Christian historian and author Peter J. Marshall died Sept. 8 after suffering a heart attack . He was 70. Marshall co-authored three best-selling U.S. history books—The Light and the Glory and From Sea to Shining Sea (Fleming H. Revell Co.) as well as Sounding Forth the Trumpet (Revell/Baker Publishing Group). His mother, Catherine Marshall, was well-known for writing the groundbreaking 1967 novel Christy (McGraw-Hill)—the namesake of the Christy Awards.

GRAMMY-winning band Third Day has been awarded its ninth overall Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) milestone with the Gold certification of Revelations (Essential Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution), released in July 2008. The recognition represents more than 500,000 units sold of Revelations. Offerings, Offerings II, Come Together, Time and the CD/DVD version of Live Wire and the live-concert video project Live Revelations: On Stage, Off Stage, Backstage all received RIAA Gold status. Offerings and Live Wire reached the Platinum threshold for shipments exceeding 1 million units or 100,000 units in longform video. Third Day's 11th studio release, Move, was released by Essential Records last month.

Riven, Jerry B. Jenkins' Tyndale House Publishers novel adaptation, is to be directed by his son, Dallas. Filming begins in December for the 2008 book, which the author considers as his life's work. In Riven, he explores the theme of redemption, while looking at the topics of death, capital punishment, forgiveness and grace.

Matt Maher and Greg Walton were among the big winners of the United Catholic Music and Video Association's (UCMVA) 10th annual Unity Awards. New Artist of the Year for 2003, Maher won the 2010 Artist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year ("Alive Again") and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (Alive Again) categories during the organization's "Called to Serve" conference at Southside Victory Church in Calgary, Alberta, Aug. 27-28.