FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 5, 2003

                                                                              Contact:        Jana Muntsinger, 804.754.2118

                                                                                                                                jana@mmpublicrelations.com

 

 Parable Partners with Zondervan for Spring 2003 Cymbala Tour

Jim & Carol Cymbala to Lead Worship Events in 8 Tour Cities

 

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—Parable Christian Stores is partnering with Zondervan to support an unprecedented eight-city tour featuring Jim & Carol Cymbala this spring.  The Cymbalas will make The Brooklyn Tabernacle worship experience available free to churches across the country during this unique tour, which is expected to draw 2,000 – 6,000 in attendance per venue.  An independently owned Parable® member store in each tour city will serve as the “host retailer” for the local event.  Extending the tour excitement to all Parable® stores is a simultaneous national consumer contest offering one grand prize trip (to meet the Cymbalas in person at The Brooklyn Tabernacle, worth more than $2000) as well as product prizes within each store. 

Kay Cementina, Vice President Retail Sales and Marketing for Parable, says Parable® member stores are honored to partner with the Cymbalas, “Our member stores have seen lives completely transformed by the ministry of Jim and Carol Cymbala, so we are particularly excited about sponsoring this unique worship tour.” 

Cementina believes this partnership takes tour promotion to a new level:  “This is different than any other national tour we have sponsored.  We designed this promotion to benefit not only the eight tour stores, but every store in the Parable® network.”  While a Parable® member “host retailer” will sell the Cymbalas’ book and music products on site, all Parable® member stores have access to contest promotional materials and prizes packages.  There is no cost to the participating Parable® member stores.

“Zondervan knew we could count on Parable as a synergistic tour partner,” comments Greg Stielstra, Marketing Director for Trade Books at Zondervan.  “Parable’s detailed attention to the tour’s retail element has expanded opportunities.  Our partnership has opened the door for the Cymbalas to share eight incredible nights of worship and ministry from coast to coast.” Zondervan, which publishes numerous best-selling titles from both Jim and Carol Cymbala, partnered with Parable early on to maximize the tour’s impact on local and national levels.  The tour is also being supported by Zondervan via extensive advertising and publicity campaigns, as well as the provision of promotional tools and contest prizes for local retail hosts.   

The Cymbalas will travel with a few select musicians from The Brooklyn Tabernacle who will add their talents to a local community choir gathered especially to create these worship events in eight local cities during the tour. Carol Cymbala will rehearse with the additional members from local choirs just prior to their performance the evening of the event. All events are open to the public and are free of charge.  The following list outlines the tour cities along with the host church and host retailer for each.

·          Atlanta, GA—March 11 at First Baptist Church, Snellville, GA (Cornerstone Christian Bookstore)

·          Orlando, FL—March 12 at First Baptist Church (Long’s Christian Book & Music)

·          Houston, TX—March 13 at Metropolitan Baptist Church (Grapevine Books)

·          Fullerton, CA—April 8 at First Evangelical Free Church (Lighthouse Christian Stores)

·          Sacramento, CA—April 9 at Capital Christian Center (The Christian Book Center)

·          Chicago, IL—May 13 at Harvest Bible Chapel, Rolling Meadows, IL (John’s Christian Stores)

·          Omaha, NE—May 14 at West Side Church (Parables)

·          Kansas City, MO—May 15 at Sheffield Life Center (Christian Book and Gift)

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Cymbala Spring Tour/Page Two

“Pastor Cymbala, Carol Cymbala, and our team from the music department are excited about the opportunity to participate in this tour,” says Joey Vasquez, Music and Conference Director at The Brooklyn Tabernacle.  ”We’re looking forward to sharing what God is doing in our ministry.”

Parable Christian Stores is supporting the Cymbala tour with extensive national marketing efforts.  The tour and national contest will be promoted in each of Parable’s major spring print promotions.  A promotional kit has been provided to each store (contest box, entry blanks and poster) and may be used throughout the life of the contest and tour, February 1 through May 31, 2003.   And in addition to the grand prize trip to New York City, 10 additional national winners will receive a library of Cymbala books/music worth $200 each.  Every Parable® member store across the country will giveaway 10 copies of the book God’s Grace at Ground Zero. 

Jim Cymbala has been the pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle for more than twenty-five years. Jim is the author of best-selling books such as Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire; Fresh Faith; and Fresh Power.  Carol Cymbala directs the five-time Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, an unlikely ensemble made up of people from various backgrounds, including attorneys, physicians and former street people. Carol and Jim lead the Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire seminars, which share the unique ministry of The Brooklyn Tabernacle with pastors and choir directors across the country. The Cymbalas have three children and five grandchildren; they live and minister in the New York City metro area.

Based in the hills of San Luis Obispo, CA, The Parable Group provides comprehensive marketing services to hundreds of Christian retail outlets in the United States.  Each member store is independently owned and operated, representing more than $325 million in annual sales of Christian products to consumers.  Some of Parable’s specialized services include full color catalogs, data base marketing, in-store displays, e-commerce websites and exclusive products. 

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March 5, 2003