Harvest House Publishers has announced a strategic corporate restructuring plan designed to generate new sales opportunities and inject more innovation and efficiency into the company. In response to an ever-changing publishing climate, Harvest House is seeking to better employ the strengths of key personnel.

“God has gifted our company with incredibly talented people, and there were opportunities to implement their strengths in exciting new ways that will benefit the company and our authors as we continue to exercise a forward-thinking outlook in everything we do,” said Harvest House President Bob Hawkins Jr. “With this restructuring, I am confident Harvest House will realize new sales growth, an even more invigorating corporate culture and the achievement of the company’s short- and long-range goals and initiatives.”

Companies and authors submitting more than five products in the 2014 Christian Retailing’s Best awards will want to enter this week for the Early Bird discount. Sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine, the awards celebrate the top new and backlist books, DVDs, gifts and more in the Christian products industry.

Enter by Feb. 14 at ChristianRetailingsBest.com for the Early Bird discount (for every five paid, get one free). Nominations will be accepted until Feb. 24 at the $60 per-product rate. Products may be entered in any one of more than 60 categories.

LifeWay Christian Resources President and CEO Thom Rainer praised the work of B&H Publishing Group and cited the growth of LifeWay Christian Stores in his state of the ministry report, according to Baptist Press. The report was presented at a Feb. 3-4 meeting in Nashville.

"My consistent prayer since coming to LifeWay eight years ago is that I would lead LifeWay with wisdom," Rainer said. "I don't want to lead out of my own strength or ability, but with God's wisdom. And I believe He has shown us His favor in so many ways."

GRAMMY-nominated and Platinum-selling rock band Skillet has unveiled the new music video for its track “Not Gonna Die.” The video debuted on NewReleaseTuesday.com, whose audience voted Skillet as Best Rock/Alternative Artist or Group of 2013, and Loudwire, an online magazine that has the band’s best-selling project, RISE (Word Records/Word Distribution), in the running for Best Rock Album of 2013.

Directed by Joey Papa and produced by the band’s former guitarist Ben Kasica (for Skies Fall Media Group), the video was premiered exclusively to the bands’ most loyal followers, known as the Panheads, before hitting Loudwire and NewReleaseTuesday.com.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) released its 2014 economic forecast Feb. 6, projecting retail industry sales (which excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) will increase 4.1%, up from the 3.7% growth seen in 2013. NRF also announced it expects online sales in 2014 to grow between 9% and 12%.

“Measured improvements in economic growth combined with positive expectations for continued consumer spending will put the retail industry in a relatively good place in 2014,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Though headwinds in the form of the looming debt ceiling debates, increased health care costs and regulatory concerns still pose risks for both consumers and retailers, we are cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the economic tides will change in 2014.

Three Tyndale authors are now part of the popular blog lineup at Southern BelleView (southernbelleviewdaily.com). This expansion will allow readers to follow daily posts, enter prize giveaways and dialogue with 10 leading inspirational writers.

The team, which seeks to give their online gatherings the chatty, down-home feel of a Southern porch, now includes Tyndale novelists Denise Hildreth Jones, Jolina Petersheim and Lisa Wingate in addition to Julie Cantrell, Eva Marie Everson, Kellie Coates Gilbert, Rachel Hauck, Amy Hill Hearth, Nicole Seitz and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, writers who have garnered nearly 60 literary honors and awards between them.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has asked for prayer on behalf of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, two of the plaintiffs in the upcoming Supreme Court challenge to the Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare. Set to go before the court March 25, the case will challenge the employer mandate section of the law that would force employers to pay for abortifacient drugs or face crippling fines.

“The outcome will have a dramatic impact on your religious freedom in America,” reads a statement issued by ADF. “With so much at stake, last week Alliance Defending Freedom began our nine weeks of prayer leading up to the court date.