New and Recent Releases for the Holiday Season

Christmas is Not Your Birthday
Mike Slaughter
Abingdon Press, July 2011
We all do it---overeat, overspend, and shop till we drop---all in the name of celebrating Jesus' birth. But Slaughter shows us a better way! Cutting through the seasonal hype, he shares practical, Bible-based ideas to help you experience the peace of "God with us," the joy of giving sacrificially, and more. Includes reflection questions. 96 pages, softcover from Abingdon.


Christmas Stories
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson, August 2011
Celebrate Christmas with heartwarming tales and reflections by one of today's greatest storytellers.
Be inspired by the true meaning of the season with this spectacular collection of Max Lucado's favorite Christmas stories and reflections.
You'll be whisked away to the heavenly battle between angels and demons preceding Christ's birth. Then walk in the shoes of Joseph as he ponders the miracle before him. Travel to a small Texas town where a missing baby Jesus from a manger scene sets a modern day miracle in motion. And witness the story of Madeline, a prodigal girl who thinks she's lost everything until her dad gives everything to win her back one Christmas.

The Snow Angel
Glenn Beck
Threshold Editions, October 2011
Rachel Price has just one happy memory from her childhood: the moment her father took her hands while playing outside on a cold, snowy day and called her his angel. It was a rare and sacred moment in her young life, one in which she finally felt safe, loved and protected.....But it didn't last long.



Christmas in Sugarcreek (Seasons of Sugarcreek series #4)
Shelley Shepard Gray
Avon Inspire, November 2011
For years, Judith Graber has labored in her family's store. Now she feels overworked and underappreciated. Fresh from his rumspringa, "bad boy" Ben Knox is working by her side and stealing her heart---which is the last thing she wants! Will this Christmas bring new love to the unlikeliest pair in Sugarcreek? 256 pages, hardcover from Avon Inspire.

The Christmas Shoppe
Melody Carlson
Revell, November 2011
The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Wow Christmas 2011
Various Artists
The must-have soundtrack for all your holiday festivities! Includes "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (Big Daddy Weave); "Little Drummer Boy" (Point of Grace); "Joy to the World" (Casting Crowns); "Emmanuel" (Chris Tomlin); "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Steven Curtis Chapman); and new arrangements of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (Mark Maher) and "Deck the Halls" (Tenth Avenue North). Two CDs.
Word Entertainment, September 2011

Christmas in Diverse City
Toby Mac
Forefront Music, September 2011
Spend Christmas with tobyMac and the boys! Showcasing their trademark mix of rock, pop, hip-hop, and urban rhythms, they deliver their distinctive renditions of "Little Drummer Boy," "Mary's Boy Child," "The First Noel," "Carol of the King," "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Birth of Love," "What Child Is This?" "It Snowed," and more

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Christmas Symphony
Mannheim Steamroller
Universal Music, October 2011
Here's a holiday event not to be missed---the eagerly awaited Yuletide album from this best-selling group! Known for their innovative arrangements and "18th-century rock 'n' roll sound," Mannheim Steamroller brings their trademark talents to "Deck the Halls"; "Little Drummer Boy"; "Cantique de No<\#235>l"; "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"; "In Dulci Jubilo"; "Carol of the Birds"; "Greensleeves"; and more.

Christmas from the Vineyard
Vineyard UK
Kingsway, September 2011
Melding modern worship and English folk sounds to timeless classics, this album encourages you to honor Christ the King this season! Includes "The First Noel"; "O Come, All Ye Faithful"; "In the Bleak Midwinter"; "Humble King"; "It Came upon a Midnight Clear"; "Silent Night"; "See amid the Winter Snow"; "O Little Town of Bethlehem"; "Gaudete"; and "In Dulce."