MARCH 16, 2020 — Responding to developments stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, the ECPA board of directors decided on Friday to cancel Leadership Summit, scheduled for May 5-6 at the Nashville Airport Marriott.

“Each member of the ECPA board recognizes the strategic value of the ECPA Leadership Summit, a place where all of our organization’s core deliverables—networking, advocacy, and information—are present,” said Jeff Crosby, InterVarsity Press publisher and ECPA board chair. “Amid the rapidly-evolving health and travel situations we are all navigating, the board believed it was prudent to pivot now so we can explore all options and re-build an exceptional event in the months to come. We as a board will be working intentionally with Stan Jantz and the ECPA staff to support them as these changes are undertaken. I know I speak for the board when I say that we all look forward to gathering again in the near future.”

In the coming days ECPA will be refunding registration fees in full to those who had already signed up for Leadership Summit. Those who have made reservations at the Nashville Airport Marriott should cancel on their own. There will be no penalty if that is done more than 48 hours before the reserved dates.

“Preparing for Leadership Summit has involved the time, talent, and creativity of many people, including ECPA staff, publishing members, affiliates, and sponsors,” said ECPA president Stan Jantz. “I am so grateful for their commitment to make a conference like this possible, and I am disappointed that we will not be presenting Leadership Summit as planned. At the same time, I am confident we can develop an alternative plan that will bring our industry together when the time is right.”

The ECPA board was scheduled to meet in person in Nashville on May 4. That meeting will now be conducted by teleconference. Similarly, all five ECPA Standing Committees—Bestsellers, Events, Membership, Recognition, and Research—will also meet virtually on May 4. As for the annual ECPA membership meeting, when the election of board candidates and officers takes place, the proceedings will be conducted by electronic vote, as per the ECPA bylaws.

“Every company associated with ECPA is dealing with their own plans for the safety and well being of their employees, even as they work through the implications of this unprecedented situation on their businesses” Jantz said. “Let’s pray for one another, that God would give us wisdom for how we can best take care of those who work in our industry, even as we serve a world filled with fear and uncertainty. The books, Bibles, and resources our members publish offer hope, especially during these difficult days.”

Bloomington, MN—Rooting For Rivals by Peter Greer and Chris Horst was named as a top resource of the year in Ministry Leadership by Outreach Magazine. (https://rushtopress.org/outreach-magazine-names-resources-of-the-year/)

Faith-based organizations are sometimes known for what we’re against—and all too often that includes being against each other. But amid growing distrust of religious institutions, Christ-centered nonprofits have a unique opportunity to link arms across our organizational boundaries and pursue a calling higher than our own agendas.

Rooting for Rivals reveals how your ministry can multiply its impact by cooperating, rather than competing. Peter Greer and Chris Horst explore case studies illustrating the power of collaborative ministry. They also vulnerably share their own failures and successes in pursuing a Kingdom mindset. Discover the power of openhanded leadership to make a greater impact on the world.

“I love the African quote, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ I’m grateful to Peter Greer and Chris Horst for celebrating Christ-centered teamwork and collaboration in Rooting for Rivals. This is an essential read for Christian ministry leaders who want to model countercultural unity and generosity in how we obey and serve our Lord.”
—RICHARD STEARNS, president of World Vision U.S. and author of The Hole in Our Gospel

“In Rooting for Rivals, Peter and Chris have captured God’s heart for true Kingdom-minded ministry! They’ve created an irrefutable case for leaders around the globe to work together for the greater good. The truths in this book have the power to literally change the world!”
—MARK MILLER, vice president of high performance leadership, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Peter Greer (www.peterkgreer.com) is president and CEO of HOPE International, a global nonprofit focused on addressing both physical and spiritual poverty through microfinance. He has a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Peter is the coauthor of The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good, Mission Drift, and six other books. He speaks at conferences, including Catalyst and Passion, and has been featured by media outlets such as CNN, Christianity Today, and World. Peter lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Laurel, and three children.

Chris Horst is the vice president of development at HOPE International, where he employs his passion for advancing initiatives at the intersection of faith and work. In addition to his role at HOPE, Chris spends an alarming percentage of his free time tending to his yard with all the loving care normally afforded to newborn children. He and his wife, Alli, have three human children of whom they are even prouder than their lawn–Desmond, Abe, and June. As a dad to three kiddos, Chris has recently undergone a radical transformation from self-proclaimed foodie to a man who prepares far more trays of chicken nuggets than avocado toast. He wouldn’t change it.

Contact: Holly Maxwell, hmaxwell@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Journey through God’s Word with a knowledgeable guide: NIV Halley’s Study Bible

Grand Rapids, Mich., March 2020 – Zondervan Bibles, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is pleased to announce the release of the first-ever NIV Halley’s Study Bible.

With content gleaned from the Halley’s Bible Handbook—the bestselling Bible handbook of all time—the NIV Halley’s Study Bible makes the Bible accessible through articles, study notes, charts, maps, and photos next to related Scripture.

“Henry H. Halley had the high aim to make the Bible accessible for everyone, and he clearly succeeded based on the success of the Halley’s Bible Handbook,” says Melinda Bouma, vice president and publisher of Zondervan Bibles. “We are honored to expand that impact through this new study Bible. This pairing of Halley’s written work with stunning, four-color visuals and the bestselling NIV translation will equip more readers to understand their Bible better—and what could be better than that?”

For the first time, Henry Halley’s insights are conveniently placed within a study Bible in the world’s bestselling modern-English Bible translation, the New International Version in Zondervan’s exclusive NIV Comfort Print® typeface. Halley’s own notes are paired with new photography of archaeological findings and biblical places. Also included are insightful verse-by-verse study notes from a proprietary note system.

Features:

• Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV)
• Over 750 articles, charts, and maps, gleaned from the bestselling Bible handbook of all time, Halley’s Bible Handbook
• Full color throughout with over 150 photos of ancient sites, Holy Land topography, and archeological finds
• Over 6,000 bottom-of-the-page study notes
• Concordance with over 10,000 Scripture references
• Words of Jesus in red
• Two satin ribbon markers
• Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface
• 9-point print size

“Halley’s Bible Handbook was the first of its kind. It defined the Bible handbook category and set a standard of excellence and accessibility for students of the Bible,” said Stan Gundry, SVP and editor-in-chief, Zondervan. “Taking the updated and expanded notes of the most recent edition of Halley’s and adapting them for use in a study Bible advances Dr. Halley’s original intention of providing a resource for the average Bible reader who has few resources for understanding the Bible.”

Henry Halley’s passion to spread biblical literacy began with a simple pamphlet and grew into the Halley’s Bible Handbook with more than six million copies in print.

NIV Halley’s Study Bible is available now:

• 9780310451563 NIV, Halley’s Study Bible, eBook, 1984 pages, $33.99
• 9780310451495 NIV, Halley’s Study Bible, Hardcover, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print, 1984 pages, $49.99
• 9780310451549 NIV, Halley’s Study Bible, Leathersoft, Brown, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print, 1984 pages, $79.99
• 9780310451525 NIV, Halley’s Study Bible, Leathersoft, Burgundy, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print, 1984 pages, $79.99

To request a review copy of the NIV Halley’s Study Bible, please email amy.bigler@harpercollins.com.

About Comfort Print:  Zondervan Bibles teamed up with 2K/Denmark, the world’s foremost Bible typeface foundry, to create exclusive Comfort Print Bible fonts. Comfort Print Bibles are easy to read at any size because the typeface was designed to be both efficient and readable. Zondervan Bibles believes that the beauty of the message should be reflected in the physical form of the book. Choosing the right typeface is one significant element in creating beautiful Bibles.

Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Contact:  Amy Bigler, Senior Public Relations Manager, amy.bigler@harpercollins.com  616.698.3514 

Grand Rapids, Mich. (March 3, 2020) – Zondervan is pleased to announce that New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown will write the foreword to The Enneagram of Belonging: A Compassionate Journey to Self-Acceptance by Chris Heuertz. The book and accompanying workbook are set to release on May 19, 2020.

In the foreword, Brown shares the transformational experience of reading Heuertz’s first book, The Sacred Enneagram. “I couldn’t breathe. I was overwhelmed with an emotional maelstrom of vulnerability, grief, and maybe even a weird, shame-y feeling of being found out.”

Brown goes on to write, “The Enneagram – and Chris’s work specifically – has changed how I understand myself and the people around me. It has brought me closer to myself and my true essence, and it’s brought me closer to God who dwells fully within that essence – alongside my imperfections and vulnerabilities.

What I respect the most is that Chris’s work is unapologetically complex and nuanced. It’s fierce and tender, and, when taken seriously, demands real spiritual contemplation. To strip the Enneagram of spiritual contemplation, to ignore its rich history and diverse provenance, is to deny its power and our own.”

While most contemporary Enneagram books stop at the descriptions of the nine types, The Enneagram of Belonging uncovers the missing link in our journey of living into our true self: radical self-compassion that can bring us back to belonging. Rather than get stuck on stereotypes or curated personality, Heuertz proposes we develop an honest relationship with our type, confronting our “inner dragons,” practicing self-compassion, and thereby coming to fully belong to ourselves–and, ultimately, to love itself.

“Chris is a peerless expert who has been taught by the top enneagram masters today and is advancing the conversation with his own original contributions in this robust follow-up,” says acquiring editor and associate publisher Stephanie Smith, “This book is a much-anticipated next read for Enneagram enthusiasts who already know their type and are ready to unlock new layers on their path of personal transformation.”

Heuertz, an activist involved in humanitarian relief and anti-trafficking efforts in addition to his work as an Enneagram teacher, has been mentored by some of the great spiritual masters of our time, including Mother Teresa, with whom he spent time at her community in Calcutta, and his mentor, the Franciscan priest Fr. Richard Rohr.

Ada, Mich. (March 4, 2020)—Baker Publishing Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Mason Slater, who will serve as academic sales manager. This position fills the vacancy of Steve Ayers’s retirement in March.

Mason began at Baker Publishing Group in 2013 as an assistant marketing manager and has worked in marketing for both Baker Academic and Brazos Press, most recently as marketing manager for Brazos Press. Mason is a graduate of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (MA).

“Steve Ayers has been a consummate bookman throughout his storied career. He has served BPG well the past twenty years and we wish him well in his retirement. I am entirely confident in Mason stepping into Steve’s shoes and continuing the tradition of putting high quality books into the hands of professors and students.”—Nathan Henrion, executive vice president of Sales

“Steve Ayers has made an incalculable contribution to the growth and maturation of Baker Academic over the past twenty years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without Steve. He’s a good reader, a critical thinker, a faithful colleague, and a true friend. He will be sorely missed as he passes the baton to Mason Slater. We look forward to Mason’s contribution with great anticipation. He’s a very talented young man with a deep understanding of our list of books, the book publishing industry in general, and the world of higher education. No one could replace Steve—he’s truly one of a kind. But Mason will be a worthy successor.”—Jim Kinney, executive vice president, Academic Publishing

Baker Academic serves the academy and the church by publishing works that further the pursuit of knowledge and understanding within the context of Christian faith.

Contact: Shelly MacNaughton, (616) 676-9185  smacnaughton@bakerpublishinggroup.com

New Tyndale House Publishers Release Reaches Top 100 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

CAROL STREAM, ILL. – Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) announced that The End of Mental Illness by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Daniel G. Amen (https://danielamenmd.com/) rocketed to top 100 hourly rankings on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble soon after his new book launched nationally on Tuesday, March 3.

The success of Dr. Amen’s book launch has been buoyed by a national marketing and publicity campaign, as well as a PBS special on the book that has been broadcast on a variety of major market PBS outlets throughout the country. In addition to the PBS special, Dr. Amen will appear on local network television morning shows in more than 30 markets on Thursday, March 5, including Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Dr. Amen also interviewed with CNN’s Lynn Smith for On the Story and was featured extensively in Justin Bieber’s new docuseries, Seasons.

In addition to his television appearances, Dr. Amen has been interviewed on nearly 30 podcasts, including Better Together with Maria Menounos, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Larry King Now, and Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey.

The advertising campaign reached millions nationwide through outlets such as Psychology Today, Washington Times, and Spirituality and Health.

The End of Mental Illness provides new hope for those suffering from conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addictions, PTSD, ADHD, and more. Though incidence of these conditions is skyrocketing, standard treatments haven’t changed much in the past four decades, and success rates in treating them have barely improved. Meanwhile, the stigma of the “mental illness” label—damaging and devastating on its own—often prevents sufferers from getting the help they need.

Dr. Amen is on the forefront of a new movement within medicine and related disciplines that aims to change that. In The End of Mental Illness, Dr. Amen draws on the latest findings of neuroscience to challenge an outdated psychiatric paradigm and help readers take control and improve the health of their own brain, minimizing or reversing conditions that may be preventing them from living a full and emotionally healthy life. To aid diagnosis and treatment, Amen Clinics have done more than 170,000 brain scans on patients from 121 countries.

The End of Mental Illness will help readers discover:

• Why labeling someone as having a “mental illness” is not only inaccurate but harmful
• Why standard treatments may not have helped you or a loved one—and why diagnosis and treatment based on symptoms alone so often misses the true cause and results in poor outcomes
• At least 100 simple things you can do yourself to heal your brain and prevent or reverse the problems that are making you feel sad, mad, or bad
• Where to find the kind of health provider who understands and uses the new paradigm of brain health

For additional information about The End of Mental Illness, as well as other books from Tyndale House Publishers, visit: 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.

WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that Rebecca McLaughlin’s Confronting Christianity (Crossway, April 2019) has been named the Outreach Resource of the Year in the Apologetics category.

The 17th annual Outreach Resources of the Year, presented by Outreach magazine, honor resources specifically focused on outreach in areas such as evangelism, apologetics, compassionate service, and cross-cultural ministry.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award,” writes Justin Taylor, Crossway’s executive vice president of book publishing and book publisher. “We pray this recognition would cause more people to use Rebecca’s book in seeking to reach the lost with the glorious good news of Jesus Christ!”

The book has also received recent awards from Christianity Today (winner of the 2020 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year) and the Gospel Coalition (winner of the 2019 TGC Book Award in the Evangelism and Apologetics category).

Confronting Christianity addresses 12 controversial issues about Christianity—the Bible’s teaching on gender and sexuality, the reality of heaven and hell, and more—and shows how current psychological and scientific research actually aligns with teaching from the Bible.

“Rebecca McLaughlin’s defense of the Christian faith is what all defenses should be: sensitive, smart, and sound. This is apologetics done right—and exactly right for this age in which we live,” commends Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions. “Confronting Christianity is a book I will draw upon myself and will recommend widely to believers and skeptics alike.”

McLaughlin is also the author of the forthcoming book for preteens 10 Questions Every Kid Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity (Crossway, January 2021), which will help kids think through topics similar to those explored in Confronting Christianity. For more information about the author, please visit rebeccamclaughlin.org.

Rebecca McLaughlin holds a PhD in Renaissance literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is cofounder of Vocable Communications and former vice president of content at the Veritas Forum, where she spent almost a decade working with Christian academics at leading secular universities.

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

WaterBrook, an imprint of Random House, announces a new line of gift books and products to be published within the Christian publishing program. Ink & Willow offers a thoughtfully curated list of gift books, journals, and interactive products designed to spark reminders of how God reveals beauty in the midst of our ordinary. The Ink & Willow debut list will launch in Fall 2020 with a list of six titles, including a journal for couples, a guided prayer journal and a book of inspirational postcards to color and send.

Tina Constable, who leads the Christian publishing program at Random House, says, ‘”We created the Ink & Willow line for consumers who are looking to slow down in today’s fast-paced world and are seeking ways to find time for God’s encouraging voice through quiet reflections that nurture their spirit.”

Senior editor Susan Tjaden adds, “We’re so excited to develop beautifully designed non-traditional books, cards, journals, and other items for a spiritual audience. And while much of the content will be created in house, we will also partner with select authors for both original and ancillary products.”

The inaugural list of titles to be published this fall under Ink & Willow includes:

• Choose Joy: A Coloring Book of Gratitude and Wonder (9/22/2020)
• My Prayer Journey: A 52-Week Guided Journal to Inspire A Deeper Connection with God (9/29/2020)
• Whatever is Lovely Postcard Book: Twenty-Four Inspirational Cards to Color and Send (10/20/2020)
• 52 Weeks of Gratitude: A One-Year Journal to Reflect, Pray, and Record Thankfulness (10/27/2020)
• To Read or Not to Read: A Literary Journal for the Book Lover’s Soul (11/3/2020)
• Our Daily Question: A Three-Year Journal for Couples (11/10/2020)

WaterBrook is an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC

How the Light Gets In takes top spot in Faith-Based Fiction/Nonfiction category

CAROL STREAM, IL, March 6, 2020 — Oasis Audio, a division of Oasis Family Media, came home with a prestigious win at the Audio Publishers Association’s annual Audie Awards Gala this past Monday evening. The publisher’s production of How the Light Gets In (Tyndale, 2019), written by Jolina Petersheim and narrated by Tavia Gilbert, received top honors in the Faith-Based Fiction / Nonfiction category. A second Oasis title, Breathe Again (Revell, 2019), written and read by Niki Hardy, was a finalist in the same category.

Winners were announced March 2 at the 25th annual Audie Awards Gala held at Guastavino’s in New York City. The event, which recognizes the year’s most distinctive audio publishing work, is frequently called the “Oscars of spoken-word entertainment.” This year, the Audies saw more than 1,300 submissions in 24 categories.

Steve Smith, president and publisher of Oasis Family Media, said that he is “honored and pleased” with the distinction.

“This is only the second year that faith-based fiction and nonfiction — two very broad individual genres — were combined into a single category, making the competition exceptionally stiff. Of the five total finalists in the Faith-Based Fiction/Nonfiction category, two titles were Oasis Audio publications,” said Smith.

“We have decades of audiobook production experience under our belt. We shoot for excellence with every title we produce — and it shows. We work with the best narrators, the best engineers. This award validates my team’s commitment to producing to the highest caliber.”

This is the second Audie win for narrator Tavia Gilbert, who has been nominated 10 times.

Oasis Audio was a finalist for two Audie Awards in 2019, including Audiobook of the Year. Both nominations recognized the company’s production of Maxwell King’s The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, narrated by LeVar Burton.

About Oasis Audio
Oasis Audio began publishing inspirational and self-help audio titles in 1996. Over the years, the product selection expanded to include Bibles, non-fiction, fiction, children’s and business audio titles. Today, Oasis Audio is the largest independent Christian and inspirational audiobook publisher in the United States. Oasis Audio is a division of Oasis Family Media. To learn more, visit oasisaudio.com

MEDIA CONTACT:  Julie Smith, Marketing Director, Oasis Audio, julie@oasisaudio.com  847-293-2994

MARCH 9, 2020 — TEMPE, ARIZ. — Several international book fairs have either been cancelled or postponed in the last few weeks due to concerns stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. Over the next four months, ECPA is producing three publishing conferences, and some in the Christian publishing community may be wondering about their status.

“ECPA is moving forward with each event as scheduled,” said Stan Jantz, ECPA president. “We are carefully monitoring the timing and location of each event and at this time, our events in Nashville, Chicago and Krakow will remain.

The European Christian Rights Fair (ECRF), will take place March 16-17 in Krakow, Poland. For the second year, ECPA is producing this event for global rights professionals and their customers, with Gary Chamberlin, executive director of CLC Europe, serving as host.

ECPA’s annual executive Leadership Summit will be held May 5-6 at the Nashville Airport Marriott Hotel. “We are pleased that registrations are ahead of last year at this time,” said Jantz. “We will have several world-class speakers and panels addressing the future of publishing as it relates to evangelicalism, content, and reader engagement.” Early-bird registration continues through March 20.

The second annual International Christian Rights & Export Fair (ICREF) will be held June 16-17 in Chicago on the campus of Moody Bible Institute. “This is a wonderful opportunity for members of the international publishing community to meet with foreign publishers, retailers, and distributors to discuss licensing and international sales,” Jantz said.  Registration for ICREF is now open. Pricing will remain same as last year at $399 for an exhibitor table for up to two people, with additional tables priced at $99. Attendees will pay just $49 for a two-day pass.

“ECPA is aware of the commitment many of our members are making to attend one or more of these next three events,” said Jantz. “At the present time, we are aware of no federal or state guidance about restricting travel within the United States or public gatherings at any of the cities we are meeting in. We remain committed to producing conferences that benefit the global Christian publishing industry. However, if new information comes to light, we will quickly notify the ECPA community, registrants and presenters, and adjust our cancellation policies as needed.” Jantz also stressed that measures will be taken at these and all future events to ensure the healthiest environment possible.

Jantz encourages ECPA members and affiliates to be in touch with specific questions about ECRF, Leadership Summit and ICREF.

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

CONTACT:  Stan Jantz, ECPA president and CEO, sjantz@ecpa.org, or 480-966-3998