Christian books, DVDs, CDs remain popular gifts

Alabama Baptists still doing their Christmas shopping will find a number of popular gift items catered specifically to the Christian market. Books and compact discs (CD) by popular Christian authors and artists and movies are selling well and will be found wrapped and placed under many Christmas trees.
   
According to Alecia Horn, a sales associate at the Family Christian store in Huntsville, several items have been especially popular with Christmas shoppers this season. She pointed to the DVDs of “Love Comes Softly” (based on the classic inspirational novels by Janette Oke) and “Facing the Giants” as good sellers to this point. The latter won’t be released until January but is available for preorder and comes with a free movie soundtrack.
   
Horn has also found that certain books and authors like Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Stormie Omartian and Jerry Jenkins are always popular each holiday season. 
   
“Many people have come in and bought Max Lucado’s ‘Grace for the Moment’ books, both the original book and the daily devotional book,” she said.
   
At LifeWay Christian Store in Trussville, Sales Associate and Manager-on-Call Monica Smith agreed that books are always popular gift choices. “We’ve seen Beth Moore’s ‘Praying God’s Word Day-by-Day’ and Stormie Omartian’s ‘The Power of a Praying Woman Bible’ do really well,” she said.
   
Jennifer Strickland, a member of Crossroad Baptist Church, Hueytown, is like many Alabama Baptists who like to receive Christian books as gifts. “I love to receive, and also like to give, Christian fiction books. I also love to get books by authors like Max Lucado and Joyce Meyer because they are so inspiring,” she said.
   
Strickland added that Bibles, Bible covers and study aids are always appreciated. “Notebooks to keep in my Bible for taking notes or writing (down) Scripture are nice and so are journals.”
   
According to Tim Jordan, marketing manager for Bibles at Broadman & Holman, “the No. 1 reason a Bible is purchased is as a gift.”
   
New Bible versions are released each year, and this year’s most popular Bible appears to be The Holman Illustrated Study Bible, which both Horn and Smith said is spotlighted in their stores. Jordan said that this Bible is unique in that it includes maps, pictures and help charts next to the appropriate text.
   
“It is the most informative Bible ever created for daily use, and you’ll wonder how anyone could pack so much in a normal-size Bible without skimping on the type,” he said. “There is no other Bible like it on the market, and it’s the perfect Christmas gift.”
   
In addition to DVDs, books and Bibles, “[w]e have people coming in all the time to buy CDs for everyone on their list,” Horn said. 
   
And there is something out there for just about everyone. Christian music has grown steadily over the years, with everything from old-time gospel to pop to alternative to R&B available. A look at Billboard magazine’s Dec. 16 Top Christian & Gospel Albums chart shows the top five CDs as “WOW Hits 2007” by various artists, “Precious Memories” by country singer Alan Jackson, “Christmas Offerings” by Third Day, “The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle” by Patti LaBelle and “Stand” by Michael W. Smith. Such CDs will sell well over the holidays, Horn and Smith said.
   
Strickland said that CDs are always an exciting Christmas gift to receive and she especially loves any of the “WOW” CDs. This year, though, she “cheated” a bit and bought herself the 2007 “WOW” worship CD before the holidays. “It’s filled with great praise songs, so I couldn’t resist getting it.”