Guideposts Books Offers New Series Exclusively for eReaders

Spirit Lifters series features devotionals, story collections

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Guideposts Books (guideposts.org) announces the debut of its new series of short eBooks. The four individual eBooks in the debut collection of the Spirit Lifters series were created to demonstrate the powerful connection between faith and daily living, offer readers hope to overcome life's challenges, and celebrate God's hand in our lives. Guideposts plans to publish additional eBooks on a three-season schedule, with the next titles arriving March 2013. 

The initial two devotionals will retail for $2.99 apiece: 101 Moments of Prayer: Inspiring Thoughts for Listening to God is written by longtime Guideposts writer Elizabeth Sherrill; 101 Moments of Trust: Inspiring Thoughts for Believing in God's Promises is from another longtime Guideposts writer, Marion Bond West. The other two eBooks are story collections from the editors of Guideposts magazine: The Power of Forgiveness: 15 Inspiring Stories of Love and Reconciliation, and God's Healing Touch: 15 Inspiring Stories of Triumph over Affliction retail for $1.99 each. 

"Guideposts is blessed with fantastic writers in Elizabeth Sherrill and Marion Bond West. Their devotional writing uses a first-person storytelling approach, so their books are about real life and are practically mini-spiritual memoirs," commented David Morris, Vice President and Editorial Director at Guideposts. "We also have an abundance of great stories in our libraries, and know the Spirit Lifters story collections will deliver wonderful inspiration directly to our readers' Kindles, NOOKs, and other eReaders." 

The eBooks are available at all e-tailers including ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, and ShopGuideposts.org. 

Guideposts, a nonprofit organization, touches millions of lives every day through products and services that inspire, encourage, and uplift. Its magazines, books, websites, prayer network, and outreach programs help people connect their faith-filled values to their daily lives. The flagship title, Guideposts, has a paid circulation of 2 million. The Guideposts family also includes Candy Cane Press, Ideals, Williamson, Summerside Press and Ellie Claire imprints.

Contact: Aimee Tonquest Mehl - Mullerhaus, 
            918-691-3706      , 
mehl@mullerhaus.net; 

Audra Jennings, 
Litfuse Publicity Group, 
            903-874-8363      , 
audra@litfusegroup.com

Christian Newswire

Annual Search Begins for Longest Married Couples in United States, Sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 8, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The annual search is on for the longest married couple in the United States, it was announced today by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country. 

This is the third consecutive year for the highly acclaimed project recognizing couples for their long marriages. Two years ago Marshall & Winnie Kuykendall from Lordsburg, New Mexico, were honored for 82 years of marriage, while this year Wilbur & Theresa Faiss of Las Vegas, Nevada were honored for 78 years of marriage. There were also 50 state winners recognized at the same time each year for their longest marriages. There have been over 600 couples nominated for the honors during the last two years. Winners were selected from nominations submitted. 

"Once again we want to honor the longest married couple in the United States, as well as in each of the 50 states and territories. The national winners will be recognized during Valentine's Week 2013, which coincides with World Marriage Day, which is the second Sunday of February," explained Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, the coordinators for the special project. 

An Alumni Club was started for previous national and state winners. Previous state winners can vie for the national title, but they also are now considered members of the alumni of longest married couples in their individual states. This allows for new couples to be recognized across the country. "It is an appropriate time in our marriage enrichment ministry to recognize a husband and wife who have been married for many, many years," the coordinators explained. 

In addition to the longest married couple for the entire United States, recognition will also be given to a couple from each state and territories who has achieved that distinction. In the case of the United States couple, appropriate gifts will be presented to them at a ceremony to be held at their location during Valentine's week. The state winners will receive personal recognition and a special certificate of achievement from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement. 

Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of religious affiliation, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number. 

The contact information for sending in a nomination, which simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside- plus a contact phone or email address of the individual nominating the couple, is as follows: email dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net, regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 8934 Puerto Del Rio Drive Suite 204 Cape Canaveral, FL 32920,and special phone number             321-613-5180      . Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2013. 

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 44 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages. 

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go towwme.org, or you can call             1-800-795-LOVE       (English) and            1-800-599-AMOR       (Spanish), or contact the WWME national office at            (909) 863-9963      .

Christian Newswire

During IDOP Sunday, it's the North Korean Underground Church Who is Praying for the American Church

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church November 11th

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov. 8, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- As millions of Christians around the world unite in prayer for the persecuted church this Sunday, prayers can sometimes tend toward feeling sorry for Christians experiencing persecution, coupled with thankfulness that we're not. But the founder of one organization that partners with the North Korean underground church says that it's the American church, not the North Korean church, for which North Korean Christians pray with concern. 

Reverend Eric Foley, CEO of Seoul USA says he was surprised when he first asked members of the North Korean underground church how Americans could pray for them. 

"They answered, 'You pray for us? We pray for you!' When I asked why, they responded, 'Because Western Christians often put so much faith in their prosperity and political freedoms that they don't know what it's like to have to depend completely on God. And because of that, they often do not get to know him in all the ways he invites us to.'" 

Foley is the author of the new book, These Are the Generations, a rare, first-person account of generational imprisonment and Christian faithfulness of one North Korean family. The story begins with the experience of the family patriarch in World War II and continues through the imprisonment and escape of his grandson, one of the book's co-authors. 

NK authorities captured and imprisoned the grandson, Mr. Bae because he believed in God and evangelized a friend. 

Bae says being a Christian in prison is far from a pitiable situation. "It's like seminary," he says. "I prayed for others daily. My faith grew by leaps and bounds even as my body decayed." 

Foley's hope for this Sunday's International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is that Americans would not pray for persecuted believers but with them. "North Korean believers like Mr. Bae always tell me not to pray that they would be removed from persecution but that they would be faithful in the midst of it -- and that we, too, would be fully faithful to God in the midst of our own situation, which is often the persecution of prosperity, that is, the ability to be insulated from suffering rather than taking up our cross daily as well." 

*Interviews with the author, Reverend Eric Foley may be arranged by contacting Tim Dillmuth at Seoul USA. A press kit which features bios of the author and the Baes, a North Korea fact sheet, and translated video and audio clips from an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Bae are available for download atwww.thesearethegenerations.com. Printed copies of the book and a press kit are available on request from Seoul USA.

Christian Newswire

New Independent Christian Party

BRENTWOOD, Md., Nov. 9, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Janice Fountaine: 

And so the world has witnessed another election cycle in the United States. It was one which has left a large number of Christians excited, while at the same time leaving other Christians painfully disappointed. In other words, the candidate who some wanted to win won, while on the other hand, the candidate who others wanted to win lost. Whichever way you look at it, there is a bittersweet taste in some Christian's mouths today. And the sad part about it is that for the Christian base, it did not have to be that way. 

The truth of the matter is that until the body of Christ comes into some degree of measurable unity, irrespective of color, culture and class, they will progressively increase their chances of being disappointed, election after election. 

America has chosen who they want to lead them and so it is. Whether you voted for President Obama or whether you voted for Mitt Romney, Christians must admit that each choice exposed a fragmented Christian base. 

The body of Christ must come into unity so that we may greatly increase our chances of influencing America and impacting the world for the daily enrichment and empowerment of people's lives and advancement of the kingdom of God. 

We must clearly distance ourselves from the intimate circles of partisan ways and rhetoric, because both have the tendency to misrepresent our values as Christians. It is then that we can pledge our support from an open window and if we don't like what we see, then we will create our own view. 

As for now, together we must roll up our sleeves and fervently and effectively contend with the issues that are at hand. We must seek to reduce our deficit by reducing tax cuts to the wealthy. We must find any existing waste in our governmental programs and revamp them. We must increase job availability to the unemployed. In addition, we must legislatively bring a healthy closure to issues that are at the forefront of American lives such as the right-to-life, sanctity of marriage, and immigration reform. 

Through it all, the body of Christ must remember that we are Christians and that our allegiance is to God and the principles by which He has established for us to live and exist, without compromise.

Christian Newswire

CJCUC Endorses JerusalemOnlineU.com High School Israel Education Program

CHARLESTON, N.C., Nov. 9, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- A recent event that brought the Jewish and Christian communities together in support of Israel showcased the hit film, Israel Inside: How A Small Nation Makes A Big Difference. Narrated by best selling author and acclaimed former Harvard lecturer, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, this groundbreaking film (www.israelinsidethemovie.com) tells the story of the Israeli people, whose resilience has propelled the country to the forefront of world innovation and progress. 

Hyman's Seafood owner, Eli Hyman said, "The only image of Israel that most Americans have is through the negative images of the media." He added, "Israel is more than a 30 second sound bite. This film shows the positive spirit of the Israeli people, despite the challenges surrounding the country." 

The featured speaker of the event was David Nekrutman, Executive Director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC) in Israel. Nekrutman was in the United States promoting the Goodwill Ambassador Initiative (GAI), a project created by CJCUC Founder Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Earl Cox of Israel Always, which bring clergy to the Holy Land in order to learn the fundamentals of Jewish-Christian relations. 

"Supporting Israel is not just a Jewish responsibility; it is a biblical mandate," Nekrutman remarked. He added, "We are witnessing a God moment where Christians are receiving a spiritual download to support the Jewish people, Israel, and projects like the GAI and JerusalemOnlineU.com (the producers of Israel Inside) that help to break down the barriers in order to understand the land and its people." 

CJCUC plans to promote the JerusalemOnlineU.com High School Israel Educational Program to ministries and Christian high schools throughout the United States. The curriculum includes 30 lesson plans, films, handouts, activities, and quizzes. "It is my wish for youth in their formative years to establish a relationship with Israel through a biblical paradigm and understand the complexities of this nation," Nekrutman remarked. CJCUC and JerusalemOnlineU.com are also in talks about creating a standardized test on the curriculum, where Christian high school students receiving a certain mark would be eligible for a full subsidy to come to Israel for one week. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact CJCUC's media division atinfo@cjcuc.com,             516-882-3220       or visit www.jerusalemonlineu.com/high_schools.

Christian Newswire