BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma – The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible, now available from VOM Books in the Christian Standard Bible version, will deepen your devotions through daily Scripture reading and focused prayer for Christians suffering for their faith.

“This One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible coaches us to specifically pray for our persecuted family members each day, while allowing us also to soak ourselves in the powerful Word of God, which they cherish enough to die for,” said Todd Nettleton, spokesperson for The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit missions organization serving persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ.

Designed by Tyndale House Publishers, The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible in the CSB translation provides the structure to help you engage God’s life-changing Word in one of the most readable translations of the Bible. This best-selling Bible is arranged in 365 daily readings that include a passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.

Developed by 100 scholars from 17 denominations, the CSB faithfully and accurately captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising readability. This original translation from B&H Publishing–straight from the Biblical languages–blends accuracy and readability.

The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible includes a daily call to prayer to help you intercede for and connect with fellow believers living in areas hostile to Christianity.

Other features found in The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible:

• Monthly prayer themes center on the needs of our brothers and sisters who are sharing Christ in hostile environments,
• Full-color feature pages with inspiring stories of six persecuted Christians who boldly witness for Christ amid great risk and adversity,
• Photos from The Voice of the Martyrs’ ministry around the world, and
• A full-color fold-out map highlighting the restricted nations and hostile areas of the world where Christians are persecuted—a visual prayer guide.

“Around the world, the #1 request of persecuted Christians is that we pray for them. This One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible from VOM Books is an ideal resource to help us answer their request,” said Nettleton. “The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible allows us to enter into fellowship with those who are persecuted for their faith as we bring their needs to the throne of God and spend focused time in his Word.”

The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible is available now:  ISBN/UPC: 978-0-88264-160-7

About The Voice of the Martyrs
Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization serving persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. For more information, visit VOM.org.

About Tyndale
Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, it is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale has proved a faithful guide—helping readers discover the life-giving truths of the Bible. Its mission is to open God’s Word to as many as possible in language they can relate to and understand. Tyndale’s independent and non-profit status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of net income to charitable missions—more than $110 million throughout its history. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

Bunmi Ishola at WaterBrook acquired world rights to Be My Valenslime by debut author Kris Tarantino, illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld (The Rabbit Listened).

In this picture book, an unusual monster named Snoodle throws a party to convince her friends that Valentine’s Day is worth celebrating; but when nothing goes as she plans, this zany and adorable group gets an impromptu—and monstrously delightful—lesson in the true meaning of love.

Publication is scheduled for Fall 2023; Keely Boeving at WordServe Literary represented the author, and Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the illustrator.

Rights queries: Denise Cronin, decronin@prh.com

WaterBrook is an imprint of the Random House Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is excited to announce that two books—Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls by Joni Eareckson Tada, and No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions by Matt Rhodes—have been named winners in their respective categories for the Gospel Coalition’s 2022 Book Awards.

Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls (Crossway, August 2022) by Joni Eareckson Tada was the winner in the Bible Study and Devotional Literature category. This beautiful collection of hymns and devotions guides readers through painful seasons with heartfelt praises to God. “With healing Scripture, timeless hymns, and wisdom gleaned from years of pain, Tada in this moving devotional invites readers to find hope and solidarity in the Savior who suffers and sings,” observes TGC.

No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions (Crossway, February 2022) by Matt Rhodes was awarded in the Missions and the Global Church category. This book implores Christians to stop chasing silver-bullet strategies and short-term missions, and instead embrace theologically robust and historically demonstrated methods of evangelism and discipleship. TGC comments, “Rhodes’s gracious challenge provides a path forward to pursue patience and professionalism in the missionary task, making this book worthy of a wide readership.”

Justin Taylor, Crossway’s executive vice president of book publishing, writes, “Every year I look forward to the TGC Book Awards because their vision of life and ministry and theology accords so well with ours. So it was gratifying and encouraging this year to see two Crossway titles recognized as books of the year for their categories and four of our recently published books given awards of distinction. May the Lord use these honors and recognitions to help more people discover the transformative teaching and sound doctrine of these six books!”

Crossway titles that received honorable mentions include:

• Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More (Crossway, March 2022) by Jen Oshman in the Public Theology and Current Events category
• Workers for Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders (Crossway, September 2022) by David Mathis in the Ministry category
• Reaching Your Muslim Neighbor with the Gospel (Crossway, November 2022) by A. S. Ibrahim in the Evangelism and Apologetics category
• The Biggest Story Bible Storybook (Crossway, March 2022) by Kevin DeYoung in the Bible Study and Devotional Literature category

The Gospel Coalition, founded in 2005, reviews nearly 300 books per year on their website and in their academic journal, Themelios. Awards are given to titles that are gospel-centered, faithful to Scripture, spiritually discerning, and unifying and renewing for the church.

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org, 1 (630) 682-4300, crossway.org

(Nashville, Tenn.) December 9, 2022 —This week, Zondervan received five recognitions at the 2022 Book Awards from The Gospel Coalition.  Four titles were considered best overall in their category and one received an award of distinction.  The company congratulates its authors and the Zondervan Academic and Zondervan Reflective publishing imprints for this honor. According to the announcement from The Gospel Coalition, these awards are presented annually and are selected by editors at The Gospel Coalition and outside judges using four criteria.

Book Award winners should:

• offer gospel-centered argument and application;
• include faithful and foundational use of Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament;
• foster spiritual discernment of contemporary trials and trends; and
• encourage efforts to unite and renew the church.

Award-winning Zondervan titles are:

Categorical Winners

• Public Theology & Current Events – Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture written by Christopher Watkin – (Zondervan Academic)
• Ministry – Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church written by Michael J. Kruger – (Zondervan Reflective)
• First-Time Author – Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations written by Isaac Adams – (Zondervan Reflective)
• Arts & Culture – Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith written by Russ Ramsey – (Zondervan Reflective)

Award of Distinction

• Academic Theology – Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns written by James M. Hamilton Jr. – (Zondervan Academic)

“I congratulate our authors—Michael Kruger, Russ Ramsey, and Isaac Adams—and celebrate this recognition of their excellent work.  We’re so pleased to have three awards from Zondervan Reflective this year, representing such diverse topics,” remarked Ryan Pazdur, VP publisher of Zondervan Reflective.

Katya Covrett, VP publisher of Zondervan Academic, commented, “I am delighted to congratulate Dr. Christopher Watkin for the honor of a TGC Book Award and James M. Hamilton Jr. on his Award of Distinction. We are thrilled to see these works recognized for their groundbreaking impact on Christian engagement with contemporary life and culture.”

To learn about Zondervan Reflective, visit https://www.zondervan.com/zondervanreflective/.
To learn about Zondervan Academic, visit www.zondervan.com/zondervanacademic/.

Zondervan, a worldwide leading Christian publisher of books and Bibles, is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Its publications include a variety of Bible translations for all ages; books in different genres and subject areas for the general reader; curriculum for individual and group Bible study; books for children and young adults; academic resources including textbooks and reference books; ministry resources; and books on faith and culture. Zondervan is based in Grand Rapids, MI. For more information, visit www.zondervan.com.

Contact: Casey Harrell, VP, Corporate Communications, Casey.Harrell@HarperCollins.com  

December 2022 | INDIANAPOLIS, IN—With more than thirty-four thousand books representing more than seven hundred titles, InterVarsity Press (IVP) will soon be hosting the largest missions bookstore in the world at the twenty-sixth Urbana Student Missions Conference.

The Urbana 22 Conference, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, will include more than five thousand attendees and nearly two hundred seminars and organizations. It starts on Wednesday, December 28, and concludes at midnight on New Year’s Eve. During this four-day conference, participants engage in a variety of experiences, including multicultural worship sessions, seminars, Bible studies, testimonies from the global church, and prayer ministry. And IVP employees and volunteers will once again construct and serve at the expansive pop-up bookstore for Urbana.

Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP, will be participating in his tenth Urbana Missions Conference this year. He said, “When I attended Urbana 93 as a college student, I was amazed and overwhelmed by the big picture of what God was doing in the world. So I found my way to the IVP bookstore at Urbana, where I bought every Book of the Day and dozens of other books to help me navigate my next steps after the conference. I literally brought two boxes of books home with me on the bus! The books students encounter at Urbana can help them discern their vocation and get them to wherever in the world God may be calling them to serve.”

Urbana began over seventy years ago in 1946 in Toronto, Canada, with five hundred seventy-five students. Since then, Urbana has called nearly three hundred thousand people to whole-life, whole-world discipleship. For many years, Urbana was hosted in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois—hence the name Urbana.

Ruth Hubbard, vice president for Urbana, said, “I’m one of thousands upon thousands of Urbana alumni who have been discipled in my journey of ‘yes’—in my development as a whole-life, whole-world disciple of Jesus—by IVP authors through their books. I’m thrilled that, once again, Urbana participants will have access to curated resources in Book of the Day offerings that will challenge, inspire, instruct, and activate them as witnesses.”

Books on sale at the conference will once again be discounted anywhere from 30 to 80 percent off. The bookstore will also be featuring the ever-popular Books of the Day that are just seven dollars. This year the Urbana Books of the Day will include the following:

• First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament by Terry M. Wildman

Many First Nations tribes communicate with the cultural and linguistic thought patterns found in their original tongues. The First Nations Version (FNV) recounts the Creator’s Story—the Christian Scriptures—following the tradition of Native storytellers’ oral cultures. 

• The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best by Irwyn L. Ince Jr.

The church is at its best when it pursues the biblical value of unity in diversity. Pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. 

• God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming by Drew Jackson

In this dynamic collection of poems, Drew Jackson explores the first eight chapters of Luke’s Gospel. These are declarative poems, faithfully proclaiming the gospel story in all its liberative power.

• The Reluctant Witness: Discovering the Delight of Spiritual Conversations by Don Everts

Everts grew up assuming that spiritual conversations are always painful and awkward. But his surprising—and sometimes embarrassing—stories affirm what Scripture and the latest research reveal: spiritual conversations can actually be a delight. With original research from the Barna Group on spiritual conversations in the digital age, this book offers fresh insights and best practices for how to become eager conversationalists. 

• Here in Spirit: Knowing the Spirit Who Creates, Sustains, and Transforms Everything by Jonathan K. Dodson

Who is the Spirit? Is he a person or a spiritual force? How are we meant to relate to him? What does being filled with the Spirit look like? Instead of relating narrowly to the Holy Spirit based on just a few of his gifts, this book broadens our engagement with him, touring aspects of his vast character that often go unexplored. It turns out, living here in the Spirit is the source of the most meaningful, creative, satisfying life possible. 

• The Way Up Is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself by Marlena Graves

For writer, professor, and activist Marlena Graves, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to.

• Finding Your Yes: Living a Life That’s Open to God’s Invitations by Christine E. Wagoner

Would you like to live into your yes? Christine Wagoner invites you to be attentive to the movements of the Spirit and engage with opportunities God gives you on your spiritual journey. Sharing about her own yes moments as well as those of others, Wagoner offers practical tools for living a life of openness to the invitations of God in our lives.

• Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe

Professional counselor Sheila Wise Rowe exposes the symptoms of racial trauma to lead readers to a place of freedom from the past and new life for the future. In each chapter, she includes an interview with a person of color to explore how we experience and resolve racial trauma.

While most Book of the Day authors will be leading seminars and signing books at Urbana, several IVP authors will also be part of the large group plenary sessions, where conference attendees gather for worship, messages, prayer, and Bible exposition. This year IVP author Bishop Claude Alexander (Necessary Christianity and Becoming the Church) will serve as the Urbana 22 Bible expositor, daily guiding attendees through the book of Acts. IVP authors Alexia Salvatierra and James Choung will be main stage plenary speakers. Salvatierra is the coauthor of IVP’s Faith-Rooted Organizing and more recently Buried Seeds (Baker Publishing Group). Choung is the author of True Story, Real Life, and Longing for Revival.

A complete list of plenary and seminar speakers is available at urbana.org, and plenary sessions will be streaming live from urbana.org. 

Books and ebooks featured at the conference are already available for purchase online at urbanabooks.com. The Urbana conference discounted prices will be offered through January 31, 2023.

Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com

WESTMONT, IL—The Gospel Coalition has announced that three IVP books have received Awards of Distinction as part of the TGC 2022 Book Awards. Drawing from the thousands of resources produced by Christian publishers this year, the TGC staff, along with dozens of key contributors, took stock of the best Christian books across twelve categories and recently announced their top choices.

The IVP titles that received Awards of Distinction in the TGC 2022 Book Awards include the following:

The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith by Trevin Wax was honored with the Award of Distinction in the Popular Theology category. Wax said, “In a world of personalized spiritual paths, Christian orthodoxy can sound stuffy and stifling, while doctrinal change and innovation seem exciting. The Thrill of Orthodoxy turns the tables, illuminating and inspiring Christians by contrasting the narrow and dull principles of heresy with the electrifying, unchanging paradoxes that form the heart of the gospel.”

Judges for the Popular Theology category included Joshua Chatman, Clarissa Moll, Juan Sánchez, and Matt Smethurst. They said this about The Thrill of Orthodoxy: “With trenchant insight and memorable turns of phrase, Trevin Wax beckons us to cling to Scripture’s never-changing truths amid an ever-changing world. Instead of bowing to the spirit of the age, Christians humbly stand for truth. This book explains what’s at stake, both now and for eternity, not to scare but to sober. After all, we’re not the first generation of Christians to face vexing opposition from a surrounding culture—and even from professing believers. It’s never boring to stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and to exchange the straitjacket of heresy for the freedom of gospel grace. The Thrill of Orthodoxy will fire you up for all the right reasons.”

Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age received the Award of Distinction in the Christian Living category of the TGC Awards. Jay Kim’s Analog Church explored the ways the digital age and its values affect the life of the church. In Analog Christian, he asks the same question of Christian discipleship. As the digital age inclines us to discontentment, fragility, and foolishness, how are followers of Jesus to respond? What is the theological basis for living in creative resistance to the forces of our day? How can Christians cultivate the contentment, resilience, and wisdom to not only survive but to thrive as we navigate the specific challenges of our age?

Judges for the Christian Living category included Judges: Matt Boga, Winfree Brisley, Megan Hill, and Courtney Reissig. They said, “Though we understand in a general sense that the digital age is negatively affecting our culture and individual lives, we may struggle to pinpoint exactly how it’s changing us and what we can do about it. In Analog Christian, Jay Kim insightfully identifies technology’s rotten fruit of discontentment, fragility, and foolishness and explains how the fruit of the Spirit is the antidote we need. By pairing specific problems of the digital age with contrasting fruit of the Spirit, Kim models Paul’s put-off, put-on framework—joy instead of comparison, kindness instead of hostility, faithfulness instead of forgetfulness. Rather than calling us to unplug and cease our scrolling and swiping, Kim shows readers how to thoughtfully engage the challenges of the digital age and—by the power of the Spirit—cultivate contentment, resilience, and wisdom.”

A Supreme Love: The Music of Jazz and the Hope of the Gospel received the Award of Distinction in the Arts & Culture category of the TGC 2022 Book Awards. Theologian and jazz pianist William Edgar places jazz within the context of the African American experience and explores the work of musicians like Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald, arguing that jazz, which moves from deep lament to inextinguishable joy, deeply resonates with the hope that is ultimately found in the good news of Jesus Christ.

Category judges Terry Glaspey, Aaron Lee, Brett McCracken, and Rachel Wilhelm said, “What hath jazz to do with Jesus? In A Supreme Love, William Edgar explains how jazz music connects with the hope of the gospel. Clearly written and well researched, this book situates the jazz genre in the historical context of black experience in the United States as well as suggesting jazz follows the arc of the gospel message—from the darkness and sorrow caused by sin to the supreme light and joy of Christ’s salvation. Along the way, Edgar offers fascinating examples and anecdotes from the entire repertoire of jazz. His love for this music is clear and infectious.”

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

Five KJV Bibles Have Combined 40 Million Lifetime Units Sold

Nashville, TN—Affirming Thomas Nelson’s long-standing commitment to the King James Version (KJV), the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) recognizes Thomas Nelson with its ECPA Milestone Sales Awards for five Bibles with a total of more than 40 million lifetime units sold.

These five stand-out editions were submitted because of their significant sales and impact, marking the wide variety of audiences served by the publisher. Two Bibles were awarded the ECPA Diamond Award for sales exceeding 10 million copies and three Bibles were awarded the ECPA Platinum Award for sales exceeding 1 million copies.

The awarded KJV Bibles are:

• KJV Gift & Award Bible: Diamond Award (Double Diamond, over 20 million sold)
• KJV Giant Print Bible: Diamond Award (over 10 million sold)
• KJV Study Bible: Platinum Award (Double Platinum, over 2 million sold)
• KJV Personal Size Bible: Platinum Award (Quad Platinum, over 4 million sold)
• KJV Compact Bible: Platinum Award (over 1 million sold)

“We are honored the ECPA has recognized these KJV editions to represent the breadth of our work,” says Philip Nation, Vice President and Publisher, Thomas Nelson Bibles, ” Thomas Nelson has been publishing the KJV for more than two hundred years, but these significant sales numbers are simply those on record since we began recording them in the eighties. We believe that the Bible impacts lives like no other published work because it is God’s revelation of himself to humanity. We are grateful to participate in the great legacy of publishing the King James Version.”

The King James Version remains the bestselling Bible translation of all time. The ECPA’s Annual Translation sales chart has the KJV consistently in the #1 or #2 spot since the chart’s inception.  

“Stewarding God’s Word is an honor and a privilege,” adds Nation. “With that in mind, we take the responsibility seriously to produce beautiful, usable KJV Bibles—from Bibles used in outreach to top-quality leather heirlooms, from a baby’s first Bible to elegant giant print versions. We are delighted to serve the needs of Bible readers from generation to generation. Receiving these awards for over forty million total KJV Bibles sold by Nelson illustrates how KJV Bibles are woven into the fabric of the church and society.”

Thomas Nelson Bibles continues the commitment to provide KJV readers with exceptional Bibles. New releases this year including the KJV Sovereign Collection, the KJV Verse Art Cover Collection, and the KJV Premier Collection Bibles. The entire line of Thomas Nelson KJV Bibles can be found at www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com.

ABOUT THE KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): More than 400 years since its initial publication, the bestselling King James Version Bible continues to inspire, encourage, and strengthen people from all walks of life. The KJV is considered one of the most influential and beautiful works of literature in the English language and continues to be the favorite translation for millions of Christians.

ABOUT THOMAS NELSON: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational products for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson, is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com

Media inquiries and review copy requests:
Jana Muntsinger, McClure Muntsinger Public Relations
jana@mmpublicrelations.com   832.247.9308

Did you know, in 2021, 5.1 million U.S. households were food insecure? That’s according to research from the USDA. Lakeside Book Company is doing our part to help change that.

On Giving Tuesday, November 29th, Lakeside Book Company launched the Lakeside Initiative for Food Today (LIFT) program. This initiative demonstrates the commitment of Lakeside to give back to its communities by donating $160,000 to local charities to help fight food insecurity.

The company’s donation comes at a time when the need for food assistance remains high from the ongoing impact of the coronavirus global pandemic.

Food pantries are particularly vulnerable during the holiday season. This funding will help organizations provide emergency relief and assistance and will allow them to purchase food and other necessities they need to serve their clients.

Lakeside will award $10,000 to sixteen different food pantries, food banks or related charities in the communities where its book manufacturing plants and book fulfillment warehouses operate. Lakeside will also work to coordinate volunteer opportunities for their employees at many of these charities. These contributions are part of Lakeside’s longstanding commitment to provide value and serve communities where Lakeside employees live and work.

“As a company, we believe in helping our local communities. So many of our neighbors continue to struggle with providing food for their families, and together we can change that. We are honored to have the opportunity to help raise awareness about food insecurity and give back to the communities in which our employees live and work,” said Dave McCree, Chief Executive Officer of Lakeside Book Company.

“St. Joseph Food Program is blessed to see the kindness of the wonderful community in which we live and serve,” said Monica Claire, Executive Director of St. Joseph’s Food Program, in Menasha, Wisconsin. “Lakeside Book is a perfect example of this kindness. They are a company who cares about people and have shown that caring through their generous gift of $10,000 to support the St. Joe’s mission and time spent volunteering at St. Joe’s. Lakeside employees gave many hours in the cold during our Thanksgiving distribution directing traffic and making sure that families received a turkey for their holiday meal. Lakeside’s support of and service to St. Joe’s and our client families is very appreciated by us and the families that were served. Thank you to Lakeside for their generous support!”

About Lakeside Initiative for Food Today (LIFT)
Established in 2022, Lakeside Initiative for Food Today (LIFT) partners with local food pantries to further the company’s mission in serving the communities where Lakeside Book Company operates. LIFT supports local charities by donating time and resources, as well as coordinating employee volunteer efforts.

About Lakeside Book Company
Since its founding in 1864, Lakeside Book Company has been innovating the book manufacturing and distribution industry.

R.R. Donnelley started as a partner at a small printing company in Chicago and he grew the company into one of the largest and most trusted printing service providers in the world. As the decades passed, the company expanded its services and established LSC Communications in 2016 to offer specialized solutions to publishers, brands, retailers, and merchandisers.

In 2020, Atlas Holdings acquired LSC Communications and created the Lakeside Book Company from the LSC Book division. Atlas operates a global family of manufacturing, distribution, service, and trading businesses. For more information about Lakeside Book Company, visit www.lakesidebookcompany.com.

Contact: Treacy Lee, VP of Marketing and Communications at Lakeside Book Company

 

 

Ada, Mich. (Dec.2, 2022)—Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to announce it recently signed a three-book deal with sought-after Bible teacher and speaker Lisa Harper.

The first book is scheduled to release in the spring of 2025. Harper is represented by agent Lisa Jackson of Alive Literary Agency.

“It has been an enjoyable honor to get to work with several different publishers over the past twenty-five years,” said Harper, author of fourteen books including the recent bestselling devotional, Life—and has written and filmed six well-received Bible study video curriculums, including Job: A Story of Unlikely Joy and How Much More: Discovering God’s Extravagant Love in Unexpected Places. “However, compared to the brilliant authors I most enjoy reading, I’m a mediocre writer at best. Therefore, whenever a new publisher comes calling, I can’t help wondering why they want to try that exquisite glass slipper on my proverbially clumsy feet, or if I am, in fact, being pranked! But then along comes Revell with the loveliest of intentions, genuine encouragement, and a creative, collaborative vision for a multifaceted literary project that took my breath away. Consequently, I’ll be the chick wearing the ear-to-ear perma-grin until my heart stops doing happy cartwheels of gratitude!”

Harper has thirty-plus years of church and parachurch ministry leadership experience, including six years as the director of Focus on the Family’s national women’s ministry, where she created the popular Renewing the Heart conferences, which were attended by almost 200,000 women, as well as a decade of touring with Women of Faith, where she spoke to more than a million women about the unconditional love of God.

She holds a master of theological studies from Covenant Seminary, recently completed her doctoral studies at Denver Seminary, and is currently working on her thesis. She has been featured on numerous television and radio programs and is a regular on TBN’s globally syndicated Better Together show.

“I have been a longtime admirer of Lisa’s ministry and have personally benefited from her many years of teaching, speaking, and writing,” said Rachel McRae, senior acquisitions editor for Revell Books. “So, it was no surprise that the first name I mentioned was Lisa Harper when I was asked about who I’d like to acquire for Revell after joining the team a few years ago. She has a gift for connecting Scripture to our everyday lives in a brilliant and fun way. Lisa’s heart for practical application of the Word that’s based on a strong theological foundation connected with Revell immediately.”

In early 2022, Harper started a podcast called Back Porch Theology where she dives into God’s Word with brilliant theologians and academics to help listeners understand that the gospel is great news for everyday life. The podcast has three million downloads and is growing.

“We are excited to link arms with Lisa and her growing ministry as she brings Scripture to life and draws readers into a more intimate and life-changing relationship with Jesus,” said McRae.

Revell Books provides books that inspire and equip readers, offering them hope and help for daily life. Learn more at www.RevellBooks.com.

Contact: Kelli B. Smith, (616) 676-9185 x394, ksmith@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Foundation To Debut The Chosen App Worldwide Dec. 4; Translate Series Into Hundreds Of Languages

December 1, 2022, Colorado Springs, CO – Newly formed nonprofit, Come and See Foundation, is pleased to announce that effective December 4, 2022 the acclaimed series, The Chosen, will be available for worldwide distribution on the new The Chosen App owned by Come and See Foundation. The app can be downloaded now for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play or by going to http://thechosen.tv/app.

Available on mobile devices and TV platforms, the new “The Chosen” app will feature the first two seasons of The Chosen as well as the upcoming Season 3 and beyond. Additionally, the new app will feature exclusive content like Bible Roundtables and a new Season 3 aftershow. For the first time, viewers will be able to donate via a tax-deductible gift to assist The Chosen to continue its production, keep the show free around the world, and be translated into hundreds of languages.

Led by CEO Stan Jantz, Come and See Foundation is a nonprofit specifically formed to help translate, license and distribute the acclaimed television series with goals of having it dubbed into 100 languages and subtitled into 500 more. Currently, Season 1 has been dubbed in 12 languages and subtitled in 62 languages (Season 2 has 7 and 20, respectively).Through Come and See’s strategic partners like Educational Media Foundation, YouVersion, Bible Media Group, One Hope and others, the startup nonprofit is missionally minded and fervent in its desire to see that The Chosen is distributed to one billion people around the world, introducing them to Jesus.

According to Jantz, “The Chosen is such a dynamic and powerful story. With the formation of the Come and See Foundation, our plan is to take The Chosen around the world, reaching much of the World’s population so they are able to experience Jesus in their native tongue.”

Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen, states, “This new partnership with Come and See supercharges our efforts. We’re able to produce episodes bigger and faster, get them translated into more languages, and market the show on a scale previously impossible.”

Jenkins, Jantz and Come and See Foundation board member Mart Green discuss the mission of the foundation during a recent livestream that can be watched now at https://youtu.be/FXVe1WfGWkY.

With more than 420 million episode views internationally, The Chosen is a fan-supported, seven-season television series that creates an authentic and intimate picture of Jesus’ life and ministry, seen through the eyes of the people who knew him. The series is coming off a successful opening weekend (November 18 – 20) where more than 2,400 movie theaters across the United States and in English-speaking territories debuted the first two episodes of its highly anticipated third season.

For more information on Come and See Foundation, The Chosen App and TV series, and more, go to www.comeandsee.net.

About Come and See Foundation:
Come and See Foundation is a 501(c)(3) established by a group of passionate believers and experienced professionals to come alongside The Chosen to grow its reach and impact globally. Our goal is to provide resources, technology, ministry connections and expertise to help The Chosen reach its goal of having a billion people experience an authentic Jesus through this series and related content. For more information, please visit at www.comeandsee.net.

About The Chosen:

The Chosen completed filming of its third season in September 2022, continuing its unprecedented success as the largest fan-supported entertainment project of all time. It has been translated into 62 languages and counting. With no fee or subscription required, it’s completely free to watch and available as both a standalone mobile and TV app, plus available on multiple streaming services. Viewer support enables the show to remain free around the world. The Chosen, an Angel Studios Original, is produced by Loaves & Fishes

ATTN Media:

• For Come and See Foundation photos, logo and more press materials, go to: https://app.box.com/v/ComeandSeeFoundaton-Press.
• For The Chosen press materials, go to: https://thechosen.lingoapp.com/.
• For additional information, photos, interviews, etc., contact: Rick Hoganson, Hoganson Media Relations, 615-459-9870, Hoganson@comcast.net.