WESTMONT, IL—The Academy of Parish Clergy Inc. has honored First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament with the Reference Book of the Year Award.

“Congratulations to Terry Wildman and all those who contributed to this project,” said Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP. “The First Nations Version is a groundbreaking, fresh translation of the New Testament filled with vivid, evocative language and imagery. It helps modern readers discover the power of Scripture by conveying the biblical story through the sensibilities and cadences of Native oral storytelling tradition. We experience the kingdom of God as walking Creator’s Good Road, and we encounter Jesus as Creator Sets Free, the Chosen One. It has been an honor to partner with Terry Wildman and the FNV team in heralding the great story to new peoples.”

Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui) served as the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version. “You might call this a contextual translation in English, in the tradition of the storytellers of oral culture,” Wildman said. “While it is not tribally specific, it is intended to relate in a general way to all our First Nations people. The FNV is not only a gift to our First Nations people, but we also consider it an offering from First Nations people to the world. It is similar in concept to The Message by Eugene Peterson, or The Living Bible by Kenneth N. Taylor. But it is different in the sense that it attempts to convey the rhythm and feel of an oral storyteller from our Turtle Island (North American) cultures.”

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. This way of speaking, with its simple yet profound beauty and rich cultural idioms, still resonates in the hearts of First Nations people.

The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this new Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations.

Wildman said, “My greatest hope comes from First Nations people who have read this translation and have said it opened their eyes to who Creator Sets Free (Jesus) truly is. It has already broken down some of the walls that exist because of the horrific way the gospel was most often forced on our Native peoples. I hope stories like this will multiply as more people read the First Nations Version.” 

The Academy of Parish Clergy, an inclusive community of professional religious leaders, supports and promotes excellence in spiritual, scholarly, and relational ministry

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

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

CAROL STREAM, Ill.—April 8, 2022—Tyndale House Publishers is pleased to announce that six THP  titles and authors have been named finalists for 2022 Christian Book Awards. The Christian Book Award honors excellence in Bibles and Christian books.

According to their website, “The Christian Book Award® program recognizes the highest quality in Christian books and Bibles and is among the oldest and most prestigious awards program in the religious publishing industry. Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Award® program honors the “best of the year” in 12 categories.”

On April 7, 2022, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the finalists for the 2022 Christian Book Awards.

Tyndale House Publishers’ authors and titles were named finalists in the following categories:

Audio

• Enemies and Allies, Joel C. Rosenberg; narrated by Michael Beck, produced by ONE Audiobooks & Verity Audio Productions, published by Tyndale House Publishers

Bible Study

• Now That Faith Has Come: A Study of Galatians, Beth Moore and Melissa Moore, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781735890906

Biography and Memoir

• Food Saved Me: My Journey of Finding Health and Hope through the Power of Food, Danielle Walker, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496444745
• Peacebunny Island: The Extraordinary Journey of a Boy and His Comfort Rabbits, and How They’re Teaching Us about Hope and Kindness, Caleb Smith, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496452474

Children

• My Arms Will Hold You Tight, Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley; illustrated by Anna Kubaszewska, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496446220

New Author

• The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith, Gretchen Saffles, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496445452

In response to this significant honor, Ron Beers, Publisher of Tyndale Book Group shared, “Tyndale is so blessed and grateful for all of our authors who join with us in carrying out the mission of ministering to the spiritual needs of people through great books. Our authors do that passionately and with excellence. We congratulate these authors whose works have been chosen as finalists for this significant award, and pray that the profound messages from each of these books makes a great impact in people’s lives for years to come.”

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

The Christian Book Award program has recognized the absolute highest quality in Christian books since 1978, when it was called the Gold Medallion Award. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and impact, the Christian Book Award program is the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the religious publishing industry.  ChristianBookAwards.com

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.

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 imagination 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: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com, 630.784.5275

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—April 8, 2022—NavPress is pleased to announce that Embracing the New Samaria: Opening Our Eyes to Our Multiethnic Future, written by Alejandro Mandes, has been named a finalist in the Faith & Culture category for the 2022 Christian Book Awards. The Christian Book Award honors excellence in Bibles and Christian books.

According to their website, “The Christian Book Award® program recognizes the highest quality in Christian books and Bibles and is among the oldest and most prestigious awards program in the religious publishing industry. Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Award® program honors the ‘best of the year’ in 12 categories.”

On April 7, 2022, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the finalists for the 2022 Christian Book Awards. NavPress author Alejandro Mandes and his title have been included as finalists as follows:

Faith & Culture

Embracing the New Samaria: Opening Our Eyes to Our Multiethnic Future, Alejandro Mandes, NavPress, 978-1-64158-434-0

In response to this significant honor, NavPress Publisher David Zimmerman shared, “We’re so excited for Alex to be given this recognition. His book reflects a long-held and hard-fought passion for the church in our time to reflect the eternal vision of God: that every tribe, tongue, and nation come together in true worship and authentic community.”

For more information on NavPress titles, please visit www.NavPress.com.

The Christian Book Award® program has recognized the absolute highest quality in Christian books since 1978, when it was called the Gold Medallion Award. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and impact, the Christian Book Award program is the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the religious publishing industry.  ChristianBookAwards.com

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.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to peoples’ lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.

Contact: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com, 630.784.5275

 

Ada, Mich. (April 6, 2022)—Baker Academic and Brazos Press is pleased to announce that three titles were honored by the Academy of Parish Clergy Inc. as part of its 2022 Book of the Year Awards. On the Spectrum by Daniel Bowman Jr. received top honor as Book of the Year.

In its announcement, the Academy of Parish Clergy Inc. said “This year the committee has selected Daniel Bowman Jr.’s book On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity, which was published by Brazos Press (2021). Bowman is an associate professor of English at Taylor University, codirector of the university’s Making Literature Conference, and editor of Relief: A Journal of Art & Faith. The Book of the Year Award is given by the Academy of Parish Clergy to the book published in the prior year (2021) [that] the committee believes best speaks to the needs and interests of parish clergy.”

On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity by Daniel Bowman Jr. (Brazos Press, ISBN 9781587435065, ebook ISBN 9781493431120, $19.99p)

This book debunks myths about autism and autistics with a realistic yet hope-filled deep dive into the heart, mind, and life of an autistic Christian.

The Congregation in a Secular Age by Andrew Root (Baker Academic) made the Top Ten Book List for Parish Ministry and The Lord Is My Shepherd by Richard S. Briggs (Baker Academic) made the Reference Book Top Five List.

The Congregation in a Secular Age: Keeping Sacred Time against the Speed of Modern Life by Andrew Root (Baker Academic, ISBN 9780801098482, ebook ISBN 9781493429721, $26.99p)

A leading practical theologian articulates why congregations feel pressured by the speed of change in modern life and encourages an approach that doesn’t fall into the negative traps of our secular age.

The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church by Richard S. Briggs (Baker Academic, ISBN 9781540961853, ebook ISBN 9781493432127, $24.99c)

Briggs offers an exposition of Psalm 23, showing how this classic and beloved text can speak afresh to the life of the church today.

Recognition of these important contributions to the spiritual and professional development of religious professionals will be given in two Zoom events that will be simulcast on the Academy of Parish Clergy Facebook page. The Book of the Year announcement takes place on Friday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m. EDT (https://www.facebook.com/apclergy). The time of the Reference Book of the Year Award announcement is to be determined.

For more information about the Academy, please go to www.apclergy.org.

Contact: Lydia Koning, (616) 676-9185, lkoning@BakerPublishingGroup.com

Iron Stream Media is overjoyed to announce eight finalists in six different categories for the 2022 Selah Awards that will be presented at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in June. According to the awards staff, there were more entries than ever before this year with well over 400 entries. The First Novel and Fiction: Mystery/Suspense categories were particularly large this year.

The finalists are:

Audio Books

• Soul Strong, Lucinda Secrest McDowell, Oasis Audio
• The Stars in April, Peggy Wirgau

Christian Life

• Messy Hope, Lori Wildenberg

Children’s Literature

• Puppy Dog Devotions, Michelle Medlock Adams & Wendy Hinote Lanier

First Novel

• Tempest, C J Campbell
• The Endling, Deborah Maxey

Fiction: Mystery/Suspense

• Hoax, Leanna Sain

Fiction: Speculative

• Tempest, C J Campbell

Iron Stream Media derives its name from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  This sharpening describes the process of discipleship, one to another. Iron Stream Media provides a variety of solutions for churches, missionaries, and nonprofits that include in-depth Bible study curriculum, Christian book publishing, and consultative services. Iron Stream Media is the home of Iron Stream Books, Iron Stream Fiction, Iron Stream Harambee Press, Iron Stream Kidz, and Brookstone Creative Group. Through the popular Life Bible Study and Student Life Bible Study imprints, they also provide web-based, full-year and short-term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.

Book these authors as guest speakers or for book signings by contacting Kim McCulla at kim.mcculla@ironstreammedia.com. Limited supply of giveaway copies available for special events and interviews. Books can also be ordered through your distributor or visit www.newhopepublishers.com.

Ada, Mich. (March 28, 2022)—Beth Allison Barr, author of the bestselling The Making of Biblical Womanhood, has signed a new contract with Brazos Press to publish two new books. Becoming the Pastor’s Wife will release in Fall 2024, and Losing Our Medieval Religion is slated for Fall 2026. Brazos has exclusive world rights. The projects were agented with Giles Anderson with the Anderson Literary Agency. “Beth Allison Barr captures exactly what we want Brazos to be: scholarly yet accessible, connecting historical Christian faith to contemporary issues in the church and the world,” said editorial director Katelyn Beaty. “Our team is thrilled to partner with her again.”

Becoming the Pastor’s Wife
A Baylor historian and Baptist pastor’s wife traces the history of the role, showing how it rose to prominence at the same time that women’s ordination became forbidden in many Protestant circles.

This book builds on the premise of Barr’s runaway hit, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, resembling its successful blend of historical research and personal narrative. It moves this conversation forward, both uncovering for evangelicals the historical origins of the pastor’s wife role as well as revealing how its emergence has contributed to evangelicals forgetting the historical reality of ordained women.

Losing Our Medieval Religion
A medieval historian traces church history to show the depth of amnesia within the American church and the impact it has had on contemporary theology and practice.

Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, women’s history, and church history. She recently served as president of the Conference on Faith and History (2018–2021) and is an active supporter of Christians for Biblical Equality. Barr is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench, the popular Patheos website on religious history, and has written for Christianity Today, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, The Dallas Morning News, Sojourners, and Baptist News Global. Her work has been featured by NPR and The New Yorker. She is also a Baptist pastor’s wife and the mom of two great kids.

Contact: Shelly MacNaughton, (616) 450-5560, smacnaughton@bakerpublishinggroup.com

W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, today announced Waymaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed by Ann Voskamp, was named to the following bestseller lists the week following its March 15 on-sale date:

USA Today Bestselling Books (week ending March 20)
#8

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Books (week ending week of March 19)
#3 Hardcover Nonfiction
#7 Wall Street Journal
#3 Nonfiction Combined

Amazon Charts (week of March 20)
#20 Most Sold Nonfiction

Publishers Weekly (week ending March 19)
#7 Top 10 Overall
#2 Hardcover Frontlist Nonfiction

In WayMaker, Voskamp offers fresh hope in a disorienting world, as she charts her own journey out of deep, churning waters by discovering an actual compass—a SACRED Way. The book helps readers navigate to an effective, practical, daily way of life that drowns an army of fears, reshapes and redirects, and offers a fresh revelation of hope.

Voskamp is represented by William (Bill) Jensen of William K. Jensen Literary Agency.

Ann Voskamp is the wife of a farmer, mama to seven, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Broken Way, The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, and the sixty-week New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Visit AnnVoskamp.com.

Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product 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.

Contact: Allison Carter, Director of Publicity, W Publishing, Allison.Carter@harpercollins.com

In a nice deal, Paraclete Press signed Glenys Nellist and CB Canga (Shannon & Associates) for the 2024 release of Song of the Seasons: a rhyming, whimsical, faith-building journey through the four seasons — for early readers who love nature and wonder and the beginnings of all things. 

Glenys Nellist was born and raised in a little village in northern England. The author of multiple children’s books, including the bestselling ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas, The Wonder That Is You, and four popular series: Love Letters from God, Snuggle Time, Good News and Little Mole, her writing reflects a deep passion for helping children discover joy and hope in the world. Glenys lives in Michigan with her husband, David. Paraclete will release Song of the Seasons in 2024. 

For more information contact publicist Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com. 

CHICAGO, IL—Independent Publishers Group (IPG) has added three new publishers to its digital and trade distribution divisions.

The Salariya Book Company, which will begin distribution with IPG on May 1, 2022, is an independent publishing company that produces compelling and commercially successful children’s books that entertain and inspire readers of all ages.

“IPG is thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Salariya’s digital publishing program,” said Alex Kampmann, vice president of business development. “We are excited to support their growth and success through our dynamic sales, marketing and distribution solutions.”

In its more than three decades in business, Salariya has amassed a robust backlist of over five hundred titles and publishes an average of 50 new books each year, ranging from picture books to information, fiction, art instruction and graphic novels. “We look forward to working with IPG on the digital strategy for our ever-growing library of titles,” said the company’s founder, David Salariya. “We intend to introduce new titles specifically for the digital marketplace, including a new version of our “You Wouldn’t Want to Be” series designed to be more accessible and appealing for readers with dyslexia.”

Starting distribution with Trafalgar Square Publishing on June 1, 2022, is AdiDev Press Pvt. Ltd. An India-based publisher of children’s picture books, AdiDev aims to introduce different aspects of South Asian culture and heritage by leveraging meaningful storytelling, beautiful visual elements and simple content.

New Reading Technology Pte. Ltd., which started distribution with IPG Digital on January 1, 2022, is an online story platform and community dedicated to creating a new generation of classic novels through creativity, imagination and technology.

About Independent Publishers Group:
Founded in 1971, IPG was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of both print and e-books from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its publishing partners in the United States and worldwide. 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.

Contact: Sidney Thompson, Corporate Communications, 312.337.0747, sthompson@ipgbook.com 

Messy Hope by Lori Wildenberg recently won the Gold Award from Reader Views. The award recognizes the most creative and exciting new books. Reader Views is an organization dedicated to helping independent authors navigate the publishing world. Their awards program is designed to help level the playing field for independent authors and small presses by providing recognition for these books.

Wildenberg’s book provides hope to parents who have had a child struggle with depression or anxiety. Understandably, a parent’s fear for the well-being of a child will skyrocket if they have heard the following words:

“I’m such a failure.”

“No one cares about me.”

“I haven’t felt happy for a long time.”

“I don’t want to live anymore.”

How can parents offer hope when they are terrified themselves?

With suicide being the second leading cause of death in young people and depression and anxiety becoming the new normal, instilling hope for a future may sound impossible. However, in Messy Hope parent and family educator Lori Wildenberg, along with her daughter Kendra, explore practical steps that parents can take. More than a self-help book, Messy Hope offers a lifeline to parents to help their child overcome depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and experience a hope-filled life.

About the Author:
Lori Wildenberg, mom of a daughter who has wrestled with depression, is passionate about helping parents help their children navigate a messy life. Lori is a licensed parent and family educator, national speaker, and author or coauthor of six parenting books including Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home and The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections.