(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

 

Eugene, Oregon—February 8, 2018—Harvest House Publishers is pleased to announce it has moved its main operations to a new facility in northeast Eugene.

Located in the Chambers Media Center on Chad Drive, Harvest House is delighted to maintain its presence in the same community it has been residing in for the last 37 years. The new Class A build-out provides a setting that incorporates the creative use of contemporary decorative elements, glass offices, and natural light. Further, the space delivers an open office environment that facilitates greater collaboration and teamwork while allowing ample flexibility and room for growth.

With company warehouse operations relocated from Eugene to a centralized distribution facility in Wisconsin, Harvest House had been searching for an ideal office location that is more in line with the specific needs of the company. After careful evaluation of the available options, the Chad Drive location was chosen.

Local individuals and companies involved in making the project possible included longtime partner Meili Construction, who had previously handled several building projects for Harvest House; David Schmitz of engage:ARCHITECTURE; Gary Martin of C.W. Walker & Associates; and 25-year recently retired VP Mary Cooper, who devised and implemented all of the interior design features within the build-out.

“Amid the sustained growth we are experiencing the past few years in our core business, the move comes as an exciting transition for all of us at Harvest House,” says Bob Hawkins, president. “We have longed for an invigorating and highly productive new working environment where we can grow together, and we now have it in a contemporary and inviting space for staff and visitors alike.  I’m most grateful to all our building partners for the amazing job they did in collectively capturing our vision.” 

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

Contact: Christianne Debysingh, Harvest House Publishers
888-468-4108  cdebysingh@harvesthousepublishers.com   www.harvesthousepublishers.com

RENÉE ZELLWEGER AND GREG KINNEAR STAR IN THE INSPIRATIONAL TRUE STORY BASED ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Hollywood, Calif. – “An inspiring, beautiful story about love” (Dave Morales, Fox TV Houston), SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 20, 2018 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives on Digital February 6, 2018.

Based on The New York Times best-selling book, and recipient of the Dove Foundation seal of approval for ages 12+, SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME follows successful art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear, Heaven Is For Real) and his wife Debbie (Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones’s Diary), who seemingly have the perfect life.  But when their faith and family are tested, an unlikely bond with a homeless drifter (Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond) leads them on a remarkable journey that forges an everlasting friendship.  “Loaded with surprising twists and turns” (Jim Ferguson, KGUN9 ABC Tucson), SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME shows how a simple act of kindness can change everything.

The SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME Blu-ray includes over an hour of behind-the-scenes bonus content, including deleted and extended scenes, featurettes, and commentary by director Michael Carney, writer Ron Hall and writer Alexander Foard.  The DVD includes the feature film only.

The SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and German subtitles.  The Blu-ray includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as the following:

• Feature film in high definition
• Bonus Content:
  • Commentary by director Michael Carney, writer Ron Hall and writer Alexander Foard
  • Love is Patient, Love is Kind—The Making of Same Kind of Different As Me
  • Filming in Mississippi
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes

The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and German subtitles.  The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES presents
A DISRUPTION ENTERTAINMENT Production
GREG KINNEAR RENÉE ZELLWEGER DJIMON HOUNSOU and JON VOIGHT
“SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME”
Casting by JOHN PAPSIDERA, CSA Music by JOHN PAESANO Costume Designer ALONZO V. WILSON
Edited by ERIC SEARS, ACE Production Designer WILLIAM O. HUNTER Director of Photography DON BURGESS, ASC
Executive Producers ALEXANDER FOARD MICHAEL CARNEY
Produced by MARY PARENT DARREN MOORMAN STEPHEN JOHNSTON RON HALL CALE BOYTER
Based on the Book by RON HALL DENVER MOORE and LYNN VINCENT
Screenplay by MICHAEL CARNEY & ALEXANDER FOARD and RON HALL Directed by MICHAEL CARNEY
SOUNDTRACK ON SONY CLASSICAL

samekindofdifferentasmemovie.com

About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories.  The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles.  PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

For artwork please visit: https://arc.paramount.com

PUBLICITY CONTACT:
PURE PUBLICITY 615.595.8466
Ben Laurro Ben@PurePublicity.com
Ashton Compton  Ashton@PurePublicity.com

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME
Street Date:  February 20, 2018 (Blu-ray, DVD)  February 6, 2018 (Digital)
U.S. Rating:  PG-13 for thematic elements including some violence and language
Canadian Rating:  PG violence, language may offend

Ada, Mich. (February 9, 2018)—Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals (Baker Books; ISBN 9780801075254;Hardcover; $24.99) by Michael Hyatt has landed on multiple Bestsellers lists since its release in January.

• #3 on Publishers Weekly Hardcover Nonfiction list for the week of January 7
• #1 in Hardcover Business and #4 in Hardcover Nonfiction on the Wall Street Journal lists for the week of January 7
• #35 on the USA Today list for the week of January 7
• #20 on Amazon’s Most Sold list for the week of January 7

In Your Best Year Ever, Hyatt shares a powerful, proven, research-driven system for setting and achieving your goals—to not let them get pushed to the back burner and forgotten. Readers learn how to design their best year ever by discovering:

• what’s holding you back right now
• how to overcome your past setbacks
• the seven attributes of effective goals
• how to quit-proof your goals
• the role of habits in personal achievement
• what to do when you feel stuck
• and much more

Michael Hyatt is the former chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, now part of HarperCollins. He is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of several books, including Living Forward and Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Michael’s blog is ranked by Google in the top one-half percent of all blogs, with 500,000 unique visitors a month and readers in more than two hundred countries.

Baker Books publishes books that are relevant, intelligent, and engaging. Our titles cover topics such as personal development, encouragement, spirituality, and relationships. www.BakerBooks.com

Contact: Brianna DeWitt  (616) 676-9185 x395  bdewitt@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Former NFL Running Back and Dancing with the Stars Champion Rashad Jennings Motivates and Inspires Others in Debut Book

Grand Rapids, MI – February 9, 2018 – In his debut book, The IF in Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self, former NFL running back and Dancing with the Stars Season 24 champion, Rashad Jennings, shares his inspiring story, imparts practical advice, and encourages readers to follow their dreams.

Growing up, Jennings was overweight, had poor vision, suffered from debilitating asthma, and held a 0.6 GPA—yet he still hoped to one day play in the NFL as a running back. To say the odds were stacked against him is an understatement. Through hard work and determination, encouragement and tough love from his brothers and coaches, and the support of mentors too numerous to count, Jennings became a record-setting NFL running back. During his eight-year NFL career, he played with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Giants. And now, through the Rashad Jennings Foundation, Jennings is focused on inspiring youth by making education an enjoyable experience, providing mentorship, and encouraging an overall healthy lifestyle. In 2017, he helped more than 30,000 students through his foundation read over 167,655 books.

“Whether you realize it or not, certain moments in life, no matter how significant or small they seem, can change your path and have a positive impact on where you go and how successful you become,” said Jennings. “The IF in Life is about those “IF” moments that have shaped the man I’ve become and brought about the realization of my dreams. My hope for this book is that it brings motivation and inspires young people to become their best self.”

In The IF in Life, Jennings writes about the decisions that shaped his destiny, both on and off the field. From overcoming injuries and setbacks, to setting goals and dreaming big, his transparency about his journey will encourage readers to hold on to faith during uncertainty and remind them that greater things are waiting if you stay focused and believe.

“Rashad’s contagious spirit will inspire countless people to take notice of the ‘IF’ moments in their lives that can help lead them down a path to becoming the best they can possibly be,” said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and group publisher at Zondervan. “We are honored to be working with Rashad to share his message.”

Featuring photos from Rashad’s childhood, college years, and professional career, The IF in Life will be available online and in stores on May 8, 2018.  The book is available for pre-orders now.

About the Author:
Rashad Jennings is a national personality. Throughout his successful eight-year career in the NFL, as well as his championship performance on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Jennings has gained the love and support of fans across the country. Today, Jennings is driven to make a national impact and lasting legacy. The Rashad Jennings Foundation is dedicated to inspiring youth by making education fun, providing mentorship for individual success and promoting health and fitness. Follow Rashad on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, @rashadjennings.

Zondervan, part of HarperCollins, is a world-leading provider of Christian communications and 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.

Uhrichsville, OH—February 4, 2018 marks what would have been the 100th birthday of beloved author, poet, songwriter, and Moody Bible Institute alumni, Frances J. Roberts (1918–2009). Born on February 4, 1918, Roberts is best known for her classic devotional, Come Away My Beloved (Barbour Publishing). Roberts also authored eight other books, selling over 1.5 million copies, and published 88 hymns during her lifetime.

After graduating from Moody Bible Institute in 1938, Roberts served as Florida’s state director for Child Evangelism Fellowship, writing the popular “Wordless Book Song” during her tenure there. An accomplished musician, Roberts also taught at a Spanish mission school and worked as a professional accompanist, performing at various churches. In 1964, she founded The King’s Press and began releasing books. Her popular Come Away My Beloved devotional has sold over a million copies and has been translated into several languages.

To coincide with what would have been Roberts’ centennial birthday, Barbour has just released a 365-day compilation of the author’s devotional writings. Titled Come Away My Beloved: A Daily Devotional, this keepsake book features excerpts from her beloved writings—including Come Away My Beloved, Dialogues with God, Progress of Another Pilgrim, and On the Highroad of Surrender. This powerful book offers challenge, encouragement, hope, comfort, and conviction for a Christian’s daily faith walk.

To learn more about Frances J. Roberts and Come Away My Beloved, visit www.BarbourBooks.com.

Media Contact: Shalyn Sattler ssattler@barbourbooks.com 740.922.6045 X 109