Group Publishing

We’re excited to announce that Cook Media Global has acquired Fair Trade Services, the leading independent record label in the Christian music industry. This marks another milestone in our 150-year mission to equip the global Church through music and media. Fair Trade, home to artists such as Phil Wickham, CeCe Winans, MercyMe, Micah Tyler, and more, will join the Cook Media Global family while continuing to operate as an independent subsidiary from its Brentwood, TN office. Check out the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gim3eXAz

Proud to cheer on Stacy Johnson as she shared her experience and expertise during this customer panel with TrueCommerce! 👏

👏 Milestone Anniversary 👏   Please join us in celebrating Christopher Livingston, Director of Ecommerce, on reaching an incredible 15-year milestone at Group Publishing!   When reflecting on his journey, Chris shared that his proudest accomplishment has been the BigCommerce project: "It was the most challenging but also most rewarding and collaborative project I've been on. The team members that were a part of it are some of the most talented and servant-hearted people I've ever had the privilege of knowing let alone working with."   He also shared some lighthearted advice for new Groupies: • Say “VBS” out loud three times, and a pallet of craft supplies just appears at your desk. • Write down acronyms. By your third meeting you’ll think you’re decoding a spy message. • Never underestimate the power of free snacks. They disappear faster than vacation days. Chris, thank you for 15 years of innovation, collaboration, and your constant pursuit to solve problems, no matter how challenging they may be. Your servant-hearted leadership and commitment to excellence have left a lasting impact on our mission and your teammates.   Drop a comment below to help us celebrate Chris and his amazing 15-year journey at Group!

🌟 Core Value Celebrations 🌟 This month, we’re excited to celebrate several teammates who went above and beyond, living out our core values of Service and Excellence: 👏 Rodney Stewart & Brian Shumate – Honored for SERVICE in assembling a rustic rocking chair for a retirement party, making the celebration extra special. 👏 Brian Shumate – Recognized for EXCELLENCE by stepping outside his normal scope of work to take on a video project. When last-minute updates were needed, he immediately met to plan next steps and delivered brand new videos within hours—showing creativity, encouragement, and problem-solving at its best. 👏 Cody Storm – Celebrated for EXCELLENCE in creating upcoming VBS videos. His long hours and outstanding craftsmanship produced results that are truly amazing. 👏 Kelli Colburn – Recognized for EXCELLENCE and SERVICE in going above and beyond to prepare inventory for national events. She put in extra effort, including an overnight trip, to ensure everything ran smoothly now and in the future. We’re grateful for the servant hearts, creativity, and dedication of these teammates. Thank you for modeling what it means to live out our core values every day!

Restaurants realize that when it comes to serving kids food, less is more. So they keep it simple—focusing on food they know kids love and will want to eat again and again. How can we do the same as we feed kids spiritually at church?  It starts with one, simple, easy-to-remember Bible Point. A central Bible Point has been a standard of Group VBS for years. It communicates a bite-size but powerful and relevant truth from God’s Word again and again. Bible Points are key ingredients for your church’s weekly preschool ministry, too!  The Bible story is like our lesson’s protein. We center our side choices around this main ingredient. Since we wouldn’t give a four-year-old a huge steak, we shouldn’t give them a long, tough Bible story either. Instead, we choose a small portion of the story, and we break that up into bite-size segments filled with play, movement, and listening. So how do we make Bible lessons both simple and deep—especially when preschoolers and elementary kids are all together? The answer might surprise you! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gFgD8-rf

Meet Jody Brolsma, our Vice President of VBS and Ministry Resources and an instrumental voice in shaping ministry resources at Group Publishing for the past 31 years! Here’s a little more about Jody: • Most Beautiful Place Visited: Probably the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. The definition of the word “vast!” • Worship Song That’s Been Encouraging: I’m a word girl, and hymns always have lyrics that really move me. Lately I find myself coming back to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” because God is just so good in every season. • If You Could Instantly Master a Skill: Falling asleep right away. How do people do that? My brain seems to think that’s the time to spin, scroll, and untangle the world’s problems. Jody, thank you for your vision, leadership, and dedication to creating resources that help kids discover God’s love in life-changing ways. We’re grateful to have you on our team!

We’re thrilled to recognize our Culture Keepers for being nominated for the Servanthood Core Value Award: • Kelly Abbott • Jill Frahm • Jackie Jantzen, SPHR • Elisa Snell • Susan Schuster • Nicole Turner • Jody Brolsma • Nicole Forster • Jodene (Jodi) Wood This amazing team sparks energy and fuels our vibrant culture every day. While many enjoy the fun they bring—whether it’s a themed lunch, a creative desk drop, or an unexpected surprise activity—what often goes unseen is the immense effort behind the scenes. From planning to setup to cleanup, they pour their hearts into creating joyful experiences for all of us. Their tireless work isn’t just about events, it’s about building connections, fostering camaraderie, and ensuring our workplace feels like a true community. Thank you, Culture Keepers, for the joy, innovation, and servant-hearted leadership you bring to our organization! #Servanthood #CompanyCulture #Teamwork

What do you love most about being part of a small church? At Group, we see the powerful ways small churches impact lives every week. While large churches often work hard to create “small church” moments, smaller congregations live them out naturally: • People are known by name. • Growth happens through close discipleship. • Ministry can adapt quickly to community needs. Ali Thompson, Executive Editor at Group, unpacks why “small isn’t less, it’s different” in this new article—shared in partnership with International Network of Children's Ministry: https://lnkd.in/gUzFszUQ We’d love to hear from you! What’s one strength you see in your small church? #ChildrensMinistry #SmallChurch #ChurchLeadership #GroupPublishing