NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the summer of 2012, Bryant Wright sensed God was telling him to prepare for his next season of ministry. Wright, the founding pastor of Atlanta’s Johnson Ferry Baptist, had just completed 30 years of ministry leading the church and was preparing for his fourth decade at Johnson Ferry.

His new book, “Succession: Preparing Your Ministry for the Next Leader,” shares not only the personal lessons Wright learned, but practical advice for churches and church leaders as they plan leadership transitions. “Succession” released June

“When I turned 60, I realized there were limited days left in my ministry,” Wright said. “And a number of people in the church began to ask, ‘how long are you going to stay?’ ‘Are you going to hang it up soon?’ Those two factors caused me to start thinking about retirement and next steps. I knew we needed to develop a succession plan.”

Wright’s book tells the story of how he and the leadership team at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church walked through an intentional, leadership succession process and provides suggestions for churches and church leaders nearing the next phase of ministry leadership. “Succession” discusses this journey in a way that shows the leadership of an experienced pastor, the wisdom of a knowledgeable shepherd, and the humility of an obedient servant. This book not only displays the heart of a man who loved and led his church well, but also serves as a model for those preparing for a similar journey.

“There is a tidal wave of Boomer pastors who are about to retire in the next five to 10 years, and there aren’t many younger pastors identified to take their place,” Wright said. “In addition, most churches don’t have a succession plan in place for when the time comes. I’m hoping this book will help pastors—both those leaving and their successors—as well as the lay leaders in our churches to help prepare for this very significant transition.”

Wright said he doesn’t expect all churches to follow the same timeline and game plan as Johnson Ferry. But churches of all sizes and contexts will find insight from the book they can adapt for their own situation.

“Every church is unique and will need to develop a plan that fits their context,” he said. “No pastor is going to stay forever; having a succession plan in place contributes to the overall health of the church. The health of the church is the priority.”

About Bryant Wright
Wright has served in Southern Baptist life as both a pastor and SBC president before becoming the first president of Send Relief in 2020. He retired as the founding senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church on December 15, 2019, where he pastored for 38 years. In addition to his role at Send Relief, Wright serves as founder and chairman of Right From the Heart Ministries, a media ministry with an international presence, and continues to mentor younger pastors through this platform. He and his wife, Anne, live in Marietta and have three grown sons, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.  

About B&H Publishing Group
B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources, is a team that believes Every Word Matters. We seek to provide intentional, biblical content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, cultivating lifelong relationships with Jesus Christ. We publish (print and digital) in the trade, church and academic markets, as well as the CSB translation.

About Lifeway Christian Resources
In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, Christian music and movies, Vacation Bible School, and church supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway is the world’s largest provider of Spanish Bibles. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Lifeway operates as a self-supporting nonprofit.

MEDIA CONTACT: Carol Pipes, 615-251-2516, carol.pipes@lifeway.com 

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Kregel Publications is pleased to announce that six Kregel titles have been named winners at the 2022 Selah Awards.

Discipled Leader: Inspiration from a Fortune 500 Executive for Transforming Your Workplace by Pursuing Christ, by Preston Poore, was named Book of the Year and also won first place in the General Nonfiction category. Angie Ward, assistant director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Denver Seminary, praises Discipled Leader: “Preston provides the rationale and tools to help leaders develop a strong, Christ-centered foundation for unimpeachable character and lasting influence.” Read more about the book here.

Also in the General Nonfiction category, Spouse in the House: Rearranging Our Attitudes to Make Room for Each Other, by Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby, was awarded third place. Spouse in the House is a hilarious and heartfelt guidebook for married partners to learn to co-exist in the same house without co-exhausting each other. Read more about the book here.

With Fresh Eyes:60 Insights into the Miraculously Ordinary from a Woman Born Blind, by Karen Wingate, won first place in the Devotionals category. With Fresh Eyes invites readers to reawaken to the wonders of creation—great and small—and to how God is working in everyday moments. Read more about the book here.

Hope for Healing from Domestic Abuse, written by Karen DeArmond Gardner, won second place in General Nonfiction for the Director’s Choice award. National speaker Cindi McMenamin praises Hope for Healing from Domestic Abuse: “With compassion, wisdom, and a proper understanding of Scripture, Karen will convince you that God loves you more than he hates divorce.” Read more about the book here.

Sharon Mondragón’s debut novel The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady placed second in the First Novel Category. The narrative shares a “charming tale of knitting, faith, and change” (Publishers Weekly) that beautifully illustrates the power of women across generations to reach people for Christ. Read more about the book here.

Buck Storm’s The Sound the Sun Makes won third place in the General Fiction category. Storm writes literary Americana with humor, heart, and a whole lot of twists to keep readers guessing—not to mention a healthy dose of faith. Read more about the book here.

Winners were announced at the 2022 Awards Night celebration of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Find the entire list of winners on their Facebook page.

Kregel Publications is an evangelical Christian publisher that aims to develop and distribute—with integrity and excellence—trusted, biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ.

Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. proudly announces that ten of its authors and books won awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Selah Awards on June 1, 2022.

Following are the categories and honored authors:

Articles
Elk Lake author, Whitney Ward, took third place for her article “Directly Affected” published in Brio by Focus on the Family.

Memoir
Diana Mood, Enough! Learning to Survive and Thrive in Brokenness, 2nd

Children’s
Susan Neal, Eat God’s Food, A Kid’s Guide to Healthy Eating, 2nd

Middle Grade & YA
Nicolas C. Day, Into the Great Marinara, 3rd

Anthologies
Deborah Graeme DeArmond, We May Be Done, But We’re Not Finished—Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life, 1st

First Novel
Shelia Stovall, Every Window Filled with Light, 3rd

Historical/Biblical
Rebecca Price Janney Easton at Christmastide, 2nd

Speculative Fiction
Andrea Chatman Beneath the Deep, 2nd

DIRECTOR’S AWARDS

Fiction
Mary Beth Dahl, For the Good of All, 3rd

Children’s
Susan Neal, Eat God’s Food, 2^nd

For information about any of these authors or books, contact Deb@ElkLakePublishingInc.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) June 3, 2022 — HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) today announced Gabriel Aviles as vice president of marketing for their Spanish Language Division.

Aviles joined the Spanish Division as senior marketing director in 2019 with over 25 years of marketing experience. During his tenure as marketing leader, the Spanish Division has experienced 25% growth. Aviles has led the successful launch of the C.S. Lewis Spanish brand and the NBLA Bible translation, as well as worked with bestselling authors including Agustín Laje, Daniel Habif, Miguel Nuñez, Christy Muller, Craig Groeschel, Lysa TerKeurst, and Max Lucado.

As vice president of marketing for the Spanish Division, Aviles will continue to lead the marketing strategy and execution for the division.

Cris Garrido, vice president and publisher for HCCP’s Spanish team commented, “Gabriel’s strategic mind, experience working across brands and voices on a global scale, and his knowledge of Christian and inspirational content across genres and formats make him the ideal person to lead our Spanish team’s marketing efforts. I look forward to the ways his leadership will help bring our inspirational content into new markets.”

HarperCollins Christian Publishing
The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. comprises the Thomas Nelson, Zondervan and HarperChristian Resources publishing groups and imprints, BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com, StudyGateway.com and ChurchSource.com. The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space. Bible Gateway is the world’s largest Christian website with more than 29 million unique visitors each month. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico. For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

Contact: Chelsea Taff, Manager, Corporate Communications, 615.902.2137, Chelsea.Taff@HarperCollins.com

Carol Steam, Ill. (June 6, 2022) — Inspire: Worship: 100 Devotions for Coloring and Creative Journaling, releasing on October 4 from Tyndale House Publishers, is the newest addition to the bestselling creative journaling Bible brand. The Inspire Bible Collection features a variety of beautiful Bibles and Bible portions books with nearly 30 unique bindings. Inspire pioneered the coloring Bible category and has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to fall in love with God’s Word since its launch in 2016 as the #1–selling Bible of the year.

Inspire: Worship: 100 Devotions for Coloring & Creative Journaling is the first release in a new series of Inspire branded devotional books. Just like the Inspire Bible, Inspire: Worship provides readers a unique way to relax, reflect, and connect with God while using their creativity. It is a perfect pairing of music and art in a devotional that offers readers an opportunity to integrate creative expression into their devotional time.

Kim Adetunji, Senior Marketing Manager for Tyndale Bibles, shared, “Inspire Bible journalers will cherish this new devotional line of books as an additional way to connect with the Lord through creativity, coloring, and Scripture. The first book’s focus on hymns offers new and unique insights into songs we all know and love—or maybe ones we don’t know yet—while connecting our hearts to God and his Word. Some people will want to dive into the book for 100 days straight, and others will weave it into a weekly or monthly creative devotional rhythm. No matter what approach readers take, the Inspire devotional books are going to be a perfect companion to the Bible as they’ll have all of the favorite features from the Inspire Bibles plus individual readings with the goal of drawing hearts ever deeper into the Word and nearer to the Lord.”

This beautifully designed collection will strengthen readers’ faith as they meditate on 100 devotions inspired by the world’s most celebrated songs of the Christian faith. Each reading will encourage readers to stand strong, lean on God’s grace, and rest in knowing that he has a wonderful plan for their lives.

For media inquiries or more information on this series, please contact Isabella Graunke at  isabellagraunke@tyndale.com.

Inspire: Worship
100 Devotions for Coloring & Creating Journaling
ISBN: 978-1-4964-6796-6
Softcover: $18.99
October 2022
Tyndale.com

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imaginations of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

Contact: Isabella Graunke, isabellagraunke@tyndale.com, 630.784.5298

Returning to Lipscomb University in Nashville this November, ECPA PubU will feature tracks in Editorial, Marketing, Design, Production & Operations, and a Children’s Book Summit.

TEMPE, ARIZ., JUNE 6, 2022 – ECPA’s annual Fall training program – ECPA PubU – will return as an in-person event in 2022 after being presented online for the past two years.  PubU will be held on November 16-17 at Lipscomb University in Nashville, where the event had been held for three consecutive years before going online.

Developing the program will be a group of industry leaders – called the ECPA PubU Brain Trust, led by Jamie Lapeyrolerie, editor at WaterBrook & Multnomah.  The committee is charged with recruiting speakers to present on relevant topics in each of these tracks:  EDITORIAL, MARKETING, DESIGN, PRODUCTION & OPS.  In addition, the second annual CHILDREN’S BOOK SUMMIT will be presented on November 17.

“PubU is unique among all of the gatherings and events that ECPA hosts annually,” Jeff Crosby, ECPA president and CEO, said. “It’s an event developed by the industry for the industry, drawing on the unique perspectives, skill sets, and experience of a range of outstanding leaders and practitioners. I’m grateful to Jamie Lapeyrolerie for her leadership of this year’s ‘Brain Trust’ that even now is forming content around the major disciplines of our industry.”

Serving on the 2022 PubU Online Brain Trust are:

BRAIN TRUST LEAD AND DEI CONSULTANT:
Jamie Lapeyrolerie, Editor, WaterBrook & Multnomah

EDITORIAL TRACK:
Trillia Newbell, Acquisitions Director, Moody Publishers
Susan McPherson, Acquistions Editor, David C Cook

MARKETING TRACK:
Bob Gaudet, VP Marketing, Bibles, Zondervan
Katherine Chappell, Marketing Manager, Kregel Publications

OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION TRACK:
Bradley Isbell, Chief Operating Officer, Iron Stream Media
Jenn Butenschoen, Director of Production and Digital Content, Harvest House Publishers

DESIGN TRACK:
Torrey Sharp, Owner and Principal, Faceout Studio

CHILDREN’S BOOK SUMMIT:
Linda Howard, Associate Publisher for Children and Youth, Tyndale House Publishers
Shannon Marchese, VP and Publisher of Tommy Nelson, the children’s imprint for Thomas Nelson

EMERGING LEADERS CONSULTANT:
Paloma Lee, Assistant Producer and Project Specialist, InterVarsity Press

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to lead this year’s Brain Trust and am so excited to not only connect in person with publishing professionals, but for attendees to learn from such creative and experienced people,” states Jamie Lapeyrolerie.  “I’ve personally benefited from ECPA PubU as an attendee and I know it’s going to be a great event with practical takeaways, inspiration, and connection.”

ECPA PubU will continue its Emerging Leader mentorship program, offering scholarships to up-and-coming industry leaders, with an emphasis on under-represented voices in the industry.  Each emerging leader will be matched with an industry mentor, for a year-long mentorship relationship.

For more information about the program, our schedule, the Brain Trust, or to receive program updates when registration opens, visit ECPAPubU.org.

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. For more information about ECPA: info@ecpa.org ECPA.org @ECPA

ECPA PubU has delivered training, connection, networking and inspiration to the industry’s frontline practitioners since 2004.  Industry leaders develop the program to invest in the expertise of their colleagues, and train up the next generation of leaders.  For more information, visit ECPAPubU.org.

Media contact:  Jeff Crosby, ECPA president/CEO, jcrosby@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 

 

 

The VOICES Collection of Our Daily Bread Ministries has prepared resources to recognize Juneteenth and help the church celebrate freedom by watching the first of its kind documentary, reading biblical insights, listening to music and more.

Celebrating Juneteenth is an opportunity to embrace themes of unity amongst diversity. We offer the following practical steps to build diverse community and authentic dialogue:

• Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom is a feature-length film that teaches and inspires about the cultural and spiritual significance of the holiday. Available: Jun 6, 2022
• Juneteenth: Our Story of Freedom is a 10-Day devotional which reflects on biblical passages and themes of hope and justice. Digital Reading Plan: Available starting Jun 1, 2022
• Where Ya From? Podcast: In this special edition of Where Ya From? History professor and minister, Dr. Carey Latimore, tells the story of Juneteenth and the importance of history. Available: Jun 13, 2022
• Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom ~ The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: This groundbreaking album features gospel, poetry, and hip-hop from Grammy-award-winning artist Lecrae Moore, gospel producer, Lucius Hoskins, Sho Baraka, and more! Singles from the album starting Jun 6, 2022
• Unshakable Faith: African American Stories of Redemption, Hope, and Community (Our Daily Bread Publishing, January 2022) by professor Carey Latimore

The VOICES community discusses, develops, and distributes resources by Black Christian content creators for communities of color. The VOICES community seeks to share our particular stories to make God’s life-changing wisdom understandable and accessible to all.

For more information: https://ourdailybreadpublishing.org/experiencevoices

(Colorado Springs, CO)—A growing list of internationally known crisis experts, analysts, and journalists will speak at the Crisis Publishing Initiative conference organized by Magazine Training International (MTI) in partnership with the Evangelical Press Association, June 26-29, 2022

Some 100 Christian journalists, publishers, and authorities on crisis from around the world are expected to attend the second Crisis Publishing Initiative (CPI) conference in Mundelein, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The first CPI conference was held in Hungary in 2017, drawing some 70 participants from more than 20 countries.

At the conference in Chicago, Christian leaders with in-depth knowledge will provide accurate, up-to-date information on a variety of crisis affecting the world today, including worldwide refugee movements, religious persecution, human trafficking, the global orphan crisis, terrorism, and violence against women and girls.

Journalists from the U.S., Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, India, the U.K,, and Ukraine will discuss how to report on Christian minority countries, publishing in an Islamic context, covering war from both the inside and outside, reporting on hostage situations, staying safe in a dangerous environment, reporting on the Middle East, dealing with disinformation, discerning truth when viewpoints collide, creating a context for communicating complex stories, dealing with humanitarian organizations in crisis, and much more.

Speakers include Dr. Miriam Adeney, professor at Seattle Pacific University; Kent Annan, director of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership; Asif Aqeel, Pakistani newspaper journalist and correspondent for World Watch Monitor; Jamie Aten, founder of Humanitarian Disaster Institute; Joseph Benjamin, publisher of Gujarati Christians in India; Julia Bicknell, co-founder of World Watch Monitor in the U.K.; Jayson Casper, journalist in Lebanon; Dr. Anita Deyneka, missionary and director emeritus of the board of Mission Eurasia; Sarah Gesiriech, principal of 127 Global Strategies; Sonnie Gitonga, founder and director of Scars to Stars Foundation in Kenya; Palmer Holt, founder and CEO of InChrist Communications; Bob Klamser, executive director of Crisis Consulting International; Dr. Sandra Morgan, director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice; Heather Pubols, founder of le Motif; Gökhan Talas, founder of Miras Publishing Ministries in Turkey; Jeremy Weber, director of CT Global; and (name temporarily withheld) videographer in Kiev, Ukraine.

The Crisis Publishing Initiative Conference is for Christians in publishing who face the challenge of reporting on catastrophic events and wish to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources that will enable them to research, report, and publish responsibly in crisis situations.  More information is available on the event website or our website and Facebook.

About Magazine Training International
The mission of Magazine Training International is to encourage, strengthen, and provide resources to Christian magazines as they seek to build the church and reach their societies for Christ. Over the last 33 years, MTI offered 70 conferences, courses, and seminars in East/Central Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. In addition to courses and conferences, MTI provides online courses and workshops, free e-books, training videos, course manuals in a dozen languages, and other print digital, audio, and audio-visual materials in resource center on MTI’s website.

Media Contact: Sharon Mumper, President, (719) 598-9743, semumper@magazinetraining.com

(Carol Stream, Illinois, USA) – “Given the situation the world is going through, LittWorld 2022 was one of the best conferences I have ever attended,” said publisher Sawsan Tannoury of  Lebanon. “We saw how God is spreading His Word, despite the difficult circumstances.”

Some 164 Christian publishing staff and writers from 50 countries gathered in Siófok, Hungary, April 24-29, for LittWorld 2022, the triennial global publishing conference organized by Media Associates International (MAI).  CEO Kornél Herjeczki of Harmat Publishing in Budapest and MAI’s European Board served as conference hosts.

After two-plus years of relative isolation due to the pandemic, participants said LittWorld opened their eyes to the global media community and connected them to new global relationships for future growth and innovation.

“Many attendees told me that they were so glad that we went ahead with the conference despite the uncertainties of COVID-19, and then described the specific ways they benefitted from it,” MAI President John Maust said.

More than 40 speakers and workshop leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas led vision-building and “how-to” sessions for publishers, editors, writers and designers–weaving in the conference theme, “Stronger Together: Publishing Hope Beyond Crisis” into their sessions.

“It was a time of encouragement and insights,” said publisher Hussam Fakhoury of Jordan. “Just four months earlier I became director of a publishing house for the MENA region, and LittWorld was an opportunity to get wisdom from experts.”

Journalist Jonah Nyoni of Zimbabwe commented, “The conference came at the nick of time in my career as a writer. I feel that after such training, I am able to fly and make a greater impact.”

The opening two sessions of the conference were livestreamed, with author and counselor Emöke Tapolyai of Hungary speaking on “How to Maintain Hope and Help Others in a Dark World,” and best-selling author Philip Yancey encouraging communicators to create content that will “lift eyes to permanent things” in a world in crisis.

The war nearby in Ukraine added a dimension of immediacy, with delegates both from Ukraine and Russia. Firsthand reports from Ukraine united the group in prayers for peace. A global bazaar conceived by a delegate from Mexico featured items from countries around the world that were sold at LittWorld. All the money raised went towards Ukrainian refugee relief in Hungary.

LittWorld is the largest training event of Media Associates International (MAI), which also holds smaller in-country workshops to equip and encourage Christian publishers and writers in hard places of the world to create excellent content that enriches the Church and influences society.

“Thank you again for all the organizing, all the attentiveness, all the kindness and love you have shown to us,” Romanian author and screenwriter Balázs Zágoni said. “I can only repeat what I have said before: If I could choose only one conference to attend in my life, it would be LittWorld.”

Ada, Mich. (May 9, 2022)—Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to announce that The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation by Wendy Speake has reached a significant milestone, with more than 250,000 copies in print.

“We are thrilled to be partnered with Wendy and continue to be astounded at the number of people who gravitate to this message,” says Rebekah Guzman, Editorial Director of Baker Books. “It is amazing to see Baker Books and Wendy hit this incredible sales threshold, and we look forward to many more lives changed from her books.”

Wendy Speake is the author of The 40-Day Sugar Fast, The 40-Day Social Media Fast, The 40-Day Fast Journal and is coauthor of Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses. Wendy hosts her annual online 40-Day Sugar Fast every January and her 40-Day Social Media Fast every Lent. Her next book, The 40-Day Feast, will release in 2023.

Baker Books has a vision for building up the body of Christ through books that are relevant, intelligent, and engaging. We publish titles for lay Christians on topics such as discipleship, apologetics, spirituality, relationships, marriage, parenting, and the intersection of Christianity and culture. We also publish books and ministry resources for pastors and church leaders, concentrating on topics such as preaching, worship, pastoral ministries, counseling, biblical reference, and leadership.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

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