Ada, Mich. (January 7, 2020)—Christianity Today recently announced the winners of their 2020 Book Awards. Two Baker Publishing Group titles received top honors, and one title received an award of merit. Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker was selected as the winner in the Fiction category, and On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K. A. Smith won the Spiritual Formation category. For the Life of the World by Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun received an award of merit in the Theology/Ethics category.

Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker (Revell; ISBN 9780800728519; ebook ISBN 9781493417735; $14.99)

When Cohen Marah steps over his father’s body in the basement embalming room of the family’s funeral home, he has no idea that he is stepping into a labyrinth of memory. Over the next week, Cohen’s childhood comes back in living color: a series of dramatic events. As the lines blur between what was real and what was imaginary, Cohen is faced with the question he’s been avoiding: Is he responsible for his father’s death? Master story weaver Shawn Smucker relays a tale both eerie and enchanting, one that will have you questioning reality and reaching out for what is true, good, and genuine.

Nicole Baart, novelist and author of You Were Always Mine and Little Broken Things stated, “Light from Distant Stars is a singular experience, one infused with all the beauty and mystery of a broken creation that groans as in the pains of childbirth.”

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.

“On the Road with Saint Augustine is a rare book. It’s weighty, beautiful, and insightful. I opened this book expecting to learn from and about Augustine, but I didn’t expect that he would become my traveling companion. We have more in common with this ancient African monk than we realize,” commented Darryl Dash, pastor and church planter and author of How to Grow.

Additionally, a Brazos Press title won an Award of Merit in Theology/Ethics: For the Life of the World by Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun.

Christianity Today honors the books they consider “most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.” For the complete list of winners, please click here.

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

January 6, 2020 — Paraclete Press is pleased to announce its Sacred Music Division. In the words of Sheet Music Editor and Gregorian Chant Specialist James E. Jordan, Jr., DMA, CJ: “From the earliest days at Paraclete Press, music has been a core resource and value. Rooted in Gregorian chant and the great traditions of choral singing from across the globe, Paraclete Sacred Music offers the finest resources, from Gregorian chant to modern choral music—in sound, to listen and inspire, and in print, to learn and use. In tandem with the music are educational materials designed specifically to help unlock and disseminate the meanings held within the music.”

The Paraclete Press Resource Library of Sacred Music includes:

• Recordings from the choir Gloriæ Dei Cantores, and from the monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes, France
• Gregorian chant books from Paraclete Press, the monks of Solesmes, and the Church Music Association of America
• Sacred Choral and Organ sheet music from America, England, Russia, and Australia, representing more than 170 composers

The Sacred Music Division is fully represented in Paraclete’s Spring 2020 Complete Resource Catalog, which in addition to Sacred Music also highlights: New Book Releases (including New Releases for Spring/Lent/Easter 2020), Mount Tabor Books, Monastic Wisdom, Children’s Books, Videos, Grief Resources, and print, web, and audio services available through Paraclete Multimedia. Browse the catalog online here.

In the words of Director Lillian Miao, PhD, CJ: “The mission of Paraclete Press since its inception about forty years ago has been to communicate Beauty and Truth through the arts to all corners of the world. First came the printing services for our religious community and the local art community here on Cape Cod. Then came music, with Gregorian chant recordings and sheet music—and almost at the same time the explosion of book publishing and choir recordings. Today we experience the excitement of ever-changing media for communicating this symphony of sound and sight.”

For copies of the catalog, review copies of new releases, or interviews, please contact Publicist Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com.

 

Tap into daily refreshment with this daily devotional Bible app for women and men

CAROL STREAM, ILL. (January 8, 2020) – In partnership with Tecarta (www.tecartabible.com), Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) has launched Refresh (www.refreshdevos.com), the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use Bible devotional app ever developed. With more than 23,000 daily readings written by Tyndale authors such as Ann Voskamp, Nancy Guthrie, David Jeremiah, Tony Dungy, and Gary Chapman, readers may customize their own personal reading plan on topics that meet them where they are in life and fits their schedule. The app is available in IOS and Google app stores.

“This is the ultimate devotional app out there—user-friendly, intuitive, and robust,” said Ron Beers, Sr. VP, Group Publisher. “Whether you’ve been reading the Bible for years or just getting started, the Refresh: Daily Bible Devotional App will inspire you and give you food for thought to meet your daily challenges. We’re excited about how this new app can impact today’s generation with life-giving refreshment.”

“We are excited to partner with Tyndale on the Refresh: Daily Bible Devotional App,” said Ming Siu, CEO / Co-Founder Tecarta, Inc. “Today’s users want to discover content that is relevant and applicable to their lives.  The Refresh: Daily Bible Devotional App allows users to easily create and share their own devotional plans that meet their needs.  It is our hope that this app, which combines Tyndale’s rich and trusted devotional content with Tecarta’s experience in developing innovative Bible apps, will make a difference in people’s daily lives.”

Women and men alike will find renewed strength from daily readings on more than 600 topics, including anxiety, stress, relationships, parenting, love, and hope. Get a fresh start every day by:

• Creating your own personal reading plan on topics that meet you where you are and fit your life and schedule
• Picking from the app’s list of devotional topics, choosing how long you wish your plan to be, and being done!
• Tapping into more than 23,000 daily readings by authors you trust
• Sharing a plan with friends who need encouragement

The Refresh: Daily Bible Devotional App features include:

• Being easy to use and share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social platforms
• Access to more than 23,000 devotionals—a lifetime of devotional reading
• Customizable devotionals based on a reader’s needs for a day, week, or more
• Featured plans based on popular topics, holiday themes, and bestselling authors
• New content constantly added with every update
• Access to the entire Bible text in the version of your choice

With Refresh, users may customize how they wish to receive their daily devotional. They may simply receive a random devotional each day, or they can select a topic (“anxiety,” for example) and decide how many days they want to receive a devotional on that topic.

There will be two different versions of Refresh, a free version and paid version. The free version will contain ads. The paid version will be a subscription model with additional features not found in the free version and will not include advertisements.

The Refresh: Daily Bible Devotional App is designed to be the go-to app for consumers who want to access a devotional reading and the Bible text anytime, anywhere. Readers may learn more about the app at www.refreshdevos.com.

Tecarta is a team of software, design and product people working in Palo Alto, California.  Its primary product is Tecarta Bible, one of the leading Bible apps for iOS and Android used by millions of people.  Tecarta’s mission is to change the world by developing amazing apps that help people read, discover, study and share the Bible.

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.

Based on the Sermon Series of the same name with over 15 million views, book is a candid, inspiring guide to finding lasting love by getting real about relationship goals for dating, marriage, and sex

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Michael Todd, the lead pastor of Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK, and a fresh and honest voice resonating with millions of people across the country is releasing his debut book, Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex (WaterBrook, Hardcover) and the companion Relationship Goals Study Guide (WaterBrook, Trade Paper) on April 28, 2020. Todd is convinced that many people lack the tools or vision to build healthy relationships and thus encounter hurt, heartache, and hang-up’s. He believes that with proper aim and the right goal anyone can win at relationships. With biblical wisdom shared in a relevant and progressive manner, he engages readers in a unique conversation that counters today’s cultural norms.

Todd, who has over 53 million total views on his YouTube channels (YouTube: Transformation Church, Re-Present TV), pastors 5,000 people in physical attendance and over 25,000 people online each week. His “Relationship Goals” sermon series has been viewed more than 15 million times. Transformation Church recently purchased the SpiritBank Event Center in Tulsa, where the congregation now meets to accommodate the church’s explosive growth.

“We live in a world that has more and more relationships and less and less love, more and more sex and less and less intimacy,” says Todd. “When I think about the pain I’ve experienced and have seen others experience from bad relationships, I can’t wait to share what the Bible says about how to do relationships, so that people can minimize the pain and start to benefit from the rewards. To do that, you’ve got to have a goal.”

By charting a course that candidly examines people’s most common relationship pitfalls and unpacking God’s Word, Todd hopes this book will transform a trendy hashtag into a future where the most cherished relationships thrive in relational life, hope, and abundance.

Michael Todd is the lead pastor of Transformation Church, (https://transformchurch.us/) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His driving passion is representing God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. Todd speaks at a variety of influential churches, events, and conferences each year, including Elevation Church, C3 Conference, Lakewood Church, VOUS Conference, Relentless Church, XO Conference, Catalyst Conference, and this past November at Kanye West’s “Jesus is King” event at the Forum in Englewood, CA. He will also be speaking at Bishop T. D. Jakes’s International Leadership Summit in April with Tyler Perry, Keion Henderson, Steven Furtick, and many others.  Todd and his wife, Natalie, have been married since 2010 and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with their three beautiful children: Isabella, Michael Jr., and Ava, affectionately known as “The Todd Squad”.

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

Letters to a Young Pastor: Timothy Conversations between Father and Son will feature letters from Peterson to his son Eric

CAROL STREAM, ILL. (January 9, 2020) – NavPress (@NavPress) has announced that on June 9, 2020, it will release a collection of letters written by pastor/theologian Eugene H. Peterson.  Letters to a Young Pastor: Timothy Conversations between Father and Son (Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-64158-111-0, $19.99), for the first time in print, will provide readers with an intimate look at Peterson’s love for his family and passion for pastoring. A companion product, Letters to a Young Congregation: Nurturing the Growth of a Faithful Church (Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-64158-115-8), written by Eric, will release simultaneously.

“There is a saying that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” said Don Pape, Publisher, NavPress. “And that is most definitely true for this project. You can hear the wisdom of Eugene in the letters of both himself and his son. And it really is an honor to carry on the legacy begun by Eugene in providing letters that will help pastors work out their vocation with a congregation, be it large or small.”

When Eric Peterson became the pastor of a brand-new church, he quickly and wisely turned to his dad for guidance. Eugene Peterson, author of more than thirty books including his bestselling memoir, The Pastor, and his groundbreaking Bible, The Message, reflects on pastoral ministry in all its complexity—from relationships to administration to the sheer audacity of leading God’s people in a particular place. This is Eugene Peterson at his best—lifelong wisdom written with deep love.

Readers will glimpse the tender, witty, personal side of Eugene mentoring his own son. These intimate letters will be treasured by all who read, and applicable to church leaders around the globe.

Letters to a Young Congregation, written as a collection of letters over several years by Eric, offers a poignant, pastoral vision for what the people of God are to be about in their personal lives and their life together. Readers will find this wisdom for one local church to be warm, winsome, knowing, understanding, and universally relevant.

Eric addresses essential questions such as “What is a church? What should a church be doing? What do we owe each other? What can we expect from one another? How do we follow Christ together?” A pastor in the state of Washington, he wrestled with how to grow his infant church into a mature Christian community. This book was born in the midst of a church coming to life and is a compelling read for any pastor, church leader, or congregant.

Additional information about both books is available at www.navpress.com.

Eugene H. Peterson (1932–2018) was a pastor for thirty years, as well as a theologian and scholar of biblical languages. The author of more than thirty books, he is best known for The Message, his translation of the Bible into contemporary, poetic language. His ministry as a pastor and his writings on theology and spirituality have shaped generations of Christians.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to peoples’ lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.

WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional (Crossway, October 2014), by best-selling author Paul David Tripp, has surpassed 500,000 units in print sales.

With daily readings full of gospel-centered encouragement, this devotional offers readers a burst of energy for their days that is more potent than a cup of strong coffee. Each reading begins with a compelling thought, followed by an extended meditation for the day. Tripp takes readers beyond behavior modification and feel-good aphorisms into an encounter with the living God, preparing them to trust in his goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.

Tripp writes, “One of the stunning realities of the Christian life is that in a world where everything is in some state of decay, God’s mercies never grow old. They never run out. They never are ill timed. They never dry up. They never grow weak. They never get weary. They never fail to meet the need. They never disappoint. They never, ever fail, because they really are new every morning. Form-fitted for the challenges, disappointments, sufferings, temptations, and struggles with sin within and without are the mercies of our Lord.”

New Morning Mercies is available in TruTone and hardcover, a cloth-over-board gift edition, and ebook formats. The book has received commendations from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth (author and host of Revive Our Hearts), TobyMac (hip-hop recording artist and songwriter), and others.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth writes, “Each morning for years, Paul Tripp has served fresh-brewed wisdom and encouragement through his pithy, thought-provoking tweets, reminding us again and again of the all-sufficiency of Christ and his grace. New Morning Mercies offers more of the same. . . These devotional readings will strengthen, nourish, and recalibrate your heart, and open your eyes to behold God’s fresh mercies at the dawn of each new day.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Tripp to offer this rich daily devotional,” says Dave DeWit, Crossway’s vice president of book publishing. “His purpose is to apply the simple-yet-profound truths of the gospel of grace to our daily circumstances. We regularly receive comments from readers expressing appreciation for the powerful ministry New Morning Mercies has in their lives.”

Tripp is also the author of Parenting (Crossway, 2016), and Suffering (Crossway, 2018), and Come, Let Us Adore Him (Crossway, 2017). For more information about the author, visit paultripp.com.

Paul David Tripp (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a pastor, author, and international conference speaker. He is also the president of Paul Tripp Ministries. He has written a number of popular books on Christian living, including What Did You Expect?, Suffering, Parenting, and New Morning Mercies. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Luella, and they have four grown children.
paultripp.com  twitter.com/PaulTripp  facebook.com/pdtripp/

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 Harvey, lharvey@crossway.org

THE ECPA REPORT ON BOOK & BIBLE PURCHASING AND READING PREFERENCES OF U.S. CHRISTIANS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO MEMBER PUBLISHERS

The ECPA Report on Book & Bible Purchasing and Reading Preferences of U.S. Christians is now available for purchase by ECPA member publishers.  The 160-page report was commissioned by the ECPA Research Committee and is a result of an extensive survey conducted this Fall with over 2000 book buyers who identify as Christian.

ECPA underwrote half the cost of the project so that the price could be deeply discounted to its members and offered at a sliding scale based on publisher size.

“I believe that this is the most comprehensive and useful survey ECPA has ever commissioned with exclusive access to never-before-seen information straight from book buyers who are Christian, on how they prefer to discover and purchase books,” explains ECPA president Stan Jantz. “If you are a Christian publisher, the information in this report will be of profound value to your company.”

The survey asked questions that Christian publishers said they wanted to know about:

• Overall book purchasing preferences and discovery
• Reading motivation and topics of interest
• Specifically Christian book purchasing behavior and information sources
• Christian fiction and non-fiction preferences and opinions
• Bible discovery, purchasing preferences, behavior
• All broken down by demographics, and MORE!

Jeannette Taylor with JET Marketing developed the survey based on participation from Christian publishers on the ECPA research committee, and wrote the final report with input from Kristen McLean with NPD.

“As a result of publisher feedback, the ECPA Research Committee coordinated this very important survey – utilizing market research and data experts, and asking specific questions Christian publishers identified as important to them,” stated ECPA Research Committee chair and board member Jeff Johnson, COO of Tyndale House Publishers.  “The ECPA board believes in the importance of investing in this research for ECPA members and the industry.”

More information and order requests are available on the ECPA website at https://www.ecpa.org/page/2019ReaderReport

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. ECPA.org

Media Contacts:
Stan Jantz, ECPA President & CEO, sjantz@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101

Mountain Brook Ink Celebrates Growth with New Imprint, Mountain Brook Fire

WHITE SALMON, WA., DEC. 22, 2019 — Mountain Brook Ink is launching a new speculative fiction imprint, Mountain Brook Fire, dedicated to Christian and clean speculative fiction for upper middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences.

Since its beginning in 2014, small press Mountain Brook Ink (MBI) has published inspirational adult and young adult fiction of all kinds, from romance, to mystery, to fantasy. However, MBI has always been best known for romance and women’s fiction. As of 2020, the publisher will be dedicating an imprint specifically to speculative fiction.

Mountain Brook Fire was created out of our team’s love of imagination and our desire for thrilling, quality speculative fiction that won’t prick your conscience or make your teeth rot from saccharine sweetness—in short, the way meaningful fiction should be! We’re dedicated to quality worldbuilding, spellbinding plots, and high-stakes adventures with a whole lot of heart for middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences.

Current speculative fiction works with MBI will be transferred over to the new line. The imprint will kick off January 1. The first release coming in May, Let the Ghosts Speak, an adult speculative fiction novel from Bryan Davis, the bestselling author of series such as Dragons in Our Midst and Dragons of Starlight, with over a million copies sold.

Mountain Brook Fire will publish both Christian and general market speculative fiction, as long as it’s clean—meaning no on-the-page sex, sexual innuendos, swearing, or brutality. Action and a measure of violence consistent with a supernatural thriller, superhero book, or sci-fi book is acceptable, depending on how it’s handled.

Mountain Brook Ink is a small press based out of White Salmon, Washington owned by multi-published and ECPA bestselling author, Miralee Ferrell. MBI authors have finaled in and won prestigious awards such as the Cascade Award, Faith Hope and Love, Selah, Christy, and Carol Awards.  To find out more about Mountain Brook Ink’s publications go to: www.mountainbrookink.com

Media Contact: Alyssa Roat, alyssa@mountainbrookink.com

 

 

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that IVP Academic has been approved as an affiliate member in the Association of University Presses.

As the academic publishing imprint of InterVarsity Press, IVP Academic publishes titles and textbooks that facilitate the broader conversations that are taking place in the academy and the church. Engaging in the most important issues, IVP Academic offers texts that enrich the study of scholars and cater to students and courses of all levels.

“We welcome IVP Academic as an Affiliate member to our global community of 153 publishers, committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship,” said Peter Berkery, executive director of the Association of University Presses. “As an Affiliate member—approved by our Admissions and Standards Committee, Board of Directors, and voting members—IVP Academic has demonstrated a sustained, mission-driven commitment to scholarly publishing by performing peer review on its publications and meeting our output and staffing requirements. Together, IVP Academic and all of our members pursue a shared mission of ensuring academic excellence and cultivating knowledge.”

Established in 1937 as the Association of American University Presses, the Association of University Presses is a community of publishing professionals and institutions committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship. For IVP Academic, applying for affiliate membership seemed like a natural acknowledgment of the conventions of academic publishing they have long followed: the importance of peer review, independent editorial boards, and participation in scholarly discourse.

Jon Boyd, academic editorial director said, “I see joining the AUP as an opportunity to nurture connections for IVP Academic among partners who are in countless ways our kindred spirits in the centuries-long traditions of publishing. I’m confident it’ll be a benefit to our authors and books, and I really look forward to all we can learn from our publishing heroes in the AUPresses membership.”

For more information on the Association of University Presses and IVP Academic, please visit aupresses.org and ivpress.com/academic.

Grand Rapids, MI—Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the bestselling Sensible Shoes series, launches her new novella at Baker Book House at 7 pm Thursday, Jan. 9.  Remember Me: A Novella About Finding Our Way to the Cross is the sequel to Shades of Light, the first in Brown’s new series.

“We are delighted to help Sharon Brown launch her newest book,” said Sue Smith, executive director of retail at Baker Book House. “Sharon is one of our favorite home-town authors and we love to be part of helping her get the word out about her book.”

Remember Me continues the story of Wren Crawford and Katherine Rhodes. Katherine, director of the New Hope Retreat Center, finds her own grief wrapped up in Wren’s struggles with depression and loss. The letters she writes to Wren help them both reflect on the meaning of Christ’s suffering, as well as help them process how to move forward and live again under the weight of grief.

Wren’s journey through grief becomes embedded in her paintings of the stations of the cross for New Hope, even as she comes to know more deeply the Man of Sorrows, Jesus.

A devotional guide with Scripture readings and prayer prompts, as well as full-color art by Grand Rapids-based artist Elizabeth Ivy Hawkins, encourage readers to meditate on the depths of God’s love.

Tickets for the event cost $5, and are available at www.bakerbookhouse.com and at the store, 2768 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids.

“We welcome long-time Sharon Brown fans, as well as new readers eager to tap into this wonderful writer’s spiritual depth, along with her unique study of mental illness and spiritual formation,” said Smith.

About Baker Book House
Baker Book House was founded in 1939, when Herman Baker started the store with 500 books from his personal library. Baker is known world-wide for a deep selection of Christian titles, including new, used, and bargain books. Visit www.bakerbookhouse.com for more information.

Media Contact: Sue Smith, Executive Director, 616-957-3110, sue.smith@bakerbookhouse.com