As our world continues to experience a crisis none of us anticipated, the realization that life is going to change for a while is starting to sink in. Of course, the health and safety of the families and those who work in our industry are of utmost concern. But increasingly there is also concern that publishers will need to make some adjustments until the crisis abates, and perhaps for a while longer.

At ECPA, our goal is to provide networking opportunities, advocacy, and information so you can better fulfill your mission. We may not be able to meet in person for a while, but we can connect virtually, as most of you are doing. Our advocacy on behalf of ECPA members and affiliates will likely need to take on a more general tone. And the information we provide will need to focus on knowledge sharing so you can learn from what your colleagues are doing to cope with the unusual circumstances around us.

If I can add one more goal to the list, may I suggest that we pray for our industry and all the professionals who work with creative diligence to make the Christian message more widely known. Let’s pray for everyone’s health and safety. Let’s pray for the economic health of our industry. And most of all, let’s pray that we as leaders in the business and ministry of Christian publishing will continue to seek God and trust His plan for us through all of this.

We need God’s perspective, which He offers through His Word and the colorful characters who followed Him. One of my favorites is the story of Abraham, who God asked to leave his homeland and move to a place he didn’t know. In the process of this enormous change, Abraham encountered a number of obstacles and challenges. To put it bluntly, he was filled with fear. So God told him, “Do not be afraid…I am your shield and your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

Most of us probably feel a bit like Abraham right now, fearful of an unknown future. I believe God is telling us to not be afraid during this time of turbulence and change, but to trust him by faith. We have to use our heads, of course, and ask God for wisdom. But He wants to do more than help us with strategy. Ultimately God wants to touch our hearts and change us from the inside.

God cares deeply about what we are going through, but He cares even more about the people He wants us to become.

Ada, MI (March 10, 2020)—Baker Publishing Group is pleased to announce that On the Road with Saint Augustine, a Brazos Press title, was recently named Outreach Resource of the Year in the Spiritual Growth category by Outreach magazine. Five other Baker Publishing Group titles were listed as recommended resources: Faith for Exiles (Baker Books) in the Evangelism and Discipleship category, Narrative Apologetics (Baker Books) in the Apologetics category, The Church of Us vs. Them (Brazos Press) in the Church category, Global Arts and Christian Witness (Baker Academic) in the Cross-Cultural and Missional category, and For the Life of the World (Brazos Press) in the Theology and Biblical Studies category.

For the seventeenth year, Outreach magazine has named top books and curriculum that are geared toward church leaders and churches wishing to deepen their reach for the sake of the gospel. The complete list of recognized resources can be found here.

On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K. A. Smith
(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587433894; ebook ISBN 9781493419968; $24.99)

Augustine, says Smith, is the patron saint of restless hearts—a guide who has been there, asked our questions, and knows our frustrations and failed pursuits. Addressing believers and skeptics alike, this book shows how Augustine’s timeless wisdom speaks to the worries and struggles of contemporary life, covering topics such as ambition, sex, friendship, freedom, parenthood, and death. As Smith vividly and colorfully brings Augustine to life for 21st-century readers, he also offers a fresh articulation of Christianity that speaks to our deepest hungers, fears, and hopes.

Faith for Exiles by David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock
(Baker Books; ISBN 9780801013157; ebook ISBN 9781493415946; $21.99)

Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It’s easy to become discouraged by all that’s going wrong when it comes to Christianity and the emerging generation. Yet what’s going right? In fact, signs of hope are springing up all around. In Faith for Exiles, the author of unChristian and You Lost Me unveils important new Barna research that uncovers what’s working—five practices that contribute to resilience. Enter the world of resilient young adult Christians and learn how they are sustaining faith. Finally, you can find hope in all that God is doing among young disciples today.

Narrative Apologetics by Alister E. McGrath
(Baker Books; ISBN 9780801075773; ebook ISBN 9781493419241; $15.99)

In this groundbreaking book, scholar and author Alister McGrath lays a foundation for narrative apologetics before considering the many ways it can be used. Exploring four major biblical narratives, enduring stories such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s series The Chronicles of Narnia, and personal narratives from figures such as St. Augustine and Chuck Colson, McGrath shows how we can both understand and share our faith through the use of stories.

The Church of Us vs. Them by David E. Fitch
(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587434143; ebook ISBN 9781493418329; $21.99)

Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ’s reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.

Global Arts and Christian Witness by Roberta R. King
(Baker Academic; ISBN 9780801098857; ebook ISBN 9781493418107; $26.99)

Supplemented with stories from the field, illustrations, and discussion questions, this textbook offers innovative and dynamic approaches essential for doing mission in transformative ways and in diverse contexts around the world. It also features a full-color insert of artwork discussed in the book. Global Arts and Christian Witness is a must read for all those involved with or interested in mission, especially professors and students (for use in mission, intercultural studies, and evangelism courses) as well as missionaries and church leaders. It will also be of interest to musicians and artists who want to know how they can engage in mission.

For the Life of the World by Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun
(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587434013; ebook ISBN 9781493411245; $21.99)

In this provocative new contribution to public theology, world-renowned theologian Miroslav Volf (named “America’s New Public Intellectual” by Scot McKnight on his Jesus Creed blog) and Matthew Croasmun explain that the intellectual tools needed to rescue us from our present malaise and meet our new cultural challenge are the tools of theology. A renewal of theology is crucial to help us articulate compelling visions of the good life, find our way through the maze of contested questions of value, and answer the fundamental question of what makes life worth living.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Contact: Ruth Anderson, (616)676-9185 x8131 randerson@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Iron Stream Media is excited to share the list of Iron Stream Media nominees for the 2020 Selah Award through the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference.

The judges remarked that the competition was tough this year, with many excellent entries—making these nominees even more exciting for Iron Stream Media.

According to Ramona Richards, associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, “The Selah is one of the best-known awards in our industry, and we’re honored they have selected some of our finest books as finalists. We’re proud of all these authors, and we hope their work reaches readers worldwide. This recognition will help us spread the word.”

Nominees include:

Pursuing Prayer
Author: Penny Cooke

I Am a Field
Author: Jeff Davenport

Freefall: Holding onto Faith When the Unthinkable Strikes
Author: Rhonda Robinson

The Restored Man
Author: Randy Hemphill

Life-Giving Choices
Author: Lucinda Secrest McDowell

First Down Devotions
Author: Del Duduit

Jessie’s Hope
Author: Jennifer Hallmark

The Secret of Willow Inn
Author: Pat Nichols

The Zenia Wood
Author: Carrie Looper Stephens

Fall Flip
Author: Denise Weimer

Sand Creek Serenade
Author: Jennifer Uhlarik

The Bridge Between
Author: Lindsey Brackett

Murder in the Family
Author: Ramona Richards

Hush
Author: Leanna Sain

Heart Cries of Every Teen: Eight Core Desires that Call for Attention
Author: Jackie E. Perry

Soulspeak: Praying Change into Unexpected Places
Author: Sue Schlesman

I Am Cyrus: Harry S. Truman and the Rebirth of Israel
Author: Dr. Craig von Buseck

Winners will be announced at the twenty-third annual Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference on May 27th. 

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

WESTMONT, IL— Esau McCaulley, assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, has signed a contract with InterVarsity Press to be the editor for a new series tentatively titled The Fullness of Time: A Journey Through the Church Year. The first two books in the series will release in Winter 2022.

McCaulley said, “Our hope is that The Fullness of Time series introduces to some and reinvigorates in others a trust in the power of the church year to disciple and form us as followers of Jesus. The prayers, rituals, festivals, and Scriptures that mark the seasons of the year have as their goal the creation of Christians who have been changed by walking with Christ and his church through the year. The seasons provide a counter witness to the rituals, festivals, and habits of a world that are intended to shape us in its image. The liturgical year, then, is a perpetual rebellion against a culture that demands our time, attention, and our very lives. This series covering the festivals and seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time outline the contours of that rebellion. These books are tools for discipleship and assertions of God’s sovereignty over time itself.”

The Fullness of Time series will bring together diverse voices and backgrounds in six books that will serve as theological/spiritual introductions and reflections on each season of the church year. McCaulley said, “This diverse group of male and female writers spans multiple church traditions, including the Anglican Church in North America, the Episcopal Church, and Black Pentecostals interested in the renewal of liturgical tradition.” 

Each contributor will focus on a season of the church year:

Advent

Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America and writer in residence at Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, PA. She is author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (IVP, 2016). Warren said, “The ancient church has handed down this gift of liturgical time so that we can be shaped by the story of Jesus through the very way we name our days. I didn’t know about the church seasons until well into my twenties. Discovering this gift was—and remains—astounding. I found that time itself can disciple us. I want to help the broader church—whether familiar with the practice of liturgical time or not—to rediscover and unwrap this gift of the Christian calendar because it has been so important in my own life and worship. I am truly honored to be part of this series and working with these other astounding thinkers and writers.”

Christmas

Emily Hunter McGowin (PhD, University of Dayton) is associate lecturer of theology at Wheaton College and priest and canon theologian in the ACNA diocese Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO). She is the author of Quivering Families: The Quiverfull Movement and Evangelical Theology of the Family (Fortress, 2018). McGowin said, “Our Christian foremothers and fathers handed down the church year as one way we can be drawn deeper into the mystery of Christ. I am hopeful this series will help more Christians claim the church year as their own and observe it with intentionality and fruitfulness.”

Epiphany

Fleming Rutledge is an Episcopal priest widely recognized in North America and the United Kingdom as a preacher, lecturer, and teacher of other preachers. Her published sermon collections have received acclaim across denominational lines. Ordained to the diaconate in 1975, Rutledge was one of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church (January 1977). She matriculated at General Theological Seminary and received her master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1975. For fourteen years Rutledge was assistant and then senior associate at Grace Church in New York City. She has been a resident at Wycliffe College in the University of Toronto School of Theology, where she taught preaching, and also a visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome. She is the author of many books, including The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ (Christianity Today Book of the Year 2017) and Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ.

Lent

Esau McCaulley (PhD, University of St Andrews) is assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He is also the director of the Next Generation Initiative for the Anglican Church in North America, a province-wide undertaking committed to raising up and training the next generation of Anglican clergy and lay leadership. He is the founder of the Call and Response conference.  He has written articles appearing in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Christianity Today, and he is the author of Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance (T & T Clark, 2019) and the forthcoming Reading While Black (IVP Academic, 2020). McCaulley is also the host of the Disrupters podcast.

Eastertide

Wesley Hill (PhD, Durham University, UK) is associate professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father (Lexham, 2019), Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality (Zondervan, second edition 2016), Paul and the Trinity​: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters​(Eerdmans, 2015), and Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian (Brazos, 2015). He is a contributing editor for Comment magazine and writes regularly for The Living Church and other publications. Hill said, “This series of books on the church year will serve as an ideal, inviting entree into one of the most ancient and formative Christian practices there is: numbering and ordering our days in light of the reality that Jesus Christ is the risen and reigning Lord of time.”

Pentecost and Ordinary Time

Emilio Alvarez is the founding pastor and rector of The Gathering Place in Rochester, New York. He holds a bachelors in Christian education, a master of arts in religious education from New York Theological Seminary, and a PhD in religious education from Fordham University. Bishop Alvarez was consecrated a bishop in 2011 and is currently a member of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches, a Christian Union that reverences the historic Christian faith and practice of the early church. As bishop he serves as the Ordinary for the diocese of Christ the King, a network of urban Afro/Latino churches representing eight states and six countries. He is the author of the forthcoming book A Call to Pentecostal Orthodoxy (IVP Academic, 2021). 

IVP editors Anna Moseley Gissing and Ethan McCarthy served as the acquiring editors for The Fullness of Time series. McCarthy said, “The church year has been forming the faithful in the Christian story since the church’s early days. This series invites readers to explore the riches of that tradition, guided by some of the best church theologians around. Spiritual formation, or catechesis, has always been part of our DNA at IVP, and this series promises to be a wonderful addition to that legacy.”

Ada, Mich. (March 11, 2020)—In 2004 when post-consumer waste stock became available as a book paper commodity, Dwight Baker, president of Baker Publishing Group, made the decision to use it for printing as a standard policy. During the fourteen years since making that commitment, 6.2 million pounds of recycled paper have been used for printing Baker Publishing Group books. The company paper policy has saved 52,000 trees thus far, and Baker remains steadfast in its commitment to source reliably.

Dwight Baker contends, “Virgin paper might be cheap, but only if we disregard the wider impact of our decisions. Using post-consumer waste stock for our books will reduce our waste surplus, which was previously accepted by China. Our solid waste was never China’s problem to solve in the first place. The situation is ours to face.”

Leading book publishers are developing a standard for book paper that reflects greater respect for our forests. In addition to using virgin pulp, book publishing paper supply now incorporates recycled pulp. This choice began years ago as a distinct niche in book paper. Today it is a standard option for book production. “As Christian publishers, we accept a higher standard for creation care,” adds Dwight. “This is not an area where our business community should lag behind our professional peers.”

Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution. https://www.usi.edu/recycle/paper-recycling-facts/

The 52,000 trees saved by Baker company policy absorb an annual total of 765,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

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

After 30 years in Christian Publishing, including the last 7 years as HBG’s VP CBA Sales and Marketing, Gary Davidson is retiring on May 1.

Billy Clark commented, “Gary has led HBG’s sales efforts in the CBA channel and has been played a key role in Hachette Nashville’s Faith-based publishing program for the past 7 years. He brought to the role his extensive knowledge of the marketplace and valuable insights on authors, formats, subjects and ancillary products from his over 30 years in Christian Publishing. Gary has been a wonderful mentor for the team.”

March 16, 2020 – Judges Mark S. Burrows, Luci Shaw, and Jon M. Sweeney have announced the final “Short List of Three” finalists for the 2020 Paraclete Poetry Prize.  They are:

• Amy Bornman
• Deborah Burnham
• Laura Reece Hogan

Jill Peláez Baumgaertner and Diana Woodcock are being recognized as poets of distinction and reputation who might easily have won the prize if it weren’t for the fact that the judges wanted to recognize instead poets who are newer to the craft.

From this Short List of Three, two will be chosen as winners on April 1, 2020. First prize will be published this fall by Paraclete Poetry. Second prize will be published in spring 2021. The press is also planning to publish both Baumgaertner and Woodcock next year.

For interviews with Jon Sweeney or for more information, please contact Publicist Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com or 1-800-451-5006 ext 301.

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.

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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