As ECPA’s new executive director, Stan Jantz incorporates the unique perspective and experience of retailing, writing, and publishing. Passionate about our industry and its influence on the church and the broader Christian culture, he will set the tone for Leadership Summit by casting a compelling vision for Christian publishing as we continue to navigate uncharted territory.

Canoeing the Mountains Part 1: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory

Entering and navigating “uncharted territory” is not unique to Christian pubishing. It’s not even unique to our time. Our opening speaker, Tod Bolsinger, will explain that we’ve been here before—as an industry, as a church, and even as a nation. Tod is the vice president for Vocation and Formation and assistant professor of Practical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He will draw principles from his new book, Canoeing the Mountains, to show how to reimagine leadership with new tools to meet the needs of this new cultural moment.

Canoeing the Mountains Part 2: Recruiting from the Margins

You’re going to see momentum building throughout Leadership Summit as we move from the big picture of where we are headed to the practical steps that will take us there. Tod will kick off this second morning session by focusing on trust. Leaders who take their organizations into uncharted territory with a new vision and new tools know how to establish trust so others will follow. Following Tod, Scott Sauls, senior minister of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, and the author of Jesus Outside the Lines, will offer a timely perspective on how to lead in the midst of conflict and resistance. Christian publishing leaders can set the example, both in their companies and through the books they publish, by seeking a way of truth and beauty in an increasingly polarized culture.

The mission of ECPA is to equip our members so they can more effectively make the Christian message more widely known. One of the most important channels for that message is the church. To sharpen as well as broaden our perspective, we have assembled a panel of leaders who will discuss ways to meet the spiritual needs of an increasingly diverse and global church. They will discuss what it means to publish for the church now and in the next 30 years. And they will invite you to consider what the church needs most from Christian publishers, as well as offer some specific strategies publishers can employ to connect and engage with churches.

• Scott Evans, CEO & founder, Outreach, Inc.
• Scott Sauls, Senior Minister, Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville
• Jeff Wright, CEO, Urban Ministries
• Bob DeMoss, Vice President of Content Development and Integration, Focus on the Family

Over the last decade, the Christian Market has faced simultaneous shifts in technology, sales channel, and reader demographics that have had a deep impact on the way we do business. At the same time, we have seen the rise of tools like social media, direct-to-consumer strategies, and faith-based apps that have strengthened many people’s relationship to their faith, and given us unprecedented ways to communicate with our readers. In the first of two presentations from Nielsen, Nielsen Book Directors Kristen McLean & Greg Anastas will share key data drawn from across Nielsen’s many tools regarding the who, what, and where of our current business landscape, and how what we’re seeing now can help us make some smart decisions about where to focus our efforts for higher engagement with the Church, our Booksellers, and the larger Christian Market.

• Kristen McLean, Director New Business Development, Nielsen Book
• Greg Anastas, Director of Client Solutions for Nielsen Book

Leadership Summit is honored to have Ed Stetzer as a keynote speaker. Ed is the executive director of LifeWay Research, an author of several books, and a contributing editor for Christianity Today. As we enter uncharted territory and find our current and future readers, we also need to identify and develop those leaders who emerge in the next decade. We already know they will be much more diverse than the leaders of today, so how do we reach them so we can better reflect the culture we serve? Ed’s research will persuade you, and his heart for diversity will engage you.

There are some practical steps our industry can take to reach and recruit those voices who now exist on the margins of our industry. Trillia Newbell, director of Community Outreach, Ethics & Religious Liberty for the Southern Baptist Convention, will open this segment with stories and examples from her experience and book, United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity. You will be captivated by Trillia’s own quest to find the joy of diversity that aligns with God’s vision.

Ed Stetzer will then moderate a panel discussion featuring some remarkable people who know from personal experience what healthy diversity looks like, whether it’s in our companies, the church, or the wider culture.

• Bob Fryling, Publisher, InterVarsity Press
• Caleb Kaltenbach, lead pastor for Discovery Church, author of Messy Grace
• Trillia Newbell, author, United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity
• Susan Ruszala, President, NetGalley

By this time you will hopefully be exhilarated rather than exhausted (or maybe a combination of both). That’s why we have scheduled a “Refreshment Mixer” immediately following the final session. This is your time to unwind, relax, and get to know your industry colleagues.

No more rubber chicken! Instead of filing into a room for yet another banquet, you will enjoy a creative and delicious dinner reception in a casual setting that will encourage conversation and networking.

Following dinner, we will gather together for ECPA’s annual Christian Book Awards® program, featuring an extravagant dessert. Popular national radio host Chris Fabry will be our speaker and emcee. In addition to working “behind the microphone,” Chris is also the author of several books, including the national bestseller, War Room. All of the award recipients, including the Chairperson’s Award and other Industry Milestones, will be announced. And you will learn about some significant new developments for 2017.