Frank Pastore, a Christian radio host and author of the 2010 memoir Shattered: Struck Down, But Not Destroyed (Tyndale House Publishers), remains in a coma since a Nov. 19 motorcycle crash on a freeway in Duarte, Calif.

Pastore's wife, Gina Pastore, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that her husband is still hospitalized in critical condition, but her family is praying and hoping for his recovery.

"So far, it's still the same," she said. "It's stable, but serious. We're still praying and hoping that he'll recover. We're supporting each other and holding up OK."

Pastore suffered major head injuries after his motorcycle was sideswiped by a car in the carpool lane on the 210 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said.

A former Major League Baseball pitcher, Pastore was on his way home after broadcasting his "The Frank Pastore Show" on Glendale, Calif.-based Christian radio station KKLA when the crash occurred, family members said.

Gina Pastore said her husband spoke about the fragility of life during a segment on his radio show the night he was in the crash.

"He mentioned on the air, he said that 'if I were to be killed on the freeway tonight and my body parts are all over the freeway, I'm not on the freeway because my soul and I would be with the Lord,' " she told The Christian Post. "He actually said that the night that it happened, not knowing that he would be hit on his motorcycle. Frank would want people to know that."

The driver of the car involved was not arrested or cited, investigators said.

In Shattered, Pastore describes how an elbow injury ended his dream of getting "rich and famous" as a Cincinnati Reds pitcher. He also shares how the incident was part of his testimony in accepting Jesus into his life.

Dr. Ross Campbell, counselor and author of the Gold Medallion winner How to Really Love Your Teenager (David C Cook), died in a hiking accident Nov. 2. He was 75.

Campbell was sightseeing alone in the Savage Gulf natural area near his home in Chattanooga, Tenn., when he fell 120 feet from an overlook.

"Ross not only helped countless families through his best-selling books, he lived a life of integrity and service," said Don Pape, vice president of trade publishing for Cook. "His books have already changed how two generations of parents relate to their children. We know his legacy will continue through his words and the lives he touched."

Campbell is best known for How to Really Love Your Teenager and How to Really Love Your Child, the latter of which has sold more than 2 million copies and has been translated into 40-plus languages since its publication in 1977. Campbell also co-authored The 5 Love Languages of Children (Northfield Publishing) with Gary Chapman, and he wrote extensively on helping children deal with anger.

"Ross's books were immensely popular and God used them to instruct and inspire parents throughout the world," said Campbell's longtime friend and agent Mark Sweeney. "His death is a loss for all of us."

The founder of the Southeastern Counseling Center in Chattanooga, Campbell counseled thousands of parents in his three decades of practice. He retired in 1996, so he could spend more time writing, lecturing and working with ministers and their families.

His wife of nearly 50 years, Pat, died of cancer in 2005. Campbell is survived by four children and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held Nov. 7 at Signal Mountain Baptist Church in Signal Mountain, Tenn.

Worthy Publishing has purchased the Ellie Claire Gift and Paper Expressions imprint from Guideposts. Effective Nov. 30, the deal includes Worthy’s purchase of the Ellie Claire brand and product lines as well as all nonfiction gift and inspirational books from Guideposts’ Summerside Press.

Byron Williamson, president and CEO of Worthy Publishing spoke of Ellie Claire as having an “extraordinary commitment to qualitly gift books, journals and other premium paper products” and to “its esteemed reputation as a leader in the gift market.”

Jason Rovenstine, who has served as creative visionary for Ellie Claire, moves to Worthy as a vice president continuing to lead Ellie Claire’s growth. Williamson said there is “enormous potential” under Rovenstine’s leadership.

Crossway has literally taken a global approach with the publication of its new ESV Global Study Bible.

The publisher launched a "Buy One, Give One" campaign last month, where for every print edition purchased and registered online in North America, Crossway offers free digital access to someone in the world who requested the ESV Global Study Bible (GSB).

"Our aim through print sales, digital distribution and the donations of others is to distribute the Global Study Bible content to 1 million people around the world," said Crossway Marketing Manager Andrew Tebbe. "Buying a copy of the GSB or donating online will help Crossway as we seek to equip the global church with God's Word. ... In effect, everyone who buys and registers a print or online copy of the Global Study Bible unlocks free online access for someone who has requested it."

Containing notes and maps dealing with global issues and adapted from the best-selling ESV Study Bible, the Bible features contributions from more than 100 evangelical Bible scholars and teachers from 20-plus countries and more than 25 denominations.

Created to "bring the truth of God's Word to Christians from every walk of life in every corner of the globe," the ESV Global Study Bible was released in October in partnership with 20 Bible societies around the world.

"The goal was to create the most inexpensive study Bible, so individuals could also buy copies to send overseas, churches could purchase caseloads of these and send them overseas," said Francis Chan, author of the recently released Multiply (David C Cook), in a video promoting the GSB. "The whole point is that we've got to get the Word of God into people's hands."

Each physical edition of the GSB comes with free access to the online version at ESVBible.org, making its content available anywhere with an Internet connection.

Click here for more information on the ESV Global Study Bible.

Concordia Publishing House is calling on Vacation Bible School (VBS) publishers to make the gospel—not entertainment—central to their VBS programs.

"Our stand is against Vacation Bible School programs that confuse children with images and characters that are unrealistic and too similar to cartoons on TV and in the movies—where is the Christian focus?" said Emily Barlean, senior public relations specialist.

Acknowledging that VBS themes may use cartoonish figures or themes to "hook" children and get them interested in participating in a church VBS program, a company statement observed that "the steady transformation of VBS programs into full-on entertainment machines has created a rather distressing situation.

"Instead of being used to share the Word of the Lord, VBS is being used to babysit and cure boredom—and many children are leaving VBS more confused than ever as to who and what is real and who and what are just characters and stories."

Laying the blame at the feet of publishers, parents and churches alike, Concordia, publisher for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), has spent three years refocusing its VBS brand and creating programming that remains faithful to the gospel message and the Scriptures as a whole. The publisher calls this renewed focus "VBS with Purpose."

"After many years of trying to mold our VBS programs after what was considered fun and popular, we decided that we'd had enough," said Pam Nummela, Concordia's VBS editor, who is also a director of Christian education and a 30-year veteran leader of VBS programs.

Concordia's VBS curricula will be changing significantly as a result. Stores and churches will see the publisher's VBS programs will no longer be set in locations that cannot be found in the Bible, stories will no longer feature characters outside of the Bible, all artwork will be realistic, and "wise-cracking animals" will not be the spokesmen for Concordia VBS themes.

"Kids love all kinds of art, but that does not mean all art is best for presenting Bible stories," said Gail Pawlitz, a childhood education expert. "During the early childhood years when children sort out for themselves what is real from what is not real, realistic images for Bible stories trump others because they communicate the idea that if 'it looks real, it is real.' "

Retailers can click here to learn more about Concordia's 2013 program, Tell It on the Mountain.

Leslie Gould's new Amish title, Courting Cate (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group), debuted at No. 7 on the Fiction best-sellers from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), tracking sales for the week ending Nov. 24, according to Pubtrack Christian data. The first book in the "Courtships of Lancaster County" series was released Nov. 12.

The Top 20 General best-sellers were: 1. Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 2. Selections From One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp (Zondervan); 3. Abundant Life Day Book, Nancy Guthrie (Tyndale House Publishers); 4. Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman (Zondervan); 5. Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson); 6. The Purpose of Christmas, Rick Warren (Howard Books); 7. One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp (Zondervan); 8. Same Kind of Different as Me, Ron Hall, Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson); 9. Jesus Calling, Young, deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 10. I Declare, Joel Osteen (FaithWords); 11. Love Does, Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson); 12. Jesus Today, Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 13. Jesus Calling, Young, deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 14. The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson (Zondervan); 15. The Best of Christmas at Home, Kathy Shutt (Barbour Publishing); 16. The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine/Charisma House Book Group); 17. Grace, Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson); 18. The Bridge, Karen Kingsbury (Howard Books); 19. Heaven Is for Real, Todd Burpo (Thomas Nelson); and 20. Lead Me, Holy Spirit, Stormie Omartian (Harvest House Publishers).

The Top 10 Fiction best-sellers were: 1. The Harbinger; 2. The Bridge; 3. A Patchwork Christmas Collection, Judith Miller, Nancy Moser and Stephanie Grace Whitson (Barbour Publishing); 4. Cross Roads, William P. Young (FaithWords); 5. Courageous, Randy Alcorn (Tyndale House Publishers); 6. A Wreath of Snow, Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Press); 7. Courting Cate; 8. Full Disclosure, Dee Henderson (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); 9. The Sanctuary, Ted Dekker (Center Street); and 10. The Christmas Pony, Melody Carlson (Revell/Baker Publishing Group).

The top five Bibles were: 1. The Story, NIV, deluxe, hardcover, New International Version (Zondervan); 2. NLT Chronological Life Application Study Bible, hardcover, New Living Translation (Tyndale); 3. NIV Study Bible, bonded leather, black (Zondervan); 4. NIV Women's Devotional Bible, Italian Duo-Tone, raspberry (Zondervan); and 5. NLT Chronological Life Application Study Bible, leatherlike brown/green/dark teal (Tyndale).

Christian Resources Together has announced the launch of a new trade magazine to replace the former Christian Marketplace magazine.

The first issue of the 48-page bi-monthly—titled Together—will be published in February.

The decision to publish a new magazine followed talks with retailers and suppliers who expressed a desire to see a continuation of an independent print trade magazine.