Lifeway Bookstore Headquarters Information

The new Lifeway Bookstore Headquarters in the Capitol View downtown area of Nashville is based in the same building as the new Lifeway Corporate Headquarters. This article details the history of the Lifeway Bookstore Headquarters and includes information about the type of books and other Lifeway Christian Resources available for purchase in their stores. There are numerous in-store events for the local community in the form of workshops and open discussions. These are outlined below alongside the digital training resources available to pastors, scholars, and theology students. More information can be found at Lifeway.com.

Lifeway is a nonprofit organization which began in 1891, conceived by Dr. James M. Frost. The organization was originally called “The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention,” until 1998 when it became the Lifeway Christian Resources organization. Recently, the publishing arm of the organization established a new site to house the new Lifeway Bookstore Headquarters. Information about the new Lifeway Bookstore Headquarters, its history, what resources are available, and how it can be contacted, are outlined below.

The Lifeway Organization has around 151 Lifeway bookstores nationwide and attracts over 2.7 million customers. Lifeway bookstores sell books on Christian living and inspirational texts for general readers. It specializes in resources for theological students and scholars and supplies for churches. Music and videos are also sold in Lifeway stores, and most of their products are also available online. Lifeway bookstores have weekly in-store events, including StoryTime for children and their comprehensive range of digital resources for theology students and pastors is available for smartphones and tablets.

What Is a Lifeway Bookstore?

A Lifeway bookstore sells books, music, videos, gifts, and training materials for those interested in Christian living. It also sells resources for pastors, academics, and theological students. The stores also act as a hub for local activities, with many weekly activities for children and adults.

Books

Lifeway bookstores sell books published by a range of authors and feature the publications produced by the B&H Publishing Group. Lifeway bookstores also feature books published by Cross Books Publishing which was set up in 2009 for authors to self-publish their work.

Lifeway bookstores have multiple sections in their bookshops. They sell fiction, non-fiction, Bible reference, and books on issues such as addiction, depression, divorce, and grief. They also have different sections devoted to devotions and journals, theology, women, men, young people, biographies, and Christian living. They also have a dedicated kid’s section which sells educational resources and activity packs for children and pre-school children.

In-Store Activities

Lifeway Christian bookstores hold regular in-store events including StoryTime for children on weekends and activities aimed at pre-school children. They often host in-store Bible study groups for adults and discussions based on videos of key national figures associated with the Lifeway organization.

Workshops

Lifeway workshops are regularly held in bookstores nationwide and consist of a series of talks from ministry leaders and experts. They utilize video presentations and cover a range of topics such as everyday living with discussions open to audience members.

Digital

They sell a range of digital resources which include music downloads from Lifeway Worship. They also sell music CDs and DVDs for the whole family. These include drama, animation, comedy, documentary, mystery, television series, and inspirational films.

Training Resources

Ministry Grid

Ministry Grid is a structured online digital training program. It provides a unique set of resources for training students for ministry roles. There is a free E-book which details ministry values and has over 3000 training videos. Students can create their own training course made up of video, audio, PDF’s, and YouTube videos. Ministry Grid students are given access to a coaching dashboard where they can communicate with local individuals and groups, and all training materials are designed for easy access on mobile or tablet devices.  

A free, one-month trial is available, and there is an annual subscription of around $90 which gives unlimited access to training materials. Only one membership fee is applicable regardless of the number of people in individual training groups. This resource has proved invaluable for many pastors who use Ministry Grid for leadership training.

Small Group

The SmallGroup.com section also offers a 30-day free trial and is a video-driven Bible study group resource which is used by churches which have sermon-based groups. It contains several study maps which have short or long-term pathways for students. Small group membership costs around $10 per month for small groups of up to 10 people.

There are special resource packs for sale in Lifeway bookstores for churches who wish to take young people of all ages on Bible School vacations.

Wordsearch

Their Wordsearch Bible is a new software application for preachers and teachers. This section of their digital resources includes free book downloads and apps designed to make researching the Bible easier.

Gift Catalogs

Lifeway produces several Lifeway Christmas catalogs, including a home and hospitality Christmas catalog and a kid’s Christmas catalog which are available in stores and online. The gift shop inspired by Lifeway teachings include dinner sets and small gifts, Christmas decorations, books, music, packaging materials, and pre gift-wrapped books for Bible studies. They also have an apparel range and faith-inspired jewelry ranges for men and women.

Recent Controversy Over Lifeway Bookstore Blacklists

Lifeway bookstores came under the media spotlight in October 2016 when they banned a previously-recommended author from their bookshelves. Jen Hatmaker, previously featured in Lifeway stores nationwide, had her books withdrawn. This action was taken by Lifeway Bookstore after her recent decision to affirm same-sex relationships from a spiritual, civil rights, and liberties perspective.

Not only has this decision resulted in her books being banned by Lifeway Bookstores, but they have also been withdrawn from the Lifeway digital bookstore online. A spokesperson from Lifeway bookstores stated that her views contradicted “doctrinal guidelines” and, therefore, her books would no longer be sold at their stores.

This came as a surprise to many commentators as the organization had previously sought to build bridges across cultures, reaching out to the Hispanic and Latin American community in the United States, by publishing its literature in Spanish. Leaked information from a Lifeway employee confirms that 120 authors are banned from Lifeway bookstores to encourage Christians to be more discerning about their reading material.

Reporters and social commentators, including those from Christianity Today, find it difficult to accept that well-known and respected Christian writers such as Joel Osteen, William P. Young, and Joyce Meyer are on this list. However, bloggers such as Cameron Dobbins urged Lifeway bookstores to increase the number of authors on their blacklist to prevent promotion of unorthodox values and beliefs.

Where Are Lifeway Bookstores?

Image source: www.news–herald.com

There are over 185 Lifeway bookstores in 31 states across the USA. Your nearest store can be located on the lifeway.com website after clicking on the “Find A Store” button on their homepage. They also have a digital online service where you can purchase books, videos, music CDS, film DVDs, gifts, and downloads. 

Lifeway Headquarters

The new Lifeway headquarters based in Nashville, Tennessee were designed by Gresham Smith and spearheaded by the Publishing Ministry of the Southern Baptist organization. They moved over a fifth of their national workforce to this brand new building after selling their 15-acre downtown campus on which they owned 9 buildings. This new project coincided with other companies moving to this new development, which has rejuvenated the area with a significant contribution of over $3.5 million from Metro, which will fund infrastructures such as new boardwalks and green spaces. The new building has become one of the key landmarks in the area with its distinctive modern design.  

The headquarters are in the Capitol View downtown district and the Lifeway bookstore is a key feature of the building and is on the first floor alongside the audio, video, and photography studios. There is a cafe, cashpoint, and terrace in the building designed to encourage cooperative working in open-plan office spaces which house over 1,000 employees. The Lifeway headquarters use modern technology and contemporary design to convey the history of the Lifeway organization which houses several dramatic stairways and recreational areas for staff and visitors and is lit by natural light.

How to Contact Lifeway Christian Bookstore Headquarters

The headquarters of the Lifeway Christian Bookstore can be contacted via post, email, or phone. They are based at the following address:LifeWay Christian ResourcesOne LifeWay PlazaNashville, TN 37234

For help with a phone order or online orders, Lifeway customer service is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday at (800) 458-2772.

Their head offices are available from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday – Friday at (615) 251-2000.

They can also be contacted via email or live online chat. Their email is [email protected].

Conclusion

The Lifeway bookstores offer a comprehensive set of physical and digital resources. They provide resources for specialized readers and the general public. Churches can easily locate resource packs for Bible studies groups, kid’s Bible studies groups and vacations, and training resources for pastors and leaders. Theological academics and students of theology can easily locate anything they need through their specially designed keyword software application and their self-publishing division offers opportunities for new authors to share their work with a wider readership.Their stores also sell gifts and homeware produced by Lifeway. They offer regular in-store activities for children and adults and sell inspirational music, videos, and broadcast simulcasts of national speakers. Stop by your local Lifeway store today and see what you can learn.