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| Your Church BookStall? - Advice & Help |
The most "Frequently Asked Questions" concerning a Church Bookstall are to do with how to get started. Maybe your church has a good porch crying out for a Christian literature stand? Maybe the congregation to which you belong is impoverished when it come to reading matter or devotional aids, and they have no easy opportunity of enlarging their thinking or experience? Would running a church bookstall be your "calling"? Think carefully - it is quite a commitment! It can also be a very worthwhile and fulfilling ministry. Before you throw yourself into it, there are several matters to be considered, and so the Good BookStall offers you: Twenty Questions before you start! 1. Why does the church need a bookstall? If you are thinking about fund-raising, why don't you run a cake stall? - Read more on question 1 >> 2. Is it to be an aspect of the church's mission? Aren't you wanting to challenge, inform, nurture, help, teach, evangelise, inspire? - Read more on question 2 >> 3. Is the vicar / minister with you? Does the minister, do the preachers, read, quote, commend books and writers? - Read more on question 3 >> 4. Is the Church Council / leadership supportive? Acquiescing because you are enthusiastic and will run it? Or setting aside £250 to start it up? - Read more on question 4 >> 5. Who would be your supplier? A personable religious bookshop manager with whom you can develop a trusting relationship? - Read more on question 5 >> 6. On what terms would you be trading? Sale or return, or firm sale? What percentage? Is there a better deal to be had elsewhere? - Read more on question 6 >> 7. How would your books get from your supplier to your church/home? You have the biceps? You'll count the costs? You've checked the insurance situation? - Read more on question 7 >> 8. How and where will your merchandise be displayed? Can you build or scrounge display stands? - Read more on question 8 >> 9. Where will you store what's not on display? And how can you minimize shop-soiling, or preferably preserve the stock in mint condition? - Read more on question 9 >> 10. Who will staff the bookstall? You at every service? A reliable team, all knowing what's what? - Read more on question 10 >> 11. What will be the payment arrangements for purchasers? Never on Sundays? Cash-box built into the historic wall? Trust, and when they see you? - Read more on question 11 >> 12. What about banking? Separate account, or the church's? Cash signatories? - Read more on question 12 >> 13. How pushy will you be as a salesperson? If you enthuse about everything in stock, won't you soon lose credibility? - Read more on question 13 >> 14. Who's going to choose the stock? And are you aiming to reflect or to broaden your customers' churchmanship? - Read more on question 14 >> 15. Will you enhance the stall's appearance and profitability with cards? Diluting the mission? Economic necessity? Consumer demand? - Read more on question 15 >> 16. Have you a team of potential book reviewers? Page in church magazine? Spot in church service? Read more on question 16 >> 17. Are you OK with accounting procedures? And does the church treasurer agree that you are? Read more on question 17 >> ...plus a useful worked example. 18. How many church jobs are you already doing? And are you prepared to give them up to run the Church Bookstall? Read more on question 18 >> 19. Right! So what about the Bookstall's grand opening? Occasion advertised well in advance? Celebrity/author? Denominational press and local radio? Read more on question 19 >> 20. And what's the 20th question? The one that's bugging you! Ask us >> |
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