Nashville, Tennessee (April 3, 2018)—Almost every day it seems the news tells of another well-known leader, celebrity, coach, or ministry leader who was removed from a position of influence because of disqualifying behavior and lack of character and integrity. Just a few small selfish decisions can implode the reputation and integrity of even the best leaders.

In his latest book, How to Ruin Your Life: And Starting Over When You Do (April 3, 2018, B&H Publishing Group) Eric Geiger offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people have imploded, and no one is above the risk.

Looking at the story of David, the leader of God’s people whose ruin culminated in adultery and murder, Geiger examines three qualities that weakened the foundation of David’s character and how they led to self-destruction. Readers will learn how to ruin to their lives (so they won’t), and also how to find hope if they do, as all of us need His grace, which David’s life modeled.

“If your life has not yet imploded, my prayer is that the Lord will use the first half of the book to serve as a warning and the second half of the book to motivate you with His grace,” Geiger writes. “If your life has imploded, my prayer is that you will walk away from the book with a helpful view of what happened to your heart and be filled with hope for your future.”

Geiger is the co-author of the bestselling church leadership book Simple Church and a senior vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources.

“It is incumbent upon Christian leaders everywhere to puncture the myth, ‘This could never happen to me’,” said Devin Maddox, B&H Book Publisher. “If we believe in sin, as the Bible teaches it, then we need to be reminded by messages like How to Ruin Your Life that we are all capable of moral collapse that we would never plan for ourselves.”

B&H is supporting How to Ruin Your Life with national advertising and media serving Christian book buyers as well as leaders in the church. For more information, visit RuinYourLife.net. 

Eric Geiger serves as Sr. Vice President at LifeWay Christian Resources, leading the Resources Division. Eric received his doctorate in leadership and church ministry from Southern Seminary. Eric has authored or co-authored several books including Creature of the Word and the bestselling church leadership book, Simple Church. His latest releases are Designed to Lead and How to Ruin Your Life.

Eric is married to Kaye, and they have two daughters: Eden and Evie. During his free time, Eric enjoys dating his wife, playing with his daughters, and shooting basketball.

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.

WESTMONT, IL— Outreach magazine named four InterVarsity Press titles as Outreach Resources of the Year, with four additional books making the short list for the Also Recommended resource in its category.

Outreach received close to 170 submissions with release dates between November 1, 2016 and October 31, 2017. Those submissions were divided into twelve categories and panelists were selected for each category. Each panelist chose one Resource of the Year, with some providing Also Recommended selections.

Here are the IVP titles that were honored as part of the 15th Annual Outreach Resources of the Year:

Breaking the Huddle: How Your Community Can Grow Its Witness by Don Everts, Doug Schaupp, and Val Gordon was the Resource of the Year in the evangelism category. In their groundbreaking book I Once Was Lost, Everts and Schaupp identified five thresholds that individuals cross when they shift from being skeptics to followers. In Breaking the Huddle they and Gordon show how huddled communities can become witnessing communities and then conversion communities, where evangelistic growth becomes the new normal. The authors have studied the growth of congregations and what enhances and limits them. They have also gathered best practices for transformation.

The top resource in the culture category was Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life by Makoto Fujimura. Artist Makoto Fujimura issues a call to cultural stewardship in which we become generative and feed our culture’s soul with beauty, creativity, and generosity. It is a book for anyone who supports or has a passion for the arts.

It engages “creative catalysts” who understand how much the culture we all share affects human thriving today and shapes the generations to come.

The winners in the inspirational category were Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World by Mike Cosper and Vintage Saints and Sinners: 25 Christians Who Transformed My Faith by Karen Wright Marsh.

In Recapturing the Wonder Cosper helps readers discover disciplines that awaken the possibility of living again in an enchanted world. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said, “Mike Cosper, one of the keenest gospel Christian analysts of culture alive today, shows us in this book why our world has become so disenchanted and charts us back to the joy of awe.”

In Vintage Saints and Sinners Marsh journeys with the likes of Augustine, Brother Lawrence, and Saint Francis, as well as Amanda Berry Smith, Søren Kierkegaard, Dorothy Day, Howard Thurman, Flannery O’Connor, and many more. She reveals surprising lessons in everyday spirituality from these “saints”—folks who lived and breathed, and failed and followed God.

IVP titles chosen as Also Recommended Resources include:

Racial Reconciliation

Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin

“This is groundbreaking work: first, it highlights how a lack of ethnic identity is a barrier to being effective witnesses, and then it calls all people to ethnic identity, awareness, healing, and reconciliation through the gospel” (James Choung, author of True Story and Real Life).

Church

To Alter Your World: Partnering with God to Rebirth Our Communities by Michael Frost and Christiana Rice

“In an over-messaged world, To Alter Your World cuts through noise with compelling narrative that describes our invitation to participate in kingdom transformation as a midwifing process rather than an engineering one. In a world experiencing searing pain with ever-deepening fault lines of injustice and income inequality, Christiana and Michael call us to question our traditional starting points for mission. With the stakes so high, they urge us to tap into Christ’s imagination rather than summon our human determination” (John Hayes, author ofSubmerge and founder of innerCHANGE).

Leadership

An Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence by Alan Fadling

“In An Unhurried Leader, Alan Fadling points the way out of hurried leadership that kills the souls of leaders. He reveals leadership steeped in spiritual abundance and joy. This is not a how-to book. This book lays out a path to becoming a better sort of person, who is then naturally a better kind of leader” (Todd Hunter, Anglican bishop, author of Christianity Beyond Belief).

Theology

In Search of Ancient Roots: The Christian Past and the Evangelical Identity Crisis by Kenneth J. Stewart

“This remarkable book seeks to trace the deep roots and determine the DNA of evangelical Protestantism. Using his considerable and profound knowledge of a vast terrain, Dr. Ken Stewart digs deep to show that evangelicalism is firmly rooted in Scripture, the early church, and historical Christianity. His archaeology of doctrine and liturgy argues against the recent loss of confidence and self-identity of evangelical Protestants who may be tempted to seek more ‘stable’ pastures or to wander with historical amnesia into cul-de-sacs. Instead, evangelical Protestants are urged to share the confidence of their Protestant-era forebears who knew their ancient pedigree and stood on sturdy ground” (Robert M. Solomon, bishop emeritus, the Methodist Church in Singapore).

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

Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.

Contact: Krista Clayton 630.734.4013  kclayton@ivpress.com

New Brunswick, NJ – April 4, 2018 – Writing for Your Life, a resource center for spiritual writers, is pleased to announce that fourteen member companies of the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) will be represented at the first Publishing in Color conference, which is intended to increase the number of books published by African American authors. The member companies are:

• Abingdon Press
• Baker Publishing Group
• Christianity Today
• Credo Communications
• Frederick Buechner Center
• HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Thomas Nelson
• HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Zondervan
• InterVarsity Press
• Moody Publishers
• Our Daily Bread
• Simon & Schuster – Howard Books
• Tyndale House
• Urban Ministries
• Waterbrook & Multnomah

Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for under-represented groups of spiritual authors such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Native Americans. The goals of these conferences are to:

• Foster relationships between under-represented groups of prospective spiritual authors and representatives of spiritual book publishing companies, literary agencies, and spiritual magazines
• Provide networking and educational opportunities so that prospective authors can learn more about how to work with these publishers, agencies, and magazines
• Result in an increased number of books and articles published by under-represented groups

The first Publishing in Color conference will serve prospective African American authors and others of African descent. It will take place June 19-20, 2018 at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Additional information about the conference can be found here: https://publishingincolor.com/conferences/

The first Publishing in Color conference will include accomplished authors from the African American Christian community, including Patricia Raybon, Sophfronia Scott, Rev. Frank A. Thomas, and Rev. Jacqui Lewis. In addition to these keynote speakers, the event will feature publishing house representatives speaking about various aspects of “how to get published” and will include ample time for networking and relationship building.

Publishing in Color has established a scholarship fund that will pay for selected individuals to attend a future Publishing in Color conference at no charge. The fund is currently accepting donations, and profits from the Publishing in Color conferences will be donated to this fund.

You can learn more about the Publishing in Color conference series at: https://publishingincolor.com/

About Writing for Your Life
Writing for Your Life is committed to offering a comprehensive set of useful resources and services to support spiritual writers. We offer in-person writing conferences and online webinars featuring leading spiritual authors and publishing industry experts. Authors discuss and teach about various aspects of spiritual writing. Industry experts offer advice on how to get published and how to market.  We also offer a variety of writer support services including book development, editing, book proposal review, marketing, and platform development. https://writingforyourlife.com/

About Publishing in Color
Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for under-represented groups of spiritual authors such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Native Americans. The goals of these conferences are to: foster relationships between under-represented groups of prospective spiritual authors and representatives of spiritual book publishing companies, literary agencies, and spiritual magazines; provide networking and educational opportunities so that prospective authors can learn more about how to work with these publishers, agencies, and magazines; and result in an increased number of books and articles published by under-represented groups. https://publishingincolor.com/

For additional information contact Brian Allain at brian@writingforyourlife.com

PEABODY, MA (April 2, 2018)—Redeeming Ruth by Meadow Rue Merrill has been selected to receive a Christopher Award in the Books for Adults category at the 69th annual Christopher Awards ceremony. The Award will be presented to author Meadow Rue Merrill on Thursday May 17, 2018, in New York City at the Mutual of America Building.

Redeeming Ruth: Everything Life Takes, Love Restores is the inspirational, true story of adoption, grief, and selfless love. When Merrill met her, Ruth was a sixteen-month-old child some church friends were hosting from an orphanage in Uganda. She had cerebral palsy and was so weak she couldn’t lift her head. Part family drama, part travel adventure, and part memoir, Redeeming Ruth is the riveting, against-all-odds story of the most unlikely pairing of a small-town New England family and their adventure in adopting Ruth. Honest, raw, and illuminating, this book explores what happens when we sacrificially reach out and share God’s love with others.

Merrill joins the ranks of past winners including David McCullough (John Adams), Eric Metaxas (Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy), Laura Hillenbrand (Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption), and others.

The mission of The Christopher Award is to encourage people of all ages, and from all walks of life, to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world. Since 1949, the Christopher Awards have annually saluted media (TV programming, feature films, books for adults and children) that affirm the highest values of the human spirit and reflect the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

Meadow Rue Merrill is an award-winning journalist and the author of the inspirational memoir Redeeming Ruth: Everything Life Takes, Love Restores (Hendrickson Publishers, May 2017). She has worked as a reporter for The Times Record, a daily newspaper in Brunswick, Maine, The Boston Globe, and Down East magazine. Merrill has published parenting essays in The New York Times, written for Harvard University, and contributed feature articles to The Boston Sunday Globe Magazine. She also regularly writes about faith for The Portland Press Herald, Maine’s largest newspaper. The Christmas Cradle, the first volume of her forthcoming Lantern Hill Farm picture-book series, releases with RoseKidz publishers this fall. Visit her website https://meadowrue.com/.

Hendrickson Publishers has a strong history of producing outstanding academic, trade, reference books, and Bibles at a reasonable price. Their products include books on Christian living, biblical studies and reference works for pastors, thoughtful laypeople, and the academy.

Contact:  Meg Rusick,Marketing & Communications Manager, Hendrickson Publishers
mrusick@hendrickson.com  978-573-2147

Bestselling author and pastor Jim Cymbala hits sales milestone and marks 20 years with updated & expanded edition available February 2018 

Comprehensive resource, available in KJV and NKJV Comfort Print®, is the only Bible to contain the complete Nelson’s Minister’s Manual

Nashville, Tenn., March 21, 2018 – Thomas Nelson is pleased to announce the release of the new Minister’s Bible, available in both the trusted King James and New King James translations. These beautiful and durable Bibles will help pastors and church leaders meet the needs of those in their congregations. The Minister’s Bible is the only Bible containing the complete text of the bestselling Nelson’s Minister’s Manual, which is conveniently set between the Old and New Testaments. A single thumb index at the middle of the Bible offers quick navigation to the Minister’s Manual.

“The Minister’s Bible is a one-stop resource with sermons, readings, outlines, prayers, and more,” says Daniel Marrs, publisher, Thomas Nelson Bible Group. “Covering a wide range of pastoral care situations—including weddings, funerals, communion services, baptisms, and various counseling situations—this is the perfect daily companion for those who have dedicated themselves to being ready to meet the needs of God’s people.”

Bert Ghezzi’s powerful words on anger return to the forefront with a new edition of his original The Angry Christian: A Bible-based Strategy to Care for and Discipline a Valuable Emotion (March 20, 2018 • ISBN 978-1640600393 • Hardcover • 128 pp. • $19.99).

At a time when anger rages at a high level in our society, Bert Ghezzi shows us how to control it in our own lives. He corrects the mistaken view that anger is always bad and sinful. Bert says it is a normal part of our human nature. Anger is good if we engage it to help us do the right thing and if we don’t let it escalate out of hand. But it spawns evil if it gets out of control or if we use it for selfish, wrong-headed purposes. Bert explains that under the power of the Holy Spirit, we can transform our anger into occasions of grace. We can replace it with behaviors like patience, endurance, and determination to do the right thing. So anger used well can help us overcome obstacles that block our twofold mission of becoming saints and advancing and applying the Gospel.

Bert’s unique approach to this issue is much needed today. Endorsers of the book include Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Philadelphia; Dr. Ray Guarendi, and Fr. Dwight Longenecker who writes, “In this practical and pastoral little book, Bert Ghezzi walks us through a guidebook on anger, showing how anger is God’s blessing not his curse. When the energy of anger is directed properly, God’s power to heal and transform ourselves and our world is unleashed.”

Along with the book, a new 50-minute DVD Angry and Good: A Biblical Approach will be released this month, featuring Bert Ghezzi’s popular talk on the same subject: biblically-based advice on how Christians can use anger wisely, and transform anger into occasions of grace under the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bert Ghezzi is a popular author and speaker. He has written twenty books, including Voices of the Saints, and Mystics and Miracles. Hundreds of his articles have appeared in the Catholic and religious press. He has been involved in all levels of religious education for more than 40 years. He has served as a leader and teacher in several Catholic renewal movements. He appears frequently as a guest on EWTN programs. His 2-minute spots on saints play regularly on EWTN radio. He earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame, has seven adult children and 16 grandchildren, is an active member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, and lives in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Bert is available to speak to groups or churches. If you are interested, please contact the author directly at bertghezzi@gmail.com

For an interview with Bert Ghezzi or a review copy of the book, reply to this email or contact Laura McKendree at lauram@paracletepress.com or 1-800-451-5006 ext 316. ​

Nighty Night and Good Night is first book in collaboration with VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki; Lullaby album to accompany book release

Grand Rapids, MI – March 21, 2018 – Multi-platinum, three-time Grammy Award winning artist Michael W. Smith, known as one of the most influential Christian music artists in the world, will be releasing a new children’s book titled, Nighty Night and Go0d Night, May 8, 2018. This title, written with the help of friend and co-creator of VeggieTales Mike Nawrocki, is the first release in a new book series called Nurturing Steps™. A new album “Lullaby” from Smith will be released in conjunction with the first book and available everywhere.

In Nighty Night and Good Night, members of the Nighty Night band are called upon to help their friend, Ben, as he tries to fall asleep. After bedtime prayers and some going-to-sleep rituals are done, a lullaby sung by the band of animals including Bear, Sleepy Puppy and Lamby finally does the trick. Parents will be delighted in this sweet tale to share with their young children.

“One of the greatest joys of my life is being a parent and a grandparent,” says Michael W. Smith, the father of five, who is called “G-Daddy” by his 14 grandkids. “I want to serve the next generation well. That’s why I created Nurturing Steps, to provide stories and songs that will help shape the faith of our newest generation.” Nurturing Steps seeks to provide children’s music and books to enliven a little one’s journey with hope and faith through song and storytelling.

“We’re so humbled that Michael and Mike chose to publish these messages of reassurance and tenderness for young families with Zonderkidz,” said Annette Bourland, Senior Vice President and Group Publisher at Zondervan. “We love the creative flair of Nurturing Steps as it reaches young children with stories of delight.” Zonderkidz will publish the second title in this series in conjunction with Smith and Nawrocki in October 2018.

Smith has recently been in the media spotlight for his two new album releases “A Million Lights” and “Surrounded”, a worldwide 2018 tour, and an upcoming Israel trip he’s hosting. In addition to the new music and overseas activities, he recently received the distinct honor of leading worship during the memorial and funeral services honoring the late Rev. Billy Graham.

Even in the midst of busy times, Smith makes time for his children and grandchildren and treasures the special moments he has to speak into their lives. “I hope they see these books and this music as a gift to them, to remember that they are loved as they fall asleep every night.”

Nighty Night and Good Night will be available online and in stores May 8, 2018, but it is available for preorder now. Additional titles will be available in Fall 2018.

#NightyNightBook #NurturingSteps #Zondervan #Zonderkidz
www.zondervan.com www.nurturingsteps.com
Twitter: @michaelwsmith Instagram: @mwsmithofficial Facebook: @michaelwsmithofficial
Web: www.michaelwsmith.com

About the Authors:

Michael W. Smith is a successful recording artist who has recorded more than 25 albums and had numerous hit radio songs in the Christian and General markets. He’s won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards and is the founder of Rocketown, an outreach to teenagers in a 38,000 squarefoot facility in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. He is involved in mission work around the world. He and his wife Debbie have five children and fourteen grandchildren and live in Nashville.

Mike Nawrocki is co-creator of the popular series VeggieTales. Acting as the voice of Larry the Cucumber and several other VeggieTales characters, Mike also wrote, directed and contributed to the development of the 3-2-1 Penguins series. He resides in Franklin, TN, with his wife and two children.

Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children’s communications, it creates products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 14. Zonderkidz is also publisher of the NIrV (New International Reader’s Version) Bible translation, the third grade reading level edition of the NIV. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Zondervan is a world-leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications. Zondervan, as 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, MI. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Grand Rapids, Mich., March 21, 2018 – Shauna Niequist’s New York Times bestseller, Present Over Perfect, has sold over 500,000 copies since its release in August of 2016.  An instant bestseller, the title debuted at #2 on The New York Times Advice, How-To, & Miscellaneous bestseller list and sold 250,000 copies within the first six months of release.

Written in Niequist’s warm and vulnerable style, this ever-relevant collection of essays invites readers into the most important transformation: leaving busyness and frantic living behind and rediscovering the person readers are made to be. She gifts readers with a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most.

“It has been a tremendous joy for all of us at Zondervan to work with Shauna on this beautiful book and to see it reach such a significant sales milestone,” says Carolyn McCready, Executive Editor at Zondervan. “It is clear by the ongoing response from readers that Shauna has struck a chord of meaning and relevance with this topic. In writing with such transparency and from a place of experience she has led thousands of readers to find their own road to peace, meaning, and living for what really matters.”

Shauna Niequist is the author of Present Over Perfect, Savor, Bread & Wine, Cold Tangerines, and Bittersweet. Shauna is a bookworm, a beach bum, an enthusiastic home cook and a passionate gatherer of people. She is married to Aaron, and they live in Chicago with their two boys, Henry and Mac. You can connect with her online at ShaunaNiequist.com.

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: Jennifer VerHage, Manager of Public Relations
tel: 616-698-3331  web: jennifer.verhage@harpercollins.com

Experience a guided journey through Scripture with Pastor Jerry Vines in The Vines Expository Bible

Nashville, Tenn., March 22, 2018 – Thomas Nelson is pleased to announce the release of The Vines Expository Bible with Dr. Jerry Vines. Featuring the beautiful and faithful NKJV™ translation, The Vines Expository Bible provides the opportunity for readers to be mentored by Dr. Vines’ wise Scriptural insights.

Delivered in Dr. Vines’ characteristically warm style, each page helps readers build their understanding of the Bible. Based on a lifetime of sermons and lessons from his faithful ministry, The Vines Expository Biblebrims with biblical exposition, practical teaching, illustrations, principles, and translations insights, offering scriptural truth alongside guided explanations of key passages.

“Like a good sermon, The Vines Expository Bible makes Scripture accessible and applicable,” says Daniel Marrs, associate publisher, Thomas Nelson Bible Group. “Dr. Vines is famous for his warm and pastoral tone, and we think that readers will find that this Bible will lead them on a journey that will bring them into direct contact with Scripture’s message for their lives.”