WESTMONT, IL—The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), a research-based organizational and human resources consulting firm, has announced that InterVarsity is certified as a 2021 Best Christian Workplace.

To achieve certification, organizations must complete the Best Christian Workplaces Institute employee engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence. Employees of IVP answered more than fifty questions measuring employee satisfaction in terms of organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, opportunities for personal growth and development, teamwork, communication, and fairness of pay and benefits. Additional open-ended questions provided an opportunity for department managers to gain insight into what employees think and ways they might improve.

“It seemed a bit risky to have Al Lopus and his team administer the Best Christian Workplaces Institute engagement survey after thirteen months of a global health pandemic that had required extreme resilience and adaptation on the part of our staff, but I’m so glad that we took that step,” Jeff Crosby, IVP publisher, said. “I was grateful to see our engagement scores increase significantly and attribute that to the exceptional work of both our senior leadership team and staff from throughout our organization, who demonstrated an incredible commitment to our mission, our authors, our customers, and each other throughout a challenging year.”

With ninety-three employees, IVP had an exceptional 98 percent of staff engagement. BCWI describes staff engagement as the degree to which employees are emotionally and spiritually connected and committed to their organization and their role, exerting discretionary effort for the betterment of the organization and those they serve.  IVP’s overall scores were on the margin between a “healthy” and a “flourishing” organization. IVP also had the second highest total since the organization started taking the BCWI survey more than ten years ago.

Al Lopus, CEO and cofounder of BCWI and author of The Road to Flourishing (IVP, Spring 2022), said, “We find that InterVarsity Press models the characteristics that define being a Best Christian Workplace based on their employees’ feedback. Their BCWI survey results highlight that their employees are passionate about working together to produce exceptional, high-quality books. They also appreciate the supportive, high-trust culture their leaders create, especially this past year during the Covid-19 pandemic. Employees repeatedly commented about the care they experience from their leaders and each other, making IVP a great place to work.”

Crosby said, “In his manuscript of his forthcoming InterVarsity Press book on organizational flourishing, Al Lopus writes, ‘When I use the term employee engagement, I mean that team members are motivated to bring their fullest contribution—their unique giftedness and creativity—to their role in the organization for the sake of its success.’ That’s how I view the 2021 certification of IVP as a Best Christian Workplace. It’s a portrait of the work, the giftedness, and the creativity of my colleagues here.”

Crosby added, “In some ways, a flourishing organization is like a riddle to be solved or like a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle waiting to be assembled. It’s challenging to decipher and put together, but when we do, a vibrant picture emerges, and we can celebrate the work of God—and each other—in our midst.”

Best Christian Workplaces Institute’s purpose is to serve faith-based organizations by creating processes of discovery, facilitating organizational effectiveness, and encouraging practices that build healthy workplaces.

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

Carol Stream, Ill. – April 30, 2021.  On Thursday, May 13, 2021, bestselling authors Francine Rivers and T. I. Lowe will host an online, interactive discussion about their upcoming projects. The event will kick off at 7 p.m. CT and will be moderated by Tyndale fiction publisher Karen Watson.

• Bestselling Author Francine Rivers and T. I. Lowe Online Book Discussion
• Registration Link: https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=4364702525675268&referrer=pressrelease
• Date: Thursday, May 13, 2021
• Time: 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET

This free, live online event will pair legendary author Francine Rivers with T. I. Lowe, a bright new voice in contemporary women’s fiction. T. I. Lowe is the author of bestselling novel Lulu’s Café, the Carolina Coast series, and upcoming novel Under the Magnolias, a gritty yet tender coming-of-age story.

Francine and T. I. will discuss their Redeeming Love connection, Southern fiction, and how they write fiction that’s grounded in truth. They will also discuss what’s next for Francine, as well as T. I. Lowe’s new novel, Under the Magnolias.

Under the Magnolias introduces readers to Austin Foster, who is barely a teenager when her mama dies giving birth to twins, leaving her to pick up the pieces while holding her six siblings together and doing her best to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.

Scratching out a living on the family’s tobacco farm is as tough as it gets. When a few random acts of kindness help to ease the Fosters’ hardships, Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia’s most colorful citizens for friendship and more. But it’s next to impossible to hide the truth about the goings-on at Nolia Farms, and Austin’s desperate attempts to save face all but break her.

Just when it seems she might have something more waiting for her—with the son of a wealthy local family who she’s crushed on for years—her father makes a choice that will crack wide-open the family’s secrets and lead to a public reckoning. There are consequences for loving a boy like Vance Cumberland, but there is also freedom in the truth.

Fans of Francine Rivers and T. I. Lowe can register now.

For more information please contact Isabella Graunke at isabellagraunke@tyndale.com or 630-784-5298.

Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writer’s of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories and is the author of nearly twenty published novels, including her debut, Lulu’s Café, a number one bestseller. She lives with her husband and family in coastal South Carolina.

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.

Carol Steam, Ill. (April 30, 2021) — This summer, Tyndale House Publishers will release a 40-day compilation of hope and encouragement for healthcare heroes.

Healthcare workers are trained to be strong and stoic, but behind the mask there is fear, frustration, and exhaustion. Especially in these days of COVID-19, healthcare workers are suffering from their own epidemic of burnout and emotional injury as a result of dwindling resources and being overworked.

Author and registered nurse Amy Sorrells wants healthcare heroes to know there is hope for weary feet and exhausted souls! She created 40 Days of Hope for Healthcare Heroes to provide hope for all healthcare workers: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, PTs, OTs, STs, MAs, social workers, chaplains, aides, hospital security, and everyone in between.

In 40 Days of Hope for Healthcare Heroes readers will find inspiration and prayers to help renew their faith and focus, center their heart, and be inspired to rededicate themselves to the medical career they love. This beautifully designed giftbook combines short stories from the front lines, “Breakroom Boosts” to encourage and energize, space to journal, and prayers that are quick enough to recite during handwashing—something that occurs multiple times a day. Healthcare workers across all continuums of care will want to read this book to rediscover the joy of their calling and experience a balm of relief for their caregiving soul.

Amy Sorrells has created a special Facebook page to celebrate healthcare heroes and those who love them. Users are invited to share photos and articles about the healthcare heroes in their life. In addition, this special Facebook page provides a place where healthcare workers can find tips and suggestions for selfcare. Posts can be COVID-related, or about someone who has inspired them in their medical career.

As both an author and a nurse, Amy Sorrells knows firsthand about broken places, and her overarching mission has always been to provide people with hope in the midst of brokenness. A graduate of DePauw University in Indiana, Amy studied creative writing and nursing. A registered nurse and respected administrator for over twenty-seven years, she writes, edits, and designs hundreds of patient- and staff-focused publications. Author of the award-winning How Sweet the Sound and three other novels, she is also a former weekly columnist for the Zionsville Times Sentinel newspaper. Amy’s professional, medical writing has been featured in national journals such as Healthcare Design, Nursing Economics, Indiana Nursing Quarterly, and the American Journal of Critical Care.

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.

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

Jesse has worked at Lexham Press since 2014 in a number of different roles, from marketing and sales, to acquiring authors, and most recently leading Lexham’s editorial and acquisitions efforts. Prior to joining Lexham, Jesse worked for the Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, where he served as Field Sales Manager.

Lexham Press is an innovative Christian publishing house creating thoughtful Bible study materials, scholarly works, and pastoral resources. Part of Faithlife LLC, makers of Logos Bible Software, Lexham is committed to excellent Christian publishing in service of the church.

The Faithlife Original Content department includes Lexham Press as well as the teams that create Logos Mobile Education courses and innovative digital resources for Logos Bible Software.
More information:  lexhampress.com/about  |  faithlife.com/about

Contact:  Lindsay John Kennedy, Publicist, lindsay@lexhampress.com

ORLANDO, Fla.— God wants to talk to humanity. He wants to talk directly to each person. Instead of yelling at people from the mountaintops, He wrapped what He wanted to say up in His son, Jesus, and sent Him to earth.

In his upcoming new book, The Real Jesus: Challenging What You Know About the Greatest Person Who Ever Lived, lead pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, La., beloved worship leader, and debut author, Jonathan Stockstill, invites readers to discover the Jesus they may never have truly known—even if they have been following Him for years. He poses the questions: “Which Jesus do you follow?” “What did He teach?” And, perhaps just as important, “What do you believe about Him?” Watch a message from Jonathan about The Real Jesus here.

Saying Jonathan grew up in a Christian home would be an understatement. His dad, grandfathers on both sides, and many close family friends were pastors. He faithfully attended Sunday school and was in church every time the doors opened.

It didn’t occur to him until much later in life that all his Bible lessons and training were pointing him to the central figure of Christianity. From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus was the focus of the whole thing. “I can’t say I had an ‘aha’ moment when this became clear,” writes Jonathan in The Real Jesus. “It was a progressive understanding. I could ride the coattails of my dad’s and grandfathers’ faith for only so long. My big struggle was to own my biblical training for myself. Christianity, I realized, was all about Jesus – who He is, what He did, what He taught, and how that matters to me.”

Says author, founder and director of Pastors University, Larry Stockstill, “I watched my son Jonathan as he really entered discipleship as a teenager. At thirty he entered a whole new phase of leadership as he and Angie became the lead pastors of Bethany Church. Now, almost ten years later, he is ready to share the new-generation values he has curated in his first forty years of life.”

In each chapter of the five-part book focusing on the nature and character of Jesus, Jonathan encourages readers to think deeply about Jesus and how to relate to Him, asking them not to settle for a cursory glance or a superficial understanding, but to look into the heart of Christ and see: “Grace and life. Forgiveness of sin. The defeat of death. This is the hope He gives. This is the hope we need.”

With a pastoral heart and a storyteller’s gift, Jonathan guides readers to an understanding that, “Most of us think Jesus came and introduced the world to the religion of Christianity. But He actually never preached on the subject of Christianity. He preached about the kingdom of God. While the people of His day were focused on earthly governments, Jesus spoke of a heavenly one. If you study the Gospels, you’ll find this was Jesus’ main message. It was His disciples’ main message too. They didn’t preach the religion of Christianity; they preached the kingdom of God.”

Jonathan has written The Real Jesus with takeaways for readers including:

• Understanding the difference between the mistaken, miscast, misinterpreted Jesus of our culture and the blood-and-bones Jesus of the Bible
• Discovering a Jesus we may never have truly known—even if we have been following Him for years or decades
• Entering into a more raw, real, and relevant relationship with the One who loves us and calls us by name

 In The Real Jesus, Jonathan’s mission is to equip readers to see Jesus as He really is and truly understand what it means to be His disciple. The book can be a tool for personal discipleship and in discipleship groups. At the end of each chapter, Jonathan has included a “Make It Real” series of questions to engage readers with the content of the chapter.

“If you’re hungry for the truth, this book is for you,” says Jonathan. “It’s for seekers wanting to know just who Jesus Christ is. It’s for those unsure of what it means to follow Jesus and in need of a guide to become serious disciples. And it’s for those who have settled into religious routine and want to deepen their understanding of Jesus and experience more of His presence.”

For additional information, including a free sample chapter of the book, visit The Real Jesus

The Real Jesus: Challenging What You Know About the Greatest Person Who Ever Lived, is released by Charisma House, which publishes books that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians.

Jonathan Stockstill is the senior pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2011, he has opened five new church campuses across Louisiana, started Bethany College, and partnered with the Surge Project to plant 3,400 new churches around the globe. Jonathan’s ministry began in the world of music, where he wrote over one hundred published songs, recorded eleven albums, and traveled the world, leading congregations and conferences in worship. He is married to Angie Stockstill, and they have four children. In his free time he loves to sail, RV, fish, and travel to new places with his family.

Stay in touch with Jonathan Stockstill:
Website: The Real Jesus
Facebook: @jonathan.stockstill
Instagram: @Jon_Stockstill

New Product Brings Together Biblically-based Content and Tools to Ease Church Outreach, Discipleship and Management

BELLINGHAM, Wash., April 20, 2021 – Faithlife, the church technology company and makers of Logos Bible Software, today released the newest, first-of-its-kind online integrated ministry platform, Faithlife Equip.

Unlike anything currently available on the market, Faithlife Equip integrates tools and content to support every leader in the church — from the senior pastor and worship leader to the children’s director and administrator — while providing congregant resources for spiritual growth, church involvement and community connectivity.

“As an organization founded 30 years ago to equip the Church to grow in light of the Bible, Faithlife has a heart for the mission of the Church,” said Faithlife co-founder and CEO Bob Pritchett. “The ultimate purpose behind Faithlife Equip is to help leaders create community for their church as they grow together in their spiritual journey.”

Faithlife Equip is a comprehensive platform that supports the entire ministry team. It provides every essential ministry tool in one affordable bundle. Faithlife Equip gives churches one login for all tech tools, including the church website, presentation software, live streaming, online giving, sermon resources, small group online community, church communications, outreach tools, Bible art, digital books, movies and TV, and more. Additionally, the platform has Logos Bible Software built-in and provides a digital text and video library for congregants.

“Faithlife Equip offers deep, specific support for actual tasks church leaders need to do, but the secret sauce of the platform is the content it offers, which is all centered on the Bible,” Pritchett said.

Faithlife Equip is built around the processes churches run on and provides every tool needed to connect, organize, equip and engage individuals. Additionally, the platform seamlessly integrates with existing products in the marketplace, providing ease for church leaders to add it to their current suite of tools.

“Too many church tech tools focus on the task, not the process,” Pritchett explained. “That’s why we created Faithlife Equip to think like a church. With Faithlife Equip, leaders can run the mission of their church by providing the tools to take their congregants on a personal path of growth.”

The development of Faithlife Equip began years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its relevance has only been solidified as churches of all sizes have been forced to navigate being the Church online.

Churches across the country are already utilizing the beta version of Equip, and Faithlife has seen a four-fold increase in new church acquisition since COVID-19 started in March of 2020.

“If you know how to use other social platforms and technologies, you know how to use Faithlife Equip, but the difference is our platform is a safe environment specifically designed for churches,” Pritchett added. “The ease of having everything in one place under one account is invaluable.”

To learn more about Faithlife Equip, visit https://faithlife.com/products/equip.

About Faithlife:  Faithlife, based in Bellingham, Washington, with offices in Arizona and Mexico, has been using technology to equip the Church to grow in the light of the Bible for 30 years. Since 1992, Faithlife has developed a full suite of church management tools, academic study resources, smart digital books, and Logos Bible Software, all part of its integrated ministry platform that automates tasks and simplifies workflows. For more information, visit Faithlife.com.

Media Contact:  Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111  kristin@alarryross.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (April 20, 2021) NavPress, in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, will release a new edition of Eugene Peterson’s translation of the book of Psalms: The Message of Psalms: Premier Journaling Edition. The Message translation brings ancient biblical wisdom into contemporary language. This new edition, which releases on May 4, offers journaling prompts and generous writing space for readers to reflect on the text.

Eugene Peterson was a pastor, scholar, writer, and poet. After teaching at a seminary and then giving nearly thirty years to church ministry, he created The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language—a vibrant Bible translation intended to uniquely connect with today’s readers. As NavPress publisher Dave Zimmerman explains,

The Message has always been a means to facilitating a real relationship between God and real people—”a plunge into more reality,” as Eugene put it. That’s our vision for the premier journaling edition of The Message of the Psalms. By setting the Psalter in this wide-open space, by prompting and facilitating the reader’s real and real-time reflection on what he or she is reading, by packaging the Psalms in bindings that allow us to consider which one feels most like us—we are seeking to set the table for a resonant encounter with a God who loves us each and all in our own particularities.

The Message of Psalms: Premier Journaling Edition will be released with three different cover options. Each copy features all 150 Psalms, reflective prompts, journaling space opposite each text page, a cover with French flaps, and Scripture callouts.

For more information or for media inquiries, please contact Mariah León, mariahleon@tyndale.com.

The Message of Psalms: Premier Journaling Edition
Softcover | $12.99 | May 4, 2021
978-1-64158-343-5 | 978-1-64158-398-5 | 978-1-64158-344-2
NavPress.com

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 people’s 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 and life transformation, and that help lead in the mission of making disciples.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. 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 also 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, contributing a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million dollars throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the AFD Group today announce it has been agreed that SPCK will acquire from AFD the publishing business of Lion Hudson.

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

All staff employed by Lion Hudson will move to SPCK, with managing director Suzanne Wilson-Higgins and finance director Caroline Gregory joining SPCK’s senior management team. The combined organisation will be headquartered at 36 Causton Street in London with an office at Prama House in Oxford.

James Catford, Chair of SPCK, said, ‘This is an exciting and visionary step which combines the UK market leader in children’s Christian publishing with the market leader in adult Christian publishing. The strengthened SPCK Group will now have the scale and resource to be a global leader in Christian publishing, in a worldwide marketplace with growing numbers of Christians, growing literacy, and the growing affordability of books.’

Sam Richardson, Chief Executive of SPCK, said, ‘I am delighted that this move continues SPCK’s momentum. In the last six years at SPCK, we have doubled our income, and won both the Christian Publisher of the Year and Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year awards three times. Our successful merger with Inter-Varsity Press has proven that we can both provide a seamless experience for authors and customers, and retain the distinctive theological approaches of different imprints under one roof. This move will help both SPCK and Lion Hudson to better serve our authors, our customers and the church in the UK and around the world.’

Suzanne Wilson-Higgins said, ‘The bringing together Lion Hudson, which has been stabilised under AFD’s ownership over the past three years, and SPCK creates a strong group dedicated to Christian book publishing and future growth. I’m excited about the opportunities for the SPCK Group to serve the church in the UK and around the world.’

David Dorricott, Managing Director of the AFD Group, said, ‘It has been a privilege to be part of God’s plan for Lion Hudson for a season – and we are delighted that this exciting opportunity will now release new energy not just in the amazing imprints of Lion Hudson, but also the wider SPCK group. We will continue to cheer them on in their vital work – especially in presenting a Christian world view to an increasingly secularised society!’

Notes for editors:

SPCK Group company history:  The SPCK Group is the UK’s leading Christian book publisher. Its vision is a world where everyone is transformed by Christian knowledge, and its mission is to lead the way in creating books and resources which help everyone to make sense of faith. Since coming under new management following the closure of its bookshops, SPCK has seen great success from its publishing in the last six years, doubling its income and winning Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year three times and Large Christian Publisher of the Year three times. The SPCK imprint is a broad-based imprint seeking to publish the very best Christian books. SPCK’s subsidiary Inter-Varsity Press specialises in evangelical books. SPCK is a charity founded in 1698 and governed by a royal charter. SPCK’s patron is Her Majesty the Queen and its president is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Lion Hudson company history:  Lion Hudson has its origins in two distinct organisations: Lion Publishing, founded in 1971 by David Alexander, Pat Alexander and (in 1973) Tony Wales who left IVP to execute a clear vision of bringing accessible colour, photographic, Christian books to the general market. Hudson International (founded in 1977 by Angus Hudson) acted as a packager and printer of books for publisher clients. Later Hudson acquired publishers Monarch Books and Candle Books, and the whole group was acquired by Lion Publishing Plc in 2003. Renamed Lion Hudson Plc, it became a dominant force in UK Christian publishing in terms of both turnover and influence. Its mission statement has remained intact: “to publish worldwide quality literature true to the Christian faith”. Lion Hudson Plc became a leader in international children’s publishing through its innovative illustrated publishing, co-edition services to publishing partners and the reselling of language rights for US Christian publishers’ leading brands. Assets of the business were acquired by the AFD Group following the administration of Lion Hudson Plc in 2017.

Sam Richardson, Chief Executive of SPCK, is available for interview.  Please contact 0207 592 3902
David Dorricott, Managing Director of the AFD Group, is available for interview.  Please contact david.dorricott@afd.co.uk

Podcast maintains spot on iTunes Top Ten Kids Shows, anticipates packed summer, Season 4 in Fall 2021

“I just listened to my first episode and already feel so encouraged and empowered to help my kids learn emotional vocabulary. What seemed overwhelming now has handles. Thank you!”  iTunes 5-star reviewer

NASHVILLE, April 22, 2021 — Parents, grandparents, pastors, pediatricians, educators, and counselors across the world are loving Raising Boys and Girls, which reached 1 million downloads this Spring. Releasing weekly each Tuesday, the podcast, which has garnered more than 900 5-star ratings on iTunes, tackles top-of-mind topics in parenting from consistency and patience to connection and freedom.

Minno Life’s Raising Boys & Girls podcast is a hope-filled and evidence-based tool that today’s parents can rely on to inform their daily parenting practices and build their family culture. The show’s top downloads on kids and covid, patience, consistency, and balance highlight critical pain-points in parenting, each addressed by national leading experts and authors. The Raising Boys and Girls podcast is a partnership between Minno and Daystar Counseling Ministries, both Nashville, Tennessee-based, organizations focused on supporting families as they navigate a life of faith and connection.

“This is core to our mission—to be a resource—and we are so thrilled that parents are consistently and in growing numbers turning to this content as they ride the parenting rollercoaster,” says Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, CCATP, seven-time author, and principal at Daystar Counseling Ministries. “No one should face parenting alone, whether you’re in a relationship, single, a grandparent, or another caregiver entrusted with a child’s growing up years. While we wish we could meet with every family like those we see regularly in our practice, we are so glad our virtual door is opening wider!”

“This podcast is part of a broad range of support for parents that Minno offers, from Biblical programs on our streaming app to articles and guides on key parent topics,” says Erick Goss, co-founder and CEO of Minno. “We know that parents can feel lonely as they try to raise their kids in faith. Our research tells us that. The community that is being built around this podcast and other resources available is one we only hope to expand.”

New podcasts will continue throughout the summer, delving into topics like technology, summer camps, and encouragement for grandparents. Season 4 will premier in the Fall around the theme of the book, Modern Parents, Vintage Values, and will feature national voices including:

• Dr. Meg Meeker, Ph.D., best-selling author, pediatrician, and parenting expert
• Arlene Pellicane, author, speaker, podcaster, screen-time expert
• Dr. Chinwé Williams, licensed professional counselor, author and speaker
• Rachel Cruz, best-selling author, host of the Rachel Cruz Show

Regular contributing voices include:

• Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, CCATP, Director of Child & Adolescent Counseling, Daystar Counseling Ministries and co-founder of Raising Boys and Girls ministry.
• David Thomas, LMSW, Director of Family Counseling, Boys’ Counselor & Group Leader at Daystar Counseling Ministries and co-founder of Raising Boys and Girls ministry.
• Melissa Trevathan, MRE, Founder, Executive Director, Daystar Counseling Ministries.

Collectively, Daystar Counseling Ministries and Minno are authors to numerous blog posts on the Minno Life Blog, while each organization individually publishes content related to faith and family.

• Daystar Counseling principals Melissa Trevathan, Sissy Goff, and David Thomas are the authors of nine books around topics related to child development, parenting, and family counseling including the wildly popular, Are My Kids On Track?. From their learnings at Daystar Counseling Ministries, or as locals call it, “the little yellow house that helps people,” Goff and Thomas operate the Raising Boys and Girls ministry to develop additional books and speaking opportunities that address the most pressing issues facing families today.
• Minno is the creator of the Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids, the fastest-selling children’s Bible ever, with more than 50,000 units sold in the first year and recipient of the 2020 Christian Book Award. Monthly, Minno releases Life Guides that offer “quick reads” on top-of-mind parenting topics such as emotions and technology. Each of these efforts comes in conjunction with Minno’s streaming video on demand service, which offers a variety of primarily Christian content including VeggieTales, Owlegories, Jungle Beat, Micah’s Super Vlog, and more.

Find the latest episodes of the podcast at raisingboysandgirls.com/listen.

RAISING BOYS AND GIRLS
Melissa Trevathan, David Thomas, and Sissy Goff have been counseling kids and families for a collective 75+ years at Daystar Counseling Ministries, a place that one child calls “the yellow house that helps people.” Together they formed Raising Boys and Girls, a ministry that aims to take what they learn from the kids and families they interact with daily and share it beyond the walls of the Daystar house by way of parenting books, a podcast, and conferences across the country and beyond.

DAYSTAR COUNSELING MINISTRIES
Daystar Counseling Ministries, Inc. seeks to offer the hope of Christ to children, adolescents, and families in need. Through individual and group counseling, summer camp programs, leadership training, and parenting seminars, Daystar is dedicated to serving the greater Nashville area, as well as the community at large, with encouragement and support.

MINNO
Minno helps kids and grownups experience the goodness of God through trustworthy and captivating stories that lead to meaningful family conversations. Minno offers on- and off-screen experiences through the Minno platform, with streaming-on-demand and ad-free subscription video content and Minno Life, an online parent hub with weekly-updated practical resources including blogs, a podcast, and the award-winning Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids. The name Minno comes from the Greek word for “abide” which drives their mission to curate and create content that sparks the wow and wonder of God while encouraging families to abide in Christ’s always-awesome love.

CONTACT: Jessica Wolstenholm, 615-293-4603, jess@gominno.com

The Way of the Father: Lessons from My Dad, Truths about God

Book Launch Includes National Partnerships with K-LOVE, AIR1 Radio & TBN

Nashville, Tenn. (April 2021) – My father was my hero. The kindest, gentlest man I have ever known. The person in my life who was always the most like Jesus to me and consistently reflected the qualities of my Abba Father.

Thus begins the latest book from CCM icon, multi-platinum artist and GRAMMY, AMA and Dove Award winner Michael W. Smith. The Way of the Father: Lessons from My Dad, Truths about God (K-LOVE Books, May 18, 2021) reveals how Michael’s father, Paul Smith, was a living example of God’s love – a role model for his family. Michael W. Smith, himself a father of five adult children and grandfather of sixteen, writes about his humble experiences of growing up in a small West Virginia town as well as his father’s story.

The Way of the Father is a deeply personal reflection on his father Paul Smith’s legacy and the profound effect he had on every area of Michael’s life. This book helps readers tap into the love of a Heavenly Father, regardless of a reader’s relationship with an earthly father. Michael’s stories about his own dad offer a glimpse into “our Father in Heaven” who is approachable, dependable and ever-present.

K-LOVE Books has crafted an extensive national marketing and media campaign to support the release of The Way of the Father. Elements include:

• National consumer pre-sale campaign offers a free audiobook for each order placed by May 18 (redeemable at klove.com/books). The audiobook is read by the author – a first for any of Michael W. Smith’s 15 titles.
• Nationally televised book launch event will air June 4, 2021, on TBN. The event will air on TBN once more before Father’s Day (June 20), featuring Charlie Daniels Jr, Franklin Graham, Bart Millard, etc.
• Extensive promotions across K-LOVE and Air1 (more than 14 million weekly listeners)
• Social media promotions reaching more than 8 million followers at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Signed book giveaways and interviews via local K-LOVE stations as well as select podcasts hosted by AcessMore.com

“My father was my hero. Even though he’s in Heaven now, he’s still my hero every day. My memories of his life, his words, and his wisdom are with me constantly as I parent and grandparent today,” writes Michael W. Smith. “Throughout his life, on a daily basis, Dad gave me a glimpse of what God is like. I am so grateful to be part of a long line of love and godly legacy through the grace and mercy of Jesus in our family.”

Smith not only honors his earthly father, but also reveals how God the Father is even more loving and gracious than any human parent. “I want to let you in on some lessons I learned from my dad,” he writes. “These lessons have connected with truths I have come to live out and believe. It’s my honor to share the principles and promises I’ve learned from the two most powerful influences in my life and ministry: my dad and my God—my Abba Father.”

Each chapter of The Way of the Father identifies a quality or characteristic of Michael’s father, Paul Smith. Each of these qualities were rooted in the elder Smith’s obedient life, committed to serving his Abba Father. Chapter themes include:

• Finding truth in tragedy
• Loving unconditionally
• Persevering through pain
• Bringing righteousness to the world
• Influencing and inspiring generations
• Discovering identity and approval in Christ

For readers who haven’t experienced a close family or loving father, Michael invites them to lean into their heavenly Father: “In our culture today, many people don’t have my testimony of strong, godly parents. But part of the great news of the Gospel is that God was the first and the ultimate Father so He can father you. In fact, He wants to father you. He longs to father you. At any age and any stage of life, He is there, ready. Regardless of the presence or absence of your dad, or your mom, God can be a Father to you.”

In writing The Way of the Father, Michael W. Smith partnered with long-time writer and creative Robert Noland. Noland is the writer of the bestselling memoir, I Can Only Imagine, with author and recording artist Bart Millard of MercyMe.

Michael W. Smith, a multi-platinum recording artist, has won three Grammy Awards, forty-five Dove Awards, an American Music Award, and has sold more than fifteen million albums. He has also given back to the global community, having raised funds to battle AIDS in Africa alongside U2’s Bono; started Rocketown, a safe haven for young people in Tennessee to meet and find hope; and has helped to improve more than 83,000 children’s lives through Compassion International. With a career spanning more than four decades, Smith has also starred in two films and written fourteen books, including a children’s book series. He lives with his wife, Debbie, in Franklin, Tennessee. They have five adult children and sixteen grandchildren.

K-LOVE Books is an imprint of EMF Publishing. Educational Media Foundation (EMF) is the parent organization of K-LOVE and Air1 radio and AccessMore podcasting.

The Way of the Father:  Lessons from My Dad, Truths about God
By Michael W. Smith with Robert Noland
Available May 18, 2021, from K-LOVE Books
Hardcover: ISBN 9781954201026, 240 pages, 5” x 8” trim size, U.S. $25.95
eBook: ISBN 9781954201033, U.S. $9.99 Audiobook also available

Author interviews, review copies, and excerpt permission are available upon request. Contact Jana Muntsinger, jana@mmpublicrelations.com, 832-247-9308

Media Contact: Jana Muntsinger, 832.247.9308, jana@mmpublicrelations.com