InterVarsity Press (IVP) is starting two new imprints—Praxis and Crescendo—designed to reach two of its key audiences, ministry leaders and women. IVP will release its first Praxis titles this fall, while Crescendo is scheduled to launch in spring 2013.

“The addition of Praxis and Crescendo as part of IVP’s overarching publishing strategy continues the work that crystallized around the launch of our brand architecture in 2006,” said Jeff Crosby, associate publisher and director of sales and marketing. “These lines create further distinctions of two core customer groups. In an era of marketplace fragmentation and diffusion, such clarity of content and message is a good and necessary thing.”

Praxis seeks to integrate theory and practice for pastors and ministry leaders. It allows IVP to target ministry leaders more effectively “with resources that are both practical for—but also written by—visionaries in church leadership,” Crosby said.

Lead Praxis titles include Protégé by Steve Saccone; Community Is Messy by Heather Zempel; The Journey of Ministry by Eddie Gibbs; Creating a Missional Culture by J.R. Woodward; and Church for the Fatherless by Mark Strong.

Continuing IVP’s reach to “thoughtful Christian women,” the publisher is launching Crescendo, with books written by women who tell the stories of God's activities in their lives as they seek to become women of courage, confidence and calling. With authors like Carolyn Weber, Shayne Moore and Patty Kirk, Crescendo will celebrate and articulate women's experiences and leadership.

“Crescendo will allow us to address the critical lack of female nonfiction voices in the Christian publishing industry,” said Cindy Bunch, associate editorial director. “We want to create a line that is both beautifully written and profoundly inspirational. We look forward to raising the profile of women authors in the market.”

In other IVP news, Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom, authors of Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia (IVP Books), were recently honored with the 2012 John Pollock Award for Christian Biography.

Clouds of Witnesses introduces 17 pivotal Christian leaders from Africa and Asia, revealing their life stories and influence.

“We are glad to think that the award may alert others to the possibility of learning more about the noteworthy Christian believers in Asia and Africa who are profiled in the book,” Noll said.

The Pollock Award, named for the Christian biographer John C. Pollock, is presented annually by Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School for the year’s most outstanding Christian biography. Past winners include Eric Metaxas for Bonhoeffer, Alan Jacobs for The Narnian and Timothy Dudley-Smith for John Stott.