Contact:
Jessica Secord, (616) 698-3331 [P], Jessica.secord@zondervan.com
Pete Gall Meets the God of Laughter and Adventure
Grand Rapids, Mich., June 25, 2009 – Burnt out by creating needs for consumers to fill with products, Pete Gall left a lucrative job at an advertising agency and set his sites on more righteous pursuits. Learning My Name (July 2009) chronicles his quest for the soul-deep meaning and security he craved and the surprising truths he found along the way.
“Idols are good for two things,” Gall says of his work in advertising, “making us feel important and making us feel loved.” Even the Christian faith can become an idol, as he discovers during five years spent pursuing different noble ministry endeavors. But as with all idols, even religious aspirations crumble when we demand from them what only God can provide.
When the prodigal returns home, the real relational work between father and son begins. Learning My Name is the harrowing chronicle of a fearful prodigal putting family relationships on the line as he learns to trust the love of both his dad and his heavenly Father for the sake of putting neurotic, addictive thinking to rest. This book is more than the author’s story; it is the story of humanity’s interaction with faith, with God.
“It’s a book for tired rebels, fearful followers, and anyone who longs to meet the God of laughter and adventure,” says Gall.
Gall’s writing style has been compared to that of Donald Miller and Anne Lamott. He does not hesitate to overturn religious stones to see what lies beneath, and in the pursuit of a livable faith, his characters may push readers’ assumptions about life with God. Nevertheless, the surprising discovery in Learning My Name is a truth that looks at the evangelical world as it would hope to be, where grace is real, pastors are wise, families receive their prodigals, and Jesus is glorified in spite of our flaws.
Learning My Name is packed with experiences—sublime and wretched, ego-building and humbling, joyous and painful—that offer readers a delightful view into a journey with a new friend as he learns the difference between pursuing “holy hero status” and discovering the unpredictable and uncontrollable love of God.
The author’s passions run deep, and demonstrate a prophet’s heart. “The Cross will be nothing but the logo for our kingdoms until we sob our selfish, broken, audacious tears into it and experience its deliverance. I’m willing to tell stories that encourage people to do so, even when the stories are my own secrets,” said Gall. “My objective is to share truths that plant themselves like pools of water in the freezing and thawing lives of my audience, so that when the time is right, the walls of personal and religious slavery crumble ... and in the meantime the rest of the message plants the stuff of life immediately outside the walls, so that the newly freed person will be fed and sheltered and can emerge from their cloistered life as love and curiosity inspire them.”
Discover a faith that embraces all of life’s upheavals, and the God whose love is better than any idol.
About the Author
Pete Gall is a freelance copywriter, brand strategist, author, speaker, and passion-driven gadfly whose clients range from Fortune 50 corporations to national denominations, tech start-ups, nonprofit organizations, and local churches. Pete and his amazing wife, Christine, live in Indianapolis with their two dogs. Visit www.PeteGall.com to learn more.
Suggested Interview Questions:
- Give us a quick synopsis of Learning My Name. Where did you come up with the idea?
- This is an interesting look at fathers and sons, amongst other relationships – what do you hope fathers can take away from this book?
- What are some surprising facts that you found out about yourself and others while writing this?
- How important is the role of faith in this title?
- What are your top words of wisdom taken from Learning My Name for readers?
- Was it difficult to write in any aspects?
- Who are the main characters, so to speak, in Learning My Name?
- Who are some of the writers you would compare your writing style to?
- Where do you find the inspiration for your writing?
- What do you feel your calling is as a writer?
- Could you give us a preview of what’s next for you?
About Learning My Name:
Learning My Name
By Pete Gall
Zondervan
9780310283904
208 Pages
$14.99
Softcover
PUB DATE: July 2009
Zondervan, a
HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and the leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego and Miami, Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling
Bibles,
books,
audio,
video,
curriculum,
software, and
digital products through its
Zondervan,
eZondervan,
Zonderkidz,
Youth Specialties,
Editorial Vida, and
National Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by
Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at
www.zondervan.com (mobile site:
zvan.mobi).
