29 March, 2024

Interview with Velvet Lozada

by | 2 November, 2010 | 0 comments

Velvet Lozada

By Brad Dupray

Standard Publishing has developed a simple book fair for churches, offering a new way for churches to interact with families and provide true-to-the-Bible resources for all ages. Velvet Lozada, a regional sales manager for Standard Publishing, helps churches arrange book fairs. Velvet joined Standard as a consultant in 1987 after serving as director of education in the local church setting. She and her husband, Gil, moved to New York in 1969 to work with Go Ye Chapel Mission (now the Orchard Group) and have attended South Nassau Christian Church since 1972.

What is “Kids Reading for Lifeâ„¢“?
The “Kids Reading for Life” church program helps local congregations set up a book fair where people can look at books and pick out resources to help their children start reading and grow in their faith. We offer books for little babies to toddlers to preschoolers to children and youth. We even have some for adults.

What”s the benefit to the church?
This gives churches an opportunity to directly offer books to members, but churches also receive a percentage of the proceeds from sales. Churches can use the funds for missions, children”s programming, or any purpose.

Does the church have to do anything to qualify for this program?
No. We make it available to any interested congregation. It is a no-risk, hassle-free program.

Why should a church host a book fair?
Because most churches want to be able to provide good, solid, biblically sound opportunities for kids to read and learn more about themselves and about God. A book fair can even be used as part of a reading club for the church.

When is the best time for a church to host a book fair?
Perhaps when the church wants to raise money for missions. Another good time would be just before Christmas, so parents can choose gifts for their children. Pretty much any time a church needs extra funds for outreach programs or missions is a good time.

You said there are books for all ages, what kinds of books are available?
We have a brand-new Standard Bible Storybook. It is for children but it works for the whole family because parents can lead a devotion time from it. For toddlers we have Bible for Babies, and we have books parents can read with their children. We have interactive books. The Felt Play Storybook of Creation is a beautiful picture book. Felt pieces can be used to illustrate the story as it is told.

So the books can provide a family experience.
It”s hard to get young kids to do devotional study, so we”ve added three titles that are really fun. There”s Weird & Wacky, Strange & Slimy, and another is Get-a-Clue Devotions. Also, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions offers 365 devotions for elementary and preteens. Of course, we always have the Happy Day® line for the early reader.

Getting parents and kids to read together builds a strong family bond.
There”s a scrapbooking book for young girls called Living It. It”s a good thing for moms and daughters to work on together. It”s very popular and a lot of fun””it”s one of our best sellers. We even recommended it for girls” night “lock-ins” or girls” nights at the church for moms and daughters to come together.

How about books for kids who are learning to read?
We have two that come as a series: One, for first- to third-graders, is about Meghan Rose. She”s a wacky 7-year-old. She learns valuable lessons that help her to understand godly character and how to make godly choices. The other one is the Caleb Pascal & the Peculiar People series; it is about a young orphan in search of a father. He becomes part of the circus and meets all kinds of people and learns about a heavenly Father who hears the cry of an orphan and answers him.

If a church is offering small groups for adults who don”t know what to do with the kids, we offer two studies that are geared for kids. One is called 13 Very Bad Days and How God Fixed Them, and the other is 13 Very Cool Stories and Why Jesus Told Them. It”s something separate, so the adults don”t have to change their programming to accommodate children while parents are studying on their own level.

How much space does it take to host the book fair?
An 8-foot table””it doesn”t take much space. We give the church materials to use and we have a flyer to give to members so they can see what titles are available.

How many volunteers would the church need to run the book fair?
It depends on the size of the church. If it”s a small church, like my own, probably two people””one to talk with church people about the books and one who is responsible for taking the money. It”s hard for one person to do both. For a larger church it might take a few more people.

Sounds like a simple process.
We tried to make it as easy as possible so any church can do it. It”s a no-risk, no-hassle book fair.

To find out how your church can host a “Reading for Life” book fair, call Standard Publishing customer service, (800) 543-1353.

Brad Dupray is senior vice president, ministry development, with Church Development Fund, Irvine, California.

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