April 26, 2021 Edition

Industry News

SPCK to acquire publishing business of Lion Hudson

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the AFD Group announce that SPCK will acquire from AFD the publishing business of Lion Hudson. Completion of the transaction is expected to take place so that from 8th May, Lion Hudson’s imprints will join the SPCK Group alongside the SPCK and IVP imprints. The new expanded SPCK Group will be the UK’s largest Christian publisher with income in excess of £8 million per annum.

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Lexham Press announces publisher transition

Lexham Press is pleased to announce that Jesse Myers, formerly in the role of associate publisher of acquisitions and development, will now be assuming the role of Publisher of Lexham Press and Director of Original Content.

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ECPA forms Diversity and Inclusion Committee

With the approval and guidance of the ECPA board, a new Diversity & Inclusion standing committee has been formed within ECPA. The new committee will be chaired by board member Tina Constable, EVP and Publisher for WaterBrook and Multnomah Publishing Group. Constable also leads the Penguin Random House imprints of Convergent, Image, and Forum.

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ECPA Leadership Summit begins tomorrow with 200+ publishing leaders

ECPA’s Virtual Leadership Summit will launch tomorrow at 10 am (central time) with a keynote session with NPD’s Kristen McLean on the latest sales trends and opportunities for Christian publishers in this cultural moment.  The session will be followed by two roundtable discussions around best data and workflow practices to sell more books.  Programming for “Practicum Week” will continue Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 am to noon (central) with sessions on Growing Online Sales Channels and Global Report on Printing & Distribution with roundtable sessions following each one.  Next week will be a series of session around the theme, “Resilient Leadership in this Cultural Moment.”

Registration is still open.

ZDL to host Beijing Brief: Global Edition

Since 2003, ZDL Books, the largest Christian-values, privately held publisher in China, has sponsored a bi-annual China-strategy meeting for Christian publishing leaders. Two years ago, the gathering brought together more than 50 leaders for a confidential dialogue. The 2021 meeting will be held in person (no virtual allowed), June 1-2 at the Hope Center in Plano, Texas.

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Milestones

Minno Life's Raising Boys & Girls Podcast reaches 1 million downloads

Parents, grandparents, pastors, pediatricians, educators, and counselors across the world are loving Raising Boys and Girls, which reached 1 million downloads this Spring. Releasing weekly each Tuesday, the podcast, which has garnered more than 900 5-star ratings on iTunes, tackles top-of-mind topics in parenting from consistency and patience to connection and freedom.

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Product News

Michael W. Smith, CCM icon & Grammy Award winner, releases new book for Father’s Day

“The Way of the Father: Lessons from My Dad, Truths about God” (K-LOVE Books, May 18, 2021) reveals how Michael’s father, Paul Smith, was a living example of God’s love – a role model for his family. Michael W. Smith, himself a father of five adult children and grandfather of sixteen, writes about his humble experiences of growing up in a small West Virginia town as well as his father’s story. K-LOVE Books has crafted an extensive national marketing and media campaign to support the release.

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Faithlife launches Equip, a first-in-category integrated ministry platform

Faithlife, the church technology company and makers of Logos Bible Software, today released the newest, first-of-its-kind online integrated ministry platform, Faithlife Equip. Unlike anything currently available on the market, Faithlife Equip integrates tools and content to support every leader in the church -- from the senior pastor and worship leader to the children’s director and administrator -- while providing congregant resources for spiritual growth, church involvement and community connectivity.

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NavPress releases “The Message of Psalms: Premier Journaling Edition”

NavPress, in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, will release a new edition of Eugene Peterson’s translation of the book of Psalms: "The Message of Psalms: Premier Journaling Edition." The Message translation brings ancient biblical wisdom into contemporary language. This new edition, which releases on May 4, offers journaling prompts and generous writing space for readers to reflect on the text.

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Charisma House releases debut book by Jonathan Stockstill; meeting ‘The Real Jesus’

In his upcoming new book, “The Real Jesus: Challenging What You Know About the Greatest Person Who Ever Lived,” lead pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, La., beloved worship leader, and debut author, Jonathan Stockstill, invites readers to discover the Jesus they may never have truly known—even if they have been following Him for years.

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Media Announcements

Darryl Strawberry on Jesus Calling Podcast: Beginning again after our “Wake-Up Call” moments

Former Major League Baseball player Darryl Strawberry recently joined the Jesus Calling Podcast to share how he had a difficult childhood full of abuse and violence at the hands of his alcoholic father. Those difficulties left him unable to handle the stardom that would come his way once he entered the professional sports world, and he found himself down a path paved with sin. But Darryl’s mother had prayed fervently that God would knock him from his throne, and God saved Darryl when he couldn’t save himself. Now, Darryl has been called to spread the message of God’s forgiveness and His ability to save all over the country through Strawberry Ministries. Strawberry’s new book, “Turn Your Season Around,” is available from Zondervan.

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Bible Gateway interviews Rabbi Jason Sobel, author of “Mysteries of the Messiah”

Many people don’t understand how each individual book of the Bible—Old Testament and New Testament—cohesively fits together to communicate the overarching message of the Messiah. The late theologian B.B. Warfield said the Old Testament is filled with prophets that predict him, patterns that preview him, and promises that anticipate him. Rabbi Jason Sobel, raised in a Jewish home in New Jersey but now a follower of Yeshua, wants to show the many connections in Scripture that he says are hidden in plain sight. Bible Gateway interviewed Rabbi Sobel (@RabbiJasonSobel) about his book and video lesson, “Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today” (Thomas Nelson, 2021).

Read this interview.

Other News