I received an email earlier today from my colleague, Josh Messner, sharing information re: some of the recent updates he and another colleague, Tieg Herman, have made to Fortress Forum our free social networking site for people interested in religion and theology scholarship. Here is what Josh said:

“First, we want to mention the interviews we’ve been conducting with key authors, which are by far the most visited pages on the site. We started with a solid clutch of some very big names: Sallie McFague, Walter Brueggemann, N. T. Wright, Martin Marty, Philip Clayton, Richard Grigg, Shawn Copeland, and Joerg Rieger. Most recently, we featured a great conversation about theology, food, and ethics with Shannon Jung.

We have also interviewed and expect responses soon from William Anderson, Athalya Brenner, Hugh Page, Christine Helmer, Jonathan Linman, and Dan Maguire….

…We also have some great new video content from several top authors, including Jerry Sumney, Greg Higgins, Russ Pregeant, and Curtiss DeYoung….

All of the above-mentioned items can be found most easily by going to fortressforum.com and clicking on the ‘blogs’ tab at the top. Scroll down through the history of posts to find what you want. We encourage you to check out the site, especially the interviews, which offer some great insights into the intellectual imaginations of our best authors.”

Join us! It’s free and informative! We’d love to hear from you re: what would make Fortress Forum more valuable for you!

Blessings,
Beth
http://twitter.com/bethalewis

Beth A. Lewis, President & CEO
Augsburg Fortress

Those of you who read my blog know that one of my delights is learning how resources we publish impact lives in positive ways. Yesterday in my email in-box I received another one of those fabulous stories. This one from Lynda who is a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Ridgecrest, CA:

“In November I purchased the Spark Story Bible for our nursery and the Spark Bible for my 10 year old.

On Christmas Eve when he opened his present he flipped the Spark Bible open to the introduction of Galatians. He started reading the page and looked up in amazement and said “Listen to what this Bible says – ‘How do you get saved? Some say you should follow God’s law to impress God. But this plan can’t work because you are not good enough. None of us are good enough! As hard as you try, you can’t follow God’s law perfectly. You need Jesus to save you!’ Did you know this Bible says that, Mom?” I replied that it looks like he has a good Bible. – that’s my favorite Augsburg Fortress story concerning salvation and we’ll see if I find the nerve to share it with the rest of the congregation. At any rate thanks to the people at Augsburg Fortress involved in publishing the Spark Bibles. They have been a blessing to my family”

That is what the Book of Faith initiative is about. That is what Spark Sunday School and the Spark Bibles is about. That is what the ministry of publishing, Augsburg Fortress, is about. Getting children of all ages excited about God’s grace!

Thanks for sharing your delightful story with me, Lynda!

Blessings,
Beth
http://twitter.com/bethalewis

Beth A. Lewis, President & CEO
Augsburg Fortress

On January 9 and 16, Augsburg Fortress will once again host our annual winter Music Clinics in several cities around the USA. You still have time to register and attend!

These are intended for church musicians and worship leaders. While many of the attendees are, traditionally, serving in ELCA congregations, leaders from other church traditions are also very welcome! It’s a great opportunity for learning and fellowship.

All clinics are FREE to attend, and for just $1, you can take home choral packets featuring all the music presented.

Visit our Music Clinic webpage where you can find a clinic near you, register, get driving directions, and find out more about our featured clinicians!

Blessings,
Beth

http://twitter.com/bethalewis

Beth A. Lewis, President & CEO
Augsburg Fortress