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Leadership Network NewsTwo Leadership Network Publications Nominated for 2008 Outreach and Christianity Today Book Awards April 17, 2008 DALLAS, TX (April 17, 2008) —Two recent titles in the Leadership Network Publications series—Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church and Beyond Megachurch Myths—have been recognized with prestigious 2008 book award nominations. Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation by Mark DeYmaz (Jossey-Bass, 2007) is a finalist in the category of Best Leadership Training Resource in Outreach magazine’s Best Outreach Resources Awards. DeYmaz’s book also was a finalist for the 2008 Christianity Today Book Awards in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category. Also a finalist in Christianity Today’s Church/Pastoral Leadership category was Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn From America’s Largest Churches by Dr. Scott Thumma and Dave Travis (Jossey-Bass, 2007). “We couldn’t be happier about these honors,” says Greg Ligon, Vice President of Church Innovations and Publishing at Leadership Network. “Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church and Megachurch Myths have both gained wide acceptance and respect in a very short period of time. And the nominations from Outreach and Christianity Today further reinforce the important contributions these titles are making to today’s church.” The Best Outreach Resources Awards recognize books in various categories for their excellence and impact. Reader votes and a panel of experts will determine the winners, which will be announced in Outreach’s May/June 2008 issue. For the 2008 Christianity Today Book Awards, a team of editors at Christianity Today selected 49 finalists from some 359 nominated titles. The top books in each category were then voted on by a panel of judges. In Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church, DeYmaz, a pastor in Little Rock, Ark., drew from his vast experience in planting, growing and encouraging more ethnically diverse faith communities. Using personal stories and a thorough analysis of the scriptures, DeYmaz provides both a practical and biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church. He shows how strong multi-ethnic churches can advance the Gospel in the 21st century, and challenges pastors and laypeople who believe the kingdom of heaven is not segregated to create local churches on earth that aren’t either. In Beyond Megachurch Myths, Thumma and Travis explore the unique characteristics of today’s megachurches and their influence on American religion. The authors reveal that many of the most widely held beliefs about megachurches couldn’t be further from the truth. Relying on extensive, well-designed and broad-based research, the book presents a picture that is both surprising and encouraging. The authors are certainly well equipped to address their subject. Thumma is a researcher in the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and a faculty member for the Hartford Seminary. Travis is managing director of Leadership Network, a nonprofit that helps innovative Christian leaders increase their impact. Travis is also co-author of Beyond the Box: Innovative Churches That Work. A joint initiative of Leadership Network and Jossey-Bass, the Leadership Network Publications series uncovers and presents thoroughly researched and innovative concepts from pioneering thinkers, practitioners and churches. Since the series’ launch in 1996, Leadership Network Publications has published more than 20 books on some of the most important ideas and methods in today’s church. About Leadership Network: Based in Dallas, Texas, Leadership Network is a nonprofit public charity that fosters church innovation and growth in furtherance of its far-reaching mission to identify, connect and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact. For more on Leadership Network, see www.leadnet.org, www.halftime.org and www.successtosignificance.com or contact Rick Long at 1.800.477.6698 x 102 or rlong@sourcepub.com.
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