A newspaper editor just asked me about challenges facing Christian bookstores. Here’s how I responded:
Christian bookstores face many challenges. Yes, we have to compete with huge online merchants and big box stores who can sell near or below our cost. But we can compete with them by offering amazing customer service, the chance to see the book before buying, the ability to have the book right now, and the personal touch of someone who cares about the customer as a human being made in the image of God.
The thing that is hardest for any bookstore is the decline in recent years of the popularity of reading as a pastime or for enrichment or education. The public in general is reading less, but it seems the trend may be strongest among Christians. We may do a pretty good job of loving God with all our heart, soul and strength, but the injunction is to also love Him with all our mind. In his seminal book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Mark Noll laments that “The scandal of the evangelical mind, is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.” I am concerned not just that Christians are reading less, but that what they are reading, and what publishers are offering tends to be too focused on the individual and not enough focused on God. We buy books that purport to help us with our marriage, with our finances, and with raising Godly kids; all well and good, but if we aren’t first striving to see God in all his glory, making our lives look pretty is at best of fleeting significance. Even many books about “following God” miss the point, or at least obscure it. The subject of “following God” turns out to be “me”, the one doing the following, and not the one worthy of being followed. People would do better to read books about God’s attributes and his Glory; the “following” would become second nature (literally, the new man not the old). A good rule of thumb might be to read two books about God’s character to every one book of Christian self-help. The self-help books would have much more of an impact in the context of our greater understanding who God is.
Christian bookstores face many challenges, yes, but we also have wonderful opportunities! Signs of Life is intentionally located in the heart of a thriving business district in downtown Lawrence. We showcase many products that could appeal to anyone walking down the street. Our focus is on quality. Every day, people stop in to buy our fine note cards, quality leather journals, great literature, exquisite artwork, or sample our wonderful espresso drinks. Each time they do, they are experiencing Christian hospitality. They get the idea that Christians care about the life of the mind. They see alternatives to the dark and nihilistic art and literature that the world has to offer. They say to themselves, “huh, maybe I was wrong about Christians and Christianity. Maybe I should check it out.” That’s the great opportunity we have at Signs of Life.
Our new show in the gallery features work by Topeka artist Justin Marable. Justin’s work has been popular at Signs of Life for several years now. His show entitled Small Town Memories | Big City Dreams captures the ethos of our part of the world in colorful silk-screen monoprints featuring urban and rural landmarks. He brings excellence to his craft at surprisingly affordable prices - just in time for holiday gifting!
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