WESTMONT, IL—As everyone sets out to physically distance from one another, IVP is working to bring people together with #ReadTogether and Together at Home, two online tools to stay hopeful in community during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Together at Home webpage brings together articles, podcast interviews, books, free webinars, study guides and excerpts, and other resources to build community, foster spiritual growth, and alleviate fears and anxiety.

“How does one maintain hope in the midst of a pandemic? How do we remain in community with others when we are all sheltering in our homes? These are critical questions to ask ourselves as we continue to modify the rhythms of our work and play amid the fears and uncertainties we face for the benefit of our own health and the health of the most vulnerable,” Jeff Crosby, publisher, said. “At InterVarsity Press, we have come together to create a page of resources that help you to remain hopeful, remain connected to others, and utilize time in wise and fruitful ways. May the resources curated there be an encouragement to you as they were to me.”

Together at Home resources are broken down into these sections.

• Build a New Kind of Community: Ways to build intentional community from the safety of our own homes.
• Commit to Reading Your Bible like Never Before: This is the perfect opportunity to refresh your daily devotionals with increased focus and time. Use these resources for deeper Bible study.
• Get Creative with Your Kids: Ideas for supporting the academic, emotional, and spiritual needs of your children.
• Invest in Your Mental Health: The loss of physical community and regular social spaces can greatly affect our mental health. It’s important to be proactive about the possibilities of depression, anxiety, and isolation within our own spirits and for those in our community. View our book recommendations for those feeling anxious.
• Try a New Spiritual Practice: Add to your toolkit of spiritual disciplines and try some new ones to help you grow closer to God in these unprecedented times.
• Equip Your Church for Refreshed Discipleship: The church has an unprecedented opportunity to provide hope, teaching, and community during this time. We want to equip local congregations and ministry teams with the resources they need to do just that.

In addition to this page of resources the #ReadTogether Book List allows people to read in community and keep their minds and souls fed and engaged during this time. This resource includes a special discount, a free Bible study ebook, and free US shipping.

The Together at Home webpage says, “We’re all facing disruption right now. Coronavirus and COVID-19 have radically altered our daily lives, and we’re doing our best to be flexible as we adjust to a new normal. But amid anxiety and disorientation, one thing is certain—we’re coming together even as we practice social distancing, whether it’s in virtual spaces, in our homes, or as a world community. Christian community is just as important now as ever, so use these tips and resources to stay hopeful while we’re together at home.”

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

BOOK OFFERS HOPE IN A TIME OF CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY

We are living through a unique, era-defining period. Many of our old certainties have gone, whatever our view of the world and whatever our beliefs. The coronavirus pandemic and its effects are perplexing and unsettling for all of us, and it has left many asking the question ‘Where is God?’

Oxford University mathematics professor John Lennox has today released a short yet profound book which examines the coronavirus in light of various belief systems. Where is God in a Coronavirus World? (The Good Book Company,  April 2020) explores how a Christian worldview can help us make sense of the crisis, and offer us some comfort and hope in a time of uncertainty.

Lennox says, “This book consists of my reflections on what we are experiencing right now. I started writing it a week ago, and things have changed quickly since then and no doubt will do again … I would invite you, the reader, to view the book like this: we are sitting in a coffee shop (if only we could!) and you have asked me the question on the book cover. I put down my coffee cup and attempt to give you an honest answer.  What follows is what I would try to say in order to convey some comfort, support and hope.”

Lennox has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith, including with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Peter Singer. He is the author of a number of books, including Can Science Explain Everything? His latest release hopes to encourage that a belief in a loving a sovereign God can help to make sense and cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Dr Peter Saunders, CEO, International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA), said in his endorsement of the book: “Professor Lennox brings his deep grasp of science and his passionate Christian faith together to reflect on our frightening predicament. This profound but easily accessible book does not claim to have all the answers but certainly addresses the big questions and will help you make sense of the challenges we all face together.”

EVP Publishing at TGBC, Carl Laferton, added, “I cannot think of a voice better than Dr. Lennox’s to speak into this confusing situation. This short book will have a deep impact both on Christians, in pointing us back to the truths of the gospel to give us confidence; and on those who do not yet believe, in helping them to see that the Christian faith offers real hope in difficult times.”

About John Lennox:  John Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Said Business School and an Adjunct Lecturer for The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith against well known atheists including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Singer.

About The Good Book Company:  Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company (TGBC) is an international Christian publisher. Their Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses, and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at TGBC is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church, and His gospel of grace. They create and publish biblical, relevant, and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing their faith

Media contact: Eleanor Elms eleanor.elms@thegoodbook.com

When the spread of COVID-19 created the sudden new reality of “online only” services and engagement, the team at Gateway Publishing® sprang into action to provide a variety of digital resources, tools, and tips to help small local churches.

• The Digital Church Survival Guide helps churches navigate various digital options for services, worship programming, fellowship, and online tithing services. It also includes important information on copyright compliance with an emphasis on the unique challenges and opportunities streaming presents. This free guide has reached over 350,000 people through media outlets such as FaithLife and Worship Musician Magazine and is available at https://gatewaypublishing.com/blogs/articles/digital-church-survival-guide.
• Gateway Kids Worship is offering a free bundle of songs and dance videos from Ultimate Church Resource. Perfect for children’s ministry programs or families at home, these songs and videos help children learn about Jesus and have fun! This bundle is available at https://www.worshiphousekids.com/kids-worship-song-tracks/92968/free-3-pack-bundle. Additionally, dance videos for three Gateway Kids Worship albums (Heartbeat, Believe It, and All of Me) are available on YouTube.
• Gateway Music is offering a free worship track for “Give Me Your Peace” by Gateway Worship. This song speaks to many of the emotions currently felt around the world and encourages listeners to exchange their fear for God’s peace. The track is available for download at https://www.worshiphousemedia.com/worship-tracks/92592/give-me-your-peace.

Gateway Publishing is in the process of developing even more free and discounted resources, so be sure to visit our website often at www.gatewaypublishing.com.

How Should Christians Make Sense of COVID-19?

WHEATON, Ill.—In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, John Piper has written a short book, Coronavirus and Christ (Crossway, April 2020), to address the fear and uncertainty that people are experiencing. “Today as I write, there are hundreds of thousands of cases of infection worldwide, with tens of thousands of deaths. There is no known cure—yet,” Piper notes. “This is a time when the fragile form of this world is felt. The seemingly solid foundations are shaking. The question we should be asking is, Do we have a Rock under our feet? A Rock that cannot be shaken—ever?”

Piper’s main goal is to point readers to the rock that is Christ and encourage them to stand on his mighty love. The first section of Coronavirus and Christ covers essential truths and doctrines that are vital to remember, including how God’s word comforts believers in their affliction; that God is righteous, holy, and good; and that God is sovereign over all things.

In the second section, Piper proposes 6 biblical answers to what God is doing through the coronavirus, including showing the physical effects of spiritual sin; calling Christians to repent and realign their lives with the infinite worth of Christ; and serving his invincible global purpose of world evangelization.Even in the face of great suffering and loss, Piper wants to remind readers that God is in control: “The same sovereignty that could stop the coronavirus, yet doesn’t, is the very sovereignty that sustains the soul in it,” writes Piper. “And not only sustains, but sees to it that everything, bitter and sweet, works together for our good—the good of those who love God and are called in Christ (Romans 8:28–30).”

“Our prayer is that this book will provide a sure foundation to those who are suffering, confused, and burdened under the weight of this pandemic, pointing them to our present and future hope: Jesus Christ, the solid rock,” writes Scott Anderson, CEO of Desiring God. “Only in him will our souls be truly safe and satisfied—today, tomorrow, and for eternity.”

John Piper (DTheol, University of Munich) is the founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for thirty-three years as the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than fifty books, including Desiring God; Don’t Waste Your Life; This Momentary Marriage; A Peculiar Glory; and Reading the Bible Supernaturally. @JohnPiper

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

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org

APRIL 13, 2020 — People all over the globe are feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.  For our part, we’ve had to overcome tough challenges on two continents.  In France, where we have 150 employees, it’s been a rough ride because of the nationwide lockdown, but with our employees’ safety as our first concern, we were among the earliest to convert to a work-from-home model. Working through several weekends, our IT department modified our tools and VPN to allow all of our employees to do everything from home that they could do at the office (except gossip at the water cooler).

Our Madagascar production center, where we have 350 employees, was more of a challenge.  Internet access at home and car ownership are luxuries few can afford.  It was among the last countries on Earth to report its first case of Coronavirus.  But while hoping and praying that it would not arrive, we knew that it was inevitable and we took appropriate actions.  As soon as the first case was reported, we pulled the trigger, purchasing over 300 laptops and pre-paid cell phones (for internet) for most of our employees.  We also hired a private transportation company to ferry the skeleton crew we have still working from the office (with appropriate safety and distancing measures) back and forth to home and work each day, as the country suspended most public transportation service.

So, bottom line- we are at full capacity, our employees have jobs, and are being kept safe.

Nord Compo provides a wide range of services to streamline and improve book production, including pre-press composition, digital services, and design services.  They help publishers of all sizes and support the ECPA industry as a 2020 industry partner.  For more information, contact Larry Bennett at lbennett@nordcompo.com.

Responding to COVID-19, Minno Launched a Free, Easy-to-Use ‘Church at Home’ Feature to Bring the Sunday School Experience Home-Used by Families in Over 130 Countries Worldwide to Date; Now the App Rolls out Special Programming Just for Easter

NASHVILLE, April 10, 2020 — Minno-a new, Nashville-based children’s digital media company featuring one of the world’s largest collections of Classic VeggieTales and an expertly-curated collection of media choices for Christian families, is continuing its commitment to helping families worship at home while they are unable to physically attend church due to COVID-19. Following up on the March 14 launch of their free Church at Home program,-an easy-to-use, home-based digital Sunday School experience-Minno is excited to announce the release of a brand new Owlegories Easter episode streaming only on Minno as well as their new free Church at Home Easter Series.

“With families unable to celebrate Easter at their church this year, we at Minno want to continue to help enhance the free church at home experience, particularly for children who are currently going without access to regular church ministries and Sunday school,” said Erick Goss, CEO and Co-founder of Minno and former senior manager at Amazon. “The brand new Owlegories Easter special, as well as Minno’s Church at Home Easter episodes, will help kids and families celebrate Easter and allow us all to worship, learn, and pray together even while we are physically apart.”

Story Summary: The Owlegories crew is going on an Easter Egg hunt! They’ve got lots of eggs full of yummy candy to find plus twelve super special Easter Story eggs. When mean ‘ole Devlin tries to steal all the eggs, he ends up discovering the true meaning of Easter through the sweetest eggs of all. In the end, the class learns how eggs can remind us of Easter and how to share God’s sweet grace with those who may not deserve it.

Free Church at Home Features Include:

• Church at Home can be found here: https://www.gominno.com/lp/church-at-home/
• A specially curated weekly episode with worship music, Bible stories, and more including a timely Good Friday edition. The Church at Home page also features select videos from Minno’s catalog available for preview, activities to help families take the fun off-screen, and content from the Minno Life Blog, such as expert help on what kids need most during this unprecedented time.
• For families to use during the week, Church at Home features Minno’s signature “Five Minute Family Devotions.”
• Church at Home is completely free and available around the world.

Press and media information is available here: http://press.gominno.com

What Parents Are Saying:

• “Thank you very much! We were watching church services live and my daughter was asking for a children service. I was beyond delighted to receive such a timely email in my Inbox. You have truly been a blessing during this time of pandemic. We will continue to use Minno Church at Home daily while schools are closed. I don’t have enough words to express how grateful I am for this ministry and can’t wait to share this with others. God Bless.”
• “Thank you so much! This is a wonderful idea and resource for the coming weeks. I am so thankful for you and your work to help families keep Jesus in their lives. God Bless you and your families!”
• “Thank you for this! My daughter was sad that we will only be able to watch the adult services online. She and I are very happy about the Minno church online.”

About Minno:  Minno is a Nashville-based children’s digital media company partnering with Christian parents to provide safe, values-based choices for their families. Minno’s offering includes an ad-free subscription-video-on-demand platform Minno Life, an expert-driven parenting blog, Minno Kids, its book publishing division, and Minno store, a digital shopping platform. Minno seeks to entertain, inform and inspire, encouraging kids and parents to laugh and learn together.

CONTACT: 323-379-5180, Press@inspire.buzz

Defy Your Diagnosis! Overcome Any Obstacle with the FIT Life Formula by Lorraine Bossé-Smith

PHOENIX– April 6, 2020—While many book releases are being postponed during the Covid-19 crisis, author and Christian retail industry veteran and business coach Lorraine Bossé-Smith is taking the opposite approach, releasing her latest book tomorrow because it offers hope and practical steps for moving forward despite the challenges.

In production long before the current crisis, she said she moved on with the release because of the help she’s seen the principles provide clients in her own practice who feel overwhelmed and beaten down by life’s problems. In Defy Your Diagnosis! Overcome Any Obstacle with the FIT Life Formula, Bossé-Smith shares scriptural encouragement and wisdom drawn from her own shattering life experiences. Those experiences led her to create tips, tools and strategies for how to face problems in life, not only medical diagnoses but also damaging personal, emotional and professional ones.

A resident of Phoenix, Bossé-Smith previously worked for CBA and Focus on the Family Publishing before starting her own firm as a business, life and fitness coach and speaker. This is her ninth book.

The book weaves her own story into teaching practical principles of her FIT Life Formula: Foundation in Faith, Insights in Self-Improvement, and Tackling the Tough Stuff.

In the book we find these words: “Once again, we are facing yet another difficult time, and I know this is my opportunity to apply my own FIT Life principles and affirm my resolve and renew my faith. My prayer has been to have peace through the storm, keep my eyes up while in the valley, and trust God for our future.

“Wherever you are in life, trials will come. What I can promise you is this:  God is WAY bigger than anything tossed at us. His strength is sufficient, and I can personally attest to that. It is real.”

Defy Your Diagnosis! Overcome Any Obstacle with the FIT Life Formula [ISBN: 978-1-950892-29-7, $15.99, trade paper], releases tomorrow, April 7, from Clovercroft Publishing, an imprint of Christian Book Services, Nashville, which also operates Carpenter’s Son Publishing. The books are distributed through Ingram.

For more information about Lorraine Bossé-Smith and her business, visit https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/.

For a review copy or to interview her, contact Joni Sullivan Baker, Buoyancy PR, at 513/319-3231 or jbaker@buoyancypr.com.

The First Testament and Disability and the Way of Jesus Honored by Academy of Parish Clergy, Inc.

WESTMONT, IL— IVP Academic is pleased to announce that two titles were honored by the Academy of Parish Clergy, Inc., as part of its 2020 Book of the Year and Reference Book of the Year Awards. Disability and the Way of Jesus by Bethany McKinney Fox made the Top Ten Book List for Parish Ministry, and The First Testament by John Goldingay was selected as one of the Top Five Reference Books of the Year.

In its March 30 announcement, the Academy of Parish Clergy, Inc., said, “In addition to the Book of the Year and Reference Book of the Year awards, the Academy offers The Top Ten Book List for Parish Ministry. The committee members believe these ten books display excellence and helpfulness to clergy, who are encouraged to add the books to their libraries.”

Also chosen for a 2019 IVP Readers’ Choice Award, Disability and the Way of Jesus: Holistic Healing in the Gospels and the Church provides new lenses on holistic healing for scholars, laypeople, and ministry leaders who care about welcoming all people as Jesus would. McKinney Fox believes that Christian communities are better off when people with disabilities are an integral part of our common life, and she considers how the stories of Jesus’ healings can guide us toward mutual thriving. 

Paul Louis Metzger, professor of theology and culture at Multnomah University and Seminary, said, “Bethany McKinney Fox has provided the contemporary church with an indispensable guide for extending Jesus’ holistic healing ministry for people with disabilities in analogically faithful and appropriate ways. Disability and the Way of Jesus will give many of us new lenses and free our imaginations from cultural impairments that all too often exclude those with disabilities from experiencing Jesus’ multidimensional, miraculous power in our midst. All of us who take to heart, head, and hands the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ healing ministry that this volume so ably conveys for the present time will gain new access to Jesus’ transformative touch.”

The First Testament: A New Translation offers a fresh reference text for the Old Testament and serves as an invitation to read the sacred text through the eyes of one of the most accomplished Old Testament scholars in the English-speaking world today. Gordon McConville at the University of Gloucestershire said, “John Goldingay’s volume is a magisterial work of theology, pastoral insight, and linguistic scholarship—‘magisterial’ used properly of an author who is unsurpassed in his ability to understand and teach. This translation, accompanying his Old Testament for Everyone series, is the product of years of interpretation of the Old Testament, always deeply learned, sharply accurate, and edgily communicative. It has immediately become one of the standard translations that I always consult when trying to understand any Old Testament text myself.”

Recognition of these important contributions to the spiritual and professional development of religious professionals will be given in two Zoom events, as the 2020 Annual Conference of the Academy of Parish Clergy has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

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

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced that three IVP titles are among the finalists for the 2020 Christian Book Award® program.

ECPA president and CEO, Stan Jantz, said, “More than ever, it’s important to celebrate and publicize the outstanding books and Bibles produced by ECPA publishers. The church and our nation are looking for hope, and that’s what these books represent.  We congratulate all the finalist authors and publishers for this year’s program!”

The IVP finalists include: 

Christian Living

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey

The human body is a window into the very structure of God’s creation and a testament to God’s glory. Renowned leprosy surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and bestselling writer Philip Yancey offer a new audience timeless reflections on the body in this updated and combined edition of the award-winning books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image. This IVP title was also honored with a 2019 IVP Readers’ Choice Award and was on the shortlist as one of the best science books for the 2019 WORLD Magazine Book of the Year.

Faith & Culture

In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World by Jake Meador

Common life in our society is in decline—our communities are disintegrating, our public discourse is hateful, and economic inequalities are widening. In this book, Jake Meador reclaims a vision of common life for our fractured times: a vision that doesn’t depend on the destinies of our economies or our political institutions, but on our citizenship in a heavenly city. In Search of the Common Good also received the Christianity Today 2020 Book of the Year Award for Politics and Public Life.

New Author

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley

This author offers four daily and four weekly habits designed to help us create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. Earley provides concrete, doable practices, such as a daily hour of phoneless presence or a weekly conversation with a friend. The Common Rule tied for the Christianity Today 2020 Book of the Year Award in the Christian Living/Discipleship category.

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. Finalists and winners are selected in twelve categories. Winners will be announced at a virtual celebration on May 5.

For a complete list of IVP award-winning titles visit ivpress.com.

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

Industry celebrates the year’s best Christian books and Bibles

Carol Stream, Ill. (April 1, 2020) – Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) today announced that eight of its titles have been selected as finalists for the 2020 Christian Book Awards® by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). Winners will be announced during an online broadcast ceremony on May 5. (Sign up to receive information about registering for the free winners broadcast here.)

Tyndale’s eight finalists include:

BIBLES

• NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496439284
• NLT Filament Bible: The Print+Digital Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496436313

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

• What Is a Girl Worth?, Rachael Denhollander, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496441331

CHILDREN

• Far From Home, Sarah Parker Rubio, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496436733

CHRISTIAN LIVING

• Giving Is the Good Life, Randy Alcorn, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496425935

DEVOTION & GIFT

• Made to Create with All My Heart and Soul, Lauren Duncan, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496431271
• The One Year Book of Amazing Stories, Robert Petterson, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496424013

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE

• Kirby McCook and the Jesus Chronicles, Stephen Arterburn and M.N. Brotherton, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496429773

The entire list of finalists is available at https://christianbookawards.com/finalists.html.

For more information about books and Bibles from Tyndale House Publishers, visit https://www.tyndale.com/.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the 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 $100 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.