(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) November 2017 – Little ones today are growing up surrounded by a seemingly endless stream of media vying for their attention. For Christian families, it can be difficult to get kids excited about the things that matter, such as learning about the Bible. Worthy Publishing is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the creative team at Planet 316 to develop a Bible uniquely suited to the needs of today’s child. Using the exciting technology of Augmented Reality, the Planet 316 Story Bible allows beloved Bible stories to pop off the page and engage the hearts and minds of a new generation.

The Planet 316 Story Bible (March 6, 2018; ISBN 9780824956882) contains more than 100 stories and hundreds of illustrations—and it comes with a free downloadable app. As young readers turn the pages, they will find images waiting to spring to life on every page. When children hold a smart phone or tablet over the stories, the app allows characters, animals, and objects to spring up in 3-D. As children interact with the app, the characters talk, the animals make sounds—and the child is immersed in the Bible story. Children can hear Adam and Eve talking in the Garden of Eden, Jonah getting thrown overboard during a loud storm, and Mary and Joseph talking to baby Jesus in the manger at Bethlehem.

“The Bible is already full of adventure,” says Peggy Schaefer, Vice President & Associate Publisher, WorthyKids/Ideals. “But with Augmented Reality and the Planet 316 team, we can make the exciting events of the Bible more tangible and accessible to children.” Bound to be a favorite among little learners, thePlanet 316 Story Bible invites children on a fun-filled Bible journey.

Watch a demo: http://planet316storybible.com/.

Planet 316 is a team of talented writers and artists who share a love for technology and a desire to make the Bible approachable and engaging for children. They create fun and interactive experiences that are infused with faith and family values. While the team members come from diverse backgrounds, many have experience in ministry as pastors, children’s ministers, and creative leaders within their churches.

Worthy Publishing Group is a privately held, independent voice in inspirational publishing, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Worthy includes five distinct imprints: Worthy Books publishes inspirational works addressing spiritual growth, biblical study, faith and culture, biography, fiction, and specialty Bibles; Museum of the Bible Books is a partnership between Worthy and the Museum, publishing books that reveal the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible; Ellie Claire produces beautifully crafted journals, gifts, and paper expressions; Worthy Inspired publishes felt-need, spiritual growth, inspirational, and devotional books; and WorthyKids/Ideals creates colorful, interactive children’s books, including VeggieTales and Berenstain Bears, for ages 1 to 9.

Rivers and Gokey meet at K-LOVE event, and share about Ephesians 2:10 as the inspiration for their work

Carol Stream, Ill.—February 14, 2018—On February 12, beloved and bestselling author Francine Rivers traveled to a K-LOVE event in her hometown of Pleasanton, California, to meet Christian recording artist Danny Gokey. Rivers is a fan of Gokey’s and, beyond that, was also interested in meeting the artist who shares the same inspiration for their respective recent projects.

On February 6, Rivers released her latest novel, The Masterpiece, a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpeice. In this return to her romance roots, The Masterpiece is a riveting and highly anticipated story of redemption, grace, and love.

Like Rivers’s new novel, one of Gokey’s latest song releases, “Masterpiece,” is inspired by Ephesians 2:10—“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” As a fan of Gokey’s, Rivers didn’t pass up the chance to meet him and share their inspiration stories. While attending the  K-LOVE event, Rivers shared that they “both got a chuckle” out of their similarly inspired projects—her novel The Masterpiece and his song, “Masterpiece.”

In her new novel, the widely acclaimed Rivers delivers big-canvas storytelling at its finest, bringing this promise from Scripture to life by employing two broken characters with gritty and difficult pasts to demonstrate the healing work of a Savior.

In a YouTube video about the story behind Gokey’s song “Masterpiece,” he shares that one thing everyone has in common is the pain we’ll experience along the journey of life. But he reminds listeners of the hope we have in Christ: “When you come to Christ, you are a new creation. . . . You are a masterpiece. Do not give up; keep moving forward. The pain will turn into triumph.”

Consistent with her body of work, brokenness, healing, and redemption are prevalent themes of Rivers’s novel The Masterpiece. She shares that her goal in writing this novel is for “readers to know that no matter who you are, where you come from, [or] what you’ve done, when you accept Jesus, God will make you into His masterpiece.”

In The Masterpiece, successful LA artist Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want—money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist—an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship—and both their lives—forever.

Trade reviews of The Masterpiece have been consistently strong. Booklist said, “Readers will marvel at Rivers’s storytelling arc encompassing the reconciliation of gritty past misdeeds with the work in progress of a life of forgiveness.

” Kirkus added that Rivers “. . . deftly threads Roman’s and Grace’s lives together as they tiptoe around their emotional scars,” assuring that “fans of Christian romance will delight in this tale of salvation through love.”

Publishers Weekly concurred, saying, “The tale will have her long-standing fans hooked. And the fully formed Roman will likely garner her new ones.” Romantic Times designated The Masterpeice as a Top Pick, calling it

“. . . an amazing, beautifully written tale to be savored and pondered and shared with others.”

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Visit Francine’s website at www.francinerivers.com.

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
ISBN: 978-1-4964-0790-0 | Hardcover: $25.99 | Available now

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Timesbestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

Contact: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com, 630.784.5275

Grand Rapids, Mich., Feb. 16, 2018 — The world’s most powerful Bible software brings you the most visually striking new study Bible!

From the makers of Logos Bible Software, the NKJV Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible’s striking illustrations and comprehensive verse-by-verse insights will serve as a guide to help you understand and apply God’s Word.

“Faithlife—the creators of Logos Bible Software—had taken on a challenging task of working from the original languages when developing these notes for their robust study Bible app, creating compelling and thoughtful notes to help a reader understand the text, and, where possible, to help them explore various angles to the text,” says Melinda Bouma, associate publisher, Zondervan Bible Group. “Pairing those notes with the innovative infographics in this rich, full-color Bible makes for a powerful study experience for the curious reader.”

Rivers Returns to Her Romance Roots with Unexpected and Redemptive Love Story

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers   ISBN: 978-1-4964-0790-0 | Hardcover: $25.99

Carol Stream, Ill.—February 16, 2018—The Masterpiece, Francine Rivers’s riveting and highly anticipated tale of redemption, grace, and love, released on February 6, 2018, from Tyndale House Publishers and quickly skyrocketed to bestseller standing. In its release week, the title debuted at #6 on the Publishers Weekly Bestsellerslist (based on book sales data from Nielsen BookScan), #15 on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Best Sellers list, and #16 on the USA Today Best-Selling Books list.

In her new novel, the widely acclaimed Rivers returns to her romance roots with a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpiece. She delivers big-canvas storytelling at its finest, inspired by Ephesians 2:10—“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” In bringing this promise to life, Rivers employs two broken characters with gritty and difficult pasts to demonstrate the healing work of the Savior.

Successful LA artist Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want—money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist—an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship—and both their lives—forever.

Consistent with her body of work, brokenness, healing, and redemption are prevalent themes of the story. Rivers shares that her goal in writing this novel is for “readers to know that no matter who you are, where you come from, [or] what you’ve done, when you accept Jesus, God will make you into His masterpiece.”

Trade reviews of The Masterpiece have been consistently strong. Booklist said, “Readers will marvel at Rivers’s storytelling arc encompassing the reconciliation of gritty past misdeeds with the work in progress of a life of forgiveness.” Kirkus added that Rivers “. . . deftly threads Roman’s and Grace’s lives together as they tiptoe around their emotional scars,” assuring that “fans of Christian romance will delight in this tale of salvation through love.”  Publishers Weekly concurred, saying, “The tale will have her long-standing fans hooked. And the fully formed Roman will likely garner her new ones.” Library Journal  added, “This character-driven romance will enthrall her many fans.” Romantic Times designated The Masterpiece as a Top Pick, calling it “. . . an amazing, beautifully written tale to be savored and pondered and shared with others.”

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Visit Francine’s website at www.francinerivers.com.

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

Contact: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com, 630.784.5275

Join counselor and teacher Julie Sparkman as she explores Jesus’ gentle yet costly invitation to true rest

BIRMINGHAM: New Hope^® Publishers announces the release of Unhitching from the Crazy Train: Finding Rest in a World You Can’t Control by Julie Sparkman. (New Hope/February 5, 2018/ISBN: 978-1-62591-536-8/$14.99). We all have a picture of how life should go. The dream job. Close friendships. Loving, grateful children. A perfect marriage. But more often than not, life doesn’t go according to our plan. So we corral and control—determined to make our picture come true. When our dream job just isn’t that fulfilling, when our friends disappoint us, when our perfect angels turn into teenager with minds of their own, when our marriage is far from perfect—what do we do with that? Revealing that most of the craziness of life stems from unrealistic expectations, counselor and author Julie Sparkman offers practical insight for how to let go of unintentional efforts to corral and control people and circumstances. Replace unrealistic expectations with God’s bigger picture, and experience a deep, soulful rest—rest that is dependent on the finished work of a Savior who will never leave us alone.

View the book trailer here. 

Learn more about Julie and Unhitching from the Crazy Train at NewHopePublishers.com/shop/unhitching-crazy-train. 

Advance Praise
“I’ve been blessed to see how Julie’s teaching can unhitch a church and family from the crazy train. And I’m so thankful that many more will be challenged and encouraged by this wonderful book.” —Collin Hansen, editorial director of The Gospel Coalition and author ofBlind Spots: Becoming a Courageous, Compassionate, and Commissioned Church

“In Unhitching from the Crazy Train, Julie Sparkman invites us to experience a meal of pure gospel with a garnishing of beautiful humor that causes us to lean in and laugh. The result is that we experience more of our Savior in everyday life and learn how to trust Him for the rest He promises as we walk with Him.” —Susan and Newt Crenshaw, president of Young Life

“Unhitching from the Crazy Train is an enlightening, encouraging resource for examining what we rely on and helping us place our trust in Christ. This book has helped me and many I know to jump off that crazy train . . . or to never hop on in the first place!” —Lauren Hansen, deacon of women’s ministry, Redeemer Community Church, Birmingham, AL

About the Author

Julie Sparkman brings fun and practical insights to serious topics such as applying the gospel to otherwise crazy everyday relationships. A full-time certified counselor by the American Association of Christian Counselors, she is the cofounder and executive director of Restore Ministries, a counseling service for men, women, children/teens, and college students. She is the author of Unhitching from the Crazy Train, which is based on a small group curriculum by the same name. She calls the greater Birmingham, Alabama, area home, where she has been instrumental in creating and training pastoral care teams.

To request a review copy of Unhitching from the Crazy Train, to schedule an interview with Julie, or for more information, please contact Meredith Dunn, Meredith@NewHopePublishers.com. 

Bibles For Bubs: Give a new life the Word of Life!

To farewell our Bicentenary year, Bible Society Australia is welcoming newborns with a baby Bible – absolutely free!

Yes, we’re gifting 1000 children born in Australia between 1st January 2017 and 7th March 2018 a free Read and Share Toddler Bible.

Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents or carers can apply for the Bible now at www.biblesociety.org.au/bubs/

But it doesn’t stop there! Bicentenary bubs will receive the Toddler Bible initially, followed by yearly birthday cards with tips for their parents, parent or carer to nurture their child’s faith.

Then, when the child turns five they’ll receive a Big Rescue Bible to help see them through their primary school years.

Jesus said “Let the little children come to me…” (Matthew 19:14)

At Bible Society Australia, our vision is to see all children and parents have the opportunity to be engaged with God’s word. That’s why we’re offering a free Read and Share Toddler Bible to Bicentenary babies born here in Australia between 1st Jan 2017 and 7th March 2018.

All details and terms & conditions at www.biblesociety.org.au/bubs/

Fast facts:

• The Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book… approximately 5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 2016.
• Bible Societies assisted in the completion of translations in 61 languages in 2016, spoken by more than 428 million people.
• Bible Societies, including Bible Society Australia, are currently working on more than 400 translation projects around the world.
• Bible Societies worldwide distribute more than 30 million Bibles each year.
• China has become the largest printer and user of the Bible in the world, with more than 10 million copies of the Bible printed in 2016 alone.
• Worldwide, the YouVersion bible has been downloaded over 250 million times since its inception in 2008, with users reading and listening to more than 13 billion chapters of the Bible and creating one-billion–plus highlights and bookmarks.
• Bible Society Australia shipped more than 215,000 full Bibles in 2016 as well as many new testaments and scripture portions.
• The Bible Society provides scriptures for Australians in more than 100 languages.

To arrange interviews with Bible Society’s Chief Operations Officer Melissa Lipsett, please contact:
John Pearson, Media & Communications Manager, Bible Society Australia
john.pearson@biblesociety.org.au   0438 771 269

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) February 2018 – When Jesus was asked about the main point of faith, his answer was seemingly simple: love God earnestly and love others the way you want to be loved. In his debut book, Experiments in Honesty: Meditations on Love, Fear, and the Honest to God Naked Truth (Worthy Publishing, March 6, 2018, $16.99, 9781683971351), Steve Daugherty dives deep into this command and what it truly means for those who follow Jesus.

Readers accompany Steve on this journey throughout the book as he shares stories from the Bible and his own life to illuminate timeworn themes in new ways. He explores in-depth the ideas of compassion, fear, anger, and faith to fully get at the heart of the truth about God’s Love – how it can set us free from fear and how it allows us to love others more than ourselves.

“Accepting that we are wholly seen and wholly Loved, is how we begin to understand what Love can really do,” says Steve. “Love cancels fear just as catches of fish cancel empty boats. And only when that fear is cancelled can genuine, honest life be lived.”

An embrace of this truth is both life-changing and perspective-altering – it’s what allows us to fulfill his command to us. In Experiments in Honesty, Steve encourages readers to search for that truth for themselves. As he explains, “To be a people of the truth is to be a people about what’s real. Who ask, seek, and knock to get at what is. Who dig past years of sediment until the shovel pings on bedrock. Who reward others who, even when it’s uncomfortable or threatening, do the same.”

Steve Daugherty holds many titles including pastor, storyteller, counselor, conference speaker, and poet. He has served as teaching pastor at Crosspointe Church in Cary, North Caroline for over a decade. While Experiments in Honesty is Steve’s first book, his writing in various devotionals, prayer journals, and group materials has reached thousands. Steve currently lives in Apex, North Carolina with his wife, Kristi, and his three children, Emma, Anna, and Ian. Learn more at stevedaugherty.net.

STEVE DAUGHERTY IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS

Worthy Media Group is a privately held, independent voice in Christian media, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Worthy has five divisions: Worthy Live Events produces and promotes inspirational experiences featuring compelling speakers and music artists; Worthy Books publishes a broad spectrum of genres, including current events, faith and culture, biography, fiction, spiritual growth, and specialty Bibles. Worthy Kids and its Ideals imprint create colorful, interactive children’s books, including VeggieTales and Berenstain Bears. Ellie Claire produces beautifully crafted journals, gifts and paper expressions. Worthy Inspired publishes felt-need, spiritual growth and inspirational books.

(Carol Stream, Illinois, USA) Media Associates International (MAI) is pleased to announce the release of its new title, Profit & Purpose: A global publisher’s guide for financial sustainability by Ramon Rocha III, director of publisher development. This book provides key principles and practical strategies to equip Christian publishers in hard places of the world.

From consulting with dozens of struggling publishers in countries like Mexico, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Ramon recognizes that profitability is a daunting task in times of war, political turmoil and economic instability, or where the Church is a tiny minority. But he believes that sustainability is possible. This book covers six action points to achieve financial viability with encouraging personal examples from publishing leaders around the world.

Ramon joined the MAI staff in 2012 after 15 years’ experience in Christian publishing and international training. As CEO of OMF Literature in the Philippines from 1997 to 2008, he led it to become one of the nation’s largest Christian publishing houses. He is adept at spearheading change and innovation, coaching managers, and developing Christ-centered mission and vision. Ramon holds an MBA and BS in Business Economics.

“The book includes key insights from Christian publishers around the world, plus case studies and worksheets that put feet to the principles for self-sustaining publishing ministry,” MAI President John Maust said.  “This will be a valuable tool for self-study or discussion as a publishing staff.”

Veteran publishing consultant Peter Cunliffe wrote, “This long-needed book on publishing serves as a welcome help to both large and small publishers of Christian books around the world.”

Profit & Purpose is available in print from MAI and Amazon for $9.99 and in multiple ebook formats. Print book orders from PGDirect may result in lower costs in certain countries.

Visit littworld.org. For more information, email mai@littworld.org or call (630) 260-9063

ABOUT MAI: Since our founding in 1985, MAI has advanced the Gospel by equipping local Christian publishers, editors and writers in 79 countries on 5 continents. These trainings have resulted in more locally published Christian books and articles written in the heart language and culture of the intended reader. littworld.org

LifeWay has recently announced several changes to their retail store approach.  Eric Geiger, LifeWay’s Chief Business Officer, explains: 

“Because of our commitment to our stores we are transforming how we work internally. We are doing this so we can better serve the Church in Her mission of making disciples and better help believers who come into our stores navigate their faith journeys. There are two approaches that capture the changes we have made and are making:

Vertical Integration: For years LifeWay had a team of people who created resources and a different team of people who curated resources in our stores. For example, there was a Bible team who created Bibles and a different team who curated Bibles in our stores. We now have one team for each audience, which allows for greater collaboration, synergy, and the marrying of expertise in content with experience of leading a store’s operation. Already, just a few months into vertical integration, the combined teams are creating workshops and other events that we are testing in stores and seeing customers engage these new opportunities—opportunities that serve multiple audiences with resources from a variety of publishers and messages.

Brick and Mortar Transformation: Having over 170 store environments means we can test a lot of things at one time in different stores. The early results from face-out curation in books, face-out curation with greater depth of workbooks in Bible studies, resources exclusive to LifeWay stores, strategic product giveaways, and inviting different audiences to our stores that our ministry areas have invested years in building and serving have all been encouraging and are moving us forward with many more tests on the horizon.

The team I lead is grateful for the past, for the leaders and partners who built a system we are enjoying, one that allows LifeWay to serve more than 40,000 people a day through our stores. That type of organization, structure, and rhythm of daily execution does not happen overnight and I did not build it. Others who came before me labored to build it and I am thankful for their work. Our gratitude for them compels us to look to the future.

We are also thankful for the publishers and vendors who have partnered with LifeWay Christian Stores over the years and look forward to a continued and sustainable future together. But even more than focusing on the future of our respective organizations, we are compelled by those moments when we can help a believer in their faith journey and know that is what must pull us all into the future.

Because of those moments and others like them, our team is committed to our stores. The resources we sell in our stores are in other channels too, channels we own and others we don’t, but we know the experience of a Christian brick and mortar environment has the potential to be unique and particularly helpful to the people we serve.”

WESTMONT, IL— James W. Sire, longtime editorial director at InterVarsity Press (IVP), prolific author, and groundbreaking apologist, passed away on Tuesday evening, February 6, 2018, at the age of eighty-four.

Sire was a renaissance man of publishing. Not only did he author over twenty books, but his thirty-year career at IVP also included contracting and developing works by Francis Schaeffer, Os Guinness, Calvin Miller, Rebecca Manley Pippert, J. I. Packer, John White, J. P. Moreland, and others.

“Jim Sire was a keystone in the intellectual renewal of evangelicalism in the 1960s and 70s, championing the work of Francis Schaeffer and contributing his own landmark books on world views,” said Andy Le Peau, former associate publisher, editorial, for IVP. “He was also first to publish other influential figures such as Os Guinness and philosopher C. Stephen Evans. But his finely tuned radar for quality was not limited to the academy. He had a major influence on the church when he saw the potential in the poetry of Calvin Miller’s The Singer, the power for church renewal in the work of Howard Snyder, as well as the evangelistic insight of Rebecca Manley Pippert. Personally, he taught me more about editing and publishing than probably anyone. I will miss his wit, his insight, his integrity, and his love for Jesus.”

Born at a ranch on the rim of the Nebraska Sandhills, Sire served as an officer in the Army, a professor of English literature, philosophy, and theology, and a lecturer at over two hundred universities in the United States, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia. He received a PhD in English from the University of Missouri, an MA in English from Washington State University, and a BA in chemistry and English from the University of Nebraska.

Sire began work at IVP in 1968 as IVP’s first full-time editor. He had previously taught English at Nebraska Wesleyan. During Sire’s tenure through 1999, the editorial department flourished as an extension of his giftedness and unique publishing vision.

Cindy Bunch, associate publisher and director of editorial for IVP, said, “I had the privilege of starting at IVP not long after I’d graduated from college—and that made me the sort of person who Jim Sire loved to engage. He had an immense passion for developing and encouraging the minds of young adults—always interested in drawing out a person’s own ideas as well as, of course, offering his own! Jim’s work as editorial director at IVP has set us on a course of both intellectual and spiritual rigor that continues up to this day.”

His own influence as an author and lecturer, as well as his numerous connections, lifted the visibility of the Press that allowed him to acquire quality authors. He made his criteria for publishing clear: the worthiness of each piece, the quality of the ideas, and the unique interest each book held for him.

“One of the earliest InterVarsity Press books I ever read as an undergraduate was Jim Sire’s seminal work The Universe Next Door, a catalog of worldviews that challenged and nourished and changed my understanding of not only the Christian faith but other religions and philosophies,” said Jeff Crosby, publisher for IVP. “Later, his Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All? became a book that I routinely put in the hands of friends, family members and acquaintances with whom I had spirited conversations about the veracity of the Christian tradition. But beyond his published works, Jim was a unique and winsome man of God. His presence in our hallways on his frequent visits back to IVP will be sorely missed, as will his witness for Christ in a world of much confusion.”

The Universe Next Door turned out to be Sire’s most popular volume. First published in 1976, it has since sold over 350,000 copies in five editions and has been translated into eighteen foreign languages. His expertise on worldview studies and Christian apologetics continued in Sire’s later books and writings. He focused on the application of worldview thinking to the integration of Christian faith and the academic disciplines, as well as the nature of “signals of transcendence” and their relation to Christian life. His many books also include Apologetics Beyond Reason, Beginning with God, Scripture Twisting, Discipleship of the Mind, Chris Chrisman Goes to College, Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?, Habits of the Mind, Naming the Elephant, Learning to Pray Through the Psalms, Why Good Arguments Often Fail, and A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics.

In Heart. Soul. Mind. Strength., which records a history of IVP, Andy Le Peau and Linda Doll (former publisher for IVP) wrote that Sire’s editorial instincts created a legacy of thoughtful, quality books that IVP is known for today. They write, “In its publishing program, IVP was a reflection of his thought, commitments and prophetic passions. It was a very personal editorial vision, but one that resonated with the needs as well as the spirit of the times.” Sire’s impact at IVP can also be seen in its commitment to quality over popularity. He believed that IVP should be as faithful to its mission as possible, stating, “Don’t let someone else set your agenda.”

“When I think of Jim Sire I think of the apostle Paul who said ‘We proclaim him (Christ), admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ,’” said Bob Fryling, former publisher of IVP. “‘To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.’ Jim had an eager mind and an infectious spirit in his love for God and the truth of the Gospel. I will miss his intellectual integrity, his spiritual longings, and his irrepressible presence.”

Sire’s books have been heartily praised over his long writing career, including winning Christianity Today Book of the Year Awards for Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?, The Universe Next Door (5^th edition), and Habits of the Mind.

Eugene H. Peterson (The Message, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction) wrote of Sire’s 1995 book, Learning to Pray Through the Psalms: “Jim Sire’s wide-ranging intelligence, fused with his attentive spirit, makes him a welcome guide through this country, opening our eyes and ears—our hearts!—to these prayers that teach us to pray.”

In The Universe Next Door, Sire writes, “To glorify God is not just to do so in religious worship, singing praise and enacting the traditional rites of the church. To glorify God is to reveal his character by being who we were created to be—the embodiment of the image of God in human form.” Sire’s life exemplified this message, both in word and deed. He is survived by his wife Marjorie, who also worked at IVP, and his four children: Carol, Gene, Richard, and Ann. May he rest in peace.

View IVP’s tribute to Sire at www.ivpress.com/james-w-sire.

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:  Alisse Wissman | 630.734.4059 | awissman@ivpress.com