FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 16, 2010 –
iBegat.com is a website where teens can minister to teens in a fun way…their work, their interests, and the topics that are important to them. This is a place for teens to come and relax a bit, read current news and trends, hang, and join a new online community of friends. iBegat.com seeks to give teens enjoyable reading and offer the resources that will support their needs on hot topics.

We’re excited about iBegat.com and how the Lord will use it to minister to and through teens. You might find it interesting to know why the name iBegat was chosen. The “begats” in scripture are often overlooked and forgotten as we rush through those Old Testament chapters dealing with lineage.

Likewise, many teens often feel overlooked or forgotten. The begats in scripture are important because they give us a glimpse of our heritage, of God at work in the course of human history. In the same manner, teens are significant, regardless of how unimportant or forgotten they may feel.

Also, begat signifies birthing or bringing something into being. Our hope is that iBegat.com will birth (or strengthen) a desire in teens to accept God’s love and wonderful plan for their lives. We also want to see the dream of writing birthed and come to fruition in the lives of teens and young adults who will contribute to the site.

This is your site, so we would like you, teens and young adults, to submit articles and devotions that will inform, encourage, and challenge your peers to live in a way that births God’s purpose in their lives. Look around, browse, and if you want to submit some content, click here: http://www.ibegat.com/submit

What We Believe About God:
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  We believe He has exists in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—all three co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27, Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14;  1 Peter 1:2

What We Believe About Jesus:
Jesus Christ in the flesh was both God and man; that He was born of a virgin and that He lived a sinless life, in which He taught and did mighty works and wonders and signs exactly as revealed in the Gospels; that He was crucified, died for our sins and was raised from the dead into a bodily form on the third day. He ascended to the Father’s right hand where He is head of the Church and is the intercessor for believers. He will return from heaven to earth again and receive His own to be with him forever.
Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22, 23; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Colossians 1:15-20; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14,15

What We Believe About The Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives everyone a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13

What We Believe About The Bible:
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Written with the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit by human authors, the Bible stands as God’s source of truth and beliefs for living a Godly life. We accept the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Psalm 119:105,160; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Hebrews 4:12

What We Believe About Salvation:
We believe the Bible teaches that salvation and the forgiveness of sins is a free gift to us. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and accepting God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. We believe the Bible teaches that one receives God’s grace by putting faith in Christ, repenting of sin, confessing Christ, and being immersed into Christ. John 14:6; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Romans 6:1-7; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Peter 3:21; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 1:7

The mission of Christian Devotions is two-fold: First, to provide personal and relatable devotions for those who may not otherwise be exposed to the Word of God. Second, to promote Christian writing and reading. Our devotions are, at times, both bold and humorous, but never beyond the bounds of decency. Within our roster you’ll find best selling authors like, Ann Tatlock, Irene Brand, Jane Cook, Yvonne Lehman, Ron Benrey and Loree Lough. Our authors are on the cutting edge of Christian publishing. The scope of our writer’s experiences reaches beyond the successful and published, however. We are constantly seeking gifted writers with a voice, message and passion for tithing their talents, so if you know of a writer who’s been called by God to write, have them contact us. A devotion may be someone’s only Bible for the day, so if you find one of our devotions touches your heart pass it on. Visit www.ChristianDevotions.us to learn more.

Ignite your creative spirit with DevoFest! This powerful three-day conference (June 17,18,19, 2011 ) will encourage youth ages 6-17 to discover and develop their interest and talents in film, music and print. Workshops include: novel writing, graphic-novel creation, acting, film production, script-writing, story telling, the production of musical videos, creative cooking, drama, science exploration, and suspense filled adventure walks where we’ll explore the scary and fun facts about nature. (Bring your bear whistle!)

Held on the grounds of the LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this sprawling 1,300 acre campus offers hiking trails, scenic brooks and ample opportunities to spend time with God in His Creation. Nature walks, laser tag, science experiments, cooking “clashes” and skits are just a few of the activities included in the curriculum. Saturday evening we’ll enjoy a late night marshmallow melt, along with FunFight Night where EVERYONE gets messy.

Beginning Friday afternoon teen, tweens, middle-graders and younger will mingle with and learn from professional actors, top-selling recording artists and best-selling authors in an intimate classroom setting. Parents will learn the importance of teaching and encouraging their children to create within a Christian World View.

DevoFest has a program fee of only $85 per student, which includes all sessions and breaks. A meal package is also available for on campus dining covering all meals from Friday evening, through Sunday lunch. Convenient, on-campus lodging is available at Ridgecrest. Deluxe Room Rate: $90 per night, per room and kids stay free when accompanied by an adult.

As part of our writers contest, one lucky youth will receive a book contract!

Light the fuse that will ignite your passion and change the world for Christ! Join us June 17-19, 2011 as we rock the mountain… and the world!

For more information visit www.devofest.com, call: 423 384 4821 or email Cindy at: Cindy@christiandevotions.us

For more information

Christian Devotions Ministry has the follow positions available. We are a non-profit 501(c)3 ministry and our positions are currently volunteer. If you have a heart for the ministry and a desire to obey God’s call, consider talking with us. We pray for these positions on a daily basis, that God will lead us to the right person.

Business Manager: Responsibilities include long-term strategic planning and short-term implementation of goals. Basically, we need someone who understands how to run a 501(c)3 non-profit and can shepherd this ministry.

Faith & FINANCES Editor: Responsibilities include managing the site and assisting the editors with the posting of their content. The ideal candidate should have a passion for helping others see the value in allowing God to manage their money.

Marketing Manager: Responsibilities include marketing our books and promoting the ministry.

Book Editor: Responsibilities include working with the graphics design team, copy editors and marketing manager to launch new books under the Christian Devotions Ministry imprint. The ideal candidate should have contacts within the book publishing industry and passion for helping others get their words in print.

Prayer Warrior: This ministry functions by the prayers lifted before the Father on a daily basis. It’s care is trusted into the hands of our prayer warriors. Our team, headed by Phyllis Freeman, receives weekly updates for praises and prayers. Join our email prayer warriors and lift this ministry before the Father. Contact Phyllis and have her add you to our list.

Contact Cindy or Eddie if you would like more information regarding these openings.

As a government approved 501(c)3, this ministry accepts donations for special projects.  Currently we are seeking scholarship funding for DevoFest 2011 so youth with financial needs can attend this exciting event.

 NOTE: We tithe the first 10% to others in need. In the past we’ve supported Christian youth camps, missionaries, helped purchase the homeless a laptop, etc. (We’ve even put a call out to our email subscribers asking if they needed financial assistance. Oddly enough, no one responded!)

We make every effort to ensure your support is seeded back into His kingdom.

You can mail checks to:
Christian Devotions Ministries
P.O. Box 6494
Kingsport, TN 37663

As an imprint of Christian Devotions Ministry, our primary focus is publishing inspirational and spiritual books with a Christian worldview. We work primarily with writers we meet at conferences.   As a royalty paying publisher, we offer big hearts, encouragement and small advances. Each book receives:

ISBN assignment
Channel distribution to booksellers through Ingram, including Amazon.com
Author order discounts
Author input in book design
Sample book layout
Custom cover design
Amazon book search

The good news is your book will be available for purchase online and through bookstores. The bad news is book sellers probably won’t carry your book unless and until you demonstrate large sales. While we do not require an author to purchase copies of their books, in most cases your own platform will be the primary source of your book sales. For this reason we look at the heart of the author, their message and their ability to reach others through their words.

As we sign authors, we will announce the need for funding of that title. You can learn more about our imprint, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, by clicking on this link: http://www.christiandevotionsbooks.com

We are currently seeking orders, marketing and support for: Open Your Hymnal: Devotions That Harmonize Scripture With Song.
Do you ever catch yourself singing a song in church without paying attention to the words? Open Your Hymnal is a collection of thirty meditations that transport the wisdom of classic hymns and gospel songs into the twenty-first century. Introduce yourself to the rich spiritual heritage that hymnals contain or gain a new perspective on songs you’ve sung since childhood. Whether you sing in the choir, on the worship team, or in the pew, the refreshing Biblical insights in this book will enhance your appreciation of the words you sing every time you open a hymnal.

As we sign authors we will announce the need for funding of that title. You can learn more about our imprint, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, by clicking on this link: http://www.christiandevotionsbooks.com

We are currently seeking orders, marketing and support for: Open Your Hymnal: Devotions That Harmonize Scripture With Song

Do you ever catch yourself singing a song in church without paying attention to the words? Open Your Hymnal is a collection of thirty meditations that transport the wisdom of classic hymns and gospel songs into the twenty-first century. Introduce yourself to the rich spiritual heritage that hymnals contain or gain a new perspective on songs you’ve sung since childhood. Whether you sing in the choir loft, the worship team, or the pew, the refreshing biblical insights in this book will enhance your appreciation of the words you sing every time you open a hymnal.

About the author: Denise Kelso Loock’s devotions and stories appear in best-selling books and magazines. She teaches a women’s Bible study, writes meditations for her church choir, and posts biweekly devotions on her website. She and her husband Mace live in New Jersey with their two teenagers. Contact her at
www.digdeeperdevotions.com/books.aspx

This book will go on sale in the spring of 2010. If you would like to pre-order copies contact us at: books@christiandevotions.us

The ads you see on our site help support this ministry. If you would like to partner with us, contact Eddie at: eddie@christiandevotions.us

Your ad will appear on the site and be distributed (periodically) in our daily emails. Ad impression and click through reporting available. We’ll also plug your book on our radio show for an additional (small)  fee.

Eddie Jones is the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministry. He is Acquisition Editor of our book publishing ministry. At conferences he teaches developing a radio ministry and the art of writing devotions. He also co-writes/hosts the He Said, She Said devotions and radio show.
Cindy Sproles the co-founder and Senior Editor of Christian Devotions Ministry. She teaches along side ministry partner Eddie Jones at conferences on the art of writing devotions and developing a radio ministry. Cindy manages the staff of writers for the ministry and co-writes/hosts the He Said, She Said devotions and radio show.
Terri Kelly is Editor of DevoKids.com. Terri manages the site and supervises the content. She serves as a staff writer for Christian Devotions Ministry.
Andrea Merrell serves as Associate Editor of ChristianDevotions.us. She is the final copy editor for site content and a staff writer.
Scott McCausey is host and content producer of our web-based radio show, Christian Devotions Speak UP! If you’re interested in becoming a guest on our radio show contact Scott.
Bianca Elliott, PhD, is Editor of our Spanish site, Devociones Cristiano. Bianca is a wife, a mother, and has seven grandchildren. She is a full-time public high school teacher and an adjunct faculty member for two Christian universities. She likes to travel internationally and read. She and her husband are owned by a cat named Kitty. She is a freelance writer and a book reviewer. She evaluates Spanish inmate Bible studies from the United States and other Spanish speaking institutions.
Michelle Medlock Adams is Associate Editor of our teen site. An award-winning journalist, Michelle has written for “American Cheerleader” “Sweet 16!” and “Brio,” plus many other magazines.  She is the author of 43 books including her tween and teen titles, No Boys Allowed! (Zonderkidz) and Secrets of Beauty (Barbour). In addition, she was a contributing author to Daily Grace for Teens (David C. Cook) and a ghostwriter for 101 Things You Should Do Before You Graduate (Faithwords).  www.michellemedlockadams.com
Marianne Jordan our roving reporter for Christian Devotions SPEAK UP!
John Mann is our copy editor.
Phyllis Qualls Freeman heads our prayer team. Each week she contacts our prayer warriors to lift up the needs of this ministry.

Our Board Members

Ann Tatlock is a novelist, an annual faculty member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and a co-director, along with Yvonne Lehman, of the Honored Authors of the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival. Her books have received numerous awards, including the Christy Award and the Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media. Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, NC.	Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over 45 books in print and has sold more than 1.5 million copies. DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.	Yvonne Lehman is an award-winning, best-selling author of 48 novels. She directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for 25 years, is now director of the October Blue Ridge “Autumn in the Mountains” Novel Retreat (www.lifeway.com/novelretreat), co-director with Ann Tatlock of the Honored Authors of the Gideon Media Arts Film Festival and mentor with the Christian Writers Guild. (www.lifeway.com/gideonmediaarts)
Jonathan Clements has worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years, calling Nashville home for the full term. Although he has an extensive background in the music business, including artist management, development and career consulting, he found his true calling in 2005, beginning working with authors as a literary agent.		Ron Benrey is a highly experienced writer who has written more than a thousand bylined magazine articles and nine published non-fiction books (including “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Christian Fiction,” published by Penguin Group).. He and his wife Janet have co-authored three mystery novels published by Broadman & Holman, two cozy mysteries published by Barbour Books, and four cozy romantic mysteries for Steeple Hill.