December 2024 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is proud to announce that it has received the ECPA Bronze Milestone Award in recognition of the remarkable impact of two titles that have surpassed 100,000 copies sold across print, digital, and audio formats. The books are The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley and First Nations Version by Terry M. Wildman and the First Nations Version Translation Council.
Published in 2019, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction provides a set of daily and weekly practices designed to form people in the love of God and neighbor.
“I would say I’m ‘so humbled’ by this milestone, but honestly the humility comes in the form of genuine surprise,” said Earley. “When I started writing about habits as spiritual disciplines a few years ago, it was mostly to help myself process the way God was using the grace of habit to bring me back to mental health, because my life had collapsed. I never imagined that so many people from so many walks of life were struggling with the same. I had no idea so many people would tell me that this little book would help them rethink the spiritual habits in their own lives.”
On June 3, 2025, IVP will release The Common Rule Youth Edition: Growing Your Faith in a Distracted World to similarly empower young readers to break free from the stress and anxiety of modern life.
Earley added, “All I can say is that God is so good to work through my failure and my clumsy writing efforts to bring such great good in others’ lives. And it makes me all the more excited that a version of this book for teens is coming out this Spring! May God continue to bless it, and all glory to the one who uses our failures to work his good!”
Published in 2021, First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament (FNV) is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations.
Wildman, lead translator and project manager of the FNV, said, “The hopes and dreams that guided our Translation Council and me in creating the FNV have exceeded all expectations. Since its release, the FNV has become a bridge for Indigenous people to connect with Creator’s Good Story (Gospel), touching readers across Turtle Island (North America) and beyond. Surpassing 100,000 copies sold isn’t just a milestone; it reflects lives transformed, stories honored, and relationships deepened across cultures. The FNV has found a home at Native gatherings, college campuses, churches, schools, study groups, and personal devotions, affirming the power of language and culture to heal, build understanding, and warm hearts on a shared journey of faith.”
Based on the profound impact the FNV has had on so many readers, in September IVP also published an IVP Kids title, Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story, that features Native American art by illustrators Hannah Noel Buchanan and Holly Buchanan. And in Summer 2025 IVP will release the FNV leather bound edition (June 24, 2025) as well as First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs; An Indigenous Bible Translation (August 5, 2025).
“The First Nations Version is a groundbreaking, fresh translation of the New Testament filled with vivid, evocative language and imagery,” said Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP. “We’re thrilled with how the FNV New Testament has been received and are excited to be developing the FNV Psalms and Proverbs as the sacred songs and words of the wisdomkeepers.”
Established in 1990, the ECPA Milestone Sales Award program recognizes outstanding sales achievement in the publication of quality Christian literature. Eligibility for these awards is attained whenever a book achieves the designated sales level in all of its formats.
Contact: Krista Clayton | kclayton@ivpress.com
