Hip-hop artist Trip Lee has seen his latest album, Rise (Reach Records/New Day Christian Distributors), hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Album chart. The release also placed in the top five on Billboard’s Hip Hop, Indie, Christian & Digital chart and in the top 20 on Billboard’s Top 200.

Executive-produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Gawvi (Lecrae, Andy Mineo), Lee’s fifth studio album is a call to action to live life to the fullest while still honoring one’s faith.

Pastor and best-selling author Myles Munroe was killed Sunday, Nov. 9, when his private jet struck a construction crane and crashed at the Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, Bahamas. The Lear 36 Executive jet had taken off from the Bahamian capital of Nassau and crashed as it was landing.

The crash killed nine people on board, including Munroe’s wife, Ruth, and his Bahamas Faith Ministries deputy, Richard Pinder, along with another pastor and his family. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, though there had been heavy rain across the region.

HarperCollins Publishers reported earnings for its first fiscal quarter, which rose to $406 million and lifted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to $55 million. The new figures compare to $328 million in revenues and $43 million in EBITDA one year ago.

Revenues for the period ended Sept. 30 factored in the acquisition of Harlequin Enterprises, a leading publisher in women’s fiction, completed Aug. 1. The report noted that the acquisition extended HarperCollins global platform.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing division comprises Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.

More than 100,000 people have signed up to take the Before Amen Prayer Challenge since its September launch. Created by pastor and best-selling author Max Lucado, the Before Amen Prayer Challenge is simple: Pray four minutes every day for four weeks.

Each person who signs up online for the challenge receives a free e-book, Pocket Prayers: 40 Simple Prayers That Bring Peace and Rest by Lucado and his daughter, Andrea Lucado.

Send The Light Distribution partnered with World Vision this fall to create a program to equip independent Christian retailers to engage their customers with child-sponsorship opportunities.

Mark Phillips, vice president of sales and marketing at Send The Light, looks for great things from this partnership.

“I’m delighted to be partnering with World Vision in this important initiative to increase awareness of the need for child sponsorship by equipping Christian retailers with the necessary tools to increase awareness among their customers about the ways they can help a child through a nominal, monthly financial commitment,” Phillips said.

B&H Kids’ Teen to Teen: 365 Daily Devotions by Teen Girls for Teen Girls has topped the November CBA best-sellers list in the Young Adult category. Its complementary book, Teen to Teen: 365 Daily Devotions by Teen Guys for Teen Guys, placed fourth on the list this month.

“We’re excited to see the continued success of these books, which released a year ago this month,” B&H Publisher Dan Lynch said. “Teens love hearing from other teens and the hundreds that participated in these books did an excellent job at tackling some tough topics.”

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s original NBC series, A.D., will premiere Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015. A.D. is the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2013 ratings blockbuster miniseries The Bible, which garnered over 100 million U.S. viewers.

“Christianity is among the most diverse movements in history, so when Mark and I looked to bring this epic story of A.D. to life on NBC, it was important to us to find a cast as diverse and beautiful as the church is around the world,” said Downey, executive producer. “We look forward to sharing these amazing performances with our audience, and in them, we hope that people see themselves.”