Kregel Publications has moved its publishing and warehouse operations from its home of 31 years on Wealthy Street in southeast Grand Rapids, Mich. to a new facility at 2450 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids.

Beginning as a used book business in Grand Rapids in 1909, Kregel Publications entered the field of publishing with its first release in 1949: a reprint of a one-volume Bible commentary. Now in its third generation of family ownership, the publishing house has more than 900 titles in print under various Kregel imprints, as well as 500 titles published by Editorial Portavoz, its Spanish-language division.

LifeWay Christian Resources, parent company of LifeWay Christian Stores and B&H Publishing Group, released on Tuesday a summary of some of the key events for the company in 2013.

One of the biggest stories for LifeWay was its continued expansion and acquisition of new stores. Months of individual store acquisitions culminated in LifeWay’s purchase of Berean Christian Stores, the latter of which resulted in 17 new stores in seven states for the LifeWay brand.

Christian Retailing magazine is requesting product information this week on February releases, including children’s, young adult, gift, Spanish and Catholic books. Gifts released in January and in February also will be considered for inclusion in our February issue Buyer’s Guide.

Click here to log in and submit your February releases or go to ChristianRetailing.com and click on the New Release Listings graphic. 

Publicists who have not signed up to submit to the online New Release Listing may do so easily and free of charge. Simply create an account at www.christianretailing.com (upper right corner), then email Editor Christine Johnson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for one-time authorization to submit your products. Once authorized, you may submit products anytime, but preferably three months in advance of market release for possible inclusion in the print and digital magazines.

Family Christian Stores released a set of accomplishments achieved by the chain and its customers in 2013. The year 2013 was the first full year that Family Christian has been fully nonprofit since three Atlanta-based businessmen bought the company and changed its business model in November 2012.

Through the stores, 114,531 Bibles were donated to military members and their families. The Haiti Challenge promotion during Thanksgiving weekend, led by author Karen Kingsbury, saw $280,338 raised to fund the construction of an orphanage in Haiti, and the company also raised another $50,000 to aid an orphanage in China. Family's nonprofit ministry also helped to facilitate 43 adoptions.

Steve Laube, president of The Steve Laube Agency, has agreed to purchase Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of science fiction and fantasy for the Christian market. The sale was finalized Jan. 1.

A champion of the genre going back to his days as an acquisition editor at Bethany House Publishers, Laube said: “The plan is to continue with what Jeff started and release between four and eight new titles in 2014. I have long believed that this genre has been underserved in our industry despite its inherent ability to tell ‘Fantastic’ stories of philosophical and theological depth.”

Pioneer Clubs has revealed its first-ever Vacation Bible School (VBS) offering for 2014, The Wacky World of Water.  Billed as being simple, collaborative, Bible-based, mission-focused, flexible and fun, the new VBS program targets smaller churches without huge volunteer forces as well as larger churches wanting to get back to basics.

“Many of us at Pioneer Clubs volunteer for VBS at our churches, and through discussions of how complex VBS has become, we realized most of us felt this way,” said Terry Logan, sales and marketing manager for Pioneer Clubs. “We love the kids, love the concept of VBS, and the community outreach it has. However, preparing for VBS has almost become a year-round project.”

After more than 35 years in the editorial department at InterVarsity Press (IVP), Jim Hoover will be laying down his editorial pen Dec. 31.

“I could try to measure the contribution Jim has made in number of books edited or pages published in his more than 35years with IVP, but that would be wholly inadequate,” said Andy Le Peau, associate publisher for editorial at InterVarsity Press. “He has been a workhorse, but much more. He has been our sheet anchor of wisdom as we have faced innumerable decisions and quandaries over the years.”