Title: ELCA Publisher Focuses 2006 Work on Three Initiatives ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 3, 2006
ELCA Publisher Focuses 2006 Work on Three Initiatives 06-062-JB
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is focused on three key areas of work in 2006 -- successfully launching Evangelical Lutheran Worship, a series of new worship resources that includes a new worship book; successfully launching Akaloo, a new faith formation resource for all ages; and sustaining the positive momentum of 2005 in which the company exceeded its sales goal by $2 million.
"These are the three critical components" for Augsburg Fortress' success in 2006, said Beth L. Lewis, president and chief executive officer, in her report to the publisher's board of trustees. The board met at the company's offices here April 21-22.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship is reaching the end of its initial phase with the delivery of a new primary worship book on Oct. 3, said the Rev. Martin A. Seltz, publisher, worship and music, Augsburg Fortress. A preview kit has been sent to every ELCA congregation, and another mailing is planned in the near future, he told the board.
In June as many as five people from each of the ELCA's 65 synods will meet in Chicago to learn about Evangelical Lutheran Worship so they can host congregational training events in their home synods, Seltz said. The training will focus on "how to introduce Evangelical Lutheran Worship in congregations," he said.
The main focus of work now is proofreading the Evangelical Lutheran Worship materials, Seltz said.
Akaloo -- a derivative of a Greek word which means "to follow" -- is an intergenerational educational series which focuses on "lifelong faith formation for the entire congregation," said Bill Huff, publisher, congregational life and learning, Augsburg Fortress. The Web-based resource includes online tools, plus music and video materials, he said.
In his written report to the board, Huff said Akaloo "is a strategy for churches to evolve their discipleship ministry into an energetic network of people who are open to God's call to become transformed followers of Jesus Christ."
Huff also said the congregational life and learning team will develop and launch "brand extensions" of the popular "Lutheran Handbook" in 2006. The new books are "The Lutheran Handbook for Pastors" and "The Lutheran Handbook on Marriage." Each book will have a version for the wider Christian market, he said.
Financial picture promising so far for 2006
Augsburg Fortress finished 2005 with promising sales results, exceeding its sales goal by $2 million, said John Rahja, Augsburg Fortress' chief financial officer. But overall the company finished the year with a $450,000 operating loss, largely the result of adjustments to its defined benefit retirement plan.
From January to March 2006, Augsburg Fortress has had net sales of nearly $9 million and was ahead of its sales forecast by about $80,000, Rahja told the board. The company budgeted for a first-quarter operating loss of $1.2 million, but its actual operating loss was $813,000, $416,000 better than forecast, he said. Augsburg Fortress' first-quarter net loss was $748,000 -- better than its budgeted forecast by $484,000, Rahja said.
In March bank borrowings were significantly below recent levels, with a number of days where there were no bank borrowings, he said. Interest expenses during the period were "very low," Rahja said.
In her report to the board, Lewis said the publisher has "dramatically improved cash flow and minimized the use of (its) line of bank credit." However, the company is not where it needs to be financially, she said.
"We must continue to exceed our own expectations and the expectations of our partners throughout the church," Lewis said.
Lewis reported that two senior staff members are leaving Augsburg Fortress. Scott Tunseth, publisher, Augsburg Books, left April 28 but will continue to be involved in Augsburg Fortress projects on a free lance basis; Jim Donohue, senior vice president, sales and marketing, will leave May 5 for a new position in Oxford, England, with Elsevier, a publishing company.
Lewis also noted that Huff was named vice president of publishing, Augsburg Fortress, effective May 1. In that role he will lead new product development from four teams, she said. The teams are Congregational Life and Learning, Books, Worship and Music and New Media.
The board also heard a presentation from the Rev. Robert N. Bacher, Chapel Hill, N.C., who retired in 2001 after several years as ELCA executive for administration, and Kenneth W. Inskeep, director, ELCA Research and Evaluation, Chicago. They co-authored the Augsburg Fortress book, "Chasing Down a Rumor: The Death of Mainline Denominations." The board held small-group discussions on some of the trends identified in the book as they relate to the ELCA publishing ministry.
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Information about Augsburg Fortress is at http://www.AugsburgFortress.com on the Web.
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