April 29, 2024

In This Issue 

MANDISA

Remembered By

Media & Peers...

Tribute Tonight On "American Idol"

The soulful and vibrant voice of gospel singer Mandisa has been a cornerstone for the Christian music industry and a true inspiration and encouragement for many ever since she took the stage on the fifth season of American Idol in 2005. Between her radiant personality and powerful vocals, she captured the hearts of the crowd, taking a spot as one of the final top ten contestants. From that point, she skyrocketed in her singing career, landing her a Grammy and winning the Best Contemporary Christian Album for her beloved hit, "Overcomer."

Now, the faith-based community grieves such a profound loss after her death. She was found unresponsive in her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 18, at the age of 47. As details are still emerging, there appears to be no ill intent or suspicious activity. The Media Collective, Hundley’s reps, are asking for prayers for the family and her close-knit circle of friends.

A Memorial Service was recently streamed live from Brentwood Baptist church, where friends, fans, and family all came together to worship and celebrate Mandisa's life and ministry. Click Here to Watch.

American Idol has announced a live tribute concert to Mandisa during the show's airing tonight on April 29th at 8:00 p.m. on ABC. Former Idol contestants Danny Gokey, Melinda Dolittle, and Colton Dixon are performing a special rendition of one of Mandisa's favorite songs, “Shackles”, originally sung by gospel duo Mary Mary. Mandisa performed the song as a contestant on the show's fifth season and recorded it on her debut album, "True Beauty," in 2007.

Dixon was a Top 7 finalist on Season 11 of “American Idol,” Doolittle finished third on Season 6 and Gokey finished third on Season 8.

Click Here For The Full Story

Billboard Magazine's Current Top Contemporary Christian Music Chart

#1 (LW1) - Elevation Worship

“Praise“

(from Can You Imagine)

#2 (LW2) - Seph Schlueter

“Counting My Blessings"

(from Counting My Blessings)

#3 (LW3) - Forest Frank

“Good Day”

(Single)

#4 (LW4) - Anne Wilson

“Strong”

(from Rebel)

#5 (LW6) - Josiah Queen

“The Prodigal"

(Single)

Click Here For This Week's Top 25

Contemporary Christian Music Songs

JOR’DAN ARMSTRONG

Achieves Third Consecutive #1 Single With “You”

Gospel recording artist Jor’Dan Armstrong continues to make waves in the music industry with his latest achievement of securing his third consecutive #1 single on Billboard Gospel Airplay with the hit song “You.” This remarkable accomplishment marks a significant milestone in Armstrong’s career, underscoring his talent and growing impact within the gospel music scene.

Jor’Dan is set to release a deluxe version of his acclaimed album *Church Girls Love R&B: Girls Trip* on Friday, April 26th. The deluxe edition promises to captivate listeners with additional tracks and exclusive content, offering a fresh perspective on Armstrong’s unique blend of gospel and R&B influences.

“Reaching #1 on Billboard Gospel Airplay with ‘You’ is a testament to the support of my incredible fans and the dedication of my team,” shares the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native. “I am thrilled to share this moment with everyone by releasing the deluxe version of *Church Girls Love R&B: Girls Trip*, which I believe will resonate deeply with listeners.”

Despite opportunities in mainstream R&B, Armstrong's unwavering faith remains the cornerstone of his artistic choices. Jesus is a constant theme in his work, grounding his music in messages of hope and positivity. His ambition is clear: to redefine the reach of Gospel music. 

Billboard Magazine's Current Top Gospel Music Chart

#1 (LW3) - Jor'Dan Armstrong

"You" 

(from Church Girls Love R&BI

- Deluxe)

#2 (LW4) - Erica Campbell

"Do You Believe In Love?"

(from I Love You)

#3 (LW1) - Donald Lawrence & Co. Feat. Twinkie Clark & Yolanda Adams

"In Him There Is No Sorrow"

(from Power: A Tribute To Twinkie Clark)

#4 (LW6) - Josh Bracy

& Power Anointed

"Blessed Be The Name"

(from Live Praise, Vol. 1)

#5 (LW7) - VaShawn Mitchell Feat. Donnie McClurkin

"See The Goodness"

(from Chapter X: See The Goodness)

Click Here For This Week's Top 25

Gospel Music Songs

Metro Atlanta Christian Concerts & Family Events

Now - June 2

The Georgia Renaissance Festival

6732 Virlyn B. Smith Road,

Fairburn, Georgia 30213

Saturdays & Sundays 10:30am - 6pm Open rain or shine!

The Village of Newcastle is getting ready for the biggest party since Camelot!

www.garenfest.com

Thursday, May 2

The Power Moves Tour

Sarah Jakes Roberts

At Embassy City

4665 MacLand Road

Powder Springs, GA 30127, 7:00 p.m.

www.thepowermovestour.com

Saturday, May 4

Casting Crowns

20th Anniversary Tour

At The Fox Theatre

660 Peachtree Street NE,

Atlanta, GA 30308

8:00 p.m. 855-285-8499

www.foxtheatre.org

Friday, August 16

Gene Watson & Bellamy Brothers

Georgia Mountain Fair

1311 Music Hall Road,

Hiwassee, GA 30546

7:00 p.m. 706-896-4191

www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Sunday, August 18

The Inspirations, The Martins,

& The Perrys

Georgia Mountain Fair

1311 Music Hall Road,

Hiawassee, GA 30546

7:00 p.m. 706-896-4191

www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Saturday, August 24

Crowder

Georgia Mountain Fair

1311 Music Hall Road,

Hiawassee, GA 30546

7:00 p.m. 706-896-4191

www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Click Here For All Upcoming Concerts and Links For More Information

1 - The Bible in a Year

(with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

2 - The Bible Recap

(with Tara Leigh-Cobble)

3 - Girls Gone Bible

(with Angela Halili

and Arielle Reitsma)

4 - The Bible Project Podcast

(In-depth conversations

about the Bible and theology)

5 - The Jesus Podcast

(Pray.com)

6 - WHOA That's Good Podcast

(with Sadie Robertson)

7 - Unashamed With The Robertson Family (with Phil Robertson)

8 - followHIM

(with Hank Smith & John Bytheway)

9 - The Catechism in a Year

(with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

10 - Gospel In Life

(Sermons by Timothy Keller)

Click Here For The Current Top 100

Christian Podcasts

Review: 'Unsung Hero'

About Joel and Luke Smallbone of for King and Country, and Sister, Rebecca St. James captures spirit of faith and music without falling into faith-based tropes

Joel and Luke Smallbone, the Australian duo that make up the Grammy Award-winning group for King and Country, and their older sister, artist Rebecca St. James, are widely known in music circles. But their family’s backstory — and unlikely rise to fame — hasn’t been told in-depth and in all its glorious messiness, until now. 

“Unsung Hero,” co-directed by Joel Smallbone and Richard Ramsey and released by Kingdom Story Company and Candy Rock Entertainment, explores the remarkable journey of the Smallbone family as they relocate from Australia to America in search of new beginnings. 

After the collapse of his music business, David Smallbone, portrayed by a bespectacled Joel Smallbone, finds himself in a challenging position. Together with his pregnant wife, Helen (Daisy Betts) and their six children, they embark on a transcontinental journey, armed with little more than their luggage and a steadfast belief in their musical dreams.

A wholesome, faith-based film — the company behind it also released “Jesus Revolution,” “I Can Only Imagine” and “Ordinary Angels,” among others — “Unsung Hero” focuses largely on the power of prayer, the necessity of a vibrant church community and the importance of family sticking together against all odds. 

Click Here To Read Full Review

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or email atlantachristian@comcast.ne

Podcast: Candace Cameron Bure, author Jennie Allen On What Makes A God-Honoring Marriage

The pair discussed how they had to learn what it meant to be a godly wife versus a wife who only wanted to please her husband.

““He is the person who loves me as Christ loves the church,” Allen said of her husband. “He is the person who honors me above anyone."

Click Here Here For The Full Story

With New Album Out,

ANNE WILSON

Opens Up About Grieving A Tragic Loss, Strength

In Faith & More

Anne Wilson has a pair of hits out right now. Her "Strong" is #4 on this week's Billboard Contemporary Christian charts while "Rain In The Rearview" is not far behind at #14. Both are on Anne's brand new album, "Rebel."

 Anne shared a powerful conversation on the latest episode of "Get Real with Caroline Hobby, talking about her grief after losing her brother in a car accident, performing for the first time at his funeral, how she remains steadfast in her faith through difficult times and more. 

Wilson, 22, reflected on the moment she “heard God’s voice for the first time,” in a clip from the podcast. “I just knew I couldn’t get through without God. I just knew I wasn’t gonna survive… I felt like this weight had lifted (after choosing to lean on faith). I just knew I was gonna get through it.”

Before the tragic loss of her brother, Wilson had never performed or sung out loud. Now, however, the Kentucky-born artist “has exploded on the Christian Music scene, and is making huge waves in Country Music.”

The 16-track project released last Friday includes collaborations with Matthew West, Lainey Wilson, Chris Tomlin and Jordan Davis. 

“ For me, I think it started when I sent a song to Christian radio that was very like faith-based, but it got a lot of push back because it sounded too country, and so it kind of lit a fire in me to go, ‘Well, I’m not going to fit in anymore. I wanna be who I am authentically,’ and I want that to be my message,” Wilson, part of the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2024, said via her record label. “So, that’s where it really came in, but on the other end, just being a person of faith in the world that we live in today, it feels like you’re an outsider if you have faith, especially for my generation. You know, my generation struggles a lot with feeling like we have permission to talk about our faith. We can come out and say it without being judged, you know? 

Click Here To Hear Full Conversation

Click Here To See Anne Wilson

Perform Live On The TODAY Show

“Clear Mind,

Peaceful Heart”

50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry

by Lysa TerKeurst

(Lysa TerKeurst's new book, "Clear Minds, Peaceful Hearts" entered this month's Christian Booksellers' Top 50 at #21)

For the girl going to bed tonight feeling …

* Weighed down by fear and worst-case scenario thinking.

* Consumed with anxiety because of situations you don’t know how to fix.

* Stressed out, maxed out and worn out by all that’s on your plate right now.

Hold on to this promise tonight: God not only has the whole world in His hands; He’s holding the details of your life in His faithful hands as well. While He may not always fix everything right away, we can fix our thoughts on the truths in His Word. 

If you need help daily walking this out … I’ve joined my fellow writers at Proverbs 31 Ministries to put together a new devotional just for you: "Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart: 50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry."

Designed to be read at bedtime, the scripture and encouragement inside this devotional will help you fight sleepless nights and quiet runaway worries. When you preorder now, you’ll receive a free resource I put together called, “A Prayer to Read Before You Go to Sleep“

Friend, I know life can demand so much from you and you constantly feel like you have to keep up. But Jesus wants better for us than a life of crawling into our beds at night exhausted, depleted and dreading tomorrow.

Listen to this invitation from your Savior: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). You see, the kind of soul-rest we need won’t come from endlessly scrolling, taking more vacation days, or pretending we’re ok. No, it’s Jesus Himself who provides rest to our weary souls. 

Click Here To Read Full Column

ASHLEY HETHERINGTON

Talks About Her

Bestselling Christian Book,

“The Joy Of The In-Between”

Ashley Hetherington is a writer, speaker, and founder of the Honey Scoop: a lifestyle blog that encourages and equips young women to grow their faith and reach their full potential in God. Her new devotional, "The Joy of the In-Between: 100 Devotions for Trusting God in Your Waiting Season," entered this month's Christian Booksellers' Top 50 at #14.

Your book is about being in-between

where you are and where you want to be.

I assume you've been in the in-between. Is that where this is coming from?

AH: I looked at what my audience was struggling with the most that I also have struggled with. One of the things I hear most from my audience is "how do I trust God in my waiting season? How do I wait on God's timing?" We don't talk about it enough...how difficult it is to not take matters into your own hands and trust the process.

I graduated college in the pandemic. All my friends moved on to cool jobs in different cities. And I went back to live with my mother in my childhood bedroom. I didn't know what I was going to do. I felt that the Lord was calling me to pursue my blog. Everyone else is moving on to business or corporate jobs and I'm working on my blog!



LIttle did I know that would be the year that TicTok would start. This huge video platform would get off the ground..all these creators would be making videos. If I hadn't had the year to focus on creating videos about my faith and sharing Jesus, if I had been impatient, I wouldn't be sitting here now. 

Click Here To Watch Full Conversation

Christian Booksellers'

Top Christian Books 

#1 - Savannah Guthrie

“Mostly What

God Does”

Reflections on Seeking and Finding

His Love Everywhere

(2nd Month at #1)

#2 - John Mark Comer

"“Practicing The Way"

Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as He did

#3 - Sarah Young

“Jesus Calling”

Enjoying Peace In His Presence

#4 - Gary Chapman

“The 5 Love Languages”

The Secret To Love That Lasts

(New Edition)

#5 - Lysa TerKeurst

“Forgiving What You Can’t Forget”

How to Move On, Make Peace

with Painful Memories, and Create

a Life That's Beautiful Again

Click Here For The Full List of This Month's Best Selling Christian Books

Amish Romance

Best Selling Author

WANDA E. BRUNSTETTER

Talks with us about the third book in her Friendship Letters Series, "Letters of Wisdom"

New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter and her husband live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit friends in Amish settlements throughout the States.

In this interview, Wanda talks with us about the third book in her Friendship Letters Series, "Letters of Wisdom," which is up 6 spots to #4 on this month's Christian Fiction Bestsellers.

FF: What inspired the story in your book?

After being asked by several people to write a book on the topic of abuse, and then praying about it, I concluded that God wanted me to write this novel. The fact that my husband and I had suffered some measure of abuse as children, provided me with the information and understanding to tackle this topic.

FF: What are the challenges for you as an author writing in your specific genre?

Since we have many close Amish friends, I don’t feel challenged to write about the Amish. That being said, there are always challenges coming up with an interesting topic—making sure all chapters flow well—and giving each character distinct personalities that will help the reader relate to them.

FF: What authors or books have inspired you as an author?

I have always loved to read. As a child, I read a book called "Nancy and Plum," by Betty McDonald. The storyline, about two orphaned sisters, pulled me into the book from the very first page, and I couldn’t put it down. I felt as though I was right there with the characters—cheering them on, with the hope that things would get better. The book inspired me to become an author someday.

FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?

My faith in God, which began as a child, has brought me through many joys and trials. I feel blessed to be able to create situations for my characters that readers have told me has helped them grow deeper in their faith, strengthened relationships, and given them a desire to help others who are in need.

FF: Tell us about your next book?

My next novel is called "The Protector." It’s the first book in A Mifflin County Mystery Series. It begins with the disappearance of a young Amish woman, and the main character, her brother, feels responsible because he wasn’t able to protect her.

Click Here To Read The Full Interview

SGN Scoops Magazine Top 100 Southern Gospel Music Charts

#1 (LM3) - Kingsmen - “Unstoppable God”

(from Unstoppable God)

#2 (LM4) - Gold City -

“Help Is On The Way"

(Single)

#3 (LM5) - The Whisnants - “Privilege of Prayer”

(from Been Blessed)

#4 (LM8) -

The Mylon Hayes Family -

"Carry The Glorious Gospel”

(from Steady & Sure)

#5 (LM10) -

Bryan Free & Assurance -

“Meet Me At The Cross”

(from Meet Me At The Cross)

Click Here For This Week's Top Southern Gospel Songs

Fire breaks out in DeKalb church as pastor prays - Click Here

National Day of Prayer Service May 2 on the Loganville City Hall Lawn

- Click Here

‘It breaks my heart’: Buckhead’s Paces Ferry UMC closes after 147 years

- Click Here

Proposed State Department Rules Could Limit Work Of Christian Groups

- Click Here

5 Questions As Long-Awaited Methodist General Conference Starts This Week - Click Here

Founder, CEO of Alpharetta church training group admit inappropriate relationship, resign - Click Here

Savannah Guthrie Opens Up To Kelly Clarkson About How Her Faith Has Been A Rock Through Hardship

- Click Here

Lawrenceville small Christian bookstore owner gets special

surprise with appearance on

Jennifer Hudson Show - Click Here

Tucker Carlson Slams Rob Reiner for Producing Documentary on Christian Nationalism | Video - Click Here



Conservative Evangelical Activist Beverly LaHaye Dies At 94 

- Click Here

 Netflix’s ‘Testament: The Story of Moses’ Takes Audiences on a Journey of Faith and Discovery - Click Here

Candace Cameron Bure Talks with Julie Chen Moonves about How God Uses Our Failures - Click Here

Dennis Quaid says new film 'The Long Game' will uplift viewers as 'Hollywood has lost its way' - Click Here

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega finding comfort in God, prayers after tragic loss of daughter - Click Here

Russell Brand announces he is getting baptized as a Christian, describing it as an 'opportunity to leave the past behind' - Click Here

Mr. T Explains Why Jesus’ Gospel is the Greatest Invitation of All Time

- Click Here

The 700 Club: Author Jennie Allen encourages readers to press into our feelings and understand that God wants us to be honest about our emotions - Click Here

GET IN THE GAME PODCAST: Atlanta Braves Announcer & Former Player, Jeff Francoeur - Click Here

11th Annual K-LOVE Fan Awards Announce More Talent and Events

- Click Here

Seph Schlueter: Encouraging all of us to count our blessings - Click Here

Anne Wilson Performs Live on

"The TODAY Show - Click Here

Matthew West Reminisces On Raising His Daughters In “18 Summers”

- Click Here

Natalie Grant On Delilah's Podcast "Love Someone With Delilah"

- Click Here

Ben Fuller Collaborates With Former ‘American Idol’ Finalist Megan Danielle On New Version Of ‘If I Got Jesus’

- Click Here

Crowder Announces Upcoming Album, 'Exile' - Click Here

Franni Rae Cash Cain Talks Hiatus from We The Kingdom - Click Here

Jeremy Camp Announces 14th Studio Album, "Deeper Waters" - Click Here

Colton Dixon Releases New Single, "Rest of My Life" from "SIGHT" Motion Picture Soundtrack- Click Here

Tasha Layton Releases New Single “Worship Through It” Ft. Chris Brown

- Click Here

Ryan Stevenson and Country Superstar Deana Carter Celebrate Life's

'Rich' Treasures - Click Here

Marietta's Travis Tritt To Release ‘Country Chapel’ LIVE Gospel Concert Television Special And DVD

- Click Here

CeCe Winans' “More Than This” Arrives on April 26th - Click Here

Travis Greene Announces Debut Book ‘Are You Praying For The Wrong Thing’ — Set for May 14 Release! - Click Here

James Fortune Releases “For A Long Time (Live)” - Click Here

Marvin Sapp Set to Record His

16th Album on May 31st - Click Here

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Welcome Christopher Taylor As Paul Harkey Exits - Click Here

Joseph Habedank Announces Autobiography Summer Tour with Travis Clark - Click Here

Taylor Swift's new album draws criticism from Christian leaders who say it mocks God, Christians

- Click Here

Christian/Gospel Music - This Month's New Releases - Click Here