Contact: Larry Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing, Leafwood Publishers, 325-674-2870, larry.fitzgerald@acu.edu

ABILENE, TX, Jan. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Leafwood Publishers announces the signing of Jon Walker, author of Growing with Purpose (Zondervan, 2009) to author a contemporary view of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship.  Leafwood will release two books on the subject, both by Walker: Costly Grace (coming September 2010) and The Costly Grace Devotional (coming October 2010). 

Gary Myers, who is heading up special acquisitions for Leafwood, believes this could be one of the key releases of the coming year: "The original book has influenced, and continues to influence, so many Christians around the world that I believed it is time to view Bonhoeffer's teachings from a twenty-first century vantage point, and Jon Walker is definitely the one to author it." Dr. Leonard Allen, director of Leafwood, goes on to say, "I couldn't be happier with our choice of Walker to write these books.  If there were ever a time that is right to attempt to understand Bonhoeffer's work in this new century with its particular challenges, that time is now."

Myers is especially amazed at the response of pastors and leaders with whom he has spoken about this new offering. "Every leader I have spoken to -- at megachurches, small congregations, and everywhere in between -- has been influenced by Bonhoeffer's work, and they are eager to see their congregations involved in reading and having their faith challenged and deepened by this new pair of books. Walker is enthusiastic about the books, as well: Bonhoeffer called for a return to 'costly grace,' recognition that God's Grace comes at the cost of Christ's passion. Grace is free, but it demands a disciple's whole life, not just partial obedience to the commands of Christ.
 
Bonhoeffer's message resonates with our time of instability and insecurity. We're tempted to compromise in order to keep things as they have been, but the cost of discipleship requires that our loyalty be only to Christ and Christ alone. Where our behavior is at odds with our belief, God requires we be ruthless in letting go of the things that entangle us and keep us from becoming just like Jesus.

Leafwood will help pastors and Bible teachers use the material in Costly Grace by placing four weeks of sermon and teaching outlines on the costlygracetoday.com Web site by August 2010.   These resources will allow churches to bring important contemporary issues to life community-wide as congregations work through the material together. 

Larry Fitzgerald, Leafwood's director of marketing, stated, "There are literally hundreds of blogsites which feature studies in the life and teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- with thousands of blogposts about this writer and teacher who gave his life for his faith. It is phenomenal that Bonhoeffer's works still live on even half a century after his martyrdom."

Leafwood Publishers
An imprint of Abilene Christian University Press
1626 Campus Court
Abilene, Texas 79601

Media Note: Jon Walker's photo is available at this URL -
www.ourchurch.com/member/c/costlygrace/web_images/walker_jon.jpg