A new Christian presence will be felt in the heart of the city as Word bookstore opens its doors.
Christian bookstore chain Word has opened in Angel Place where customers can "try before they buy', previewing CDs and DVDs before purchase.
Word's National Store Coordinator, David Kite says within the Christian market this technology is unique to Word bookstores.
"People can scan the barcode of any CD or DVD at our listening and viewing towers, allowing them to sample items they may not be familiar with."
Angel Place is beside Martin Place between George and Pitt Streets.
Word is a division of The Gospel Film Ministry Ltd, founded in 1946 as a Christian film rental library. The Sydney city store is the 16th Word location nationally.
"There are a million people in the city on any week day and I am sure a proportion of those are Christian," Mr Kite says.
"We want to build their faith and assist their walk with the Lord by getting good products into the Christian market to further the kingdom," he says.
Mr Kite says Christian resources are a growth industry.
"I heard a survey from the US that sales of Christian music and products are growing rapidly and I believe it's happening here too," he says.
"Selling Christian resources is more than a job. It's a mission and a ministry to Christians in the city."
Chief Operating Officer of Word bookstores, Stuart Moulton says the store caters to Christians wanting evangelistic resources and to non-Christians asking life's "bigger questions'.
"Since September 11 and the [Boxing Day] tsunami, a lot of non-church people are asking questions about what happens after this life is over," he says.
"There have never been so many seekers wanting to know what this Christian life is about."
The Rev Alan Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Youthworks " which incorporates Blue Bottle Books, Aquila Press and CEP " says he is pleased Word has opened a bookstore in the city.
"We need more outlets for Christian resources in the CBD, especially since CMS closed their Bathurst Street store," he says.
"I'm pleased to see Word do this and I wish them every success."
The Operations and Finance Director at Matthias Media, Ian Carmichael hopes that Word will be a resource to Sydney's evangelicals.
"Although Word stores have tended to focus a little more towards the Pentecostal market, I think they recognise the need to better cater for the evangelical market in Sydney," Mr Carmichael says.
"I'm hoping we'll see a strong selection of books that Sydney Anglicans appreciate in the new shop."
