CAROL STREAM, Ill.— October 29, 2021—Tyndale House Publishers is pleased to announce that four-time Christy Award–winning author Cathy Gohlke was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame this week. Authors who have received four or more Christy Awards are inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. This is the highest author honor of the Christy Award program, recognizing the author’s legacy and contributions to Christian fiction.

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) hosted the 22nd annual Christy Award online gala on October 28, to honor bestselling Christian fiction authors. The event was hosted by Christy Award Hall of Fame, bestselling Tyndale author and radio personality Chris Fabry. The Christy Award “is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres.”

Stephanie Broene, senior acquisitions editor for Tyndale fiction, shared, “It has been a distinct pleasure to partner with Cathy on her novels for nearly a decade. Her dedication to the craft of storytelling and communicating the good news of the gospel through her novels has been truly inspiring. I am so thrilled that ECPA and the Christy Awards could honor her in this way.”

Four-time Christy and two-time Carol and INSPY Award–winning and bestselling author Cathy Gohlke writes novels steeped with inspirational lessons, speaking of world and life events through the lens of history. She champions the battle against oppression, celebrating the freedom found only in Christ. Cathy has worked as a school librarian, drama director, and director of children’s and education ministries. When not traveling to historic sites for research, she and her husband, Dan, divide their time between northern Virginia and the Jersey Shore, enjoying time with their grown children and grandchildren. Visit her website at cathygohlke.com and find her on Facebook at CathyGohlkeBooks and BookBub (@CathyGohlke).

Cathy’s novels, which include Night Bird Calling, The Medallion, Until We Find Home, Secrets She Kept, Saving Amelie, Band of Sisters, and Promise Me This, have won multiple awards and achieved bestselling status. In her upcoming April 2022 novel, A Hundred Crickets Singing, Cathy Gohlke delivers a gripping, emotive story about friendship and the enduring promise of justice.

For more information on Tyndale fiction titles, please visit tyndale.com.

The Christy Award® is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999 and is named for Catherine Marshall’s novel Christy, which has sold over 10 million copies since its publication in 1967. ECPA assumed ownership and administration of the award in 2017 to focus and grow the unique opportunity of fiction in Christian publishing. ChristyAwards.com

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international nonprofit 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. ECPA.org

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 nonprofit 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.

Contact: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com 630.784.5275

Westmont, IL—Internationally recognized Enneagram master teacher Suzanne Stabile will be offering workshops across ten different cities in the United States in 2022. The tour coincides with the November 2 launch of her new book, The Journey Toward Wholeness: Enneagram Wisdom for Stress, Balance, and Transformation.

The in-person, multi-city tour is primarily focused in the southern and eastern regions of the country, areas where Stabile has been intentional about building relationships with churches and people who have become Enneagram enthusiasts. The tour stops consist of a of a ticketed event on Friday to witness a live recording of Suzanne’s podcast at a local venue followed by an all-day intensive workshop at a local church. The cities include

• Richmond, VA—January 7–8, 2022
• Birmingham, AL—February 4–5, 2022
• Houston, TX—March 4–5, 2022
• Austin, TX—April 8–9, 2022
• Portland, OR—May 6–7, 2022
• Dallas, TX—June 3–4, 2022
• Denver, CO—July 15–16, 2022
• Charlotte, NC—September 9–10, 2022
• San Francisco, CA—October 7–8, 2022
• Kansas City, MO November 11–12, 2022

Stabile said, “It’s my hope in this tour to celebrate the interest in the Enneagram and to educate those who have not yet been exposed to its depth and its wisdom.”

The depth of the Enneagram is what Stabile’s latest work will offer readers and workshop participants. The book and the tour will engage those already familiar with the Enneagram to dig deeper into the concept of the three Centers of Intelligence: thinking, feeling, and doing. The Journey Toward Wholeness and the in-person events provide what people need to deal with the world’s stressors and achieve lasting transformation. A six-session study guide serves as a companion piece to the book. Both will serve as valuable resources for workshop participants.

Stabile said, “The key is balance. The way to achieve that balance is by understanding Enneagram wisdom around triads, stress, and stances. Balance is achieved in the moments we are able to appropriately use all three centers, thinking, feeling, and doing, each for their intended purpose.”

Teresa McBean, executive director for the National Association for Christian Recovery, who will be hosting the first workshop on the tour in Richmond, Virginia, said, “We are honored to be the first site of Suzanne’s book tour. We have loved hosting Suzanne and her team over the years as she teaches our community about the Enneagram. I’m most excited that our community can celebrate with her, as we believe the Enneagram is an amazing tool for spiritual growth.”

Stabile has taught the Enneagram to thousands of people over the last thirty years, and she currently hosts The Enneagram Journey podcast. Her previous books about the Enneagram, The Path Between Us by Stabile and The Road Back to You, authored by Ian Morgan Cron and coauthored by Suzanne Stabile, have sold over 100,000 and 750,000 copies, respectively, to date.

Adam Dalton, IVP associate director of sales, said, “As events and in-person workshops ramp up, we are seeing many different stores coming to us to support author signings and events for local communities. Because of Suzanne’s strong platform as an Enneagram expert, we have received high receptivity to her book and our team is looking forward to supporting her and these communities in what we expect to be a highly engaging book tour.”

For more information about the book’s official release party in Dallas, Texas, and additional information about the teaching tour, visit Suzanne’s website at lifeinthetrinityministry.com.

Contact: Tara Burns | 630.734.4059 | tburns@ivpress.com

Ada, Mich. (Nov. 1, 2021)—Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to announce the signing of a multi-book contract with Jess Connolly.

“Jess is bold in her truth telling, dynamic in her teaching, and tireless in her mission to see women live free in the freedom that God has made them for,” said Stephanie Duncan Smith, senior editor, Baker Books. “Baker Books is thrilled to partner with her in crafting messages that lead women into life.”

Her contract with Baker Publishing Group includes multiple titles, with the first to release tentatively in 2024. Connolly is represented by Jenni Burke of Illuminate Literary Agency.

“I’m wildly grateful to be partnering with Baker in the kingdom work of writing, amidst so many other incredible writers,” said Jess Connolly. “Their vision, heart, and passion for helping authors communicate is inspiring, and I can’t wait to get started. It’s also a huge honor to be able to work with Stephanie Smith as my editor—she’s truly a shepherd of books and an outpost of encouragement and wisdom. I am expectant and grateful!”

Jess Connolly is a woman who wants to leave her generation more in awe of God than she found it. She is passionate about family, God’s Word, and seeing women take their place in the kingdom. She’s an author, a church leader, and a coach through her organization Go and Tell Gals, equipping and encouraging women to use their God-given gifts for the good of others and the glory of God. She’s written nine books, including Wild and Free with Hayley Morgan, You Are the Girl for the Job, and Breaking Free from Body Shame. Jess and her husband, Nick, live in Charleston, South Carolina, where they’ve planted Bright City Church. They have four wild and hilarious kids: Elias, Gloriana, Benjamin, and Cannon. Follow her on Instagram at @jessaconnolly or on her website: jessconnolly.com.

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

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, November 1, 2021—End Game Press is pleased to announce that Bedtime with Mommy, written by Nancy I. Sanders and illustrated by Felia Hanakata, won the gold medal in the Board Book / Cloth Book Print category in the 15^th Annual, 2021 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. Launched in 2007, the awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to celebrate children’s books and life-long reading.

The first title released by End Game Press, Bedtime with Mommy is an adorable board book that features a mommy and baby animal in eight different habitats around the world getting ready for bed. Beautiful illustrations complement the words that take readers from the elephants on the grasslands, to the camels in the desert, to the polar bears in the Arctic, and concludes when Mommy tucks a child into bed.

“I am so thrilled for Bedtime for Mommy to receive this award and recognition,” said End Game Press founder and publisher Victoria Duerstock. “Nancy and Felia are incredibly talented, and it makes me incredibly proud for their deserving work to be recognized in this way.”

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Award medalists were chosen from nearly 1,500 total entries that came from children’s book authors, illustrators, and publishers from all over the U.S. and from 22 other countries around the world.

About End Game Press
Launched by award-winning author Victoria Duerstock in 2020, End Game Press is a traditional publishing house where ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. End Game Press puts authors first, educating them on the entirety of the publishing process and providing them with the needed training to be successful. With a goal to create beauty and cultivate community, End Game Press publishes fiction, nonfiction, and children’s titles into both general and Christian markets. Learn more at www.endgamepress.com.

Media Contact: Shanon Stowe, shanon@iconmediagroup.com

Lake Mary, FL – Pastor Kevin Wallace knows what seasonal storms look like. Whether launching an international ministry, founding an organization that helps care for sex trafficking victims, or leading a church family through one of this generation’s most difficult seasons– the Covid-19 pandemic – he has seen how easy it is for things around us to shake and break. But in his newest book, After This: God Can Turn Any Season Into a Time of Blessing (ISBN-13: 978-1-63641-076-0, Charisma House), the lead pastor of Redemption to the Nations Church and founder of Ruach Global Network shares spiritual insights illustrated by his own story and offers Christians an encouraging compass pointing to the coming blessing and breakthrough after difficult seasons in life.

Through his work planting a church campus in Uruguay, developing programs to care for trafficking victims in Guatemala, Romania, and Chattanooga through The Zion Project, pastoring Redemption to the Nations, and even his own 21-day physical and spiritual battle with Covid-19, Wallace has personally seen the difficult seasons that people around the world find themselves experiencing. “All of us can testify that at some point in our journeys we have wrestled with a chapter, a season, a this that we had to fight our way through,” he writes. “Nobody gets a free pass that exempts us from this. You either have faced or you will face this eventually.”

After This is Wallace’s call for believers to embrace all of life’s seasons and realize that God can use them no matter what they are facing. He firmly believes that for each person there is a season of breakthrough coming. He writes, “We are about to find the sweet spot in our journey with Jesus. It does not matter how many times you missed it… this place you are in is not permanent. There is an “after this.”

Wallace shares actionable changes in thinking that readers can use to navigate the seasons ahead with newfound vision, including:

• Trust The Scattering: no matter what hand life deals, the sovereign hand of God is at work, scattering the gospel seed so the kingdom of God can grow
• Keep Your Vision: maintain vision so you can step into seasons of strength and blessing
• Maintain a Revelation of The Greatness of God: don’t lose awareness of God’s greatness while navigating the trials and vicissitudes of life
• Advance In Adversity: don’t let difficulty dictate your divine task or its timing, adversity begins to evaporate when the enemy discovers a tenacious perseverance

Wallace goes on to state his main goal for the book. “I sense an assignment to remind you that you may have forgotten that God is good,” he writes. “Remember what Paul said in Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.’”

Kevin Wallace asserts that after the misery, after the mess, after the divorce, after the breakup, after the bankruptcy, after the failure, after sickness, there is an “after this” coming that will change everything for those who belong to God. “I am confident in telling you that you have not yet experienced the greatest season of your life. I know it is a bold statement, but I believe it—and not as some pie-in-the-sky, wishful thought. This belief is firmly rooted in the truth of God’s Word and the identity of God Himself. Your best season is ahead.”

For additional information, including a free sample chapter of After This, visit Charisma House.

After This is released by Charisma House, which publishes books that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians.

Kevin Wallace is the lead pastor of Redemption to the Nations Church and founder of Ruach Global Network. Together with his wife Deven, the Wallaces have committed their lives to impacting Chattanooga, TN, with a message of love and redemption while raising up sons and daughters equipped with the power of God to change nations. Kevin and Deven are graduates of Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and travel the world with a gospel message of hope and healing, maintaining that their greatest honor is enjoying time with their children: Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zion, Judah, and Genesis.

Keep Up With Kevin Wallace:

• Website: kevinwallace.tv   ruachglobalnetwork.com  rttn.church
• Facebook: @KevinWallace
• Instagram: @bishopkevinwallace
• Twitter:    @rttnpastor
• YouTube: @RedemptiontotheNationsChurch

Media Contacts: TKO Publicity
Linda Klosterman, lklosterman@tkomarketing.net
Chelsey Dickson, chelsey@tkomarketing.net

To interview Kevin Wallace or for a review copy of After This, contact klosterman@tkomarketing.net or chelsey@tkomarketing.net.

CHICAGO, IL— Independent Publishers Group (US–based IPG) is pleased to announce that it has acquired UK–based United Independent Distributors (UID).

This international acquisition includes Eurospan, the UK’s leading sales and marketing agency for international academic and professional publishers, and the distribution centers, Marston, Orca, and Turpin. This expands on IPG’s core business of providing publisher services to high quality independent publishers from around the world.

“This historic merger provides exciting new opportunities to expand the global reach of independent publishers on both sides of the Atlantic and creates an unrivaled menu of services to drive sales,” said Joe Matthews, IPG CEO.  “I could not imagine a better way to celebrate IPG’s 50-year anniversary.”

The timing of the transaction coincides with the opening of a brand-new state-of-the-art warehouse facility in South East England where distribution centers will be consolidated. Eurospan will retain its central London headquarters.

IPG will gain new core competencies, such as Eurospan’s global network of sales and marketing channels and Turpin’s renowned journals business. The UK entities likewise gain IPG’s proprietary e-book platform and robust digital print solutions. The combined entities will offer the most comprehensive platform of global services to provide a seamless integration of sales, marketing, print, and distribution to our ever-expanding lists of international publishers.

“This exciting new partnership enables the combined UID companies to step up to the next level and will provide a truly global reach to all our publishing clients,” said Mark Chaloner, UID COO.

About Independent Publishers Group:
In 2021, Independent Publishers Group (US-based IPG, www.ipgbook.com) celebrates its 50th anniversary. As the original North American distributor, IPG was founded specifically to represent titles from independent publishers to the book trade. Today IPG remains committed to reimagining distribution and has grown to provide its publishers with services ranging from pre-publication consultation, global sales, marketing and publicity, supply chain, print and digital distribution, data and reporting, to print brokerage.

IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and this acquisition formed the parent company Chicago Review Press, Inc., which now owns Chicago-based indie publishers Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books. In the fall of 2006, Chicago Review Press, Inc. bought Trafalgar Square Publishing, Inc., the leading US distributor of such international publishers as Penguin Random House UK, Penguin Random House Australia, Pan Macmillan UK, Collins UK, and Head of Zeus. International Specialized Book Services (ISBS), a premier distributor of over sixty publishers of academic, scholarly, and professional publishers was acquired in April of 2018. Continuing its trajectory of growth in August of 2018, IPG acquired Midpoint Trade Books, a full-service book distribution company that was founded in 1996 and whose distribution clients were made up of independent book publishers from across the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from giving publishers broader reach into more markets, including general trade, academic, children’s, Spanish, and special markets.

About United Independent Distributors:
The combined companies of United Independent Distributors (UID, www.uid-group.com) provide a full range of distribution services to academic, trade, and journal publishers both directly and through relationships with agencies. It is a partnership model dedicated to supporting publishers’ access to global markets in the most cost-effective ways.

Contact: Annette Hobbs Magier, VP, Marketing & PR – IPG | ahobbsmagier@ipgbook.com
Contact: Rebekah Ampadu, Corporate Relations Manager – UID | rebekah.ampadu@eurospan.co.uk

 

 

Is God Still Awake? A Small Girl with a Big Question About God debuts Tuesday, Nov. 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 19, 2021) – Having sold more than 5.5 million copies of books, bestselling author and TV host Sheila Walsh now is releasing a new children’s picture book, Is God Still Awake? A Small Girl with a Big Question About God, available wherever books are sold Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Kids have questions. Lots of questions. According to Harvard-based child psychologist Paul Harris, a child asks around 40,000 questions between the ages of two and five. When Walsh was a little girl growing up in Scotland, she clearly remembers posing a question to her mother at bedtime – is God still awake?

“As a child I wanted to know if I could talk to God anytime, anywhere, about anything,” recalls Walsh. “My mother reassured me that God never sleeps. He is always watching over His children.”

Walsh immediately notes the importance of children being able to understand God’s love and presence for them, dedicating Is God Still Awake? to every little one in this great big world who has ever wondered, ‘Does God see me?’

Is God Still Awake? A Small Girl with a Big Question About God helps parents address this question, with a delightful story and beautiful illustrations to help families show kids how, when, and why to talk with God.

Readers are introduced to Poppy, a curious, little girl who has big questions about God. Poppy wants to know how to talk with God and whether God listens to her. 

My name is Poppy,

and I may be small,

but I have a big question,

the biggest of all.

Is God always with me,

or does He take a break?

When I go to sleep,

is God still awake?

As Poppy goes through her day at home and school, she poses several questions about God such as, ‘Does God hear a whisper or do we have to shout?’, ‘Can He hear our thoughts?’, and ‘Does He see my dreams?’. Ultimately, Poppy discovers that God is always present, even when the world is asleep.

With humorous, rhyming text, Is God Still Awake? A Small Girl with a Big Question About God assures children that God loves them and is always with them. Whether it’s day or night, God is awake, He’s listening, and He loves to hear His children speak.

“It’s my prayer that in this rapidly changing world, children would be reminded of the love and care of God and that they can talk to Him on their best days and on their most difficult,” said Walsh. “He is always just a prayer away.”

Is God Still Awake? A Small Girl with a Big Question About God (ISBN: 9781400229635) will be released on November 2, 2021 everywhere books are sold.

About the author, Sheila Walsh
Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, international recording artist, television host and bestselling author with almost six million books sold. She is the author of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess series, It’s Okay Not to Be Okay, Praying Women, Holding On When You Want to Let Go, and more. She is cohost of the inspirational talk show Life Today with James and Betty Robison, which is seen worldwide by a potential audience of over 100 million viewers.  Sheila lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Barry, and son, Christian, who is in graduate school.

About the illustrator, Aleksandra Szmidt
Aleksandra Szmidt grew up in a town in the south of Poland and currently resides in New Zealand. In Poland, she worked as a graphic designer. Upon moving, she decided to pursue her dream of being a freelance illustrator. From her home studio, Aleksandra creates one-of-a-kind artwork for clients across the world. Her love of drawing plants and animals is attributed to her landscape architecture studies. However, she prefers to design magical things often detached from reality. She loves both traditional and digital painting and also likes to mix them. This brings her immense joy and an emotional connection to her artwork. 

About Tommy Nelson
Tommy Nelson® is the children’s division of Thomas Nelson. As a leading provider of Christian content, Tommy Nelson publishes a wide variety of high-quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible. Tommy Nelson’s award-winning products are designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith while inspiring them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. For more information, visit www.tommynelson.com.

Media contact:  Natividad Lewis, Publicist, 931.698.9620, natividad.lewis@harpercollins.com

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20, 2021 — Ligonier Ministries is expanding its campaign to distribute free copies of the Reformation Study Bible to pastors, teachers, and students in ten African countries. Having originally planned to deliver 36,000 study Bibles by 2028, this outreach has considerably outpaced its initial target, with a total of 30,000 expected to be distributed by the end of October 2021. This great success has encouraged the partnership to pursue a new distribution goal of 100,000 study Bibles by 2028.
Study Bibles for Africa was the final ministry campaign launched by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Ligonier’s founder, before he went to be with the Lord in 2017. Looking to the future, Dr. Sproul noted that while people often overestimate what they are able to accomplish in one year, they often underestimate what they can achieve in five years. In God’s providence, this campaign presents a fitting illustration of that fact, as Ligonier has developed capabilities to distribute study Bibles more efficiently than anticipated, fueled by the generosity of supporters who believe in this work.

The study Bibles are distributed to a multi-country network of African villages, schools, seminaries, and churches through the Rafiki Foundation established by Rosemary Jensen, along with other distribution partners. Commenting on the significance of this outreach, Mrs. Jensen said:”There is nothing more important for anybody to have than the Bible. And I love the Reformation Study Bible. More than a Bible, it’s a whole library in one volume.”Its theological notes, trusted commentary, and historic creeds and confessions make the Reformation Study Bible an exceptional resource for church leaders in regions where sound discipleship materials are scarce. Even if pastors in these areas could manage to find such a resource in a bookstore, the cost would equal at least one month’s stipend. Placing the Reformation Study Bible in the hands of an African minister provides him access to the obtainable and impacts hundreds of others as he goes on to teach and disciple others.

Chris Larson, president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries, said:

“Some demographers think that in the next ten to fifteen years, more than a billion souls will be added to Africa’s population. Today, the average age on the continent is under twenty years. We’re presented with a critical opportunity to equip pastors and leaders who can disciple the next generation. As we hear of the church’s expansive growth in the Global South, it appears that Africa’s future is Christian. The question is, what kind of Christianity will it be? We pray and strive in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission so that the church may not be storm-tossed by doctrinal winds but steadfastly committed to the truth once for all delivered to the saints. By God’s grace, the Reformation Study Bible is capable of playing a pivotal role in this work, and this distribution partnership has galvanized our efforts to translate the study Bible into even more languages.”

This significant endeavor is aided by visionary donors who want to help advance the teachings of Scripture and Reformed theology throughout the world. To support the Study Bibles for Africa campaign and to help distribute 100,000 copies of the Reformation Study Bible to African Christians by 2028, donations can be made today on Ligonier’s website.

About Ligonier Ministries
Ligonier Ministries exists to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible. To that end, Ligonier’s outreach today is manifold and worldwide. Founded by Dr. R.C. Sproul in 1971, Ligonier’s teaching fellowship consists of theologians, pastors, and scholars. Ligonier publishes Renewing Your Mind broadcasts, the Reformation Study Bible, Tabletalk magazine, books, and hundreds of teaching series. The ministry also offers an undergraduate degree program through Reformation Bible College. In addition, Ligonier hosts national and regional conferences, provides an online learning community through Ligonier Connect, streams 24-hour Christian Internet radio through RefNet, answers biblical and theological questions with Ask Ligonier, pursues numerous translation efforts in other countries, and makes available thousands of unique educational resources online at Ligonier.org.

CONTACT: Deborah Finnamore, Publicity Manager, 407-333-4244, definnamore@ligonier.org

Books International (BI) is pleased to announce its membership in Carbon Balanced Paper (CBP), a program administered by Sustainable Paper Group in association with global conservation charity World Land Trust. A paper becomes “carbon balanced” when the average emissions associated with its production are offset by World Land Trust conservation efforts.

CBP follows the principles of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), now recognized as one of the most effective and fastest ways to stop the rise in atmospheric CO2 and global warming effects. According to the UN, the following five REDD+ activities contribute to carbon mitigation actions in forests and have been globally agreed to:

• reducing emissions from deforestation
• reducing emissions from forest degradation
• conservation of forest-carbon stocks
• enhancement of forest-carbon stocks
• sustainable management of forests

Not only does CBP help reduce carbon impact, but it also helps protect endangered species by supporting World Land Trust projects in Vietnam—one of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth.

To learn more about CBP, visit their website: carbonbalancedpaper.com.

For more on Books International: booksintl.presswarehouse.com.

October 20, 2021 – Media Associates International is pleased to announce Dar Manhal Al Hayat publishing house in Lebanon as the recipient of our 2021 Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award.

Named after MAI founding President Robert B. Reekie, this annual award recognizes the ministry excellence of a Christian publisher serving in a challenging context to provide valuable spiritual resources for its readers.  The award comes with a cash gift made possible by an anonymous donor.

“We commend Dar Manhal Al Hayat for its many years of distinguished ministry,” MAI President John Maust wrote to publishing director Sawsan Tannoury, “and especially for your perseverance in creating quality Christian content for the Lebanese people during this period of great economic need and socio-political upheaval in the nation.”

“We have received news of the award with joy and gratitude to MAI and the Lord, who has helped and strengthened us in the midst of frustrating and harsh conditions,” Sawsan responded.

Lebanon finds itself in a deep political and economic crisis, which has sparked widespread protests and two changes of government since 2019.  “A currency collapse, shortages and the pandemic have battered the economy and reduced Lebanese who were comfortably middle-class to poverty,” the New York Times recently reported–all this in a nation still reeling from last year’s Beirut port blast leaving 200 dead and sections of the city in wreckage.

But none of this has kept Dar Manhal Al Hayat from publishing and serving its readers.

On October 9, it launched six books by Dr. Imad Shehadeh in partnership with the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS).  “Also, we have published two books for children by local authors, with two more on the way,” Sawsan said.  “We have also started work on a promising project, ‘The Voice of Arab Women.’”

Dar Manhal al Hayat was established in the 1960s to develop Arabic Christian resources that meet the needs of the Church in Lebanon and various countries in the Arab world.

“The harvest is abundant in this region, which makes it a high priority for us to make Arabic Christian resources accessible at prices that are affordable for Christians,” Sawsan said. “Because the church in the Middle East and North Africa faces many challenges, we do our best to serve and provide it with resources that enhance its daily walk with God.

“It is a privilege and an honor for us to receive this MAI award, and it means so much to me and the staff to receive this good news amid all the sad news [now in our country].”