SERVICE
“More than half of the born-again Christians in the world testify that literature played a part in their conversion ..” — Patrick Johnstone, Operation World
At CLC, we know Christian books change lives! Unlike many countries around the world, the UK is blessed to have fairly easy access to incredible Christian resources from a variety of publishers and in a wide range of languages. Yet the need for Christian bookshops to remain open on the high streets of this nation is vital!
You might be thinking, "Aren't bookshops a dying breed as there are so many options to buy online these days?", or perhaps you are questioning the opinion that they are vital to local communities. However, a lot more happens in a Christian bookshop then you might be aware of - it's not just about 'selling books'!
Open Monday to Saturdays each week, our 14CLC UK Bookshops are easily accesible and welcoming 'outreach' centres that the general public can (and do!) visit if they are in need of prayer, have questions about something that they are struggling with, or perhaps are just looking for a relaxing place to catch their breath.
Of course, we are also a connecting point for churches, childrens/outreach ministries, UCCF students, etc. and we absolutely love supporting these groups with various partnership programs! Our teams defintely have some incredible testimonies about how people's lives have been transformed in our shops, and there is always such joy to witness friends who've not seen each other in ages 'reconnect' in one of our shops.
We believe in this ministry so strongly that in August 2015 we stepped out in a 'leap of faith' and moved our CLC Wholesale into a much larger warehouse in Sandycroft, Flintshire (North Wales). Supporting and resourcing other Christian bookshops (chains and independents) has become a responsibility that we both enjoy and take very seriously. We thank God for helping us to develop strong relationships with many UK shop teams across the country and also with publishers on both sides of the pond. We truly believe that working together allows us to make a bigger impact!
So the next time you are thinking about picking up that new title by your favourite author, we hope you will consider supporting CLC by making the purchase through your local CLC Bookshop or Christian bookshop (that hopefully buys from CLC Wholesale), or online at CLCbookshops.com. Each purchase does make a difference to our ministry locally and in over 50 countries around the world.