Heavily promoted by Christian retail chains, the Newsboys’ first album to feature new lead singer Michael Tait—formerly of dcTalk—sold more than 45,000 units its first week, becoming the biggest release in the band’s history. The pop/rock group’s 15th studio project, Born Again (Inpop Records) was the second-highest Christian artist debut on the Billboard Overall chart and the third-highest debut on the SoundScan Contemporary Christian Overall chart for 2010, selling 45,311 units since its July 13 release.

Healing evangelist and author Charles Edward Hunter died June 21 in his Houston-area home after being in frail health for several years. He was 89. Hunter and his wife, Frances, wrote numerous books on divine healing, including the best-seller How to Heal the Sick (Whitaker House), and they produced teaching DVDs to train others in healing ministry. Hunter also wrote Handbook for Healing and Angel Book (both Whitaker House).

Munce Group’s Christian Product Expo (CPE), scheduled for Sept. 12-14, will feature the premiere of the next, much-anticipated release from the creators of the besst-selling Facing the Giants and Fireproof. CPE will show a screening of Courageous, a police drama addressing issues of fatherhood that likely will not be released in theaters until fall 2011.

A documentary by New Leaf Publishing Group won commendations from the International Christian Visual Media (ICVM) group. Evolution: The Grand Experiment—The Quest for an Answer, based on a book by Carl Werner, took first place in the Best Youth Film and Best Curriculum categories of the organization’s 2010 awards and a second spot for best Documentary Over $50,000. The honors were announced at the ICVM conference held in St. Louis in July, prior to the International Christian Retail Show there. The first in a planned series of videos, the documentary was released last year and has been shown in more than 70 countries.

An immigration judge June 30 dismissed the deportation case against Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas founder, who had become a spy for Israel. The author of Son of Hamas (Tyndale House Publishers), Yousef spoke at ICRS while under threat of being deported. Yousef, 32, received a standing ovation there and also had a long line for his book signing at the Tyndale booth the following day. The judge's ruling in San Diego came after the federal government decided that Yousef was not a terrorist threat. The Department of Homeland Security initially denied Yousef's asylum request in February 2009. No explanation was given by the government attorney for the abrupt change in position.

Standard Publishing announced the theme for its 2011 Vacation Bible School (VBS), officially introducing Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street: Where Jesus Makes a Difference Every Day! Each day of the new VBS, children will learn a parable that teaches an important quality of the Christian life. Standard Publishing introduced the VBS curriculum at its Sneak Peak Product Party, which offered retailers and their families a taste of foods from the Gateway City.

Apparel maker Kerusso announced the winner of its Live For Him/Compassion International mission trip at its 3:16 floor event that drew more than 150 retailers. The winner was Calvary Church Bookstore of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which sold the most Live For Him product in the last 12 months. Two store employees will join Kerusso President and CEO Vic Kennett and Compassion in the Dominican Republic this December.

Bridge-Logos Foundation announced the winner of a unique giveaway. As winner, Peggy Knudsen of The Word Shoppe in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was given two choices and picked $1,000 worth of product instead of having Bridge-Logos Executive Vice President of Marketing Steve Becker work for two days at her store.

Due to the Icelandic volcanic ash forcing the closure of London’s Heathrow Airport, members of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) Christian Collective,―comprised of 10 Christian publishers from the UnitedStates, Germany and the U.K.,―were unable to attend the 2010 London Book Fair (LBF), held April 19-21. ECPA was working with organizers and the exhibit insurance provider to recoup the financial investment of the publishers. LBF officials said attendance was down significantly due to the travel disruption.

CanZion-Integrity Distribution (CID)—an alliance between the CanZion Group and Integrity Music Latin—will cease joint operations in the U.S., but will continue doing business in Puerto Rico. Two of the world’s leading producers of Latin worship music, Integrity Music Latin and CanZion Group, formed CID last year in an effort to combine sales/marketing and distribution operations for the U.S. and Puerto Rico—while maintaining separate operations for all international markets.

Christian Trade Association International has released its 2010-2011 International Market Directory (IMD), listing more than 1,000 suppliers from 62 countries. IMD is a year-round resource for both international buyers and sellers as

well as a tool to make planning easier and more profitable for the International Christian Retail Show.

Edward England, considered a British publishing pioneer who published the best-selling works of Corrie ten Boom, Richard Wurmbrand and John and Elizabeth Sherrill, died May 16. He was 80. England—publisher of Hodder & Stoughton’s religious publishing for more than a decade until he left in 1980—was responsible for commissioning or acquiring a string of best-sellers, including ten Boom’s The Hiding Place and Chuck Colson’s Born Again. England also wrote at least 30 books, including The Mountain That Moved (Hodder & Stoughton).

Christian publishing world veteran Larry Carpenter, who has held senior positions with several leading suppliers, has started his own business to help would-be authors and artists. Having stepped down as president of Standard Publishing in May after less than two years in charge, Carpenter founded Christian Book Services. The company will offer consulting help, covering everything from creation of the content to printing, marketing and distribution.

Francis Chan, pastor and best-selling author of Crazy Love (David C. Cook), announced in April to his congregation at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., that he would be stepping down to pursue a different kind of ministry reaching the poor in Los Angeles. He plans to fulfill speaking dates across the country through this month. In August and September, Chan will be praying and walking large cities to seek God’s leading, and in October and December serving in a Third World country before launching his new ministry in January 2011.

Big Idea has expanded licensing for its popular VeggieTales brand, introducing a new crop of merchandise. The company recently inked deals with several new licensing partners, including confectionery products from Frankford Candy & Chocolate Co., play ball and toy merchandise from Hedstrom, and Easter candy baskets and gift sets from Sherwood Brands. The new products hit retail shelves starting this spring.

Leading African-American publisher Urban Ministries Inc. is marking its 40th anniversary with a leadership addition. A former vice president at Focus on the Family, Terence Chatmon has been appointed president of the Calumet City, Ill.-based supplier. He takes on the job from C. Jeffrey Wright, who joined the business in 1995 as president and CEO and continues in the latter role.

GRAMMY-winning band Third Day recently received its eighth overall Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) milestone with the Gold certification of the group’s live concert video project Live Revelations: On Stage, Off Stage,Backstage (Essential Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution). The RIAA Gold recognition represents more than 500,000 units sold. Live Revelations was released in April 2009.

Author and radio commentator Chuck Colson has been named the recipient of the 2010 Jordon Lifetime Achievement Award. Colson, whose books include The Faith and Loving God (both Zondervan) as well as How Now Shall We Live? and Lies That Go Unchallenged in Popular Culture (both Tyndale House Publishers), was honored May 3 during the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Executive Leadership Summit and Annual Member Meeting in Nashville.

Singer-songwriter Matt Brouwer won the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Where’s Our Revolution (Universal Music Christian Group/Fontana Distribution) April 17 during the Juno Awards, Canada’s equivalent to the GRAMMY Awards. The first-time Juno winner received the award in person during the event, held in St. Johns, Newfoundland.

Singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp—who rose to fame with a series of best-selling albums on Gotee Records in the 1990s and disappeared from the Christian music scene after her 2001 release, The Way I Am—announced in April that she is gay.

Harvest House Publishers author Lisa Boalt Richardson has partnered with Heart for Africa to help build a needed facility for orphans in Kenya. A certified tea specialist, Richardson said that a portion of the proceeds from her new book, The World in Your Teacup, will help build a septic system for the orphanage. A chapter in the book features a tea from Kenya, a region which has produced tea for more than 100 years.

Tyndale House Publishers will release July 6 the autobiography of New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees. Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity will chronicle the comeback story one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, but also the rebirth of New Orleans and a team that many had all but written off. Co-author of Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel’s The Winners Manual (Tyndale House), Chris Fabry will collaborate with Brees in writing the book.

Munce Group Chief Operating Officer Kirk Blank has been named president of the Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.-based retail marketing group. As president, Blank—who has been with the company 10 years—will be responsible for overseeing activities within the Munce Group, MTL (More to Life) Media and the company’s trade shows—CPE (Christian Product Expo). Bob Munce, owner of the Munce Group, will continue to perform corporate financial and strategic duties.

Speaker and author Vonette Bright has been named the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by Women in Christian Media, an organization of women working for Christian ministries and organizations. Bright—wife for 55 years of Bill Bright, who died in 2003—is the author and co-author of several books, including the “Sister Circle” series written with Nancy Moser (Tyndale House Publishers). Bright was presented with the award Feb. 26 during a pre-conference event to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

The title song from best-selling artist and GRAMMY winner TobyMac’s recently released Tonight (Forefront Records/EMI CMG Distribution) was used as the theme song for Major League Baseball Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days spring training series. “Tonight,” with John Cooper of Skillet, was featured throughout each episode of the series in March.

Up to three. Rock band Downhere recently won the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Ending Is Beginning (Centricity Records/Word Distribution) during the Juno Awards, Canada’s equivalent to the GRAMMY Awards. Recognized with the group’s third Juno Award during the event, held March 28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Downhere won its first Juno Award for Best Gospel Album in 2002 for its self-titled debut CD and was again recognized in 2007 with the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Wide-Eyed and Mystified.