All graduates of George Fox Evangelical Seminary and its predecessor, Western Evangelical Seminary, are invited to the seminarys annual reunion celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the schools Portland Center location near Tigard, Ore.

The event, scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., will allow attendees to reconnect with other alumni, hear from past and present faculty members, and tour the seminary. Spouses of alumni are also invited, and there is no charge to attend.

The seminary in Oregon is located at 12753 S.W. 68th Ave., in Portland. To register online, get directions or learn more, visit seminary.georgefox.edu/alumni.

The celebration coincides with the universitys homecoming weekend, now scheduled in the fall for the first time in more than 40 years. As part of the festivities, a homecoming celebration brunch is planned on George Foxs main residential campus in Newberg, Ore., on Saturday between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. During the brunch, five alumni will be recognized as 2011 Honored Alumni Award recipients, including Seminary Alumnus of the Year Dr. David Wright (class of 1980), provost and chief academic officer at Indiana Wesleyan University.

For 64 years, the seminary has provided theological education that prepares students for ministry inside and outside church walls. Graduates work as pastors, church staff, hospice workers, and as military and hospital chaplains. Others successfully plant churches, including multi-ethnic congregations, and oversee denominational and parachurch ministries in the United States, Canada, England and South Africa.

A seminary education also prepares graduates for postgraduate academic degrees and teaching jobs in seminaries or colleges.

George Fox Evangelical Seminary offers local and online Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation degrees. Also offered is a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree that features three tracks in Leadership and Spiritual Formation, Semiotics and Future Studies, and Global Missional Leadership and certificates in spiritual formation and partners in ministry.

Specifics on seminary programs are available at seminary.georgefox.edu.

George Fox University is ranked by Forbes among the top Christian colleges in the country. George Fox is the only Christian university in the Pacific Northwest classified by U.S. News & World Report as a first tier national university. More than 3,400 students attend classes on the universitys campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers in Portland, Salem, and Redmond, Ore., and Boise, Idaho. George Fox offers bachelors degrees in more than 40 majors, degree-completion programs for working adults, five seminary degrees, and 11 masters and doctoral degrees.

Contact:

Trey Doty

Director of Seminary Development

503-554-6154

###

More Pastor Press Releases

OnlineDegrees.com, a leading education site since 2003, selected the winner of its I Got My Degree! video contest. The contest urged users to show off their educational accomplishments in an interactive and engaging way. The winning entry features Mitchell Hobbs, who submitted the video Got My Degree Dance, where he danced for the camera, while he recited his own rap.

I was so excited when I found out that I won, I jumped up and down in my dorm room! said Hobbs, the lucky grand prize winner. I knew that I had to be original to win this contest, thats why I decided to rap. I looked at the other entries and knew there would be some serious competition, so I wanted my work to entertain people to guarantee I would be the winner.

Hobbs, a 19-year-old Christian church ministry major and communications minor studying at Southeastern University hopes to graduate in 2014 with a college degree and will pursue a career as a youth pastor. He is focused on teaching and spreading his message to youth through film, music and other media communications.

This was a great way to get more involved with an educational site thats a super resource and also have the chance to win an awesome prize said Hobbs.

The I Got My Degree! video dance contest asked for students to show off their newly acquired degrees and their excitement for the future. To see all of the entries, visit http://www.youtube.com/onlinedegreesdotcom. For more information about OnlineDegrees.com and future contests, follow @OnlineDegrees on Twitter and Facebook.

I really enjoyed this contest, said Hobbs. OnlineDegrees.com has easy navigation and answers all of your questions about degrees. If anyone is wondering where to go to get an online degree, OnlineDegrees.com will always be my first recommendation.

About OnlineDegrees.com

OnlineDegrees.com is a leading education resource focused on connecting thousands of visitors with the information they seek about online education and degree programs. Site visitors can easily research schools and connect with the providers of the career training they needed to succeed. OnlineDegrees.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in ethical marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

###

GRAMMY ? Award Winner and music legend Andra? Crouch releases his first CD in five years, THE JOURNEY featuring 15 new songs, through Riverphlo Entertainment and distributed by Universal Music Christian Group on September 27, 2011.

Crouch, whose legendary status has been solidified since his debut in 1960, has 18 solo albums under his belt, yet feels a special connection with the music on THE JOURNEY.

The making of this CD along with my producer and arranger Luther ‘Mano’ Hanes, ‘my son,’ was an incredible experience, said Crouch. I cried, I danced, I laughed, I prayed, and I worshipped … and you’re going to do the same. My prayer is that this CD will bring you into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Acclaimed musician, recording artist, songwriter, arranger, and producer, Crouch joined forces with Riverphlo Entertainment for the release of THE JOURNEY. President and CEO Luther Mano Hanes an award-winning producer and songwriter launched Riverphlo Entertainment. Hanes last teamed up with Crouch in 2005, producing Crouchs Mighty Wind album. Hanes serves as the producer for this project, as well as sharing writing credit with Crouch.

“As a producer you dream of working with the true legends. I have had the ultimate honor in working with one of the greatest legends and songwriters in Gospel Music history, Pastor Andra? Crouch. It doesn’t get any better than that, says Hanes of Crouch. “As a songwriter, hands down, Andra? is the KING, Period! I have never ever experienced a God-given gift like Pastor Andra? Crouch.”

The album boasts notable special guests including Kim Burrell, Take 6, Rance Allen, long time Crouch vocalist, Tata Vega, fellow legendary artists Chaka Khan and Sheila E, and Pastor Marvin Winans who appears on the new single Let the Church Say Amen.

About Andra? Crouch

Andra? Crouch is a key figure in the Christian Music movement. Elvis Presley, Paul Simon, church choirs, and other musical groups around the world have performed his songs. He has won eight GRAMMY awards, six GMA Dove awards and received an Oscar nomination. Crouch was inducted into the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998. He has worked as a producer or arranger with Michael Jackson, Madonna (Like A Prayer), Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, Elton John and Rick Astley (Cry For Help). His film credits include Once Upon A Forest, The Color Purple, The Lion King, and Free Willy. He has received ASCAP, Billboard and NAACP Image Awards. In 2004, he became the only living contemporary gospel artist – and just the third in history – to have his star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. Crouch now serves as senior pastor at the New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in San Fernando, Calif., the church founded by his parents.

# # #

Fall is one of the favorite times of the year for loved ones to take a road trip in Virginia to enjoy 15 million acres of stunning fall foliage and each others company. As autumn spreads a beautiful blanket of foliage throughout the Commonwealth the natural beauty inspires a sense of love and connection.

This year the Virginia Tourism Corporation has pulled together a list of 11 scenic fall drives, where visitors can take a leisurely trip through quaint small towns, vineyards, roadside markets and historic sites around nearly every bend in the road. Each trip idea includes distance and drive time from end to end. Here are 11 great scenic drives that offer beautiful fall foliage and the best of fall in Virginia, with more ideas found on http://www.Virginia.org/fall:

Celebrate an Anniversary on Skyline Drive:

Skyline Drive, one of Americas legendary roadways, is the main artery of Shenandoah National Park, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2011. Just the drive itself is worth the journey but there is so much more to enjoy. Special programs range from nature walks to cooking demonstrations and camping programs for novices. For a special treat, go on a guided tour of Rapidan Camp, the private retreat of President Herbert Hoover. The Junior Ranger program is a must for young ones. At dusk, herds of deer come out to graze in meadows and along roadsides. The eastern black bear can be seen along with a large variety of songbirds and raptors. Stay overnight at Skyland Lodge or Big Meadows Lodge and enjoy outstanding cuisine along with cozy rooms nestled in pastoral settings.

Drive time: Recommended three hours

Distance: 105 miles

Foliage and History on the Colonial National Historical Parkway:

One of the best routes for fall leaf peeping is the 24-mile Colonial National Historical Parkway, a National Scenic Byway, connecting historic Jamestown and Yorktown and passing through (actually under) Colonial Williamsburg. Devoid of billboards and other advertisements and with easements keeping much development hidden, the Parkway is a peaceful and beautiful meander.

Colonial Williamsburg is gorgeous in the fall and is one of Americas best family destinations. Historic Yorktown has a vibrant waterfront and historic homes. Jamestowns attractions detail the history of the earliest permanent English settlement in the New World along with the Virginia Indians who lived her long before.

Drive time: 45 minutes

Distance: 24 miles

A Crooked Road to Fall Splendor:

The Crooked Road: Virginias Heritage Music Trail winds through the mountains and valleys of Southwest Virginia, where the music is as rich as the brilliant fall leaves. Todays country music traces its beginnings to this region which is still a hotbed of bluegrass and Old Time music. Much of this route travels through the higher mountains of Southwest Virginia, making it a beautiful drive for fall colors.

Live music venues, museums and cultural centers lie along the trail. Top bluegrass acts perform at the Carter Family Fold, the Floyd Country Store and the Rex Theater in Galax. Johnny Cash played his last concerts at the Carter Family Fold and at the Floyd Country Store theres as much music going on outside as inside.

The new jewel of the Crooked Road is Heartwood: Southwest Virginias Artisan Gateway. The sparkling new facility in Abingdon features music and crafts by area juried artisans and locally-sourced food and wine.

Drive time: Six hours, 30 minutes

Distance: 300 miles

An American Favorite for Generations The Blue Ridge Parkway:

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of United States National Parks for a reason. Breathtaking vistas and natural splendor have made this peaceful meander, now in its 76th year, a fall foliage destination for generations of families. Well-maintained hiking trails and good overnight accommodations, shops, restaurants and even wineries are nearly everywhere along the way.

Learn about the life of early mountain settlers and watch living history demonstrations at Humpback Rocks Visitor Center. Visit Mabry Mill, the most photographed site on the Parkway. Join a nature hike led by friendly park rangers. Enjoy a romantic dinner at Chateau Morrisette Winery. Watch luthiers crafting fiddles and mandolins at the Blue Ridge Music Center.

The cities of Galax and Waynesboro make good start/end points. Each has quality lodging and dining options.

Drive time: Six hours, 20 minutes

Distance: 215 miles

Across the Bay to the Eastern Shore:

Virginias Eastern Shore is known for coastal serenity. For those taking the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, getting there is half the fun, as the bridge traverses 17 miles over and through the bay. The fall colors found on the shore are enhanced by the small towns, wineries and birding found on the Shore. Route 13 runs the length of the 70-mile portion of Virginias Eastern shore, but the real treasures are found in the roads that lead off of Route 13 and to the Atlantic Ocean or the Chesapeake Bay. At the northern tip take Route 175 to Chincoteague, famed for oysters and wild ponies. Heading south visit the town of Onancock, with quaint B&Bs, inns and restaurants featuring local seafood and produce. Off Route 184 visitors will find the town of Cape Charles, with a wonderful beach, hotels, B&Bs and Bay Creek resort, home to golf, lodging and excellent dining.

Drive time: Just over two hours

Distance: Approximately 75 miles

Through the Pass from Lexington to Hot Springs:

Lexington is one of Americas most historic and charming small towns and is at the eastern end of one of Virginias best fall drives. Going northwest out of town take Rt. 39, a scenic Virginia Byway that follows the Maury River. At Goshen Pass the river swirls through a boulder-strewn gorge where the western mountains roll out into the Shenandoah Valley. Good swimming, barefoot wading, and fishing can be enjoyed amidst curtains of gorgeous hardwood foliage where sharp-eyed visitors may spot bald eagles, hawks and other wildlife.

Continue westward to the village of Hot Springs and go south on Highway 220 to The Homestead, one of Virginias premier four-seasons resorts. Thomas Jefferson took the waters there and loved it. Activities there today include golf, tennis, horseback riding, canoeing, carriage rides, hayrides and even falconry.

Drive time: One hour, 10 minutes

Distance: 46 miles

A Grass-Roots Culinary Tour of Northern Virginia:

Loudoun County is famed for scenic roads and outstanding wine and cuisine. So set a course for dining and sipping delights on this scenic and tasty route.

Start in historic Leesburg and head south on Highway 15 and then west on Highway 50 towards Middleburg. Make a stop at Chrysalis Vineyards with a pleasing tasting room housed in a lovely setting. Continue on to the town of Middleburg, capital of Virginias horse country. Spend an hour shopping along the beautiful village streets and then head to Market Salamander to assemble a gourmet picnic lunch for later.

Retrace steps eastward a short distance and head north on Rt. 748 and then northwest on Rt. 734. Stop at the historic and fun Philomont General Store for a treat or two and then continue on to Great Country Farms near Bluemont. At Bluemont go east on Rt. 7 to Purcellville and then north on Rt. 287. Its close to lunchtime so choose a local winery at which to spread out the picnic. Spend the rest of the trip enjoying fine dining from Leesburg eateries.

Drive time: Two hours

Distance: 67 miles

Take the Road Less Traveled Through the Shenandoah Valley:

Interstate 81 runs the length of the Shenandoah Valley and in the fall might be

A collection of enlightening and spiritually uplifting anecdotes await readers as Father Henry C. Schmidt pens The Pastors Sandal Path, released through Xlibris. This inspiring book relates the authors vision of God in nature and the environment.

Privileged to grow up on a farm where his parents, a Country School teacher, and the Dominican Sisters instilled in him the presence of God in ordinary things, Schmidt found the majesty of God in naturethe chirping of birds, the leaping of frogs, the coolness of snow, the beauty of flowers, the stillness of the lake, and so much more. He also shares this inspiring perception.

The Pastors Sandal Path reveals metaphors of the Schmidts experiences, relating his lifehis sandal pathto the simple things of nature. In one anecdote, he shares that just as frogs jump into a pond alive with activity, parishioners should also jump in and participate in parish activities. In another one, he shares that people must not be like the dirty and clogged kitchen drain; one must check ones pipes and trust Jesus, the plumber.

With almost four hundred pages of highly motivating pieces, The Pastors Sandal Path promises to help readers encounter God in their ordinary experiences of lifeas the author has encountered Him in nature and the environment.

This book will be featured at the New England Library Association Book Exhibit in Burlington, VT on Oct. 2-4, 2011. For more information on this book, log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Father Henry Schmidt, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Carrollton, All Saints in White Hall, and St. Michael in Greenfield has ministered in the Diocese of Springfield in central Illinois for over fifty years, serving in rural and city parishes of varying sizes.

The Pastors Sandal Path * by Father Henry C. Schmidt

Publication Date: April 16, 2010

Trade Paperback; $ 19.99; 298 pages; 978-1-4500-6255-8

Trade Hardback; $ 29.99; 298 pages; 978-1-4500-6256-5

eBook; $ 9.99; 978-1-4500-6257-2

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

###

Find More Pastor Press Releases

Cash is not exactly plenteous in most churches. This fact is evident, as statistics show that 95% of churches in the United States have 100 members or less, and less than one-third of the average church membership does any considerable giving at all (e.g., contributing 10%, or a tithe of their income). Needless to say, churches cannot do as many things, employ as many people, and help out as many causes as they wish. When an item like “website” is placed into the budget consideration, it is something few churches can even consider.

Why Can’t Churches Have Nice Websites?

Churches are notorious for home-cooked, defunct websites that look like an HTML nightmare rather than an attractive web presence for a house of worship. Some church websites, on the other hand, may look halfway decent, but they haven’t been updated in nine years. That’s a problem. At the root of the problem is cost. Churches rarely have nice websites because churches rarely have enough cash to pay the building mortgage and the pastor’s salary, let alone the luxury of a church website.

The average church website costs $ 3,000. As websites go, that’s not a bad price. However, for the typical church budget, $ 3,000 is a whole lot of filthy lucre. The nation’s widespread financial malaise and unsettling unemployment statistics bode ill for church budgets. The challenge persists like a nagging back pain: churches can’t get nice websites because churches can’t pony up the cash.

Strategic Web Companies to the Rescue

Since the median price of a church website is around $ 3,000, several companies have offered alternatives with lower costs. One popular church website option offers a flat $ 1,000 fee for the church website. With slick marketing slogans like “websites made for people, not programmers,” this company provides an aesthetic website experience. What they offer in aesthetics, however, they lack in functionality, power, integration, and customizability. Furthermore, with a hefty $ 30 monthly hosting fee, the cost of the church website is still intimidating. Other church website options offer a lower startup cost, but stick the church with pricey maintenance costs. Take for example, a company that offers a low-cost template website setup for churches, but locks those churches into the company’s proprietary CMS which demands high monthly costs. Now, the church website is up there, but the cost spirals upward in to the tens of thousands after just a couple years of a web presence. Its almost worse than credit card debt.

Unfortunately, many churches are all-too eager to jump on what they perceive as a bargain lower price, only to find out that they are saddles with high costs, a clunky website, or a code that no one can decipher. Selecting a church website seems to be an exercise in picking the lesser of several evils. Most churches, however, are loathe to pick any of the evils.

A Budget-Minded Alternative

Thankfully, for the budget-minded church (and isn’t that most of them?), there is a cost-effective alternative. Well, two alternatives, actually. The first alternative is to design a website in house. If a church already employs a full-time web developer, programmer, designer, and information architect, that’s great. Go right ahead and make a snazzy church website. By the way, hiring a firm to do all that, starts the church website price tag at about $ 5,000, no bells and whistles included.

That was one option.

There’s a better one.

In a word, it’s called Sharefaith. Sharefaith, longtime giant in the church media industry, has developed an entire new business segment that provides church websites. Calling these Internet wonders “websites” is like calling the Palace of Versailles a “cottage.” Sharefaith websites provide full-bore functionality, power, customization, integration, cutting-edge tools, options, stunning designs, absolute simplicity, and more all for a minuscule fraction of the cost of a typical church website.

In fact, Sharefaith church websites are free.

Free? What’s the catch? The “catch” is that Sharefaith membership is required to create a church website. Being a member means that for a small annual fee, a church has unlimited access to the world’s largest collection of church media. Not a bad side effect of having a church website. Beyond that, there is the hosting feethe monthly recurring cost required to keep a website on the Internet. That cost is $ 8.99/mo. Since nearly 19,000 churches are already members of Sharefaith, there is a good chunk of the church population that has a church website waiting to happen. A nice one.

Already, hundreds of churches have taken the budget-minded alternative and launched their Sharefaith church website. The results have been spectacular, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars of saved money, increased visibility, higher attendance, greater ministry reach, and so much more. There is a lot of impact to providing a low-cost church website solution.

For churches, budget is important. The challenges to a church budget do not disappear when faced with the consideration of creating or revamping a church website. To that end, Sharefaith is a powerful alternative for churches that want top-notch church websites without having to pay top-dollar web fees. Enter the new age of church websites, where saving money is easy, uploading websites is simple, and making websites look good is already taken care of. Enter Sharefaith church websites.

###

Related Pastor Press Releases

Bestselling authors, Priscilla Shirer (The Resolution for Women — Nonfiction) and Patricia Haley (Broken — Fiction) lead the bestsellers list of Black Christian authors on the September 2011 edition of the Black Christian News/Black Christian Book Company National Bestsellers List.

BCNN1.com has also released the fifteenth edition of the BCNN1/Amazon.com Kindle E-book Bestsellers List. This list ranks African-American Christian e-books based upon their sales rankings in the Amazon Kindle e-book store. Also, BCNN1 is releasing the ninth edition of the BCNN1/Barnes & Noble Nook E-book Bestsellers List. This list ranks African-American Christian e-books based upon their sales rankings in the B&N Nook e-book store.

The next BCNN1/BCBC Bestsellers List will be published on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Bestsellers List (Non-fiction)

1. The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (B&H Books)

2. Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

3. Quiet Strength, by Tony Dungy (Tyndale)

4. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Zondervan)

5. Commanding Your Morning by Cindy Trimm (Charisma House)

6. Where Will You Go from Here? by Valorie Burton (Random House)

7. The Power to Prosper, by Michelle Singletary (Zondervan)

8. Strength to Stand by T. D. Jakes (Destiny Image)

9. Letters to Young Black Men, by Daniel Whyte III (Torch Legacy Publications)

10. Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans (Harvest House)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Bestsellers List (Fiction)

1. Broken by Patricia Haley (Simon & Schuster)

2. Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

3. The Crossing by Serita Jakes (WaterBrook Press)

4. The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)

5. Say Amen, Again by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery)

6. Mind Your Own Business by Lutishia Lovely (Dafina)

7. Ray of Hope by Vanessa Davis Griggs (Dafina)

8. You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy (Little Simon Inspirations)

9. Cherished by Kim Cash Tate (Thomas Nelson)

10. Making the Team (Alec London Series) by Stephanie Perry Moore (Lift Every Voice)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Independent Publishers Bestsellers List (Non-fiction)

1. Letters to Young Black Men, by Daniel Whyte III (Torch Legacy Publications)

2. Power Play! Discover the Secrets to Spirit-Winning Success, by Lisa Wicker (Victory House Press)

3. The 99 Success Secrets of Jesus, by Daniel Ortiz (Xulon)

4. Who Stole My Joy? by Sandra Steen (Bridge-Logos Publishers)

5. Letters to Young Black Women, by Daniel Whyte III (Torch Legacy Publications)

6. The Winning Spirit by Lisa Lindsay Wicker (Booksurge)

7. A Praying Time by Daniel Whyte III (Torch Legacy Publications)

8. From Performance To Praise by Joe Pace (Serenity Publishers)

9. Successfully Raising Grandchildren, by Kevin & Brenda Barnes (Torch Legacy Publications)

10. The Best Sex of My Life, by Lindsay Marsh (Trafford Publishing)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Independent Publishers Bestsellers List (Fiction)

1. The Sunday Morning Wife, by Pamela D. Rice (Peace In The Storm Publishing)

2. Scandalous Truth, by Monica P. Carter (Urban Books)

3. Forsaken, by Vanessa Miller (Urban Christian)

4. Into Each Life, by Shelia E. Lipsey (Urban Christian)

5. Been There Prayed That by E. N. Joy (Urban Books)

6. A Woman’s Worth, by Nikita Lynette Nichols (Urban Trade)

7. The List, by Sherri Lewis (Urban Books)

8. Forgiven, by Vanessa Miller (Urban Christian)

9. Colandra’s World: Caress the Sun Embrace the Thunder, by Janet Smith (St. Paul Press)

10. A Man’s Worth by Nikita Lynnette Nichols (Urban Christian)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Amazon.com Kindle E-BOOK Bestsellers List (Non-Fiction)

1. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

2. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza (Hay House)

3. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy (Tyndale House Publishers)

4. The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy (Tyndale)

5. I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher (Gotham Books)

6. The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (B&H Publishing Group)

7. What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

8. Liberty Versus the Tyranny of Socialism by Walter E. Williams (Hoover Institution Press)

9. Commanding Your Morning by Cindy Trimm (Charisma House)

10. Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice (Crown Archetype)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian Amazon.com Kindle E-BOOK Bestsellers List (Fiction)

1. The Preacher’s Choice by Vanessa Miller (BFP Publishing)

2. Mind Your Own Business by Lutishia Lovely (Kensington Books)

3. Say Amen, Again by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery)

4. Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

5. The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)

6. …And Family Drama Just Won’t Stop by Daniel Whyte III with Meriqua Whyte (Torch Legacy Publications)

7. Cherished by Kim Cash Tate (Thomas Nelson)

8. The Pastor’s Woman by Jacquelin Thomas (Kimani)

9. Broken by Patricia Haley (Gallery)

10. Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian BarnesandNoble.com Nook E-BOOK Bestsellers List (Non-Fiction)

1. Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

2. I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher (Penguin Group)

3. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza (Hay House, Inc.)

4. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy (Tyndale House Publishers)

5. What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall, Lynn Vincent, Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

6. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson (Zondervan)

7. Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice (Crown Archetype)

8. The Mentor Leader, by Tony Dungy (Tyndale House Publishers)

9. My American Journey by Colin Powell (Random House Publishing)

10. Reposition Yourself by T. D. Jakes (Atria)

September 2011 Top 50 Black Christian BarnesandNoble.com Nook E-BOOK Bestsellers List (Fiction)

1. Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

2. The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray (Simon & Schuster)

3. Say Amen, Again by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Simon & Schuster)

4. Be Careful What You Pray For, by Kimberla Lawson Roby (William Morrow)

5. Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

6. A Good Man Is Hard to Find, by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery)

7. A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby (HarperCollins)

8. Sins of the Mother, by Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)

9. All Up In My Business by Lutishia Lovely (Kensington Publishing)

10. The Best of Everything by Kimberla Lawson Roby (HarperCollins)

Click Here to view the rest of the Top 50 Black Christian Bestsellers List:

http://www.bcnn1.com/bs/september2011/

Click Here to view the rest of the Top 50 Black Christian Independent Publishers Bestsellers List: http://www.bcnn1.com/bs/september2011/

Click Here to view the rest of the Top 50 Amazon.com Kindle E-BOOK Bestsellers List: http://www.bcnn1.com/bs/september2011/

Click Here to view the rest of the Top 50 BarnesandNoble.com Nook E-BOOK Bestsellers List: http://www.bcnn1.com/bs/september2011/

###

Outreach Publishing announces the release of The Quest, a novel written by Sean McDowell and Bob Hostetler as part of the major new book/DVD curriculum series called GodQuest.

In The Quest, readers will learn about twenty-three-year-old Emma Seeger and the single phone call that launches her on the journey of a lifetime. Its a journey that turns out to be more dangerousand more consequentialthan she could have imaginedor feared.

The call is from the woman Emma despises most in the worldher fathers wife, Emmas stepmother, a woman who had taken away Emmas father. Not once. Not twice. Three times. She had turned Daniel Seeger into a born-again Christian, married him, and dragged him off to Israel, where they worked as some sort of missionaries.

Emma learns her father has disappeared in the midst of escalating political tension and violence. After early efforts to find him prove fruitless, Emma launches out on an odyssey filled with adventure, frustration, danger, and an unlikely partnerher stepmother, Katya, whose faith alternately repulses and intrigues Emma. Their conflicting personalities and competing beliefs could even endanger the success of the one thing they have in common: their shared goal of finding Daniel and returning him to safety.

The Quest is both thrilling and introspective. Readers will have a hard time putting the book down as Emma and her stepmother Katya brave a morgue, a mysterious investigator, ethnic violence, and a high-speed chase in their quest to rescue Daniel Seeger. Emmas biggest discovery, though, will come through her personal quest to discover truthand the God her heart is longing for.????

Sean McDowell, a popular speaker, apologist, and an award-winning high school teacher is the son of speaker and author Josh McDowell (More than a Carpenter, Evidence that Demands a Verdict) who has sold millions of books and lectured around the world about the historical and philosophical proof for Christianity. Sean McDowell is notable in his own right: he speaks around the country on faith issues, is currently working on a PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author and co-author of twelve books including Understanding Intelligent Design, Is God Just a Human Invention and The Unshakable Truth.

Bob Hostetler is an award-winning writer, editor, pastor and speaker from southwestern Ohio. His twenty-six books, which include The Bone Box and American Idols (The Worship of the American Dream), have sold millions of copies. He has co-authored eleven books with Josh McDowell, including the best-selling Right from Wrong (What You Need to Know to Help Youth Make Right Choices) and the award-winning Dont Check Your Brains at the Door. He has won two Gold Medallion Awards, four Ohio Associated Press awards, and an Amy Foundation Award, among others. Bob is a frequent speaker at churches, conferences, and retreats.

GodQuest is a powerful series created by Sean McDowell to help readers investigate the unique claims of Christianity and make decisions in a way that is personal and relevant to everyday life. In the midst of the spiritual confusion in our society, GodQuest provides a fresh voice of truth.

The series features a set of products and resources: There are two DVD-based studies one for adults and one for teens which feature Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) and others. These, together with the non-fiction book, explore pressing questions about the existence of God, the origin of the universe, the reliability of the Bible, the identity of Jesus, the problem of suffering, and the path to heaven. The series powerfully ties readers beliefs to the choices they make in life, and ultimately, to their final destination. While most of the GodQuest products tackle these issues head-on, The Quest wraps them around the engaging story of Emma, her stepmother and their search to find Emmas father.

About Outreach:

Founded in 1996, Outreach, Inc. has quickly grown to become the largest provider of church outreach products and services in the world. With a mission to share God’s love and empower the church to share the message of Jesus Christ, Outreach provides cost-effective, proven methods and resources in a variety of forms, including books, media and film, postcard invitations, banners, bulletin covers, curriculum, church campaign materials and more.

###

Dr. Kluane Spake Goes To The Solomon Islands

In Sept of 2011, Dr.Kluane goes to the Solomon Island to convene a four day pastor’s conference. This conference is going to host up to 300 pastors from Honiara and from other surrounding Solomon islands. The evening events will be open to the public. Also coming to assist in the conference with Dr. Kluane is Pastor LaVonne Brown. Pastor Brown serves as a part of the ministry team at the Promise Center Church in Buford, GA.

Spake says, “We’re bringing the Third Day Apostolic Church to the Solomon Islands.The Solomon Islands is made out of 1thousand smaller islands! These islands are located just east of Papua New Guinea. This region is an underdeveloped nation. The inhabitants are largely impoverished. The local population mostly sustain themselves through fishing and farming.

Dr. Kluane’s mission on the trip, is to offer instructions to pastors as to more modern Church Government and to teach their congregations economic self sufficiency. This trip is about the Third Day Church and Present Truth. She will also help pastors to brainstorm strategies about how to further create an apostolic ministry, and how to create an effective church leadership.

Pastor LaVonne, who is also serving on the trip, has a medical background as a Physician’s Assistant. She will use her experience to teach the attendees a variety of health topics, such as healthy nutrition and preventative health.

Dr. Kluane also brings the Solomon Pastors the materials to start a Vision Bible Training School. They will also represent ICA, the International Coalition of Apostles.

Dr. Kluane Spake founded the Promise Center Church in Buford, Georgia, USA. The congregation meets on Sundays at 11am. They meet at the Wingate Hotel, located near the Mall of Georgia.

Dr. Kluane Spake is known as an internationally acclaimed minister. She is an apostle who mentors other church leaders around the world. She has also authored many relevant books and articles. She is the president of SWORD ministries. While she has spent a large portion of her ministry years overseas but is now based in Georgia.

Dr. Kluane and the Promise Center Church believes in a diversity of culture, talents, and skills. The church leadership team is based on multi-eldership. These elders include Pastors Chad and JaLana Walsh, Pastor LaVonne Brown, Rev Paul Wolak, and Pastors Joe and Tamie Chadburn, amongst others. These leaders have brought their experiences and talents to serve the ministry in Georgia to create an exciting and encouraging ministry.

One of the missions of the Promise Center, is to promote relationships that impact the local community. To this end, the church works together in a wide variety of community outreach activities, such as engaging in the arts and culture, music, youth ministries, and missions.

The Promise Church Ministries is a non-denominational Christian ministry. They believe that the Bible can be presented in a way that is relevant and fresh, and in a way that would be attractive to today’s prospective follower of the Lord. The Promise Center wants to invite those who are looking for something more substantial with regards to a ministry home. This is a ministry that promotes no limits. If this is a ministry for you, then you and your friends are welcome and encouraged to visit!

###

A popular hymn based on a Bible passage (John 13:35) says they’ll know we are Christians by our love. The Cincinnati business community is banding together to express that love for others and pray for the city in order to end systemic poverty and achieve full employment.????

More than 300 Cincinnati Christians heard the call from author and speaker Ed Silvoso to engage in local At Work on Purpose community initiatives to help transform Cincinnati into a city free of intractable challengesfrom corruption to systemic poverty– at the Aug. 27 Transform Our World event at Montgomery Community Church.

The conference was sponsored by At Work on Purpose, the Mason-based nonprofit helping Christians connect their faith and work lives. AWOP, with more than 5,000 members, is the nations largest city-wide, marketplace ministry.

Local ministers and Christian marketplace workers from business, government and education were urged to join six community initiativeswhich include praying for each of Cincinnatis 52 neighborhoodsin order to bless the city and lay a spiritual foundation for city-wide ministry initiatives.

Silvoso, a world-renowned speaker and best-selling author of books on prayer evangelism and marketplace ministry, told the crowd that many more ministers of Christ are found at work than are found in a pulpit on Sundays.

Jesus said we are called to disciple nations, not just individuals, he said. You must step up and say, I will listen to the Holy Spirit. Trust in God in everything, and God will come through. We need to trust God for more things.

Silvoso is founder and CEO of Harvest Evangelism, which is currently involved in more than 300 cities on six continents. He last visited Cincinnati in February of 2011. He said the marketplace– which is made up of education, business and government– must be re-claimed spiritually. Once hearts are changed, then true progress on social problems can begin.

Let the Lord change our paradigm, he said. The Gospel is good news for all aspects of life If we want to see what we have never seen, we need to do what we have never done before.

Cincinnati has been in our hearts, and some (church) leaders here have been working for many years and saw what we (at Harvest Evangelism and Transform Our World) have been doing. Could it be that Cincinnati may be the point of integration for the U.S. to be transformed? Silvoso asked.

Silvoso also said that eliminating systemic poverty is one of the indicators that a city has been transformed, because in the early church, Christs disciples were so fully integrated with the community that there was virtually no poverty. He said once a city is proclaimed for Christ, amazing things begin to happen. He cited Newark, New Jersey as a recent Transform Our World success in progress.

A few years ago, Silvoso said, Newark was the murder capital of the nation. Local leaders there, with the help of Silvoso and Harvest Evangelism, implemented an Adopt-A-Street prayer initiative, in which each of the citys 797 streets was prayed for. Over a period of several years concurrent with the prayer initiative, crime went down 80 percent, Panasonic selected Newark as its international headquarters, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, donated $ 100 million to Newark Public Schools.

AWOP, which sponsored the Cincinnati event, has been working with Transform Our World and AWOP leaders to develop six initiatives to transform Cincinnati and help spur economic development.

Silvoso and AWOP president Chuck Proudfit unveiled a “Pray4Cincinnati” initiative, an Adopt-A-Street program taken from Silvosos Transform Our World organization in which people register to pray for a city street by street, empowering individuals to make ethical decisions based on biblical principles and work for positive economic change.

This city has been so pressed on all sides with economic adversity, government dysfunction and social injustice, said Proudfit. We need to pray for Cincinnati. We are ordinary Christians called on to do extraordinary things to have a city-wide impact on Cincinnati.

John McCarthy, CEO of AGI Management, attested to the power of prayer in helping his business thrive. He said the results of prayer are not fluffy.

We are going to cover the city with a canopy of prayer, he said. This is going to be a campaign of change unlike the city has ever seen.

Paula Brussard, president of Jeremiah Summit Group in Milford, said Pray4Cincinnati was not a single event, but an ongoing undertaking to spiritually equip the marketplace. She said the committee is calling on leadership in Cincinnatis 52 neighborhoods to identify needs and attempt to address them.

Dan Busken, president of Busken Bakery, Inc., John Hartz, owner of Hartz Sealcoating and Terry Grear, president of Grear & Company, head the Marketplace Evangelism Ministry initiative, which will help Christian business leaders become ministers of Christ in the marketplace.

I spent a number of years studying to be a CPA, said Grear. And I thought, what have I done about salvation?

Danise DiStasi of Style4You will head a Women at Work initiative to help women better integrate their faith and work lives. Everything we do is integrated in our world, DiStasi said about women in business. Its okay to be relational at work because we were created to be relational.

Greg Orcutt, owner of Orcutt and Co. CPAs, Ltd., of Milford, Ohio, will work for building bridges between churches and the marketplace that allow them to operate more seamlessly. Orcutt, an elder at Parkside Christian Church, said he would like to build a whole army of workplace leaders in local churches, and envisions a monthly fellowship meeting to develop training and collaboration skills.

The Rev. Arlan Howard, executive minister at Mt. Carmel Christian Church, and the Rev. Tom Livesay, pastor at Montgomery Community Church, will work on helping church ministers get out into communities to embrace community need.

Most people are not going to church, but many people go to work, said Livesay. To quote the Rev. Silvoso, we are going to win the world not by the church, but by the church in the marketplace.

The Rev. Jeff Greer, pastor at Grace Chapel in Mason, who has a passion to help eliminate systemic poverty, helped create an organization called Self-Sustaining Enterprises(SSE), which has created BizNistries, businesses that dedicate excess profits to ministry needs in order to help people with a hand up, not just a hand out.

SSE operates Nigeria H20, a freshwater drilling project in Jos, Nigeria; two New2You thrift stores; Roc-A-Fellas Pizza in Sharonville; All4You Apparel screen printing and promotional products; and an aquaponics project designed to provide fresh fish and produce commercially as well as for the needy. SSE also partners with Back2Back Ministries, providing orphan and widow care in Mexico, Nigeria and India.????

Weve got to throw Plato out of the church, said Greer. There is no secular/sacred divide. There is only that which is sacred or sinful.

We must offer our expertise and do more than just sympathize with people during tough times; we are trying to offer solutions and partner with them such that we are a blessing to them.????

Proudfit said while Cincinnati has a nine percent local unemployment rate, national Gallup studies indicate that 71 percent of workers are disengaged at work, which means that 80 percent of workers in Cincinnati suffer from under- or un-employment.

Bob Pautke of SOAR Consultancy, said we need to go to war with dis-engagement at work. One solution is purpose, he said. How do we help folks from junior high to retirement? We need to counsel them. Viktor Frankl said many

Find More Pastor Press Releases