LifeWay Christian Stores has begun the process of acquiring Berean Christian Stores, a 17-store chain.  Berean’s stores are located primarily in California, Arizona and the Midwest with corporate headquarters in Cincinnati.

“This is a tremendous opportunity,” said Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, parent company of LifeWay Christian Stores. “Berean, like LifeWay, is known for their commitment to serving church customers. This acquisition will significantly increase LifeWay’s opportunities for ministry across the country.”

Christian Retailing is looking for Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2014 program information to help retailers prepare for the next VBS season.

Curriculum suppliers, we invite you to submit your program details by filling out a simple VBS form online. Visit www.christianretailing.com/vbs to submit by Monday, Sept. 9.

The VBS Guide with full program details will be part of our November 2013 issue and also will be posted online.

For more information, email VBS Guide writer Leslie Santamaria at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Continuing an expansion trend, LifeWay Christian Stores will open a new location in Barboursville, W.Va., this fall.

LifeWay Media Relations Manager Jon Wilke told Christian Retailing that the 6,100-square-foot store near Huntington, W.Va., opens Oct. 31 and is not part of an acquisition. 

LifeWay recently acquired Living Word Christian Bookstore in Sarasota, Fla., Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore in Wheaton, Ill., and The Salt Shaker Bookstore and Café in Wilmington, N.C.

The chain operates more than 160 locations in 26 states. 

Christian filmmaker Russ Doughten Jr., best known for the 1970s’ end-times thrillers A Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder, died Aug. 19 at his home in Carlisle, Iowa, after a lengthy cardiac-related illness. He was 86.

Known as the “Father of the Modern Christian Movie,” the founder of Russ Doughten Films was behind more than 150 projects that led to more than 6 million decisions for Christ.

Devotional material by one of the 20th-century’s all-time best-selling authors, C.S. Lewis, is now available for the first time on Bible Gateway.

“Bible Gateway is honored to be able to help people easily access the rich and deep thinking of C.S. Lewis that is as relevant today as it was when he first wrote it,” said Rachel Barach, general manager, Bible Gateway.

Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman each received nine nominations today for the 44th Annual Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards, while songwriter/producer Wayne Haun topped all nominees with 14 nods.

"The Doves celebrate the impact of all genres of gospel music, recognizing talent, ministry and outstanding performances," said Jackie Patillo, GMA's executive director. "The excitement and energy of the Dove Awards show is something we all look forward to—and this year will prove to be better than ever."

Tomlin was nominated for Praise & Worship Album of the Year for Passion: Let the Future Begin (sixstepsrecords/Capitol Christian Distribution), Burning Lights (sixstepsrecords/Capitol) and Passion: White Flag (sixstepsrecords/Capitol); Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Burning Lights; Special Event Album of the Year for Passion: Let the Future Begin and Passion: White Flag; Song of the Year and Praise & Worship Song of the Year for "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)"; and Artist of the Year.

Redman's nominations were for Song of the Year, Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year and Praise & Worship Song of the Year for "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"; Special Event Album of the Year for Passion: Let the Future Begin and Passion: White Flag; Praise & Worship Album of the Year for Passion: Let the Future Begin and Passion: White Flag; and Songwriter of the Year.

TobyMac received nods for Artist of the Year; Songwriter of the Year; and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, Recorded Music Packaging of the Year and Short Form Video of the Year for Eye On It (ForeFront Records/Capitol).

Other nominees for Artist of the Year were Francesca Battistelli, Tamela Mann and Lecrae. New Artist of the Year nominees were Capital Kings, Colton Dixon, For King & Country, Rhett Walker Band and Tasha Cobbs. Besides Redman and TobyMac, Songwriter of the Year nominees were Ben Glover, Benji Cowart and Wayne Haun.

Inspirational Film of the Year nominees were Amazing Love; Christmas With A Capital C; Courageous; Jerusalem Countdown; Love Begins; Monumental; October Baby; The Bible; Travel The Road: Season One; and Seven Days in Utopia.

Nominees in 22 categories were announced during a press conference, featuring Francesca Battistelli, Mandisa?, Jason Crabb and James Fortune at Allen Arena on the campus of Nashville's historic Lipscomb University. Nominees in the remaining categories can be found at www.doveawards.com/nominees.

The association's marquee event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Allen Arena, and will be nationally televised Monday, Oct. 21, on the Up Network, formerly GMC TV. GMA moved the Dove Awards back to Nashville after a two-year run in Atlanta, and switched the event from April to October.

Filming is underway in Baton Rouge, La., for the reboot movie version of the best-selling, end-times thriller Left Behind (Tyndale House Publishers).

Quinton Aaron, who played Michael Oher in the 2009 film The Blind Side, has been cast in the role of Simon, a cameraman who is traveling to London when almost half of the passengers on his flight suddenly vanish into thin air, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The project is being developed by Cloud Ten Pictures, which released the first film adaptation of the book in 2000, following it with two other installments from the successful series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins—which have sold more than 64 million copies since the first title came out in 1995.

Featuring the tagline "Some were saved, and some were...," the remake stars Nicolas Cage (Rayford Steele), Chad Michael Murray (Buck Williams), Cassi Thomson (Chloe Steele), Nicky Whelan (Hattie Durham) and Jordin Sparks (Shasta).

Cloud Ten founder and CEO Paul Lalonde—one of the producers of the original, independently made movie that starred Kirk Cameron—is producing the new movie with Michael Walker that will be "in the mold of a classic disaster film," The Hollywood Reporter said. J. David Williams of Family Screen Partners is executive-producing along with Jason Hewitt and his Films In Motion.

Veteran stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong is directing the $15-million reboot, the first movie in the trilogy that is scheduled for theatrical release next June.

The second screen version of Left Behind: The Movie follows the resolution of a long-running dispute between Cloud Ten and LaHaye, who was unhappy with the filmmakers' releases. Film rights reverted to LaHaye and Jenkins in 2008 as part of a settlement, but were returned to Cloud Ten as of October 2010, the company said.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/leftbehindreboot.