If any of you have been around for a while you’ll know I’m big on reading and learning and growing and for one simple reason:
Growing a church congregation first requires the leader to grow.
In today’s post, I just wanted to show you the best place to buy Christian books.
Rather than going to a Christian bookstore, I will give you my top 5 reasons why I think the best place to buy used and new Christian books online is Amazon.com.
You might also like to take a look at:
- 5 Must-Reads For Preaching Better Sermons
- 5 Christian Books That Changed My Life
- Top 10 Recommended Books for Pastors
- 55 Christian Must-Read Books For Men
- 25 Must-Reads For Christian Leaders: Fuel Your Growth
1. Amazon Is Easy To Navigate
A simple search can bring you dozens of results for what you’re looking for and a few related items.
Using the advanced search feature, you can go as specific as the book title, author, publisher, subject, binding type or ISBN number.
Browsing the site is just as easy; simply choose the department you want to shop in and then slim down options until you find what you’re looking for and add to cart. Once items are in your cart, they are easy to delete or save for later.
Search and browsing results can be organized by price, best selling, customer reviews and more.
You can also choose to just view books that are eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping. These features make it easy to navigate through the millions of product listings on the site without getting lost on the way.
When it comes to purchasing, Amazon.com makes it easy to evaluate a third-party seller’s reputation and shipping costs along with the condition of the item they are selling.
Once items are in the cart, they are easily deleted or saved for a later purchase.
Amazon also looks at your buying patterns and you will soon start to see personalised suggestions and recommended reading ideas specifically tailored for you.
2. Amazon is Well-Known and Trusted
Amazon is probably the best-known name in the online bookstore industry –and with good reason, it is the largest online retailer in the world.
Amazon is not only one of the oldest booksellers in the market, it has consistently worked to stay one step ahead of the game.
At the same time, they haven’t lost their humanity when it comes to understanding customer service and return issues.
3. Fast Delivery
Regardless of what you order, there are plenty of shipping options available.
Standard shipping usually takes around a week to two weeks.
Third-party expedited shipments usually arrive within 3 days and one or two-day items are sold directly from Amazon.
International shipping is available on most items for an additional fee. You can track your items bought directly from Amazon.
If you are purchasing the item as a gift, it can be wrapped for an additional fee.
You can also choose to send the gift with a special note and be comfortable knowing that the item will not arrive with a receipt.
4. Amazon Has So Many Options
I’ve said it already but when it comes to books, they still have one of the most impressive collections around.
One of the biggest advantages they have is its massive seller marketplace that allows users to create listings for used, new rare and collectible books that Amazon may have never sold in the first place.
Autographed books, out-of-print books and textbooks are all available.
They’ve got great Christian biographies, Bibles, books on faith, discipleship, stewardship, Christian leadership, self-development, devotionals, or Christian living.
Practically any book that has been published in the last century is available for purchase in some form within the site’s listings.
Amazon started off as an online bookseller but has grown to the point where now they have everything you could think of – from fridge freezers to shoes, from the latest worship albums to evangelism tracts and Christian clothing.
5. Amazon Has Customer Reviews
For me, this is the biggest reason I always buy my books from Amazon.
For any book, you can read other people’s reviews and feedback. This is golden!
You can read what they took from the book and if they would recommend it or not. Amazon has a 5-star rating system.
On any item, you can also read a book summary and professional reviews, and see similar books.
On most books, additional pictures and pages from inside the book are available for your review. You can sometimes read the first chapter for free.
In Summary
Amazon’s reputation, massive inventory, easy-to-use site, excellent shipping options, payment options, superior customer support and a return policy that lets you buy without doubt or regret make this the number one site for buying Christian books online.
You simply wouldn’t get this in a small Christian bookstore.
(You are, however, still supporting local Christian booksellers because many of them sell on Amazon.)
Best of all, Amazon’s prices are often unbeatable.
See for yourself by visiting Amazon.com.
Imagine one big superstore! One big store that sells everything! No need to go anywhere else. All that wealth in the hands of so few. Amazon has impacted our communities in a terrifying way. The shops where staff had a connection with community are closing, with banks soon to follow. Imagine, a town with no hub, no centre, no people, no community.
And what of Christian bookshops, Amazon can’t help you pick a Bible, let you feel it in your hands, choose a translation that fits. They won’t smile at you or encourage you when you’re down, won’t minister to you. Amazon won’t reach out and signpost you to a local Church and encourage you to go – even offer to take you. They won’t pray with you, bless you or speak the Name of Jesus over you. And, just so you know, a local Christian author I know of gets 9p for every book sold on Amazon! Yes, imagine!
Hi Helen, thank you very much for your comment.
Last week I watched a documentary called Amazon Empire: The Rise & Fall Of Jeff Bezos and I gotta say, it was a real eye opener.
For a long time I’ve known Amazon don’t treat their affiliates well (they slashed affiliate commissions in half just at the start of Covid as their share prices were rocketing.) Until I watched that documentary I never thought of the affect this megacorp had on book authors.