Big Idea releases 'God Made You Special'

"We have been incredibly blessed during the last turbulent year," said New Leaf Publishing Group President Tim Dudley. "It was only in the last month and a half of the year that we saw any reduction in sales, and even then it was only a negligible level."

A strong niche presence, lack of debt, aggressive marketing and selective project schedule were among the factors Dudley cited for New Leaf's good year.

The company is also looking to grow in 2009. New Leaf will expand the company's warehouse space in late spring as well as adding a fourth imprint, Attic Books, in early summer. New Leaf's other imprints are New Leaf Press, Master Books and Balfour Books.

The company hopes to make acquisitions within the next year. "We have been open to growth opportunities through the purchase of another company for the last couple of years," Dudley said. "We are seeking companies that would be compatible with our existing imprints and perhaps even create new market capabilities."

Following Gaither Vocal Band Reunion Volume One was: 2. Gaither Vocal Band Reunion Volume Two (Gaither Music Group/EMI CMG); 3. Go by the Newsboys (Inpop Records/EMI CMG); 4. Wow Hits 2009 by various artists (Wow Gospel/Provident-Integrity); 5. Hello Love by Chris Tomlin (sixstepsrecords/EMI CMG); 6. A New Hallelujah by Michael W. Smith (Reunion Records/Provident-Integrity); 7. Speaking Louder Than Before by Jeremy Camp (BEC Recordings/EMI CMG); 8. What If We by Brandon Heath (Reunion Records/Provident-Integrity); 9. Live: The Worship Experience by Kathy Taylor (Tyscot Records/Word); and 10. I Turn to You by Richie McDonald (Lucid Artist/Lucid Artist).

The video listings, drawn from a national sample of mainstream and Christian store sales, with music listings based on sales solely at Christian stores, were produced for the Christian Music Trade Association by Nielsen SoundScan.

Franklin was honored in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category for The Fight of My Life (Gospocentric/Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/Provident-Integrity) and "Help Me Believe" in the Best Gospel Song category.

TobyMac garnered a trophy for the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for Alive and Transported (Forefront Records/EMI CMG Distribution)—his first GRAMMY as a solo act, although he won four GRAMMYs as a member of dcTalk.

Franklin and TobyMac did not attend the ceremony, so GRAMMY presenter and fellow gospel singer Yolanda Adams accepted the awards on their behalf, the Associated Press reported.

The sister duo Mary Mary won the Best Gospel Performance for "Get Up," while CeCe Winans was honored in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category for Thy Kingdom Come by CeCe Winans (PureSprings Gospel/EMI Gospel).

Lovin' Life (Gaither Music Group/EMI CMG) by the Gaither Vocal Band won the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album, while The Blind Boys of Alabama were honored in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category for Down in New Orleans (Time Life Records/Time Life Entertainment).

For a complete list of GRAMMY winners, click here.

Following the format of the star-studded, dramatic audio Bible production The Word of Promise: New Testament Audio Bible, Next Generation features voice talent familiar to younger audiences, including Cody Linley, Jordin Sparks, Corbin Bleu and Annasophia Robb.

Besides Next Generation, other finalists in the Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction category included Abraham Lincoln: A Man of Faith and Courage by Joe Wheeler (Howard Books), narrated by Grover Gardner (Oasis Audio); Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill (Chosen Books/Baker Publishing Group), narrated by Paul Michael (Christian Audio); Life Beyond Measure by Sidney Poitier (HarperOne), narrated by Sidney Poitier (HarperAudio); and Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light by Mother Teresa and Brian Kolodiejchuk (Doubleday), narrated by Paul Smith and Sherry Kennedy-Brownrigg (St. Anthony Messenger Press).

In the Multi-Voiced Performance category, Next Generation goes head to head with The Family Audio Bible, narrated by Dick Cavett, Marsha Mason, Andrew McCarthy, Martha Plimpton and Tom Wopat (HarperAudio); Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (Algonquin Books), narrated by Joey Collins, Peter Jay Fernandez, Kate Forbes, Ezra Knight, Brenday Pressley and Tom Stechschulte (Recorded Books); and The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins), narrated by Peter Francis James and Kathleen McInerney (HarperAudio).

In Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction, the finalists are: The Shack by William P. Young (Windblown Media/Hachette Book Group USA), narrated by Roger Mueller (Oasis Audio); Adam by Ted Dekker (Thomas Nelson), narrated by Tim Gregory (Oasis Audio); John by Niall Williams (Bloomsbury USA), narrated by Nicholas Bell (Bolinda Audio); Prague Counterpoint by Bodie and Brock Thoene (Tyndale House Publishers), narrated by Sean Barrett (Family Audio Library); and The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner by Andrea Smith (Bantam Books ), narrated by Lizan Mitchell (Recorded Books).

Awarding excellence in 31 categories of audio publishing, The Audies will be held at the New York Historical Society in New York City, May 29. For a complete list of finalists, click here.

Composed of religious and secular leaders as well as scholars from different backgrounds, the 25 members of the advisory council—appointed to one-year terms—included Frank Page, Southern Baptist Convention president and author of The Incredible Shrinking Church (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group); Richard Stearns, president of World Vision and author of The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World (Thomas Nelson, March 2009); Jim Wallis, president and executive director of Sojourners and author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (HarperOne); and Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed in Longwood, Fla., and author of A New Kind of Conservative (Regal Books).

The office's top priority "will be making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete," a White House statement said. "It will be one voice among several in the administration that will look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion."

"I'm pro-life," Hunter told The Washington Post. "I hate abortion. But this administration is trying to be very sensitive. They are trying to approach things in the least inflammatory, least contentious way so we can work together and have a more nuanced approach."

For a complete list of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, click here.

Casting Crowns sang "Voice of Truth" and "Who Am I" during the 57th annual event, held Feb. 5 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, Casting Crowns announced on the group's blog that drummer Andy Williams will leave the group to work full time with his wife, Kelly, in a band called Soul Sister Sally. "My time with Casting Crowns has taken me on an incredible journey," Williams said. "I've grown as a musician and as a man of God."

Rothschild, whose books include Fresh Grounded Faith and Self Talk, Soul Talk: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, will be presented with the award during a FFB celebration and fundraiser event in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11.

Rothschild called the award "an honor, but even more an opportunity." "To me it acknowledges not only the successes I've enjoyed, but all the people who made my successes possible—my parents, husband, children and friends—especially my heavenly Father," she said.

Rothschild is the founder of Fresh Grounded Faith conferences and WomensMinistry.Net, an online magazine for women.

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Wiese is also scheduled to discuss Hell the same day on the American Family Radio's "Today's Issues" program.

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Multiple Blessings—co-written by Beth Carson—has been on The New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best-seller list for 14 weeks and sold more than 500,000 copies since it was released Oct. 14, Zondervan officials said. The book reveals details of Jon and Kate's journey as they raise their eight children, while striving to honor Christ in spite of emotional, financial, social and physical exhaustion.

Multiple Blessings is a finalist in the Christian Life category of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Christian Book Awards—with the winners to be announced the first night of the organization's new, consumer-focused Christian Book Expo, March 19, in Dallas.