June 18, 2011

News Roundup: The Awards and Congratulations Edition

Posted by Phil Groom under Book News, News, People News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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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.

 

March 21, 2011

News Roundup: Behind the Pages with Lion Hudson | Christian Marketplace “is not going away” | Eddie Olliffe at Christian Resources Together | Customer Care | and more…

Posted by Phil Groom under Author Interviews, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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5 Quid for Life: A Mental Health Safety Net

5 Quid for Life

HAVING BEEN RATHER BUSY with 5 Quid for Life last week, preparing for our inaugural meeting on Saturday 19th March, as well as updating our church website, it proved impossible to post this roundup at the end of last week, so this time around, for a change, a news roundup to start the week.

Thank you to everyone who has provided information for these updates: if you have news you’d like to see featured in the next roundup, please get in touch.

Behind the Pages with Lion Hudson

ON FRIDAY 18th MARCH Lion launched a live facebook interview with Andrea Skevington and Sophy Williams, author and illustrator respectively, to celebrate publication of The Lion Classic Bible, providing a fascinating insight into life behind the pages:

The Lion Classic Bible: A facebook interview with Andrea Skevington and Sophy Williams

The Lion Classic Bible: a facebook interview with Andrea Skevington, author, and Sophy Williams, illustrator

Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:

LCB: Sophy, the stories are full of action and drama and I think the illustrations work really well with them, bringing them to life in colour. Which was your favourite illustration to work on? And Andrea, which was your favourite story to tell?

SW: Funnily enough it was the image you have used for the cover! The original design had been approved but when I started drawing it up I thought it wasn’t exciting enough. I had drawn it with Jesus in the foreground looking out towards the fishing boat but spontaneously changed the whole composition. I liked the image of the leaping fish. The animals leaving the ark was fun to do too… and I enjoyed doing David and Goliath!

AS: Hmm, favourite story… there are so many wonderful ones to tell. Perhaps the Prodigal Son was my favourite. I found it very moving to write. Each of the three characters carries such a weight of emotion. I was inspired by a wonderful dance production of the story, by Springs Dance Company. I called my version The Running Father.

LCB: Andrea, you obviously love words! Where do you get your inspiration from? Is there anything you particularly enjoy reading? And Sophy, are you inspired by any other artists or illustrators? Have you always wanted to be an illustrator?

SW: I have always loved to draw and ended up doing what I love as my job, although it took a while to realize that illustration was where I fitted best. There are so many very talented illustrators but a particular favorite is Shaun Tan with The Red Tree being one that everyone should go and find if they don’t know it.

AS: Inspiration comes from many things, like the dance that helped me look again at the Prodigal Son. Most especially, I find inspiration comes outside, and from nature. I love being in the garden, and walking through the quiet beauty of the Suffolk countryside. I love reading and writing poetry. Just last week I discovered a wonderful book of poems in the library by Kerry Hardie, and a collection of Mary Oliver is usually close to hand in the house! Both of these poets see such depth in ordinary things. It’s hard to choose among so many loved writers, but lately I’ve read Home by Marilynne Robinson, Charlotte Grey by Sebastian Faulks, and reading anything by Alexander McCall Smith is like spending time with a kind and witty friend.

On facebook you’ll need to read the interview from bottom to top to follow it in chronological order; alternatively, there’s an easier to follow version in Lion’s own news section: Interview with the author and illustrator of The Lion Classic Bible.

If your shop is on facebook, why not hit that ‘Like’ button and add The Lion Classic Bible to your favourites? Then send the link to all your facebook friends and invite them in to buy it!

Christian Marketplace “is not going away”

ENCOURAGING FEEDBACK from Clem Jackson in his latest Christian Marketplace editorial (April 2011, p.4) responding to my recent observation about the magazine going from a monthly to a bi-monthly. Clem acknowledges that the “last couple of years have been challenging” but emphasises that

Christian Marketplace is not going away and the small team involved with its production will continue to provide a service to the Christian trade. I look forward to us journeying on together.

Sentiments with which I wholeheartedly concur — keep up the good work, Clem, and thank you.

Customer Care: Wise Words from Chris Jewell

CONTINUING WITH CHRISTIAN MARKETPLACE, Chris Jewell offers some wise words on customer service in his latest column, April 2011, p.18. Emphasising that every member of staff has a part to play in delivering “great customer care”, he writes:

If you don’t do this already, get together regularly with your staff, paying no attention to ‘rank’, and begin to brainstorm ideas and suggestions about practical ways of improving your customer care. This has the added benefit of all staff knowing they are working as a team with a common goal, not always apparent in larger organisations.

The failure to do this — to treat all staff with basic dignity and respect as human beings — is undoubtedly one of the factors that led to the collapse of the former SPCK bookshops under the Brewer brothers and which is causing ongoing difficulties elsewhere in the trade…

Eddie Olliffe at Christian Resources Together

EDDIE OLLIFFE, of CWR fame, a contributor to both this site and Christian Marketplace, is one of the speakers at this year’s Christian Resources Together event at High Leigh where, amongst other things, he’ll be continuing the conversation started on his own blog, Christian Book Trade; Facing four incontrovertible facts:

Life will most certainly not return to how it was. We have to move on and change – fast.

It seems to me that there are four incontrovertible facts that we must openly recognise and begin to accept;

  1. The UK has become increasingly secularised and less open to Christian forms of spirituality
  2. Delivery methods and channels – but not content – are changing almost on a daily basis
  3. Consumers, and especially younger people, are not buying as many physical books as in the past
  4. The Christian book trade is undergoing a serious and prolonged period of retrenchment

The mission and calling of distributing the word of God in various formats continues. We urgently need to develop positive conversations to determine how best to respond. By way of encouragement, I fully recognise that there are a good number of shops around the country doing a superb job and working against the odds. May God bless each one. As I’ve written elsewhere, we must provide encouragement and help to each other and eschew condemnation and recrimination wherever possible.

One respondent, Pete Slee, came back with four points of his own which the trade needs to get to grips with, finally posing this challenging question:

… do we need to take a deep breath and ask if, in 2011, the trade really understands how to communicate Good News to the present generation?

It’s a vital question, and the future of the trade hinges upon our response — not only upon our response now and at High Leigh when Eddie reiterates the question, but also upon our ability and willingness to keep the conversation going and develop practical outcomes from it. Last year there was a song and a dance to the tune of ‘Stronger Together, Weaker Apart’ but very little appears to have been done to follow that through as most booksellers and publishers, whether independents or parts of larger conglomerates, seem to have simply pressed ahead with doing their own thing, leading almost inevitably to the shop closures and job losses we’re now seeing.

If you’re going to High Leigh this year, why not make a pledge now, before you get there, to commit yourself and your company to exploring ways of keeping the conversations going afterwards? In the meantime, of course, irrespective of whether or not you can attend, you could join the conversation with Eddie, Pete, myself and several others…

STL do Comic Relief

MORE ENCOURAGING NEWS from STL: Customer Service staff were clearly determined that the company’s current difficulties wouldn’t be allowed to undermine their sense of fun as they joined in with Comic Relief on Friday. From the STL Blog, Today is a colourful day in Customer Services:

STL do Comic Relief 2011

Red Nose Day 2011: STL do Comic Relief

There’s a lot more than fun and games going on at STL as well, of course: make sure you keep an eye on their blog to keep yourself up to speed with latest news on stock availability, new supplier agreements and much, much more…

IVP Vacancies, March 2011

IVP Vacancies, March 2011

Vacancies at IVP

AND FINALLY, for the jobseekers amongst us: IVP have some new vacancies, full details of which should be available at ivpbooks.com/vacancies from tomorrow, 22nd March 2011:

  • Commissioning Editor (Full-time or Part-time)
  • Editorial Assistant
  • IT/Web Intern (Salaried)
  • Web/Marketing Intern (Salaried)

Applications for all four posts close in May (some early, some late) so there’s plenty of time to prepare if you’re interested…

 

March 1, 2011

Bible Translation: Does getting it right matter?

Posted by Phil Groom under Book News, Christian Publishers | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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Wycliffe Bible Translators

Wycliffe Bible Translators

IT’S HARD TO MISS THE FACT that this year, 2011, marks the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, the Bible translation that sparked a revolution in giving ordinary people access to the Bible in their own language — provided, of course, that their language was English; but around the world there are still millions of people who don’t have the Bible in their own language, so as we celebrate, let’s not forget those people: head on over to Wycliffe Bible Translators to find out how you can help put things right.

At the same time, however, let’s also remember that what we’re dealing with when we read the King James or any other Bible version is a translation; and every translation inevitably has its flaws. Do those flaws matter? Jacques More, author and publisher of Jarom Books, says they do, and his latest book, Serious Mistranslations of the Bible — published today, 1st March 2011 — highlights numerous instances where poor translation has led to distorted doctrines and teachings in the church. I invited him to tell us about it:

Serious Mistranslations of the Bible

Serious Mistranslations of the Bible

Serious Mistranslations of the Bible is an examination of up to 52 Bible passages as affected by various Greek words from the New Testament identified as incorrectly understood by their use in the Septuagint – the Bible Jesus and the apostles quoted (the Old Testament translated into the Greek of their day) – as well as other discoveries in research in the Greek language. The Septuagint as a source for the meaning of words in the Greek of the New Testament has largely been by-passed, but Jesus and the apostles’ quotes of this source shows the words used in it have the same meaning as the New Testament Greek.

When Pharaoh had a dream which Joseph interpreted he saw fat cows coming out of the Nile and these are called eklektos in the Septuagint. As are the plump kernels of wheat he dreamed of. And so is choice silver, pleasant land, highest branches, young men [warriors in their prime], rich apparel, and so on: quality is the prominent meaning for eklektos.

When Jesus says “Many are called, few eklektos” he is saying few are fit for the calling, few are quality. He is not saying “many are called, few are chosen”!

The early publication of research on eklektos in 2001 saw comment from the then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, “You are to be congratulated for your painstaking thoroughness” (May 2001) and a number of copies were obtained by the Bible Society. But, where are the needed changes? 10 years on, it is time this research was available to all!

Years of Research and Study
The research in the book on the issue of women in leadership Leadership is Male? highlighted two texts as mistranslated: 1 Corinthians 11:3 in some versions and 1 Timothy 2:12 in most. Those 2 chapters are borrowed and in the new book.

The research that went into the book on predestination So You Think You’re Chosen? highlighted Romans 8:28 with an added word widely employed, but contradicting the flow of the text. That chapter is also borrowed.

The information in the book Will there be Non-Christians in Heaven? highlights the need for a note to be added to the translation of “believing in the name” in John 1:12 and all places where the phrase is used. Thus the chapter entitled “The meaning of born again” explaining how the righteous among non-Christians are already born again is borrowed and included in the new book.

The 3 Measures of Meal parable is wholly misunderstood by the New International Version and other translators so they omit to translate the word “three” – unlike the more literal versions: NKJV, KJV, Young and others – which is crucial in understanding the parable.

Bibliographic Details and Further Information

Serious Mistranslations of the Bible
Jarom Books, 1st March 2011
ISBN 9781898158219
B-format paperback
352 pages
£7.99

  • Trade Distributors: CLC Wholesale | Manna Christian Centre
  • Trade Info Page: jarom.net/trade.php
 

February 25, 2011

News Roundup: Celebrating 10 Years Online | Commentaries Sale at Wesley Owen | More Shops Seeking New Owners | More Than Another Day of Prayer | New Blog for Caritas Music

Posted by Phil Groom under Cardiff, Christian Book Trade, Christian Bookshops, Christian Music, Independent Booksellers, News, Wesley Owen | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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UK Christian Bookshops Directory: Discover your local Christian bookshop!

Celebrating 10 Years Online!

GOT NEWS? If you have news you’d like to share about your shop or staff, please leave a comment or contact me direct to be included in the next News Roundup…

Don’t want to comment here? Join the conversation on facebook instead…

Celebrating 10 Years Online

THIS YEAR sees both the UK Christian Bookshops Directory and The Good Bookstall celebrating our tenth anniversaries: UKCBD was launched 10 years ago this month, in February 2001, whilst TGB was launched 10 years ago next month, March 2001 — and what an amazing 10 years it’s been!

We’ve seen STL expand its territory, Prayer-of-Jabez style, only to see the whole edifice here in the UK come tumbling down when they did a builder-who-didn’t-count-the-cost routine; we’ve seen the destruction of the SPCK Bookshops chain in the hands of the gruesome twosome, Messrs Phil and Mark Brewer; we’ve seen dozens of independent bookshop closures; and we’ve seen Christian Marketplace go from being a monthly independent magazine to a bi-monthly, surviving only as a subsidiary of another giant, the Premier Christian media empire.

We’ve also seen the phenomenal rise of online Christian bookseller Eden.co.uk, the emergence of the ebook and yet — in the face of all these challenges — many shops rising, phoenix-like, from the ashes of those destructions, an important reminder if ever we needed one that God isn’t interested in our ambitions and empires, no matter how much we persuade ourselves that it’s God’s kingdom we’re building — because our God, the God we meet in Jesus, isn’t ultimately found in huge presences or high profiles but is revealed rather in small and hidden things, babies born in poverty, bookshops in backstreets and market halls, and bookstalls at the back of forgotten churches. We strive for ‘Mission on the High Street’ but God calls us to mission wherever we are, with whatever we have.

5 Quid for Life: A Mental Health Safety Net

5 Quid for Life

At UKCBD, I’m celebrating 10 years with a simple commitment: over the next year a minimum of 10% of all UKCBD income will be donated to the new up-and-coming charity 5 Quid for Life: A Mental Health Safety Net. It’s a project that I’ve been privileged to be part of from the outset, emerging out of a friend’s desperation as she poured out her heart over the disruption the current government’s changes to the UK benefits system would have on her. If you haven’t already done so, read about it here: Welcome to 5 Quid for Life; and if you’d like to make a donation, you can do so here: 5quidforlife.org.uk/#donate

For further reflections on the changes the last ten years have wrought, see Mary Bartholomew’s latest Good Bookstall editorial; and as we celebrate 10 years online, congratulations must also go to Luke Bunger and his team at one of those small independents, The Hub, Walsall, as they celebrate their first anniversary after surviving the collapse of Wesley Owen … talking of which…

Commentaries Sale at Wesley Owen

THANK YOU to Wesley Owen Birmingham for letting me know about their commentaries sale: 25% off all commentaries; but anyone wanting a slice of the cake needs to move fast — offer ends tomorrow, Saturday 26th February. Available from all branches and online too!

Meanwhile congratulations are due to the inimitable David Chant, former WO Birmingham branch manager, who has moved on into ‘semi-retirement’ from where he should be able to spend a little more time promoting Planet BB. Have you ordered your stock yet? David’s itching to hear from you…

More Shops Seeking New Owners

CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOPS seeking new owners seems to be a trending topic at the moment. This time around we have two, The Ark, Lymington, and Cardiff Christian Bookshop.

The Ark, Lymington

Shop For Sale: The Ark, Lymington

THE ARK is a Christian Bookshop and Café which opened its doors in 2004 and has gone on to serve the local community and churches ever since, but owner Ginny Ayling now wishes to retire and hand on the business to someone else: sale price £325,000, Freehold. Could that someone be you or someone you know?

The shop is well loved and supported by the local people. Describing the shop, the Revd Peter Salisbury, Vicar of Lymington, said:

The Ark is an important part of the Christian outreach in Lymington and is an excellent central meeting place. All the volunteers are from the local churches and the bookshop gives advice and an ordering service, which we use for our personal and church orders. The Café, which is always buzzing at lunchtime, has a very high reputation and offers friendly and personal service plus gorgeous food – I’m usually in there about once a week!

Download the Particulars of Sale or an A4 Sale Poster (both pdfs) if you’d like to know more or would like to help promote the sale.

CARDIFF CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP is currently owned and operated by the Evangelical Movement of Wales, who have reluctantly concluded that they can no longer support the shop. From the shop’s February Prayer Letter:

The Evangelical Movement of Wales has decided most reluctantly that it must bring its support of the Cardiff Christian Bookshop to an end. This is most regrettable since it has been such a witness in the heart of the city for almost 50 years. It is, however, very keen that the work and witness should continue and would actively invite Churches and other interested Christian groups to assume responsibility for it and to come forward with proposals for its future operation. The Movement is continuing to own and support the shop in the short term and the business will continue to function as usual.

The business costs around £55,000 per year to run in terms of staffing, rent and other expenses: download the February Prayer Letter (pdf) if you’d like to know more.

More Than Another Day of Prayer

8 Days of Prayer: Launching a Season of Prayer for Christian Retail in the UK

8 Days of Prayer: Launching a Season of Prayer for Christian Retail in the UK (pdf, 90kb)

JOY MCILROY of Ashburnham Books has been busy liaising with Clem Jackson at Christian Marketplace to draw up plans for another Day of Prayer for the trade — but this year it’s more than a day of prayer: the vision is for a season of prayer to run through Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, 9th March. Announcement here: Day of Prayer for Christian Trade.

The announcement suggests sharing plans via the Christian Authors, Booksellers and Publishers facebook group. Should you choose to do so, please note that that is a closed group, set up specifically to facilitate discussion within the trade away from the public eye — in other words, not the best forum to use if you wish to engage with others beyond the trade…

As with previous occasions I’ll be updating this site’s Day of Prayer page with news and updates as and when they emerge: please do feel free to post details of any plans there and to point members of the general public in that direction.

New Blog for Caritas Music

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, another birthday this month as Caritas Music turned 13 back on February 2nd and have now launched a brand new bright-and-shiny blog for Caritas Music / Eschenbach Editions, where you’ll soon find all the latest news appearing from these two independent music publishers.

Looking Back…

 

February 19, 2011

Lent Reading and more from St Mark’s Press

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Publishers, Publisher Profiles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Mark in 40 Days

Mark in 40 Days

LENT IS ALMOST UPON US, starting 9th March this year: are you ready? Are your customers ready? As always, there’s a lot of material out there, but here’s one you may have missed: Mark in 40 Days, from St Mark’s Press. St Mark’s Press are a relatively new Christian publisher based in Bedfordshire, last featured here for Christian Aid Week 2010: Give as you sell with St Mark’s Press.

Mark in 40 Days is written by Simon and Chris Danes: Simon is the director of St Mark’s Press and Chris, his older brother, is a writer and broadcaster, perhaps best known for his audioblog on bipolar disorder for the BBC’s You and Yours. Both Simon and Chris are former teachers and theology graduates from Oxford who have also had plenty of experience of adult education as well as writing books together on Christianity for young people. Over to Simon:

I don’t like blowing my own trumpet, but we’re very pleased with the way Mark in 40 Days has turned out. It’s a Bible study course, with comments and daily reflections, but it also introduces readers to what New Testament scholars have said about the Gospel. I’d hesitate to say it’s a similar sort of thing to the Daily Study Bible – I can’t claim to have Barclay’s brilliance! – but it’s that sort of style: both devotional and informative, you know the sort of thing.

St Mark’s Press are emerging as a key publisher of Barclay’s backlist with The Gospels and Acts (two volumes) and The Mind of St Paul already in print and a further three titles planned this year. The Barclay family are keen for them to publish more still, so a programme is beginning to be put together. Back to Simon:

It’s early days yet as we have to get the rights issues finalised and that can take time. We’ll let people know as soon as we can what the new titles are going to be. It’s likely that we’ll do two of Barclay’s books on the New Testament and one of his prayer books in 2011; we’d be interested in hearing from retailers if they have any preferences: whether they’d like more New Testament studies or more books of prayers, or whether they have favourite titles that they’d like to see.

The books that are out at the moment are doing well. The Gospels and Acts is in two volumes: the first covers Matthew, Mark and Luke and the second’s on John and Acts. It was one of the last things Barclay wrote before his death and it’s got a strong claim to be the best. They’re more detailed than the Daily Study Bible but every bit as good; I always find the depth of Barclay’s knowledge and his ability to put things across absolutely astonishing. An incredibly learned and wise man. The Mind of St Paul is an older and shorter work but it’s still very good; it’s an introduction to themes in Paul’s thought and, as usual, is accessible and readable.

All St Mark’s Press books are available direct (with good discounts!) or through STL, Gardners or Bertrams. Contact details and full bibliographic info as follows:

The Gospels and Acts: John and Acts
William Barclay
St Mark’s Press, 2010
ISBN 9781907062070
£14.95 

The Mind of St Paul
William Barclay
St Mark’s Press, 2010
ISBN 9781907062087
£11.95

Mark in 40 Days
Simon and Chris Danes
St Mark’s Press, January 2011
ISBN 9781907062117
£9.95, paperback

The Gospels and Acts: Matthew, Mark and Luke
William Barclay
St Mark’s Press, 2010
ISBN 9781907062063
£14.95

Contact Details:

St Mark’s Press
20 Close Road
Pavenham MK43 7PP

01234 824861 / 077907 13872
info AT stmarkspress.com [email address split to resist spambots]
www.stmarkspress.com

 

February 12, 2011

A Christian Bookseller’s Prayer

Posted by Phil Groom under Bookshop Ramblings | Tags: , , , , |
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Adapted with kind permission from One Bookstore Owner’s Prayer:

Dear Lord,

When we started out it all seemed so easy. You opened doors and directed our paths. We saw your hand in everything in those early days. We have our victory stories.

But now it’s different. Changing market conditions and rising costs are closing in on us. We’re stretched in so many ways. We have to work so much harder for the same results. Like soldiers in a battle, we grow weary and discouraged as we watch fellow-soldiers falling all around us. We’re pained and hurting from those who were once closest to us — local church staff — who no longer support our stores with their church purchasing; bulk sales we really need to make everything else possible.

Yes, we’re still reaching people. There’s nothing like the feeling that comes with selling a child or a teenager their first Bible. Or a middle-aged person who is connecting with you for the first time. There’s nothing like being there for someone in the middle of a life crisis, to offer a resource, or just to say, “We’ll remember you in prayer.” (And then to remember!) There’s nothing like helping a young worship leader locate that song they heard on the radio, or having a greeting card that puts perfectly into words the hope and encouragement someone wishes to offer.

But it’s getting harder and harder. We keep saying, “The ministry side only happens when the business side is viable.” These days, the financial side of things just isn’t happening.

Lord, we need wisdom. Lots of it. Probably a lot more than other people in retail. We need a sense of your direction for our lives as we seek to respond to an ever-changing landscape. We also need assurance, encouragement, confirmation. We need to find favour with our suppliers, our landlords, various levels of government, local churches and parachurch organizations, and even a renewed sense of common purpose with our employees. We need opportunities to help out other bookshops who are struggling, and interactions with other stores who might be able to help us out.

We also need revival. As individuals. As local communities. As the Church as a whole in this land. We know that if people hunger and thirst after you, they will also hunger and thirst to read the Bible, to study the scriptures, to reach out to their friends and neighbours and co-workers, to fill their homes with Christian music and Christian literature.

So many Christian radio stations, television stations, websites, megachurches, books being published; so why do those of us who have taken Christian resources to the marketplace struggle so much right now?

We face a time when people are apathetic about reading which converges with a time when people are spiritually apathetic. We need people to once again learn to love the word and to love The Word.

Lord renew our passion for you first, and then, secondly for the things of you. Help us to find the means and the methods to lift your name in the middle of a hurting world. Keep us from buying products that do not truly exalt you. Keep us from being caught up in enthusiasm and emotion and purchasing things our local customers neither need nor want. Help us to have what it is that broken people are searching for at the time they most require it.

Help us to continue to show your love in the part of the world where you have placed us. Help us to be gracious when our closest friends and Church staff don’t support us. Help us to do our best to place the book and music items we have into homes and families.

Lord, we don’t deserve your blessing. But we humbly ask you to be merciful to us as we face unprecedented challenges.

For the honour of your name and the building of your kingdom, we pray;

Amen.

 

January 6, 2011

Christianity on the High Street: is there a better way?

Posted by Phil Groom under Guest Posts, Musings... | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO we’ve had numerous conversations and discussions about the future shape of Christian bookselling and retailing. We’ve seen the sad demise of the former SPCK bookshops (a story that’s far from over), the break-up of Wesley Owen following the collapse of STL UK when Biblica overreached itself (for what that cost, see Clem Jackson’s recent report for Christian Marketplace: IBS STL (UK) Administration closes), and a number of independents struggling or closing down; but we’ve also seen the rise of Living Oasis with its mixed message about developing a Christian presence on the high street whilst simultaneously “de-Christianising” its storefronts, various independents springing to life or changing hands, and more and more shops discovering the world of social media (find Christian bookshops on facebook | twitter). One thing is clear: Christian bookselling/retailing in the UK is not yet dead.

But is it truly alive? Is there a better way? Should we be seeking a new model for a Christian presence in our towns and cities? Has the time come, if not to discard the bookshop/retailer/café concept entirely, to develop something else? But if so, what?

Ian Matthews takes up the conversation:

Bookshops, Cafés and the Witness on the High Street

I am writing as someone who has, over the years, managed retail shops, edited a retail trade publication, worked for publishers and been (vaguely) involved in the rescue of our local Christian bookshop by a newly formed trust. I have also earned money in the last few years advising people on how to adapt to a changing retail culture.

These are, without doubt, dark days for Christian booksellers in the United Kingdom. It is generally difficult for many independent retailers and small chains (and even larger ones), but Christian bookshops seem especially hard hit. There is yet another closure of an independent bookshop every couple of months, accompanied by the regular chorus of concern about the ‘loss of a witness on the high street’. There is no doubt that the High Street is changing. A recent BBC survey shows that whereas vacant shops are on the increase, the only sectors showing a reduction in the number of shops are travel agents and off-licences (although bookshops are rolled in with art suppliers and stationers which may be masking a decline). There is no written or unwritten rule that says that the high street needs to stay the same, and the excellent TV series Turn Back Time: The High Street has shown how even whilst mourning the loss of dedicated retailers, the public will still shop with their wallet or purse at the forefront of their buying decisions.

This leads to the question I have been really pondering:

Is a Bookshop the Best Witness on the High Street?

What I mean by this is: whether it is, in the end, worth all the expense, heartache, effort, cajoling and tears to keep a Christian bookshop open; or is there a more effective way of bringing the light of Christ to our towns and cities?

Shrewsbury Covered Market, photograph by Ian Matthews

Shrewsbury Covered Market

I have recently taken some office space in the town centre of the town in which I live as I have outgrown the office in the back garden, and needed somewhere else to work. As I looked around I did something I hadn’t done for a while, and took a walk through our local covered market. When I first moved here this was a thriving market selling meat, veg, household supplies etc, but went into a shocking decline about ten years ago. I had stopped going by and didn’t go near for a few years. However, I did look in when exploring space and was amazed at the change in the last few years. The main market floor was now populated by bakers, butchers, delicatessens, organic greengrocers, secondhand bookstores etc. The upper gallery of fixed units had a printer, an art collective, a secondhand vinyl shop, more books, hats etc.

What struck me is that here was a place where the community was coming together, but there was no observable Christian presence. But I also asked a second question: would a Christian bookshop be the right thing to put in here? (We already have a Christian bookshop in the town anyway). I wanted to start thinking creatively about how Christian witness might work here. Obviously the mixed mainstream/Christian product can work (as Unicorn Tree Books in Lincoln has shown), but I wanted to think about what else might be effective.

Bookshops, coffee shops, quiet spaces, gift & craft shops, a Christian equivalent to the ‘new age’ centres you find in many tourist towns?

Two baptist churches recently merged. Their town centre building was demolished and in its place a local property developer is building a new commercial/residential building with a ground floor space for use by the church. However, their worship centre is in the other building, located in a residential area. But, like the market, they get thousands of people passing by every day (including, again like the market, 1500 sixth-formers from the nearby college), and want to use it in a way that will draw people in, and provide a service and space for people.

These are still questions without answers, but I found the prospect exciting and would love to hear from others as to what possibilities might exist…

Ian Matthews has worked in Christian publishing and communications for 13 years, before which he worked in retail management for a number of years. He is currently Director of International Partnerships for EthnoGraphic Media, a non-profit documentary production organisation. Their current film is Little Town of Bethlehem (www.littletownofbethlehem.org) which follows the growing nonviolence movement in Israel and Palestine, and is currently being screened in churches and university campuses around the world. It is available on retail release through Kingsway in the UK.

Some Related Posts (most recent first)

 

November 19, 2010

Living Oasis: Expansion Plans or Chinese Whispers? More Questions than Answers

Posted by Phil Groom under Book Trade Ramblings | Tags: , , , , , , |
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IT SEEMS AN OBLIQUE WAY to announce your plans for world domination, but according to an advertisement placed in last week’s Church of England Newspaper, that appears to be the way forward for Living Oasis:

Project Manager: Nationwide Christian Trust

We currently have 19 sites in the UK and this will increase by a minimum of 20 sites each year.

The Nationwide Christian Trust’s aim is to provide a Christian presence on our High Streets. Our shops will be selling Christian books, coffee, giftware and provide space for community initiatives.

We are seeking to appoint a project manager preferably with experience in the retail industry. We currently have 19 sites in the UK and this will increase by a minimum of 20 sites each year. We are seeking to move most of these shops to new locations on the High Street and therefore the person selected will be co-ordinating the opening of new shops throughout the UK. This is a full time position with attractive salary and car.

Given that plans for the Croydon store have apparently been placed on hold, aiming to grow the business “by a minimum of 20 sites each year” seems a tad overambitious and begs the question of whether the ad is a casualty of Chinese Whispers: should it not rather state “We currently have 19 sites in the UK and this will increase to a minimum of 20 sites this year”?

If, on the other hand, the plan is indeed to expand operations “by a minimum of 20 sites each year” then important questions need to be asked both by anyone considering applying for the post and by the wider trade — what, for instance, is Living Oasis’ view of the wider trade? Is the plan to reach out into towns where there is not already a Christian presence on the high street — or to establish branches of Living Oasis in direct competition with existing Christian bookshops? To plant or to supplant?

Living Oasis statements both online and in print seem to suggest that many Christian bookshops already trading have simply failed by retaining “a very narrow focus … on Christian books and resources”:

Part of the Problem
Up until now, many of the struggling Christian bookshops have retained a very narrow focus, namely they have simply focussed on Christian books and resources, and hereby the predominance of customers have been Christians. This has greatly reduced their viability on the High Street because no matter how attractive the shop front, and no matter how well laid out the stock is, the fact remains, there is little reason why people would chose to go in.

It’s a view that simply isn’t borne out by the evidence, however, as this review of the former Wesley Owen Manchester testifies:

There I was, wandering round Deansgate, nosing into stores which might sell gifts suitable for my friends and family, when I spotted this lovely little bookshop and café. But as you might notice from the photos (apart from the one I took of the hidden little sign that says ‘Formerly Christian World’), you would not know, as I did not, that this is in fact a religious shop. My first clue was when I flounced in and took in my surroundings. Where were the Clarkson tomes, the Barbara Windsor bios, the crime thrillers, the self-help books? They were absent, well, aside from self-help books – there were plenty of those, albeit with a Christian flavour…

… But Wesley Owen? Well, I really want to know why they don’t seem more proud of the fact that they are a Christian bookshop. Is it to draw people in? And in that case, why would they feel that their religious status would put people off? I think that’s such a shame if it is indeed the case, because what Wesley Owen reminds me of is not the darker side of religion which myself and my father experienced in our young lives, it reminds me of primary school, when faith was used as a means to teach children to treat one another equally, to explain empathy and to instigate a sense of belonging. You walk into Wesley Owen and no matter your beliefs, you don’t feel like anything is being pushed upon you or shoved down your throat…

Without doubt there are some Christian bookshops with an especially narrow focus (see the reviews posted by Mr Charmley to get a feel for the variety of Christian bookshops out there) but as a sweeping generalisation, it simply isn’t true: the vast majority of Christian bookshops aim to serve as wide a marketplace as their remit permits, and the ideas being put forward by Living Oasis such as incorporating a café or offering use of premises to local churches/parachurch organisations outside of normal opening hours are nothing new.

Last but not least, I personally remain mystified by what appears to be a contrary vision: to provide a Christian presence on the high street whilst simultaneously “de-Christianising” the shop windows. Which is it to be? Undercover evangelism or an identifiable Christian presence?

I have invited Andy Twilley to clarify and am awaiting his response…

 

October 11, 2010

Pauline Books and Media on BBC Songs of Praise

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Pauline Books & Media on Songs of Praise, 10 October 2010

Pauline Books & Media on Songs of Praise, BBC1, 10 October 2010

CONGRATULATIONS to Pauline Books & Media on being featured on BBC Songs of Praise on Sunday 10th October. They appear approximately 21 minutes into the programme, introduced by Pam Rhodes, as part of the episode’s focus on St Paul.

The programme also features the Rt Revd Tom Wright, former Bishop of Durham and, as most readers are no doubt aware, author of many books on Paul and early Christianity.

Watch and enjoy the reminder that ours is a faith of the book, spread by the written word: despite all the challenges faced by the trade right now, Christian bookselling is still alive and well.

 

September 14, 2010

Church Times: Bishop Calls for Churches to Appoint Christian Bookshop Champions

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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"Welcome to the secret world of Christian books": John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford, Church Times, 10 Sept 2010, p.12

Church Times, 10 Sept 2010, p.12: Welcome to the secret world of Christian books

WRITING IN THE CHURCH TIMES last Friday, 10 Sept 2010, the Rt Revd John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford, has issued a challenge to churches to wake up to the importance of reading Christian books and supporting Christian bookshops.

Acknowledging the inevitability of change with the growth of online sales, the Bishop nonetheless remains convinced that bookshops have a part to play in the church’s strategic thinking:

The disappearance of Christian books from the High Street makes them seem esoteric and cult-like. We want people to select from a range of available titles, not just go online to buy the one that has got through to popular consciousness. We want people to browse, explore, and be attracted to alternative titles.

What, then, is the answer? Reading champions:

The key, of course, is finding someone, or preferably a team of people, with real enthusiasm to lead this ministry of reading, with permission to badger the incumbent. They could keep up with reviews of new books through websites such as www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk.

They could also encourage us to buy from Christian bookshops rather than online, and give us a lead in praying for those shops and their unobtrusive ministry. They could be reading champions for an increasingly literate Church. As so often, under God, the answer lies in our hands.

That, beloved reader, means your hands and mine: the Bishop has issued a challenge to the churches. Now it’s our turn: carpe diem! Why not contact your diocesan or area bishop and invite him to the shop to discover first hand what you can offer to the churches under his wing? Tell him you’ve just read the Bishop of Oxford’s article (links below) and you’re keen to follow up on the ideas he’s put forward. Offer to hold an Open Day for local clergy! Offer a regular book review column for church magazines and websites! Liaise with publishers and suppliers to ensure that you’ve got see-safe supply then send someone in to freshen up those dire bookstalls the Bishop of Oxford describes. The opportunities are endless — and God has placed them in our hands.

Read the full article:

 

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