Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Autopsy of a Deceased Church headed the list of three B&H Publishing Group titles recently recognized as winners at the 2014 Outreach Resource Awards. Rainer’s book won its award in the leadership category.

Also in the leadership category, Outreach lauded B&H’s Transformational Groups by Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger. In the Counseling category, Recovering Redemption by Matt Chandler and Michael Snetzer was a finalist.

For the 12th consecutive year, Outreach magazine is celebrating some of the best outreach-oriented books and curricula by honoring them as Outreach Resources of the Year. More than 170 resources were submitted for consideration.

The Outreach Resources of the Year aim to highlight valuable resources for church leaders and bring deserved attention to resources that can help churches better engage in effective outreach to share the gospel and reach our communities for Christ.

Published in May 2014, Thom Rainer’s Autopsy of a Deceased Church has started a conversation about the reasons churches die and how to prevent it from happening to yours. It has been a best-selling title for B&H reaching as high as No. 2 on the CBA Best-sellers list, behind Rainer’s No. 1 book, I Am a Church Member.

Published in May 2014, Matt Chandler and Michael Snetzer’s Recovering Redemption was written with a pastor’s bold intensity and a counselor’s discerning insight. The book moves readers deeply into Scripture to take them deeply inside themselves, discovering that the heart of all our problems is truly the problem of our hearts. 

Published in February 2014, Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger’s Transformational Groups was written to help small-group leaders create a new scorecard for how groups can transform their church. Using data from the largest survey of pastors and laypersons ever done in North America on the condition of groups in the church, they define a simple process to lead groups from where they are to where God wants them to be.

It’s time to vote! Christian Retailing invites anyone involved in the Christian trade to help us name the top products of 2014 in the Christian Retailing’s Best awards. The voting period runs through March 31.

Click here to vote.

Christian Retailing’s Best finalists will be announced April 6, and winners are expected to be announced at the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Florida, in June.

Introduced in 2001, the awards have been increasingly acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant new life-changing products in the Christian retail industry.

For more information, email Awards Coordinator Jenny Rose Curtis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

B&H Publishing Group and LifeWay Christian Resources have announced a deal to enter into a multiyear partnership with She Reads Truth, a community of everyday women seeking to deepen their relationship with the Lord and their understanding of the gospel through God’s Word.

“She Reads Truth is so excited to partner with B&H and LifeWay Christian Resources,” said Raechel Myers, She Reads Truth co-founder, and Amanda Williams, SRT’s editorial director. “As the Lord has grown this ministry, He has continually led us in exciting new directions and we are so thankful! We believe this partnership is His provision for the She Reads Truth community and perfectly aligns with our mission: women in the Word of God every day."

This partnership with B&H will enable She Reads Truth to expand the reach and resources of their incredible ministry serving hundreds of thousands of women through online devotionals and mobile apps.

“We are deeply grateful for She Reads Truth, the community of women, and how God has blessed this wonderful ministry,” noted Jennifer Lyell, B&H’s Trade Book Publisher. “Our partnership will allow us to come alongside She Reads Truth and what God is already doing to develop resources that will impact women’s lives, their dependence on His Word, and their relationship with the Lord. We are praying for God to consecrate us and the She Reads Truth community as we steward this kingdom opportunity.”  

The ministry of She Reads Truth began in 2012 as a handful of committed friends started reading the Bible together online under the hashtag #shereadstruth. Soon after, word spread and thousands of women began to flock to join the conversation.

More than two years later, She Reads Truth is serving hundreds of thousands of women through their website and app. Follow them at shereadstruth.com.

Outreach magazine named four InterVarsity Press titles among its 12th Annual Outreach Resources of the Year, with four additional books making the short list of “Also Recommended” resources.

Twenty titles received the Resource of the Year distinction. Nearly 170 titles published between November 1, 2013 and October 31, 2014 were submitted to Outreach for consideration. Outreach editors narrowed the field to 113 and placed them in 14 categories.

The magazine then asked an expert in each category to evaluate the resources and choose what they considered to be the best. The experts determined whether to recognize one or more resources in their respective categories as Resources of the Year and whether to include any as “also recommended.”

The following InterVarsity Press titles that received this year’s Outreach Resources of the Year honors:

Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber was named the Outreach Resource of the Year in the Culture category. Roxanne Stone, vice president of publishing at Barna Group, chose the resources for this category.

“Every generation wonders at its place in the world. Every adolescent agonizes over the ‘purpose of my life,’” said Stone, “But in such a time as ours—with the world at our fingertips and seemingly endless opportunities to choose from—such questions are particularly fraught. Into these questions of calling and vocation, Steven Garber steps with characteristic grace. Part prophet, part pastor and part teacher, Garber reminds the reader that to be alive on this earth is to be called—to be implicated in the common good of your time and place.”

Visions of Vocation was also named the 2014 Book of the Year by Hearts & Minds Books and was one of four books to receive the 2014 Leadership Journal Book Award in the category of the Leader’s Outer Life. Additionally, Garber’s book received Christianity Today’s 2015 Award of Merit in the Christian Living category.

Connecting with Muslims: A Guide to Communicating Effectively by Fouad Masri was selected for the Cross-Cultural category by Robert L. Gallagher, department chair of the masters of arts program in intercultural studies at Wheaton College Graduate School. He said, “We live in a world confused about Islam. Fouad Masri demystifies Islam and shows how to converse and build relationships with our Muslim co-workers and neighbors.”

Doing Good Without Giving Up: Sustaining Social Action in a World That’s Hard to Change by Ben Lowe was selected in the Social Justice category. “In the now overcrowded genre of justice literature, Lowe does the church a great service in providing practical guidelines for the long, hard road of doing good. Lowe calls us to transcend a superficial engagement of our world and press into the complexities of culture and social action,” said R. York Moore, founder of the Price of Life Movement, a national anti-trafficking campaign.

Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains and Counselors by Karen Mason was chosen in the Counseling category by Brad Hoefs, founder of Fresh Hope, an international network of Christian mental health support groups. He said, “Suicide rates are at an all-time high in the U.S., and research shows that more people first seek help from their pastor than people do from doctors or therapists combined. It is imperative that pastors and pastoral counselors have a resource such as this. … This resource will literally save lives.”

The InterVarsity Press titles that were also recommended include Incarnate: The Body of Christ in an Age of Disengagement by Michael Frost in the Missional Church category, People-Pleasing Pastors: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Approval-Motivated Leadership by Charles Stone in Leadership, Overturning Tables: Freeing Missions from the Christian-Industrial Complex by Scott Bessenecker in the Cross-Cultural category and Anxious: Choosing Faith in a World of Worry by Amy Simpson in Counseling. 

Zonderkidz recently announced that award-winning Christian recording artist Natalie Grant will serve as the official spokesperson for the Faithgirlz brand of books and Bibles.

The multi-GRAMMY-nominated five-time Gospel Music Association Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year has had numerous No. 1 hits over the past decade. She will now lend her powerful voice to the Faithgirlz brand.

The host of It Takes a Church, the No. 1-rated show for females on the Game Show Network (GSN), and co-founder of the Dare to Be Tour, Grant will share Faithgirlz products with her vast audience.

Through her most important role is being a mother to her three girls, Grant quickly identified with the brand, designed for girls ages 9-12. She now uses Faithgirlz books as tools to develop their walk with God and encourages others to do the same.

“As the mother of twin 8-year-old girls, the tween years are upon me,” Grant says. “I am so grateful for Faithgirlz and the products they provide that will keep my girls interested and entertained, as well as unlock their faith in a deeper way and give them a better understanding of Jesus.”

The Faithgirlz brand offers quality faith-based resources to parents and girls, creating a foundation for a lifelong relationship with Christ. Known for Bibles, devotionals, nonfiction advice books, magazine-style do-it-yourself books and fiction series, the Faithgirlz brand has been a popular fixture for Christian girls since 2006. The brand is expanding to meet the needs of today’s girls by ensuring that the content is both appropriate for 9-12 year olds and speaks to their hearts by relating to them.

Grant’s role as spokesperson is a new feature for the popular brand.

“We are delighted to work with Natalie Grant as part of this exciting new step in the growth of the Faithgirlz brand,” says Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher at Zonderkidz. “Natalie’s commitment to and passion for God’s Word makes her both a wonderful example for our young readers and an ideal person to speak on behalf of the Faithgirlz brand.

According to a recent Barna Research study, the pre-teen years are pivotal for spiritual development. Nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13.

As a mom, Grant shares, “I’m thrilled to partner with this impactful brand. The content does so much to support girls at a critical age in their journey. I am excited to let more moms know about these products that both they and their daughters will love.”

To learn more about the brand and Grant’s partnership with Faithgirlz, visit faithgirlz.com. 

Centricity Publishing took home top honors at the 2015 SESAC Christian Music Awards, held March 3 in Nashville, Tennessee. CentricSongs was named Christian Publisher of the Year, while Centricity Publishing’s Seth Mosley received the Christian Songwriter of the Year award.

In addition, both CentricSongs and Mosley were recognized with seven national performance activity awards, as well as honors for the Billboard No. 1 song, “Fight Song,” written by Mosley and recorded by The Almost.
 
“Being recognized as SESAC’s Christian Publisher of the Year, and having Seth honored as Songwriter of the Year, are both great honors and a testament to the amazing talent we are blessed to be able to work with and support,” said Steve Rice, vice president, Centricity Publishing. “With a GRAMMY Award, Gold album and numerous No. 1 singles, Seth has had an incredible year. As a team, we couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds.”
 
During the ceremony, Centricity Music recording artist Unspoken performed its No. 1 single, “Start a Fire,” while label mate Jason Gray served as a presenter.
 
Centricity Publishing has become a leader in writer and song development, and is home to, along with Mosley, award-winning writer Jonathan Lee, as well as artists/writers Jason Gray, Lauren Daigle and Unspoken.

For further information, visit centricitypublishing.com.

The release of inspirational drama Do You Believe? the highly anticipated follow-up movie from the makers of last year's hit faith film, God's Not Dead, will be backed by the launch of a special product line designed to help carry its challenging message further.

Leading Christian resources distributor Send The Light Distribution has created an exclusive gift and apparel line in partnership with top inspirational movie studio Pure Flix Entertainment.

Opening in theaters nationwide on March 20, Do You Believe? stars Academy Award-winner Mira (Mighty Aphrodite) Sorvino, Lord of the Rings actor Sean (Sam Gamgee) Astin, and Hollywood veterans Lee (The Six Million Dollar Man) Majors and Cybill (Taxi Driver) Shepherd.

The PG-13 movie centers on the ways in which a pastor's message about the power to be found in the cross of Christ impacts people's lives, from a pregnant teen, to grieving parents, a gang member and a couple contemplating suicide.

With the unexpected box-office success of God's Not Dead, in which Hercules star Kevin Sorbo plays an atheist college professor whose unbelief is challenged, there is high anticipation for Do You Believe?

Tapping into that opportunity are more than 20 exclusively licensed products, including T-shirts, travel mugs, jewelry and a pocket-sized wooden cross—a featured element in the movie—packaged with a leaflet explaining how someone can become a Christian.

The line has been created by and is being solely distributed to both general and Christian markets by Send The Light Distribution. Director of New Market Development Michael Turner developed the products in association with Pure Flix representatives.

“We believe that the message of Do You Believe? is going to resonate powerfully with people, just as God's Not Dead did, and that they are going to want to both share it with others, and find ways to ensure it goes deep into their own lives,” Turner said. “The products we have come up with are intended to help do that.”

Among the offerings are four T-shirt styles, two dog tags, two key chains, and rings and necklaces for men and women. There is also a men's hat, stainless steel and black coffee mugs, a movie poster cup, a bumper sticker, a silicone bracelet and a spiral notebook.

Also starring Ted (Happy Days) McGinley, former NFL linebacker turned actor Brian Bosworth, Ultimate Fighting Championship star Mavrick Von Haug, and rapper Shwayze, Do You Believe? is directed by Jonathan M. Gunn. The soundtrack features music by Newsboys, whose song “God’s Not Dead” was featured in last year’s film.