GRAMMY WINNER STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, GRAMMY NOMINEE & “AMERICAN IDOL” FINALIST MANDISA, LISA WHELCHEL FROM TV’S “FACTS OF LIFE” & POWERFUL LINE-UP SPEAK, PERFORM & ENCOURAGE

With families across the nation struggling, facing economic hard times and dealing with over 2.6 Million job losses in 2008 and record home foreclosures which skyrocketed 81% in 2008 (1 in every 54 housing units in the U.S.), women are under more pressure than ever before. With the weight of the world on their shoulders they are being stretched to make ends meet to keep a roof over their families’ heads as they juggle jobs and children.   In these challenging times, they are turning to the Nation’s Largest Live Event for Women, which has attracted more than 4 Million women from across the country and which focuses on providing women with hope and inspiration.

Women of Faith’s 2009 Tour A GRAND NEW DAY will head to 28 cities across the U.S. At each event, thousands of women will gather in arenas for a much-needed opportunity to bond, connect and be inspired as a diverse array of musical artists, authors, and performers take the stage in a weekend designed to offer them renewed strength and hope as they forge ahead.

The Women of Faith event will bring together thousands of women in the nation’s largest scale female bonding and friendship experience connecting women from all walks of life in a deep and meaningful way – focused on helping them thrive in the face of the real, shared challenges they confront every day.

Independent studies by Harvard Medical School and UCLA both confirm that women who have more female friends in whom they can confide are less likely to develop health problems as they age, take less time to recover from trauma, and lower their risk of early death.  According to Harvard Medical School, not having close friends (or confidantes), could be as detrimental to a woman’s health as smoking or obesity. Numerous experts recommend female bonding as a stress reducer – essential in this Recession when women are facing high levels of stress at work and at home. A recent UCLA study revealed that when women engage in female bonding, they release oxytocin – a hormone that counteracts stress and produces a calming effect.

The women who mentor and lead the events as speakers also embody the deep female connections forged at the events as many have been friends and colleagues for 14 years on the Women of Faith tour criss-crossing the nation together for over a decade and supporting each other through life’s ups and downs. The friendships of a few speakers span nearly three decades.

The 2009 A GRAND NEW DAY event will feature a diverse line-up of musical artists, speakers and special guests, including  GRAMMY Winner Steven Curtis Chapman, GRAMMY Nominee & “American Idol” break-out finalist Mandisa, Lisa Whelchel from TV’s popular show “Facts of Life,” Marcus Buckingham, author of landmark best-sellers, acclaimed music artist Sandi Patty, and Nicole C. Mullen, music artist and 8-time Dove award winner.

Throughout the 2-day event, women join together to experience music, comedy, drama and inspirational stories that leave a powerful, lasting mark on the lives of the women who participate. Women of Faith has been going strong since 1996 and has a proven track record as the Nation’s Largest Women’s Conference.
Registrations sell quickly and well in advance of the event. They are available and can be ordered on www.womenoffaith.com or by calling 888-49-FAITH.

Who:         Women of Faith
Where:     28 Cities Across the U.S.
When:     March through December, 2009

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Holly Taylor
310-854-8115
hetaylor@rogersandcowan.com

Denise Lepow
310-854-8115
dlepow@rogersandcowan.com

Before he even left the United States, Lucado made it his goal to help World Vision sponsor 25,000 more children. Interested sponsors can go to the website link: http://maxlucado.com/ethiopia/.

“Ethiopia may measure a bit smaller since I’m bringing a lot of it home in my heart,” said Max Lucado via Twitter upon his return. “I never expected such poverty coupled with such joy. There are more honest smiles among the poor of Ethiopia than the shopping malls of America. What a remarkable, life-changing trip.”

World Vision, which provides aid to children and families in nearly 100 countries, has been working in Ethiopia since 1971, with more than 187,000 children benefiting from World Vision sponsorships. The agency also supports 65 Ethiopian development programs to assist with medical needs, clean water, nourishment, education and rehabilitation.

Highlights of Lucado’s trip to Ethiopia included visiting with an HIV/AIDS program in Boset, tours of irrigation and farming innovations in Adama, and school visits with local children. Lucado also preached to a standing-room-only crowd of Ethiopians on Sunday, May 10, at the Full Gospel Church near Adama. Max and Denalyn Lucado were also able to meet their sponsored child, Mimi and her family, during the trip.

Max believes his writing and speaking ministry has been permanently impacted by this trip. “God is up to something big in Ethiopia, in America, and around the world,” says Lucado. “I believe we can all make a difference if we jump into the middle of what He is doing.”

Thomas Nelson CEO Hyatt was deeply moved by what he saw on the trip: “We came to minister to the poor and needy. But it is they who have ministered to us, exposing our own poverty and need.”

“It was a great privilege to accompany Max and his family on his first-ever trip to Africa,” said Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. “As expected, Max was a quick study and immediately embraced and understood World Vision’s strategies for empowering the poor and tackling the causes of poverty. We appreciate that he has graciously agreed to use his influence in helping 25,000 more children through World Vision’s sponsorship programs.”

In late April 2009, Max Lucado returned from another mission trip to Honduras with Mike Silva International, speaking to more than 160,000 in attendance at the multi-day event. He also spent several years in Brazil as a missionary church planter.

Max Lucado has more than 65 million books in print and a publishing career that has spanned nearly 25 years. His books have been on many national bestseller lists including The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today. Max and his wife Denalyn live in San Antonio, Texas, where he is Minister of Writing and Preaching at Oak Hills Church.

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.

Contact: Dave Schroeder
Director of Marketing
Tel: (615) 902-2127
Fax: (615) 902-2219
Email: dschroeder@thomasnelson.com