(January 11, 2018) – The Parable Group, a leading marketing agency for the Christian product industry, announced today that Christmas sales were up for the Christian retailers they serve with print/digital promotions. Collectively, November and December sales were up 0.9%. A key piece of that increase was Thanksgiving week—when sales groupwide increased 3.2%—with 68% of their partner stores seeing greater sales than 2016.

“Over the past few years new and emerging technology has transformed the way customers shop. But many savvy Christian retailers, committed to serving their local communities, are investing in themselves—in products, stores, marketing, data and technology. These Christmas sales numbers are very encouraging—there’s real hope and a future for Christian retail,” said Steve Potratz, President of The Parable Group.

To attract new customers and re-engage existing customers over the Christmas 2017 season, The Parable Group of Christian retailers used coordinated print catalogs and in-store signage as a promotional foundation and layered in various digital marketing tactics, like email and social media advertising.

Over 6 million emails were sent to customers from The Parable Group on behalf of retailers during November/December, representing a mix of mass weekly emails and highly targeted emails based on customer purchase history. Additionally, various Facebook campaigns reached nearly 950,000 people in November/ December on behalf of participating stores. These social media campaigns served over 3.7 million impressions to geo-targeted Christian consumer audiences.

Christian retailers also utilized tools on ParableConnect, the 24/7 information hub, to ensure they stayed in-stock of promoted products.

“We’re happy to see positive numbers and sales increases again. While not every Christian retailer has turned around, this suggests that more gains can be achieved. Retailers who can adjust and incorporate print and digital marketing touchpoints, backed by data, are likely going to be successful in 2018,” said Potratz.

The Parable Group is a privately owned multi-service Christian marketing agency based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Since 1985, we’ve served over 1,000 Christian brands; including retailers, publishers, churches, non-profits, film studios and more. Today, we pair decades of Christian consumer data with proven business practices, cutting-edge digital technologies, and thoughtful design to drive measurable results for those we serve. As CBA’s exclusive data warehouse partner, we also safeguard Cross:Scan data to help unite and improve the Christian products industry. For more information, contact sally.ross@parable.com or visit www.parablegroup.com.

Contact: Sally Ross
Tel. (805) 329-4020  Email: sally.ross@parable.com

Uhrichsville, OH—Barbour Publishing CEO, Timothy Martins, has announced the promotion of Mary Burns to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer, effective January 1, 2018.

Martins, who served as Barbour’s President for over 20 years, will remain active with the company as Chief Executive Officer and serving on the company’s board of directors. Mary Burns, a twenty-three-year veteran of Barbour Publishing, has served as Vice President of Marketing for the majority of that time.

“I’m ecstatic about the possibilities for the company and its owners under Mary’s leadership, and look forward to watching her very capable team reach new heights in the months and years to come,” says Martins about the appointment. As President and COO, the experienced executive team will now report directly to Burns. Together they’ll be responsible for executing Barbour’s strategy and managing the business.

Burns says, “I’m excited to take on the leadership role of President. With our recent transition to an ESOP, there are endless opportunities for Barbour to grow and continue our success in book publishing. It will be my pleasure to guide our motivated and dedicated team in accomplishing the goals we have set for the future.”

Burns also announced the promotion of Shalyn Sattler to the position of Vice President of Marketing. Sattler, who joined the Barbour team in 2005, has served as Director of Marketing in recent years. With this promotion, she will now be responsible for providing team leadership and strategy for all of the company’s marketing activities.

“I’m incredibly honored to accept this new position with the company that has become my family over the past 12 years,” said Sattler. “Book marketing has drastically changed since I first began my career, but I’m energized by the challenge of continually finding new and better ways of connecting readers with our uplifting products.”

Barbour Publishing, founded by industry veteran Hugh R. Barbour in 1981, was acquired by company CEO Timothy H. Martins in October 2000. The now employee-owned company publishes 180-200 books and Bibles a year focused on inspiring the world with the lifechanging message of the Bible. To learn more, visit www.BarbourBooks.com.

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

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Africa is a continent rich in natural resources and beauty, people, and Christian faith. It is also a land plagued by natural disaster, poverty, political upheaval, religious and ethnic strife, disease, and human rights abuses, all while lacking financial stability and reliable infrastructure to combat these problems.

In the midst of these difficulties, God has called Christians to shine the light of truth and many are answering the
call by producing magazines and websites to lift up, and offer hope and guidance to African believers. African publishers need and desire training to do a better job.

The need for on-site training is obvious. Magazine Training International (MTI) has seen a 250% increase in the last five years of African publishers accessing MTI’s training resources. Still, only 15 African magazines have been able to send a representative to MTI conferences on other continents due to cost and the difficulty in obtaining visas to travel. Many of these publishing professionals will only be able to attend an MTI conference on African soil.

MTI is pleased to announce that our next on-site conference will be in Africa. AlthoughMTI has trained publishing professionals from over 200 African magazines over the years, this will be the first MTI conference in Africa.

“We’re looking forward to beginning to work in Africa,” says Sharon Mumper, president of MTI. “We have already provided resources or services to nearly 200 Christian magazines in Africa. We would love to have the opportunity to meet those with whom we’ve communicated long distance, and to be able to provide more in-depth on-site training to the staff of these incredible magazines.”

“MTI in Africa” will feature an eight-day training event. The Magazine Publishing Institute will be held 1 – 8 October, 2018, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Magazine Publishing Institute will consist of three separate tracks on magazine editing, management management, and magazine design. Each participant will choose a track to get in-depth training on that subject. There will also be plenary sessions exploring how the three areas interact and impact each other.

This conference marks the start of a 10-year program in Africa. Future planned locations for Magazine Publishing Institutes include South Africa and Francophone Africa.

Over the last 29 years, MTI has offered courses and conferences for the staff of Christian magazines in dozens of countries, drawing an international audience.

About Magazine Training International
The mission of Magazine Training International is to encourage, strengthen, and provide resources to Christian magazines as they seek to build the church and reach their societies for Christ. Over the last 29 years, MTI has offered more than 60 conferences, courses, and seminars in East/Central Europe, Asia, and North America. In addition to courses and conferences, MTI offers training manuals, DVD and MP3 courses, and a website with hundreds of publishing resources.

Media Contact:  Sharon Mumper, President
(719) 598-9743  smumper@magazinetraining.com
More information is available at on our website and on Facebook.

Saying Goodbye to 2017 With Anticipation of a Superb 2018

2018 New Year celebrations are fading away, but Charisma House wishes to highlight significant moments from 2017 before saying goodbye. It was a lively year of record-breaking success, both for authors as well as staff.

• January 2017, Marcos Perez was promoted to the position of executive vice president and publisher of the book group of Charisma Media. Perez led the book group to growth and will continue to do so in 2018
• Steve Greene, publisher and executive vice president of the media group of Charisma Media released his book Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity
• Charisma House YouVersion devotionals reached 1 million downloads
• ECPA recognized two Charisma books, The Bait of Satan and The Mystery of The Shemitah, for reaching sales of 1 million and 500 thousand respectively
• Lucy Diaz Kurz was welcomed back to the book group after a seven-year interval. Kurz re-launched her career at the Christian publishing house as vice president of marketing, a title she previously held from August 2004 to September 2010
• New York Times best-selling author, Jonathan Cahn, had another record-breaking release with his book, The Paradigm. The book debuted at No. 5 on the New York Times Best Seller list, as well as at No. 5 on Wall Street Journal and No. 6 on the Publisher’s Weekly lists. This book also helped catapult Cahn’s older books back to various best-selling lists
• Last but certainly not least is the release of God and Donald Trump by Stephen E. Strang.  Mr. Strang is the founder and CEO of Charisma Media. This book is on the ECPA best-seller list   and continues to garner various media appearances

About Charisma House
Charisma House empowers people through Spirit-inspired resources. It is the leading publisher of diversified Christian resources motivating people to fulfill God’s purpose. For more than twenty years Charisma House has published books, including fourteen New York Times best sellers, that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians.

Contacts:
Rachel Sammons, Publicity Coordinator, 407-333-0600 x3403 rachel.sammons@charismamedia.com
Nicole Ponder, Publicity Manager, 407-333-0600 x3406 nicole.ponder@charismamedia.com  

New daily devotional podcast debuts in the Top 25 Christianity podcasts on iTunes; inspires, encourages and equips in only five minutes

Charlotte, NC (January 3, 2018) – Podcasts are more popular than ever, with four in ten Americans tuning in, according to the latest digital research. We listen for a variety of reasons including encouragement, entertainment and insight. For many, life is busy and podcasts allow listeners to fill whatever pockets of time they have—15, 30 or even 60 minutes—with content that piques their interest.

Lisa Whittle, author, speaker and founder of Ministry Strong, launched the 5 Word Prayers Daily podcast on January 1 with new episodes releasing each weekday throughout the year. In only five minutes—which everyone has, whether it’s during a morning commute, waiting for kids in the school pickup line or loading the dishwasher—Lisa shares a spoken daily devotional consisting of Scripture, commentary and a closing five-word prayer that equips, inspires and encourages listeners on their daily journey with Jesus.

“The heart behind 5 Word Prayers Daily is for it be a Jesus-led, heart-centered community to talk about the real things we all walk through in this life, offer God our heart every step of the way, and encourage us to keep going,” said Whittle. “Never have we craved a like-hearted community of Jesus followers more than now; to know we are not alone in our desire to be spiritually strong, even if we don’t share the same physical space.”

A spoken daily devotional, 5 Word Prayers Daily is a daily kick-start, a voice of hope, truth, and inspiration, with an understanding friend that provides Biblical truth that points to Jesus. Lisa covers topics such as relationships, prayer, faith, parenting, spiritual transformation, hot topics and much more.

5 Word Prayers Daily debuted in the Top 25 Christianity podcasts on iTunes.

LISTEN NOW

Lisa Whittle is a leader, author and speaker with a heart and passion to communicate one thing: Jesus is everything. Her love runs deep to see people pursue Jesus for life, grow deep roots of faith, and walk strong in the midst of a world that so often seems to have gone crazy. She is the author of six books, including her latest Put Your Warrior Boots Onand 5-Word Prayers, and a sought out Bible teacher for her wit and bold, bottom line approach.  Lisa is the founder of Ministry Strong, an organization dedicated to strengthening the hearts and families of ministry leaders. She is a wife and mother of three who currently resides in North Carolina. Connect with her at LisaWhittle.com.

Media Contact:  Shanon Stowe, Icon Media Group, shanon@iconmediagroup.com

WHEATON, Ill. (Jan. 3, 2018) — Gilead Publishing announced an agreement with Fred Rudy of F.J. Rudy and Associates to assist in developing and expanding Gilead’s international and subsidiary rights management program.

Gilead CEO Dan Balow said, “Fred Rudy has more than 30 years in business and publishing, including more than 15 years in international and subsidiary rights management. He provides us with valuable knowledge and connections to develop our publishing program.”

Gilead Publishing (gileadpublishing.com) was launched in 2016 to cultivate the best Christian and inspirational fiction. In 2018, Gilead will publish 40 titles across four imprints: Gilead (multiple genres), Enclave (sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal), Gilead Classics (lightly revised classic titles) and Evergreen Farm (writings of Catherine Marshall and Peter Marshall, including nonfiction along with classic novels “Christy” and “Julie”).

Rudy said, “I am excited about this new relationship with Gilead, and I believe that we will work together effectively in extending the worldwide impact of Gilead books.”

As part of the arrangement, Rudy will consult with Gilead management on its global publishing strategy and will manage translation, audio, large-print, same-language territorial, and special edition rights. Additional information is available from Fred Rudy at fred.rudy@fjrudyandassociates.com or by calling 847-287-9028.

(January 4, 2018) – With retail data analytics emerging as a key tool to boost business and profits, Christian retailers widely embraced the technology in 2017. The Parable Group, a leading marketing agency and CBA’s exclusive data collection partner, announced that an astounding 80% of the 367 stores they serve participate in data.

The Parable Group now collects and monitors retail sales information from 290 Christian retailers (including Covenant, Munce, Logos and Parable stores), church stores, Catholic stores, and unaffiliated stores across the US and Canada.

“It’s an exciting time for Christian retailers—technology and retail data analytics initiatives are generating real value that translates into increased customer loyalty, a better customer experience and higher revenue,” said Erik Ernstrom, Manager of Business Intelligence for The Parable Group.

The Parable Group data service is designed to meet retailers’ specific competitive data needs. Some participating retailers view data analytics, graphs and reports on ParableConnect daily—to monitor sales by category, identify trends, better target customers, improve stock-turn and stock management, and increase profit. Other participating retailers, just starting out on their data journey, utilize the free Cross:Scan bestsellers lists to improve inventory.

“We’re encouraged to see the number of stores participating in data programs continue to increase—everything from Get It Local Today, to Cross:Scan, to wanting help with their catalog mailings. As our industry continues to come together, we can only get stronger,” said Ernstrom.

The Parable Group is a privately owned multi-service Christian marketing agency based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Since 1985, we’ve served over 1,000 Christian brands; including retailers, publishers, churches, non-profits, film studios and more. Today, we pair decades of Christian consumer data with proven business practices, cutting-edge digital technologies, and thoughtful design to drive measurable results for those we serve. As CBA’s exclusive data warehouse partner, we also safeguard Cross:Scan data to help unite and improve the Christian products industry. For more information, contact sally.ross@parable.com or visit www.parablegroup.com.

Contact: Sally Ross
tel. (805) 329-4020
email: sally.ross@parable.com

Viral star challenges women to tune out the naysayers of the world and embrace the “you” God made you to be

Uhrichsville, OH—Barbour Publishing is pleased to announce the signing of a book deal with life coach, motivational speaker, and social media comedian Carolanne Miljavac. Her debut book, Odd(ly) Enough: Standing Out When the World Begs You to Fit In, is scheduled to release in November 2018 under Barbour’s Shiloh Run Press imprint.

Humorous. Authentic. Relatable. That’s Carolanne Miljavac in a nutshell. With over 100 million video views and 350,000 social media followers, she has become the “go to girl” for a good laugh, motivation, loving truths, and vulnerability. Her purpose in life is to spread love and joy without sacrificing honesty and truth—something that has resonated with millions of people on her wildly popular social media pages.

Miljavac’s Odd(ly) Enough is for women of all ages who have ever felt insignificant, out of place, uncomfortable, or unqualified. She says, “When we are broken and humbled. . .God comes in and shows us the beauty in our ashes. Everything that we think makes us an outcast is what actually makes us. . .oddly enough.”

About the Author
Carolanne Miljavac is a southern raised, Jesus saved, barely sane author, speaker, social media goofball, wife, and mom of 3 daughters. With a bachelor’s degree in English, CA has earned an Olympic bronze medal in waitressing, 2 silvers in door-to-door sales, a gold in virtual health/life coaching, and 10s across the board in the art of sarcasm. Impressive, she knows. But it was the crushing loss of her seven-year-old niece to cancer that finally humbled her enough to listen to God when He said to her, as she crumbled in her car, “Give it up.” Without the chains of fear and insecurity, she followed her spirit’s instruction to speak. She now has over 100 million video views and 350,000 social media followers. She pulls heartstrings while tapping funny bones with a message of freedom and revelation. Her purpose in life is to spread love and joy without sacrificing honesty and truth. She believes we all have a story needing to be told. Grief taught her gratitude, pain gave her purpose, and loss revealed true love. With faith, she found audacity, and her mission is to give you the guts to be you too.

To learn more about Carolanne Miljavac, visit her website at www.camiljavac.com. In addition, title details for Odd(ly) Enough will soon be available on Edelweiss.

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

Purcellville, VA—The Good Book Company is one of the more recent arrivals to the US Christian publishing scene, and so when it was announced that two of the eight categories in the 2017 Gospel Coalition Book Awards had been won by TGBC titles—alongside entries from giants like Crossway, IVP, B&H and Zondervan—it was cause for much celebration at their offices in Virginia.

Andrew Walker’s God and the Transgender Debate won in the Public Theology & Current Events category, while Trillia Newbell’s storybook, God’s Very Good Idea took first place in Children’s category. Announcing the 2017 award winners, Ivan Mesa, one of the editors for The Gospel Coalition, explained that the judges looked for books which “offer gospel-centered argument and application; include faithful and foundational use of Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament; foster spiritual discernment of contemporary trials and trends; and encourage efforts to unite and renew the church.”

The Good Book Company is looking forward to a fruitful 2018, working with Trillia, Andrew and other exceptional authors. Coming soon are titles from Al Mohler, Matt Chandler and Sinclair Ferguson.

ABOUT THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY
Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company is an international Christian publisher. Our Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at The Good Book Company is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church and His gospel of grace. We create and publish biblical, relevant and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing and keep sharing their faith. 

Blog: thegoodbook.com/blog
Twitter: @thegoodbookusa
Facebook: thegoodbookcomplaynorthamerica