Contact:
Lindsey Rodarmer, 616-698-3332, Lindsey.Rodarmer@zondervan.com
Partnership with Back2Back Ministries will Deliver 400 Bibles to Children in Mexico
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., December 9, 2008—Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, is partnering with Back2Back Ministries and donating hundreds of copies of La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe (The Beginner’s Bible® in Spanish and English) to orphan children in Mexico. Four hundred children will receive a brand new copy of La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe, wrapped by Zonderkidz team members, to open on Christmas morning.
“We are so excited to share La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe with hundreds of children by partnering with Back2Back Ministries. The Beginner’s Bible® is the bestselling, most-trusted children’s Bible and will bring joy to so many little faces on Christmas morning with its colorful illustrations. We are also thrilled that they will experience the beloved stories in their native language,” says Annette Bourland, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Zonderkidz.
“What a tremendous blessing for the children who Back2Back Ministries serves to have not only a new gift on Christmas morning, but such a high quality Bible,” adds Beth Guckenberger, who runs Back2Back Ministries with her husband Todd as Director of Latin American Ministries. “I can guarantee these copies of The Beginner’s Bible® will find their place under the children’s pillows, to be pulled out and poured over. We can only pray that the message of the gospel will find its way into their hearts and sustain them on difficult days.”
“In the recent months, children in Mexico have been confronted with negative stories in the news. La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe as a Christmas gift will be such a positive influence and will help them learn and practice a second language, preparing them for a better future,” says David Coyotl, Editorial Vida Marketing Director.
La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe is a partnership between Zonderkidz and Editorial Vida, Zondervan’s Spanish imprint. It is the bilingual Spanish/English edition of The Beginner’s Bible®, the bestselling children’s Bible that has sold nearly 6 million copies and is published in 20 languages worldwide. More than 90 favorite Bible stories come to life, making The Beginner’s Bible® the perfect starting point for children. They will enjoy the fun illustrations of Noah helping the elephant onto the ark, Jonah praying inside the fish, and more.
“Mission City Press is thrilled with this wonderful Christmas donation,” says Sandi Shelton, president of Mission City Press, The Beginner's Bible® brand owner based in Franklin, TN. “This is such an amazing example of the power of partnership, with Back2Back Ministries, Zonderkidz, Editorial Vida, and Mission City Press joining forces in order to benefit children in need.”
Since 1989, The Beginner's Bible® has been bringing Bible stories to life in a way that is fun, engaging, and relevant to kids (ages six and under) around the world. La Biblia Para Principiantes Bilingüe (Editorial Vida, 978-0-829-75255-7, September 2007) is available wherever books are sold. Visit www.thebeginnersbible.com for more information about The Beginner's Bible®.
About Back2Back Ministries
Back2Back Ministries is run by Beth Guckenberger, author of Reckless Faith: Let Go and Be Led, and her husband Todd. After leading several mission trips to Mexico, the couple felt the tug of God on their hearts as they watched one little girl hide hamburger patties underneath her mattress in a small orphanage. That defining moment compelled them to reconsider their entire lives and make a radical decision to follow their faith. They moved to Monterrey, Mexico, knowing only one couple and just a few words of Spanish.
Today, Beth and Todd Guckenberger still live in Monterrey with their nine children—a blend of biological, adopted and fostered. They work with Back2Back Ministries as Directors of Latin American Ministries.
Back2Back Ministries offers international and local ministry opportunities by caring and providing for orphan children and needy people in Monterrey, Mexico and Jos, Nigeria. Back2Back serves through Impact Groups, which partner with local churches to equip students to be capable and effective leaders serving their campuses, communities, and the world. Back2Back is a faith-based, independent, 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.back2backministries.org.
Reckless Faith: Let Go and Be Led (Zondervan, 978-0-310-28393-5, August 2008) is Beth Guckenberger’s first book about her inspiring and life-changing ministry experiences. For more information about the book, visit www.zondervan.com.
About Mission City Press
Mission City Press provides non-denominational Christian print, gift, and toy products that help young people develop a strong foundation of faith in God. The company has three extensive product lines for children: The Beginner’s Bible, which brings the timeless stories of the Bible to life for preschool age children; Faith & Friends, which provides fun, adorable contemporary dolls and books that inspire girls ages 6-10 to engage in play that brings faith to life; and A Life of Faith, which uses the life stories of fictional girls living in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to help today’s 8-14 year old girls learn to live a lifestyle of faith. Find out more about Mission City Press and its products at www.missioncitypress.com.
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).
Zonderkidz™, a division of
Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children's communications, it produces bestselling and award-winning
Bibles,
books,
board books,
graphic novels,
audio,
video, and
digital products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 16 and the people who love them, from family members to educators. Zonderkidz is the publisher of the
NIrV (New International Reader's Version) Bible translation, the 3rd-grade reading level edition of the
NIV that is ideal for children and those who speak English as a second language. Visit Zonderkidz on the Internet at
www.zonderkidz.com.
Editorial Vida, a
Zondervan company, is a leader in Hispanic Christian communications. Since 1946 it has published Spanish Bibles, study and Christian living books, devotionals, and other resources to reach people for Christ and help them grow in their faith. Vida maintains the largest catalog of
Bibles,
books,
music, and
video resources, serving such markets as the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Spain. Vida holds the exclusive distribution rights of the
NVI (Nueva Versión Internacional) -- New International Version in Spanish -- Bible translation. Vida is the winner of several of the most important awards in the industry, including Publisher of the Year and Book of the Year. Its offices are located in Miami, Fl., and Grand Rapids, Mich. Visit Editorial Vida on the Internet at
www.EditorialVida.com.
