NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 NEWS

Combine compassion with caution this Christmas

With gloomy predictions for the global economy affecting us all, the old saying “There is always somebody worse off than yourself” could never have been more relevant.  Charities are often the first to suffer at times like this.  The Apostle Paul’s description of the Macedonian Christians whose “extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” (2  Corinthians 8:2) is a challenge to all Christians.

Re:fresh books & christian resources in Tolworth has special offers to help customers save money on their Christmas purchases.   Re:fresh is also selling charity Christmas cards and other products that will benefit those less fortunate than ourselves.

Compassion Art is an inspiring new venture by twelve leading Christian songwriters to produce a CD/DVD and a book with the proceeds from sales and royalties going to charity.  The artists, who include Matt Redman, Darlene Zschech, Chris Tomlin and Graham Kendrick, met for a week-long retreat beside a Scottish loch and produced 14 brand new worship songs spanning a wide range of genres.  They were joined by Amy Grant and other vocalists to record their album at the Abbey Road studios.   The CompassionArt CD also includes a 55-minute DVD giving an account of the project and PDFs of song sheets for all the songs in the album.  Cost is just £13.00.   There is also a 320-page book with contributions from all 12 artists. Price £12.99.

Charity Christmas cards: This year’s range of charity Christmas cards from Tearfund, Toybox and Samaritan’s Purse includes some of the best ever.  Christmas cards are a way to express goodwill to family and friends at Christmas, but charity Christmas cards are also a practical way of showing goodwill to the world’s less fortunate people.

The Re:fresh Top Ten:  Re:fresh has prepared a list of it’s Top Ten suggestions for Christmas presents.  It includes books, Bibles, gift items, CDs and DVDs.  Even if you do not choose one of the items suggested, the list may give you ideas for a related product.   Ask at the shop or click HERE to see the list.

Give a Bible this Christmas: What more valuable gift could you give to anybody at Christmas than a Bible, described in the Coronation ceremony as “The most valuable thing this world affords.”  The brand new NLT Study Bible was developed over a seven-year period by a team of 40 scholars.  It contains 26,000 notes, 400 themed articles, people profiles, word studies and much more including the words of Jesus in red.  It is available as a hardback at £24.99 or bonded leather (black or burgundy) at £43.50.  Visit re:fresh to see the wide range of Bibles available, some of which are offered at special prices.  These include the Cover to Cover Complete Bible, designed to be read in a year, with notes by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor Partridge, reduced from £19.99 to £17.99.

Children’s books: The 3 for 2 offer on Candle and Lion children’s Christmas books runs to the end of December.  Most of these are new and all are beautifully presented.  Many have pop-up figures, some of which can be manipulated to simulate donkeys walking, babies waving their arms etc.  Other suitable presents for children include the updated Lion Storyteller Bible by Bob Hartman, which now includes a CD.  Cliff Richard’s 50 Favourite Bible Stories also includes a CD.

Christmas Lights:  Once again re:fresh is selling the Silent Lights range of Christmas lighting.  This offers a Christian answer to all the illuminated Santas, Rudolfs, Snowmen and other items that decorate homes at Christmas.  The choice includes stars, angels, peace doves, and nativity scenes.  All are suitable for exterior use and most consume no more electricity than a normal filament lamp.   Prices start at £16.99.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2008 NEWS

Where can you buy quality Christmas cards and benefit less fortunate people?  Where can you buy good Christian books, music, DVDs and gifts?   Is there a Christian response to all the reindeer, Santas and snowmen that decorate houses at Christmas?

 You can get answers to all these questions and much more at re:fresh books and christian resources at 23 The Broadway, Tolworth (close to Marks & Spencer.)

Refresh has large stocks of charity Christmas cards from Tearfund, Toybox and Samaritan’s Purse.   This year’s Tearfund cards are particularly attractive; each Toybox card has a panel telling the story of a street child in Latin America who has been helped; the attractive Samaritan’s Purse cards help support the work of the charity which is best-known for its Christmas shoe box appeal.   Re:fresh also has Advent Calendars, 2009 calendars and diaries. 

Make your own statement about the significance of Christmas with illuminated nativity scenes, stars, peace doves and angels outside your home or church.   The Silent Lights products, available at re:fresh books & christian resources, are similar in construction to the Christmas lights sold in DIY stores and other retail outlets but convey a Christian ethos.  Most are designed for hanging or free-standing use.   They come with a weatherproof connector and 3m cable.  Most units consume less than 100W.   Demonstration units can be seen at re:fresh which uses them in its own windows.

 Books
There is a special 3 for 2 offer on an exciting new range of children’s Christmas books from Candle and Lion at re:fresh books.  Ranging in age from 2 to 12 they include books with animated pop-up figures, sticker books and imaginative and beautifully illustrated story books.  You will wish you were young again when you see the selection!

You can still take advantage of re:fresh books’ birthday offers as long as stocks last.  These include What kind of God? by Michael Ots, Working it out by Ian Coffey, Love one-another by Gerald Sittser, Did you think to Pray? by RT Kendall and The Reason for God by Timothy Keller.  All are reduced by £2.00.

 Gifts
The possibilities for gifts this Christmas are endless – the Prince Caspian DVD is due to be released in mid-November; popular books like William Young’s best-seller The Shack (buy one get the second half price at re:fresh) make excellent gifts, new CDs such as Brian Doerksen’s It’s Time and Michael W Smith’s New Hallelujah are offered at £2.00 off at refresh.  The Willow Tree range of figures has been introduced by re:fresh since last Christmas – this is a secular range of simple yet attractive figures conveying messages about peace, love, friendship etc.  Re:fresh also has an extended range of pictures.

For a free 76-page Select colour catalogue packed with details of Bibles, books, software, DVDs, music and other Christmas gifts, many at special prices, write or email shop@refreshbooks.co.uk or, better still, call at the shop at 23 The Broadway, Tolworth.

And if you are still not sure what gifts to get but want to support your local independent Christian retailer, re:fresh gift vouchers are redeemable against anything in the shop.

 Re:fresh books also has nativity sets with prices starting from £6.50.

SEPTEMBER 2008 NEWS Good News on the Retail front Re:fresh books & christian resources on Tolworth Broadway is celebrating its fourth birthday in October.  The good news is that, despite the gloomy scene in the retail sector generally, re:fresh has made its budget for the financial year … just!   “We are grateful for the support and encouragement of our loyal customers, many of whom recognise that re:fresh is more than just a shop” says Manager, Marguerite Williams.  “It is a mission-field which is dependent on sales to support its work” she adds.  “Recent months have seen many opportunities to minister to the needs of individuals who have come into the shop at times of spiritual and emotional need.  We want re:fresh to be a place where people feel they can step aside from the busyness of life and spend time browsing.  If they need to talk it is our prayer that we will have discernment and wisdom in what we say.”  Birthday offers To celebrate its fourth birthday, re:fresh books has many special birthday offers on books, Bibles and music during October.  There are also pick-and-mix offers and even free books and CDs linked to some purchases.  On the birthday weekend, Saturday October 25, there will be free cake and other refreshments.  Special birthday offers, exclusive to re:fresh, include £2 off the latest RT Kendall book, Did you think to pray? the Chris Tomlin worship album, Hello Love; a handy resource book, 100+ games, quizzes and icebreakers by Shirley Bloomfield; and three new IVP titles – What kind of God  by Michael Ots, Working it out by Ian Coffey and Love one another by Gerald L Sittser. Visit the shop to see lots of other special offers. Discounts for students and young readers: With the start of the new academic year, re:fresh books is introducing a student discount card offering 10% off the full price of books to college, university and theology  students. This year is officially ‘National Year of Reading’ and re:fresh has two new ideas to encourage younger readers.  It is introducing a Bookworm Clubcard so that younger readers can earn vouchers to spend more on books.   During the half term week (October 27-31) re:fresh is planning to have story readings for younger customers.  these will be between 10.30am and 12.00 and between 3.00pm and 4.00pm each day. Christmas gifts and cards With Christmas only a couple of months away, re:fresh has stocked up with charity Christmas cards from Toybox, Tearfund, the Leprosy Mission and Samaritan’s Purse.  There are also calendars, diaries and gifts.  During the year re:fresh has introduced the popular Willow Tree range of figures.   The gift selection also includes jewellery, pictures, 3D laser-etched glassware, wood carvings, mugs and scented candles.   JUNE 2008 NEWS   Plan your holiday reading at re:fresh Taming the Tiger, the dramatic story of three-times World Kung Fu Champion, Tony Anthony, is now available from re;fresh books and christian resources in a ‘Mass market Edition’ at only £2.99.   This is an ideal book for our “Take it and Leave it” initiative (See below) Meanwhile, throughout June and July re:fresh books & christian resources has a range of Christian fiction and biographies, all reduced by £2.   While stocks last there is also a FREE sampler book with chapters from ten biographies and ten novels in this offer.   A novel that is currently proving popular is The Shack by William Young.  This tackles the issue “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain” through the medium of Christian fiction. Take it & leave it Once again re:fresh books is encouraging christians to take a good book on holiday and leave it behind for somebody else to read.   This is similar to ‘bookcrossing’.  Many Holiday Hotels and Accommodations have a ‘library; where guests can leave books they have finished reading and pick up books left by others.   Why not take a good book to read and leave?   Choose something like Taming the Tiger that is not overtly ‘Christian’ but has a general appeal.  One of the novels or biographies from the re:fresh summer promotion is another possibility. Prince Caspian is coming – June 27 On June 27 the second movie in the CS Lewis Chronicles of Narnia series opens in cinemas.  Harper Collins is producing a whole range of film tie-ins.  Meanwhile re:fresh books always has stocks of all the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Special to re:fresh – 3 for 2 on Candle Bible for Toddlers range The Candle Bible for Toddlers is an excellent introduction to the Bible, with 133 Bible stories from the Old and New Testament told in clear, simple sentences with colourful illustrations.  There is also a Candle Prayers for Toddlers plus a whole range of other products – Mix and Match Bible Stories, Noah and his great ark, Carry along Bible fun, Jigsaw fun etc.  These are all available in a 3 for 2 offer at re:fresh books.     Going up to University for the first time? FRESH is a 176-page resource for freshers from the publisher who knows the University scene best – IVP.   Designed to help Christian students maintain a strong personal faith, it provides five weeks’ worth of daily information on everything from writing essays to writing home, from making friends to making the grade, and from debt to dating. NOTE: On June 21 there is a ‘FRESH’ day conference for new students at St Pauls’ Church, Cheam, see the re:fresh website www.refreshbooks.co.uk/localevents.htm for details. …and music Two newly-released CDs are on special offer, £2 off, exclusively at refresh books: One is Lou Fellingham’s Promised Land and the other is String Heaven, an inspirational orchestral arrangement of 15 popular worship songs.   Meanwhile, Great God who Saves, is the debut album from a new singer, Laura Story, from whom we shall surely  be hearing a lot more.  Sufficient to say she wrote the popular Chris Tomlin song Indescribable and backing vocals on some of the tracks are provided by Amy Grant! Meanwhile, there are three new albums containing fresh acoustic mixes of some of the best songs from Hosanna Music.  Published as renew, restore and refresh, each contains 12 or 13 tracks at only £7.99. APRIL/MAY NEWS 2008    What’s new and re:freshing on Tolworth Broadway? Tolworth Broadway has a new look – gone is the subway that few people used and gone are the green railings that formed a visual and physical barrier between the road and the shops.  Now there is a controlled pedestrian crossing and the railings have disappeared. Instead there are pay and display parking bays right outside re:fresh books & christian resources.  Meanwhile, inside the shop there are changes too!   Willow Tree figures now available from re:fresh re:fresh books has recently added the Willow Tree range of figures to its gift selection.   They join a wide range of new cards and gifts suitable for Anniversaries, Birthdays, Baptisms, Christenings, Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Willow Tree products can be an excellent way of expressing love or thanks to other people.   They use simple yet expressive figures to communicate sentiments or represent themes like peace, love, thanks, care and blessing.  The figures have no facial detail but rely simply on the tilt of the head, the pose of the body or the position of the hands to convey meaning. There are figures that express relationships like grandfather, grandmother, father and daughter, brother and sister etc.   See the re:fresh website www.refreshbooks.co.uk or visit the shop to see examples.   Many are less than £10.00.   “Re:fresh aims to offer high quality cards and gifts that are different and will appeal both to our regular Christian customers and the general public.  The Runnymede range of 3D laser-engraved crystal glass products has been popular since we opened and we believe the Willow Tree figures will be equally popular” says re:fresh Manager, Marguerite Williams. Bible promotion A cracking £9 off the beautifully bound soft-tone NIV Study Bible,  £2 off the  brand new NIV Popular Bible and £3 off the Hardback Good News Sunrise Bible, are just some of the special offers on a wide range of Bibles available throughout April and May at re:fresh books & christian resources.  Of particular interest are offers on NIV, Good News and NCV Youth Bibles. Hot off the press is Hodder’s new NIV The World’s Most Popular Bible range in a distinctive white cover with Scripture passages printed on the spine and in a cross shape on the front.  This means that the words of Scripture can be read whether the Bible is displayed ‘face out’ or ‘spine out’ on a bookshelf.  This new hardback edition, for the first time includes both the Gideon ‘Helps’ and a Bible Guide.  Re:fresh is offering this new edition at a special introductory price of £15.99 instead of £17.99.   Other editions include a pocket-sized  hardback gift edition which would make an ideal wedding, confirmation or first communion gift. Love your local school – Give some Bibles! Another special for re:fresh is the offer of an additional 10% discount off the promotional price on Good News HARDBACK Sunrise or Rainbow Bibles to anybody ordering 20 or more to give to their local school – maybe for school leavers, or for class use.  This deal would save over £4 a Bible, bringing the price down from £15.99 to £11.69 per Bible.   There are also offers available on the NCV NEW updated Hardback Youth Bibles. National Year of Reading With 2008 designated “The National Year of Reading” re:fresh books & christian resources  has many books to help stimulate an interest in reading amongst children and young people, they range from Cecil the Lost Sheep to Prince Caspian.    With the release of the second Chronicles of Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, in cinemas from June 26, a tie-in version of the CS Lewis allegory is published by Harper Collins at £5.99.  Come and see the full range of Narnia titles at re:fresh. Cliff Richard’s 50 Favourite Bible Stories is a book and CD package specially commissioned to mark the singer’s 50 years in Show Business.  Cliff narrates the stories while the hardback book brims with colourful illustrations.  At £14.99 it will make an ideal gift for a family or for Cliff Richard fans of all ages.  Worn out by work?  Get a life!  That is the title and the message of a brand new IVP book on special offer at re:fresh.  Written by Paul Valler, it looks at what causes our tiredness and suggests solutions.  Going on holiday or taking time off?   Come and browse our greatly extended range of fiction.  Other new titles, also on special offer, include John Piper’s The Future of Justification, a response to Tom Wright; and Cherishing the Earth by Martin and Margot Hodson;  A different sort of fantasy game Also for the family is a new Pilgrim’s Progress board game at £14.99 from re:fresh books & christian resources.  With an accompanying book by Tim Dowley, it offers children the opportunity to enter into the spirit of John Bunyan’s classic story.  Players meet terrifying monsters, huge giants, raging lions and scary dark places as well as making good friends on the journey to the Celestial City.  Here is a Christian response to some of the games available to children today – and it is based on a Classic of English literature. Courses and resources Running an Alpha course, marriage course or parenting course?  Don’t forget to order your course materials through re:fresh books & christian resources.  In most cases you can save on postage and get a discount.   And if you send details of your course, re:fresh will publicise it, free of charge, on the shop website at www.refreshbooks.co.uk. MARCH NEWS 2008   NEW things springing up at re:fresh Who is Cecil? Does he know about Fairtrade Fortnight? Has he come for some Divine Fairtrade chocolate? Does he read our new range of fiction? Is he part of our 3 for the price of 2 Easter titles? Has he come to collect his free Passion Narrative from Mark’s Gospel? Cecil is part of a new range of hardback children’s storybooks retailing at only £2.50 as a re:fresh special offer for a limited period. Some of them are based on Bible stories, others on concepts such as trust and belief and being part of the Vine.  All of them have stunning artwork and teacher’s tips.   Some are available on one cd-rom Storytelling kit  entitled God’s Love (£14.99),  while others are available as  BIG BOOKS.  One or two in the range also have a hidden punchy meaning that only adults can really appreciate.   Check out Webster the preacher duck or Bob the Bird. Two new books from IVP on special offer at re:fresh are John Piper’s The future of justification at £2 off and Mike Cain’s Real Life Jesus based on John’s gospel, currently £1 off.   In comparing the works of Tom Wright to the text of the apostle Paul’s letters, John Piper’s book lifts us above the controversies and shows us again how the glorious mercy of God was revealed to us in Jesus Christ.  It is described as essential reading for pastors and theology students.  Mike Cain’s book is a challenging and very accessible book that uses everyday illustrations to encourage us to fully enjoy our relationship with Jesus Christ – that by believing, we may have life in his name – the life we were meant to live.  This would be suitable for people exploring christianity, including those who have recently become christians and those who are further along the journey.   If you want to be inspired or challenged by reading a daily extract from one of IVP’s new titles, click on www.refreshbooks.co.uk and click the Lent reading link on the welcome page.   This is a very good way of previewing some of the latest books. There are still limited copies left of the free book Spread the word that gives you sample chapters of a variety of new books.   Update on the free gospels advertised in our last newsletter.   Due to production costs, Hodder & Stoughton are now offering just the Passion Narrative from Mark’s gospel free of charge in packs of 25, instead of the full NIV gospel of John.   This is still a good offer and I have 3,000 due to arrive before the end of February.  There is still time to order so don’t miss this opportunity of a free quality resource to use in evangelism. Courses and re:sources This is just a reminder that if you are planning any courses, be they evangelistic, marriage, parenting, Freedom in Christ, family etc, may we encourage you to order through re:fresh as we can offer you bulk discounts and save you postage on most of these items.   We would like the chance to quote for you anyway!!   Also, don’t forget that orders from CPO, Church Publicity Organisation, placed through us will at the very least save you postage and we can usually offer some discount also!

 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 NEWS

Free Gospels and new NIV Bible linked to BBC production BBC 1 will be screening a new dramatisation of the Passion during Easter week.   To tie in with this, re:fresh books and christian resources is giving away free copies of Luke's Gospel and a free Passion Narrative from Mark's Gospel.  Packs of 25 Passion Narratives are also available from re:fresh for evangelistic use.  Meanwhile a matching hardback NIV Bible is also being produced. The BBC drama, entitled The Passion, will inevitably provoke discussion, with opportunities for Christians to talk about the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It is written by Emmy Award-winner Frank Deasy (Prime Suspect 7) and produced by Nigel Stafford-Clark (Bleak House).   It will run across Easter week, covering the events of that historic week, and reaches its climax on Easter Sunday. The Passion Narrative is in the New International Version (NIV) and has been produced by publisher Hodder & Stoughton.  The cover has an extract from John’s Gospel printed in the shape of a cross.  The matching Bible has a similar format, with the full text of Psalm 23 in the shape of a cross on the cover and on the spine.  The purpose of this is for customers to see the words of Scripture, without even opening the book, when it sits on the shelves in secular bookshops.   It will also include the Gideons’ helps and the Bible Guide (previous editions had one or the other.)  The Bible will retail at £17.99 and is available in white or with a brown photographic image.  White pocket gift editions will also be produced, priced £14.99, suitable for weddings and christenings. Other booklets that may be used for evangelistic purposes at Easter include Why Easter? a new edition of Nicky Gumbel’s Why Jesus? published by Alpha and The 3:16 promise containing extracts from Max Lucado’s recently-published book 3:16, the numbers of hope. Bible sales encouraging In the run-up to Christmas, sales of Bibles were particularly strong at re:fresh books – a real encouragement to the management who are passionate about seeing people read God’s Word.  One local minister encouraged church members to purchase the CWR Cover to Cover Bible, which presents a daily reading plan to study the whole Bible in a year – they bought more than 100 copies!  But even without such special efforts, sales of Bibles at the bookshop were exceptionally strong. Meanwhile, the first few days of January saw two meaningful conversations with people who came into the shop with emotional and spiritual needs.  Please pray for this aspect of the shop’s work, and help ensure its continuance by giving re:fresh your custom.