August 2024 | LISLE, IL—In anticipation of the August 13 release of Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone! IVP Kids is kicking off the #GiftedWomen campaign to celebrate all the women who, as the subtitle says, are using their “good gifts” to inspire, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of others.
On August 7 the IVP social media team will set off the first wave of tags, asking people to share a word or video about three people they have seen sharing their gifts in impactful ways.
Allie Noble, IVP’s senior social media manager said, “We are asking our followers to post the names of gifted women they know and nominating others to do the same. Our goal is to create a chain reaction of empowerment, lifting up women in the church and beyond.”
Penny Preaches by Amy and Rob Dixon was written to inspire young people, especially girls, to embrace the gifts God has given them.
Amy Dixon is the author of three picture books—Maurice the Unbeastly, Sophie’s Animal Parade, and Marathon Mouse—as well as a middle grade novel. Rob Dixon is the author of Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships.
“Our desire in writing Penny Preaches was to catch our readers in that moment of radiant confidence—When I grow up, I’m going to be a mermaid!—to see that God gives good gifts to everyone, and to begin the sacred process of wondering, What good gifts has God given to me?” said Amy and Rob. “As Penny reminds us, God gives good gifts to everyone. And while being a mermaid is, sadly, not one of the gifts, parents and caregivers have a crucial role to play in the process of helping kids discover theirs. We pray that as more young people discover their good gifts and are given the freedom to exercise them in the church, we will grow into the flourishing community we were always meant to be.”
Publishers Weekly called Penny Preaches “one of IVP’s more provocative titles” in its portrayal of a little girl who longs to teach God’s words to others, since many Christian denominations don’t allow women in preaching or teaching roles.
“Our hope for every child is that they would be able to discern, embrace, and cultivate whatever gifts God has given them, even if those gifts push the boundaries of how the church has historically understood gifting for women and men. I pray that we are forming a church in the future where that isn’t a problem anymore,” said Amy and Rob.
Noble said, “We hope that this social media campaign is a celebration and awareness of all the women who are sharing their good gifts. Most importantly, we hope Penny Preaches and this social media campaign will inspire all the girls and young women who want to someday be like the women they look up to, the women using their good gifts.”
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
