Christian bookshops - use them or lose them!

According to last Saturday's Daily Telegraph (3rd September), the number of bookshops in Britian has almost halved since 2005 - that's total bookshops, not just the Christian sector of the market.

The newspaper blames heavy discounting by supermarkets, the rise of internet retailers and the popularity of e-readers for the closures. Apparently there are now 2,178 bookshops left in Britain, compared with 4,000 in 2005, leaving 580 towns without a bookshop.

Christian bookshops are not immune; many have closed in the last few years and although some have closed and re-opened under new management, they all need our support. As in everything else in life, if we don't want to lose them we must use them! Christian publishers need your support too. Tesco and ASDA are unlikely to be stocking Christian books in the near future . . .

I know it's not Christmas yet, but once you have made your prezzie list, resolve to pop down to your local Christian bookshop - if you're still fortunate enough to have one  - and buy your Christian books, Bibles, daily reading devotionals, CDs, posters, DVDs, mugs, tea-towels, candles, stationery and calendars there. You might even be able to do all your Christmas shopping under one roof! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Saviour than to point to Him with Christian gifts to friends, family and neighbours? If you don't have a bricks-and-mortar shop within travelling distance or prefer to shop from your computer, find a bookshop with an online store and do the same, or at least buy direct from the Christian publishers!

Ok, so you might not be able to do your shopping at Christian Solutions in Jersey . . .

But there might be a shop somewhere near you! And of course you don't need to wait for Christmas to buy a book or a CD for yourself or for a friend. If you don't know where to find  your local Christian bookshop, try searching here:
http://www.thechristianmarketplace.co.uk or here:

http://www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk/bookshops/index.html or here:

http://www.christianbookshops.org.uk/ (Shop managers, make sure you've updated your entries!)

Books to encourage and inspire young people in their faith and show non-church kids what they are missing!

While you are there, don't forget to buy Dernier books for all your 8-16s, to encourage and inspire them in their faith, and/or to show non-church kids what they are missing. If you don't know about our books, you can find more information on previous posts,  leave a comment here or contact me through our website www.dernierpublishing.com- be great to hear from  you :-)