Why We Publish
Have you ever had a moment when a book changed your trajectory as a Christian—and if you’re a church leader, even changed your ministry?
Maybe it gave you language for something you were feeling but couldn’t name.
Maybe it offered wisdom in a time of confusion.
Maybe it showed you a path forward when you were stuck.
For me, two books immediately come to mind that impacted my spiritual growth:
Come Before Winter by Chuck Swindoll, a devotional for a season of aging and loss, is hardly a book you’d hand a 19-year-old college student. But it was one of the first Christian books that ever made sense to me.
Thirty Days with the Exercises of St. Ignatius by Paul Mariani, written for Catholics, is a profound work of introspection by an English professor. Mariani chronicled his dark night of the soul, which reflected my own similar experience at the age of 40.
Neither was written with me in mind—but both arrived at exactly the right time.
Perhaps the only thing these two titles have in common is that both books came to me by no other means than the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I didn’t get them by recommendation or algorithm or syllabus, though these are valid ways to get your next great read.
They were both means of God’s grace, delivered to me at a time of need.
As a pastor or ministry leader, you’ve probably seen the same thing happen. A resource lands in someone’s hands at just the right time, and it sparks something new.
Make no mistake: publishing is ministry.
Books can go where sermons can’t. They sit on nightstands. They travel in backpacks.
Publishing carries written words about the Living Word across time and space. Even in the age of visual and digital media, books remain one of the best means on the planet for sharing the story of Jesus Christ.
They’re there in times of openness and vulnerability. When done faithfully, Christian publishing is a form of discipleship.
In the long history of the church, publishing has always been ministry.
The Apostle Paul was a publisher—his letters carried the gospel across the Roman world, keeping early Christian communities connected and codifying Jesus’ words.
Monks hand copied scrolls, preserving Scripture when few could read.
The printing press sparked a massive reformation by making the Bible accessible and spreading the gospel as never before.
Missionaries carried printed Bibles alongside spoken messages to introduce Jesus to new cultures.
Augustine—arguably the greatest theologian in church history—came to faith through the ministry of a book. Already an intellectual giant, his philosophical restlessness was answered one day as he sat in a garden in Milan. He heard a young child singing a song nearby: “Take it and read it, take it and read it…” A copy of Paul’s letter to the Romans sat in sight, so he picked it up and read Paul’s words, and it changed his life and the church forever.
A book was just sitting there. Waiting. A means of grace.
The written word connecting us to the Living Word.
One of my favorite shelves in my office holds a collection of books dating from up to 200 years ago. Between two globes sit a collection of Bibles and books of prayer and field notes on people sharing Jesus with one another. They tell a story of people finding Christ with one another, from locations across the plains of America and the rice patties of Vietnam.
So here’s the invitation:
What if we reclaimed publishing as part of the church’s mission?
In the last 25 years, corporate publishing has categorized and monetized “Christian publishing.” What used to be ministry has too often become just another industry. Profit has overtaken purpose.
In the process, something sacred has been lost.
Christian publishing isn’t just a business. It’s a ministry. A calling. It’s about telling the greatest story ever told in ways and through means that change hearts, lives, and communities.
This is why we started Invite Ministries.
Honestly, our first mission was to create a Christian publisher that didn’t stink. We were tired of formulaic and market-driven solutions. We wanted something deeper—something that honored both truth and beauty, both theology and story.
We asked ourselves, “What would publishing look like in the kingdom of heaven?”
The first answer was clear: gather like-hearted pastors, writers, and leaders to build something better than what’s already out there. And we did just that.
In the last five years, we’ve published 80 works and partnered with leaders from over a dozen denominations. Not because we’re trying to build a brand, but because we believe the gospel deserves to be told well, in every format, for every generation.
Each book represents an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move. Each one is a means of grace, bringing people closer to Christ and a renewed life.
And now, we believe God is calling us to go further. To tell more stories. To create more materials that help people learn how to follow Jesus. To equip more leaders.
To make publishing a living part of your community’s discipleship ecosystem.
Here’s the truth: If you’re called to make disciples, you’re already in the publishing business.
When Jesus sends out the twelve, he gives clear instructions:
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near. - Matthew 10:7
The Greek word for proclaim, kerusso? It means one of two actions: Preach. Publish.
The only question is—what kind of story are you telling?
The vision of Invite Ministries is not just about making a better Christian publisher. It’s about telling the gospel story. It’s about helping people learn to live more like Jesus. Publishing isn’t about words on a page, but about the lives those words can change.
Whether it’s sermon notes, small group guides, or devotionals shared with your team—words shape people. The only question is: will we be intentional about how?
So let’s do it together.
No matter your role in the church—pastor, author, small group leader, or a voice from the edge, we want to hear from you. Through prayer, partnership, and engaging with your resources, together let’s use the printed word to help people learn to live more like Jesus and change hearts, lives, and communities.
Let’s reclaim publishing as a sacred act.
Let’s steward the written word as a way to connect people to the Living Word.
Let’s help people learn to live more like Jesus.
🙋♂️ What’s one book that changed your life or ministry?
Share it in the comments—or tag @InviteMinistries with #PublishingIsMinistry.
We’re building a community of church leaders who believe the gospel deserves to be told well.