Christian retail is a hot market. Mainstream stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and even grocery stores throughout the nation are profiting from the sale of Christian books, music, and DVDs.
http://www.PaulFDavis.com – author of God vs. Religion
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, brings in annual sales from Christian merchandise in excess of $1 billion annually. It shouldn’t come as a surprise from both a business and values based perspective. Wal-Mart’s founder Sam Walton always wanted to reflect the values of his customers and uphold morality to support their local community.
With Wal-Mart, Target, and grocery stores such as Publix in the south selling Christian books and merchandise, consumers have more options. That means the some 8,000 small Christian retailers scattered across the U.S. can no longer charge obscene retail prices for wholesome God fearing merchandise. This is good for consumers. Furthermore where the big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target fail to have product depth, smaller retailers can provide additional attention to Christian customers seeking enriching spiritual materials and music.
Why are Christian self-help books and music flourishing across the country and getting the attention of major retailers?
1. People are spiritually hungry and not being sufficiently fed on Sundays at church.
Most people physically eat three meals a day. How then spiritually can we be expected to live on one small snack a week spiritually? Many churches don’t allow for very long sermons any more. Pastors are afraid people will leave and therefore have shortened their messages. Many in the pulpit are trying to be entertaining and thereby have minimized their ability to equip and empower God’s people.
Those who are spiritually hungry are therefore running to Christian bookstores to obtain edifying and enriching materials to empower them to serve God. Beyond churchgoers are those spiritually desirous of a relationship with God who never attend church. They too are seeking stimulating spiritual material to awaken and feed their spirit.
2. As the world gets increasingly troublesome and America becomes all the more engrossed in a global war on terror, people are fearing for their lives.
As life becomes more precious and sacred once again, people are awakening to their mortality and becoming spiritual. People want to know about the end-times, the end of the age, how they ought to live, and want to be adequately prepared for major global occurences lest they be caught unaware.
3. Marriages and families are falling apart like never before.
As marriages and the family structure is disintegrating due to increased immorality throughout the land, many are running back to the Bible and its ageless truths. When your life, marriage, and family begins falling apart you will humble yourself and seek help. Many are doing so through self-help Christian books with timeless truths.
4. Parents are having a difficult time rearing their children in a secularized culture that is trying to swallow them up.
MTV, hip-hop music, dance clubs, ghetto dress codes, and foul talking youth are frightening parents. Many are seeking guidance from spiritual authors who address issues they face on a daily basis. Tough talk is needed and when Pastors shun their responsibility, mature parents run to bookshelves seeking answers and guidance.
The Christian retail industry is estimated to be a $3 billion business annually, according to the Christian Booksellers Association. Beyond Bibles and books, retailers are doing very well selling Christian apparel, music, videos, gifts, artwork, software and a variety of children’s products.
Christians want to follow the great commandment given by Jesus to love their neighbor and seek to begin by showing them the way to salvation through Christ. Creating a culture of our own, Christians and retailers are successfully impacting the world and awaking the lost to the reality of the risen Christ. Nothing is more satisfying than to see people excited about the love of God and newness of life in Christ.
Invite worldwide minister Paul F Davis and author to speak in your city!RevivingNations@yahoo.com (or) gmail.com
If you liked what you read, check out Paul’s books: http://paulfdavis.com/booksvideos.htm
Paul is the author of several books including Update Your Identity; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; God vs. Religion; United States of Arrogance; Poems that Propel the Planet; Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery 101; Are You Ready for True Love?; Stop Lusting & Start Living; and many more!
Paul’s new book “Update Your Identity” clarifies quotes from Jesus used in Eckhart Tolle’s and Oprah’s highly promoted ‘New Earth”. Paul seeks a publisher and distributor for this 200 page book to alleviate confusion in the body of Christ and point people down the narrow path that enters into life.
Paul Davis is a highly sought after worldwide minister who moves in the miraculous to touch and transform humanity.
Paul has a unique ability to hear the voice of God, naturally bring forth the supernatural in a playful and heartfelt fashion, unlock and simply explain divine mysteries, impart life changing revelation, and usher in powerful manifestation bringing heaven to earth.
Paul F Davis - Weblog 
TV Guide and NY Times say Oprah Winfrey’s Empire is Crumbling
TV Guide’s Chloe Tse article dated 05-27-2008 reports tremors in Oprah’s media empire.
According to TV Guide Winfrey’s new-age spiritualism and political persuasion is jeopardizing her marketability in the media, thereby diminishing her status.
Perhaps Winfrey’s longtime reign over the media is coming to an abrupt end. For so long revered as nearly a saint because of her uplifting programming, Oprah is now beginning to receive criticism for her views. It has often been said that one should not talk about their religion and politics. Oprah is defying the odds and daring to do both.
I salute her for her authenticity and boldness to express her individuality. Yet doing so is simultaneously hurting her marketability. Nevertheless on the flip side of that argument, we do well to remember that controversy does sell. Who knows the queen of TV could remake herself into an activist for worthy causes and a voice against social injustice. Nobody can dispute Oprah has done and is doing a lot of good in the world. And with such influence why shouldn’t she let her voice be heard?
The New York Times says Oprah’s choices are gaining skepticism and audiences are tuning out. According to Nielson Media Research, for the third straight year in a row, Oprah is experiencing a decline in audience viewers.
Research shows Oprah’s program has dropped 7% of its viewers this year alone. Oprah’s other projects also seem to be suffering. For example her reality show Oprah’s Big Give debuted this winter with a huge audience and beat every program on television except for American Idol, but also experienced the loss of almost a third of its audience.
Winfrey’s readership of O her magazine, which you would think to have increased with the nonstop promotion of Tolle’s book, suffered a beating and loss of 10% over the last 3 years according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Even Oprah’s favorite and highly promoted books in her book club are suffering harsh criticism. Apparently Oprah either didn’t adequately study the demographics of her viewers, or disregarded her viewers beliefs altogether. Women in the deep south who heavily watch Oprah’s program are typically Christian and many supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton. Hence Oprah has cut her own throat by alienating Christendom with her new age books and shows, while simultaneously disenchanting white women when she endorsed Barak Obama for President.
As a Christian who read “A New Earth” and found it a in meaningful book, I understand both how Oprah feels and religious folks who don’t play around with their faith. Certainly not all Christians can eat the fish and spit out the bones when reading spiritual truths originating from another ideological orbit. Politically Americans aren’t very tolerant or understanding either, as evidenced by the great political divide in our country between Republicans and Democrats.
I commend Oprah for being true to what she believes in and bold enough to share what she thinks will empower people to live better lives. Her intentions and motives are certainly pure. If Oprah were solely money motivated, she would not continue to promote her spiritual and political views. Yet being already established financially, Oprah is embarking upon larger more meaningful missions to change the world. O Ambassadors is just one new endeavor Oprah is partnering with Free the Children to liberate and educate kids worldwide.
Hopefully Oprah who says she is a Christian will not find problems with parents concerned about their children getting sold new-age ideas. I think Oprah is doing a great work and deserves our support. Yet at the same time we who have beliefs of our own should not be any less vocal than Oprah.
Anything worth having in life requires a sacrifice. For Oprah it is a drop in viewer ratings, book sales, and magazine distribution. Nevertheless the rewards of the sacrifice should be sufficient to warrant the losses. Often we must first be willing to lose in order to win.
It cannot be disputed that ultimately we attract what we are. We cannot please everyone and succeed. We are at our best when we are true to ourselves and transparent about it. That Oprah is and that is why we love her.
Beyond touching hearts and putting tears in our eyes, Oprah also makes people think. Now raising eyebrows and making us scratch our heads, Oprah is finding herself as she further evolves. She recently said on her program that she admits to not having enough time to truly enjoy herself. Perhaps as Oprah becomes more present and lets go of the ambition of sustaining her empire, critics will be silenced and her true spirit will emerge in purity untainted from the labels many have tried to presumptuously give her.
Dividing audiences is not always a bad thing as even the Word of God itself divides, while exposing our hearts (see Hebrews 4:12). Although Oprah’s television audience is predominately middle-aged white women who support Senator Hillary Clinton, most Americans are awaking to the reality that we need some color in the White House to truly get real and heal the homeland.
Angry criticism of new-age spiritualism and political disputes though a common message thread on the message boards from her website, Oprah will continue to transcend the accusations and come out on top as she honors the God of truth. Love rejoices in the truth and we should do no less.
Next up for Oprah is OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. featuring programming that will reflect Winfrey’s vision of what she considers empowering programming.
You can’t go wrong when you touch, teach, and transform your audience.
It’s not about being the queen of the media as much as it is about living a meaningful life of purpose to impact humanity.
Paul F Davis – international speaker and author
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
RevivingNations@yahoo.com
Paul F. Davis is a world-changing leadership & diversity speaker who has touched over 50 countries & 6 continents building bridges cross-culturally and empowering people throughout the earth to live their dreams!
Paul is the author of 14 books. Paul has appeared on numerous internationally broadcast radio shows from Oprah & Friends to Fox News Radio to talk about conflict resolution, peacemaking, foreign policy, and diplomacy. Playboy Radio host Tiffany Granath calls Paul an “awesome” relational coach and recommends his books on love, dating, and sexuality.
Academically outstanding Davis was trained in transformative mediation & conflict resolution (Hofstra Law School); strategic negotiations (Harvard Business School & U. of Washington); advanced interrogation (Reid & Associates founders of the polygraph); and NLP & Life Coaching (NLP & Coaching Institute of California).
Paul humorously and elegantly transforms individuals and organizations.
Paul’s organization Dream-Maker Inc. builds dreams, transcends limitations, & reconciles nations.
Paul worked at Ground Zero in NYC during 9/11; helped rebuild a home at the tsunami epicenter; comforted victims of genocide in Rwanda; spoke to leaders in East Timor during the war; inspired students & monks in Myanmar; promoted peace & reconciliation in Pakistan; and has been so deep into the bush of rural Africa where villagers had never before seen a white man.
Paul empowers people to love passionately and live fearlessly.
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
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