The Evangelical Press Association recently honored pastor and author Andy Stanley with a third place Higher Goal Award in the Cause of the Year: Stewardship category for his article in the November 2014 issue of InTouch Magazine titled “How to Be Good at Being Rich.”

 According to judges, the article which was adapted from a chapter in Stanley’s book How to Be Rich (Zondervan, 2014), was a “nice blend of biblical references and contemporary facts” and “highly engaging and readable, of course, from an excellent communicator.”

“We are thrilled to hear of Andy’s award from the Evangelical Press Association,” said Jesse Hillman, Senior Director of Marketing for Zondervan. “How to Be Rich is a very important message and we are honored that In Touch magazine chose to highlight it.”

Stanley’s How to Be Rich is a poignant book (based on a series of sermons he preached on wealth that saw his church members give away $5.2 million to Atlanta charities—far surpassing their $1.5 million goal—and provide another 34,000 volunteer hours) peppered with biblical insights, historical anecdotes, humor and questions for discussion.

In it, Stanley argues that being rich has little to do with wealth accumulation, but much more with what we do with what we already have.

Gospel Music Hall of Fame member and CCM pioneer Billy Ray Hearn died Wednesday, April 15, surrounded by his family.

Hearn began his career and ministry in gospel music in 1960 as a church music director. Through writing and producing innovative youth musicals, he was recruited to work with Word Record Co., where he launched the Myrrh label for contemporary Christian artists.

He was the director of music promotion and music publishing for Word until 1976 when he founded Sparrow Records (now Capitol Christian Music Group), the world’s largest Christian record label, which is now led by his son Bill.

Billy Ray is responsible for launching the careers of many artists including Andre Crouch, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith and 2015 GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees BeBe and CeCe Winans, and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame himself in 1997.

“Billy Ray was a visionary and a leader of leaders. His fingerprint will forever be on our Christian & Gospel music industry. His love for the message, the music and the artists will have impact on generations to come,” says Jackie Patillo, president of GMA

Just this March, he and his son were given the Frances Preston Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation for their vision, creativity and commitment in the growth and development of the Christian music industry and philanthropic efforts.

The Mardel Christian & Education retail chain today announced the appointment of Jay DePalmo as CEO. DePalmo will replace Mardel founder and current CEO Mart Green and will begin his new role April 20.

DePalmo comes to Mardel after 16 years at sister company Hobby Lobby. He brings a vision for sustained year-over-year growth as Mardel continues to increase its in-store and online Christian lifestyle product offerings, including a wide range of Bibles, books, music, church supplies, education materials, jewelry, apparel, gifts and décor.

This week, Romantic Times announced its 2014 Career Achievement Winners and Reviewers’ Choice Awards, which included two Bethany House authors, Lauraine Snelling and Lisa Wingate.

Snelling received the Career Achievement Award in the Inspirational category, Wingate received the Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Inspirational Suspense category for her book Wildwood Creek.

Snelling is the award-winning author of over 70 books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold over 2 million copies. Besides writing books and articles, she teaches at writers conferences across the country. Learn more at laurainesnelling.com.

Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist and national best-selling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Blue Moon Bay, and Larkspur Cove, which won the 2011 Carol Award for Women’s Fiction. Visit lisawingate.com.

The award ceremony will take place at the RT BookloversConvention in May. For a complete list of the 2014 Romantic Times award winners, please click here. 

Three Baker Publishing Group titles are on the short list for The Word Guild’s 2015 Word Awards. For a complete list of shortlist titles, please visit thewordguild.com.

Book-Academic

In this category, Baker author James K.A. Smith’s Who’s Afraid of Relativism?: Community, Contingency and Creaturehood, made the list. In this book, a leading Christian philosopher introduces the philosophical sources behind contemporary theology, offering a fresh analysis of relativism and pragmatism.

Book-Biblical Studies

J. Richard Middleton’s A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, made the cut in this category. Drawing on the full sweep of the biblical narrative, Middleton makes a case for the new earth as the appropriate Christian hope and suggests its ethical and ecclesial implications.

Book-Christian Living

Generous Spaciousness: Responding to Gay Christians in the Church by Wendy VanderWal-Gritter, is a finalist in this category. Focusing on the church’s engagement with gay and lesbian Christians, this book invites readers into a gracious conversation regarding human sexuality.

The Word Awards are designed to bring attention to excellence in Canadian Christian writing in all genres. Award winners will be announced at a gala on June 13 in Toronto, Ontario.

The 14^th annual Absolutely Gospel Music (AGM) Awards were handed out Wednesday night at a special concert celebration in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Isaacs and producer Ricky Free were the night’s big winners.

The Isaacs took home three awards during the program. The group was awarded their third consecutive Mixed Group of the Year title this year. The group’s Christmas DVD, An Isaacs Family Christmas Special, also won Special Event Project of the Year. Ben Isaacs also took home Producer of the Year (Artist) for a fourth time in his career.

Free was also honored with three awards. He took home the Producer of the Year (Professional) title last night. In addition, he was awarded Ovations for Album of the Year (for Brian Free & Assurance’s Unashamed) and Progressive Recording of the Year (for Joseph Habedank’s Welcome Home) for his production work on those recordings.

Additional artists and individuals who won multiple awards throughout the evening, included the Bowling Family, Joseph Habedank and The Browders.

One of the biggest awards of the evening—the 2015 Pacesetter Award—was handed to enLighten SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

The staff of absolutelygospel.com and the Unthank family presented the Susan Unthank Memorial Award to songwriter Rebecca J. Peck. This award honors women who have worked in this field of music and made a resounding impact on Southern Gospel music. In addition to the Susan Unthank Memorial Award, Peck was chosen as Songwriter of the Year (Professional).

The evening featured show-shopping performances from the Isaacs, the Bowling Family, Tribute, The Browders, High Road, Jim Brady Trio, The Dunaways, Adam Crabb, Joseph Habedank, Amber Nelon Thompson, 11th Hour, The Williamsons and Jeff Stice. The evening also featured a special presentation to the family of Lari Goss and a musical tribute to Andrae Crouch by Geron Davis & Kindred Soulsand Angela Primm.

“Words can not express just how thrilled we are with this year’s program,” absolutelygospel.com President Deon Unthank said. “Joseph and Amber were phenomenal hosts, and this year every performer knocked it out of the park.”

The Absolutely Gospel Music Awards are handed out each year by the staff at absolutelygospel.com. Each January, the staff and select media representative decide upon the nominees in over 20 categories. In February of that year, the readers of the site are then allowed to vote for their favorites in 12 categories. For more information, visit absolutelygospel.com.

Here is a list of the 2015 winners:

Song of the Year: “Finish Well”—Karen Peck & New River (written by Michael Farren, Karen Peck Gooch and Kenna West)

Album of the Year: Unashamed—Brian Free & Assurance (produced by Ricky Free)

Pacesetter: enLighten SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Amber Nelon Thompson

Male Vocalist of the Year: Adam Crabb (Gaither Vocal Band)

Female Vocalist of the Year: Karen Peck Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)

Male Group of the Year: Booth Brothers

Female Group of the Year: HIGHROADIII

Mixed Group of the Year: The Isaacs

Songwriter of the Year (Artist): Matthew Browder (The Browders)

Songwriter of the Year (Professional): Rebecca J. Peck

Producer of the Year (Artist): Ben Isaacs (The Isaacs)

Producer of the Year (Professional): Ricky Free

Engineer of the Year: Blake Bennett

Musician of the Year: Jeff Stice

Traditional Song of the Year: “Footprints On the Water”—Gold City (written by Joseph Habedank & Dianne Wilkinson)

Traditional Album of the Year: Journey of Hope—Tribute (produced by Roger Talley)

Progressive Song of the Year: “I Know Enough”—Bowling Family (written by Marcia Henry & Belinda Smith)

Progressive Album of the Year: (a tie) Jesus Saves—Three Bridges (produced by Rick Sandidge) and Welcome Home—Joseph Habedank (produced by Ricky Free)

Country Song of the Year: “Listening For the Shout"—The Browders (written by Matthew Browder and Tommy Browder)

Country Album of the Year: Church In the Kitchen—The Dunaways (produced by Jerry Salley)

Special Event Project of the Year: An Isaacs Family Christmas—The Isaacs

Music Video of the Year: “Where I’ve Been”—The Freemans (Big Merlin Productions)

Fan Favorite Artist of the Year: Bowling Family

Susan Unthank Memorial Award: Rebecca J. Peck

Earlier this month, about 40 Christian companies from the U.S. and Eastern Europe countries came together to explore rights, licensing and distribution of Christian books and resources at the CBA MarketSquare in Budapest, Hungary.

Cbanews.org reported that many attendees agreed it was a valuable and worthwhile experience of relationship building, discussion and inspiration. Stories were shared of the incredible impact Christian resources are making in the lives of people around the world.

“For me, the most important take-aways were the quality of relationships built and the power of the printed page in lives being changed by mission-oriented publishers worldwide,” CBA President Curtis Riskey said.

The success of the event has sparked plans for the 2016 Eastern Europe MarketSquare. Expansion of the event into additional global regions has also been discussed.