“Reading Hope in Trying Times”

Writing for Your Life has made the difficult decision to reschedule or cancel all of their conferences planned for this Spring, including Publishing in Color conferences and The Business of Being a Spiritual Writer seminars. Details can be found on the Writing for Your Life and Publishing in Color websites.

But also some good news!  They are launching a new online video series called “Reading Hope in Trying Times” (https://writingforyourlife.com/reading-hope-in-trying-times/) where they feature many of their author partners, each discussing some of their books that might be helpful during the challenging times we currently face. They also welcome publishing house participation!

The series starts this coming Monday, March 23 at 11 AM Eastern and continues on subsequent weekdays at the same time.

Here is the schedule.

• Monday, Mar 23: Diana Butler Bass
• Tuesday, Mar 24: Patricia Raybon 
• Wednesday, Mar 25: Philip Yancey
• Thursday, Mar 26: Amy Julia Becker
• Friday, Mar 27: Jennifer Grant

Week two:

• Monday, Mar 30: Carol Howard Merritt
• Tuesday, Mar 31: Lori Erickson
• Wednesday, Apr 1: Niki Hardy
• Thursday, Apr 2: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
• Friday, Apr 3: Brian McLaren

Week three:

• Monday, Apr 6: Kathy Khang
• Tuesday, Apr 7: Kate Rademacher
• Wednesday, Apr 8: Kathy Izard
• Thursday, Apr 9: Lisa Crayton
• Friday, Apr 10: Carrie Newcomer “Singing Hope in Trying Times”

Week four:

• Monday, Apr 13: Michelle Van Loon

Rolls out Free ‘Church at Home’ Feature

In Response to COVID-19, Minno launches Free Program Giving Churches and  Families Easy-to-Use Digital Tools to Transfer the Church Experience to the Home, Including Help for Talking to Kids About  Coronavirus

NASHVILLE, March 19, 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 responding to changes due to COVID-19 today with a free resource for families unable to physically attend church. Minno’s free Church at Home program affords families an easy-to-use, home-based digital Sunday School experience.

“Families have unexpectedly found themselves unable to gather with their church communities likely for several weeks. While pastors are doing their best to provide online church for adults, most are not in a position to replicate Children’s Ministry or Sunday School. We immediately asked ourselves what we could do to help leveraging the Minno platform, and our team worked quickly to launch a Church at Home experience. It’s live today all around the world for everyone, and it’s free,” said Erick Goss, CEO and Co-founder of Minno and former senior manager at Amazon. “Using Minno Church at Home, families can worship, learn, pray together, and download activities with the click of a button on Sunday and throughout the week. On weekdays, while children are out of school, parents can take advantage of free daily devotionals, as well as selections from our catalog of programming that is always curated on the foundations of care for others.”

Free Church at Home Features Include:

• Church at Home can be found here: https://www.gominno.com/lp/church-at-home/
• Church at Home features three easy steps: Choose a Worship Song, Watch a Bible Video, and Enjoy More Devotionals.
• Church at Home also features selected content from the Minno Life Blog, such as how to talk to your kids about coronavirus, as well as printable activities to do in the home.
• For families 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

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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.”
 

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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
 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As churches across the nation are temporarily halting in-person worship gatherings and on-campus ministry activities in response to the coronavirus outbreak, church leaders are scrambling to figure out how to maintain continuity in their ministries and keep their congregations on the same page.

B&H Publishing is providing a low-cost solution to ministry problems that result from COVID-19 social distancing and quarantines. Focusing on reading books as a way to stay connected, B&H launched an initiative: “Stay on the same page, by reading the same pages.”

Through “Stay on the same page” B&H offers select titles for congregations and small groups to read together at a bulk price of $5 each, along with free, online discussion guides.

These free discussion guides are ideal for groups of 10 or fewer as recommended by the U.S. government, groups that meet virtually, or even individuals for self-reflection.

“The inability to gather corporately is a major problem,” said Devin Maddox, B&H trade book publisher. “We hope by offering our most affordable books designed for congregational and group reading—as well as discounting an assortment of e-books for individuals—we can get resources into the right hands.”

Some of the select book are offered at $5 per book with an order of 20 or more. Others are offered at the same discount price with bundles of 10 or more.

Once bulk orders are delivered to church property, church leaders are encouraged to distribute books using a safe social distance (such as a drive-through option) and share the free online resources that support group book consumption and discussion.

More than 30 titles are offered at a discount bulk price, including:

• “Not Forsaken: Finding Freedom as Sons and Daughters of a Perfect Father,” by Louie Giglio
• “Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church,” by Keith and Kristyn Getty
• “I Am Going” by Daniel L. Akin and Bruce Riley Ashford
• “Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations,” by Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright
• “I am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference,” by Thom S. Rainer

“When ‘I Am a Church Member’ was first published the aim was to design a book to encourage church members to read together for the purpose of deeper discipleship,” said Maddox.

“To date, literally over a million church members have continued discipleship by reading together in separate locations during the week. As COVID-19 keeps us away from our church campuses on the weekend, it seems right to us that we might maintain unity by deploying resources to aid in discipleship.”

Thom Rainer, CEO of ministry coaching firm Church Answers, and former CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, is hopeful about the prospect of many churches reading together.

“I have heard countless stories of pastors who effectively led change in their churches by reading ‘I Am a Church Member ‘with their congregations,” said Rainer.

“During this time of social isolation I think reading any book together would be an effective way for individuals, families and small groups to stay on the same page as the church.”

In addition to the bulk congregational reading offer, B&H has also made available several e-book versions of some key titles at a discounted price.

“Books are like ‘little missionaries,’” said Maddox. “Books can travel to places we could never go. Books can teach on the Amtrak train. Books can comfort a lonely night-shift worker. Books can be smuggled into the home of a teenager whose family is hostile to the gospel, so they can safely hear the Good News in communities where Christians would never be welcome.

“And because books can be deployed safely in places people can’t, we see books as a strategic resource for those of us in social isolation from one another.”

B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, is a team of mission minded people with a passion for taking God’s Word to the world. Because we believe Every Word Matters® we seek to provide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade, church and academic markets, titles include “The New York Times” No. 1 bestsellers “The Love Dare” and “The Vow,” No. 1 CBA bestseller “I Am a Church Member,” as well as the newly-revised Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.

 

By Joy Allmond, a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources

Four Current Titles Recognized as Bestsellers

EUGENE, Oregon (March 18, 2020)—Harvest House celebrates an outstanding month in March 2020 with four bestselling titles, setting the tone for more successful releases in the rest of 2020.

Stop Calling Me Beautiful by Phylicia Masonheimer hit two bestseller lists in its first month, charting at #18 on Publishers Weekly Trade Paper Nonfiction list for the period ending March 2, 2020, and landing a #43 position on ECPA’s Christian Bestsellers March 2020 list.

Masonheimer shares her journey of transformation, beginning with seeking discipleship and theological understanding and finding that the more you pursue God to better understand Him, the more prepared you are to fulfill your greater purpose.

Foundations by Ruth Chou Simons and Troy Simons charted on the Publishers Weekly list as the #13 Hardcover Nonfiction bestseller for the period ending March 16, 2020. This is Ruth Chou Simons’ third title in a row to chart on bestselling lists.

The Simonses invite parents to guide their families in leaning into God’s teachings through Scripture, devotions, and discussion based on 12 key truths about God.

The Day Approaching by Amir Tsarfati landed the #21 spot on the Publishers Weekly Trade Paper Nonfiction list, also in the period ending March 16, 2020.

Tsarfati’s latest title offers a view of the return of Christ from the author’s perspective as a Jew who has converted to Christianity. He encourages readers to turn to the Bible alone for truth when seeking signs and clarity about the final days.

Beyond Betrayal by Phil Waldrep charted at #21 on ECPA’s Christian Bestsellers March 2020 list. Waldrep shares God’s solutions to overcoming resentment and not letting past hurts limit future relationships in this latest bestseller.

“We consider it an honor to have so many bestselling books on our list,” said Bob Hawkins, president of Harvest House Publishers. “It’s a real testament to our authors’ ability to connect with their readers, and we anticipate continued success with the stellar titles we are publishing in the coming months.”

New titles coming in Spring/Summer 2020 from Harvest House include In Unison by CCM artist Jeremy Camp and wife Adrienne Camp, Fields of Joy by Ruth Chou Simons, The Connected Parent by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, The Power of a Woman’s Words by Sharon Jaynes, and Stronger Together, Weaker Apart by Tony Evans.

For more information about Harvest House, visit www.harvesthousepublishers.com.

About the Publisher
Harvest House, a Christian publishing company based in Eugene, Oregon, publishes more than 135 books per year and carries a strong backlist offering more than 1,200 titles. Over 140 million Harvest House books have been sold worldwide through diverse distribution channels, and additional millions have sold in more than 75 different languages.

March 20, 2020 – Paraclete Press announces a one-month delay on titles that were to be published in May and early June.

“We have added one month to those publication dates,” says Paraclete publisher Jon M. Sweeney.

Paraclete has five new titles – a memoir, two novels, a nonfiction work on Henri Nouwen, and a chapbook of poems – that are publishing in March and April. Those books remain unaffected.

The publication dates of two books are changing today:

• The Neglected C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Riches of His Most Overlooked Books, by Mark Neal and Jerry Root. Publication date changing from May 19 to June 18.

• Recital of Love: Sacred Receivings, by Keren Dibbens-Wyatt. Publication date changing from June 9 to July 9.

“As with you all, we have realized this is not a ‘business as usual’ situation,” Sweeney continued. “We are facing a mostly disrupted book market at every level. We are launching the terrific books that are coming in now, and then prudently putting four to six weeks of space between those titles and the next batch headed to printers. We hope and pray that things will come back into working order soon.”

For interviews with Jon Sweeney or review copies of any of the above books, please contact Publicist Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com or 1-800-451-5006 ext 301.

CHARLOTTE, NC—The Good Book Company announces that The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross (The Good Book Company, February 2016) has surpassed 100,000 units in print sales.

Alongside stunning and biblically faithful illustrations by series illustrator Catalina Echeverri, author Carl Laferton (EVP of Publishing at TGBC) takes children on a journey from the Garden of Eden to the new creation. Using the theme of the temple curtain, Laferton makes deep theology accessible to children with the motif “God says it is wonderful to live with him, but because of your sin you can’t come in…” He joyfully concludes, “But Jesus died on the cross to take your sin, so all his friends can now come in!”

The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross has received endorsements from R. Albert Mohler Jr., Gloria Furman, Kristyn Getty, and Michael Reeves.

Mohler writes, “Faithful, theologically rich children’s books are a rare treat in Christian publishing. Laferton has provided us one of the best little treatments of biblical theology available for parents to read to their children. The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross not only teaches children stories in the Bible but the story of the Bible—one that culminates in the atoning work of Jesus Christ who gives broken sinners access to God. This book is a tremendous resource for parents and children who want to better understand the grand storyline of Scripture.”

“We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone for The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross,” comments James Burstow, TGBC President. “It is a thrilling thought that these sales represent 100,000 opportunities for children to read, in 9 different languages, about the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and why it is such wonderful news for them.”

In February of this year, The Good Book Company launched an innovative Easter Calendar and family devotional to accompany The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross. Written by Carl along with his wife Lizzie, the calendar walks families through the 2 weeks leading up to Easter to help build anticipation about Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Carl Laferton is Executive Vice President of Publishing at The Good Book Company and an author. His other titles include Christmas Uncut and Promises Kept.

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

For more than fifty years, the mission of Tyndale House Publishers has been to open God’s Word to as many people as possible in language they can relate to and understand. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tyndale is open for business and committed to serving readers by making products available that will minister to people’s spiritual needs. During this difficult time, we will continue to serve you in every way possible.

With that in mind, below are some specific steps we are taking:

Customer Deliveries Will Continue

Our Illinois warehouse remains open and fully operational. We intend to continue regular service as long as possible. Should this change, we will communicate any disruptions in our deliveries. Please email us at csresponse@tyndale.com if you have questions or need assistance.

Commitment to Bookstores and Libraries

Tyndale’s partnerships with local bookstores and libraries are essential. We encourage consumers to continue to support these important members of your community. We know they will be impacted significantly in the weeks ahead. As a result, we will encourage these businesses by giving you the ability to direct 10% of your order value on Tyndale.com and NavPress.com to the account of your local library or bookstore. Please forward us a copy of your order confirmation email to blessmybookseller@tyndale.com and indicate the name, address, and phone number of the bookstore or library you want to support. This offer is available until April 15, 2020.

Health and Safety of Our Employees and Customers

We are committed to providing the best possible service while helping our employees stay safe. Using CDC guidance and best practices, we are working diligently to protect everyone by instituting travel restrictions, canceling large group gatherings, increasing cleaning measures in all our facilities, and enabling our employees to work from home when possible.

Tyndale House Publishers is one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world. Yet our vision goes beyond the publishing enterprise to transforming the hearts and minds of people across the globe. The profits of Tyndale House publishers flow directly to Tyndale House Foundation. The Foundation uses these funds to support ministries involved with Bible translation, literature distribution, leadership training, and humanitarian aid. With every book purchased, our readers help to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

In the coming weeks and months and years, we will continue to develop and distribute content and resources to help you, your family, and your church to navigate this challenging time.

Jeff Johnson
President, Tyndale House Publishers

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.