner prayer support from outside or to offer prayer support for others. It may well be all three: all are certainly needed and to be warmly welcomed.

Most, possibly all, Living Oasis stores now have their own facebook pages, with Leeds and Liverpool both using the new company logo but still reporting delays to opening as their “Phase Two” development and refurbishment works continue.

Love Wins – or does it?

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE AN EVANGELICAL SCORCHED, it seems, and John Piper, the USA’s guardian of evangelical orthodoxy, evidently felt the heat rising in his veins as he learnt about a video promoting Rob Bell’s forthcoming book from Zondervan/HarperCollins, Love Wins. Rob’s offence: to dare to suggest that God’s love might actually win out in the end, that God’s grace might reach further than Christian tradition would have us believe. Search Google for John Piper Rob Bell Love Wins and you’ll soon begin to feel the heat yourself as the message that emerges seems to be, “See how these Christians love to hate one another.”

Whether or not you believe Universalism to be a valid evangelical take on truth, the evangelical take on truth is far from universal in the Christian church. Only you, gentle bookseller, can decide whether or not to stock a book that has been so roundly condemned and yet which seems to hold out such an awesome message of hope for humanity. Personally speaking, I’d go for it and welcome the dialogue. To help you decide, however, some wise words from Krish Kandiah, a review by Greg Boyd, a suggestion for further reading, the video itself and, last but not least, full details of the book, due later this month:

Love Wins

Love Wins
Rob Bell

9780007420735
Zondervan/HarperCollins, March 2011
£14.99

Available to order from STL Distribution

Small Publishers featured in STL Trade Emails

Worth A Look: St Mark's Press

Worth A Look: St Mark's Press

AND FINALLY FOR THIS ROUNDUP, congratulations to St Mark’s Press, featured in a new section of STL’s weekly trade email, “Worth a Look!”

The section, which showcases some lesser known publishers, has been added to give retailers more information about the range of publishers STL carries. This time around the feature highlights Today’s Issues and Christian Beliefs by Simon and Christopher Danes: the original edition published by Lion sold over 100,000 copies; this new edition has been completely revised and updated to tie in with GCSE Religious Studies requirements.

Previous Reports (most recent first)

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Christian Bookshops, News, STL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,