BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – As 2025 comes to a close, Lifeway Christian Resources reflects on a year marked by leadership transition, expanding ministry reach and a continued commitment to walk alongside churches as they make disciples. Across research, resources, training events and publishing, Lifeway remained focused on equipping the local church with practical tools for disciple making in a changing ministry landscape.
Leadership transition and trustee leadership
In July, Lifeway trustees named Joe Walker interim president and CEO after Ben Mandrell accepted the call to become senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn. Trustees expressed gratitude for Mandrell’s leadership and affirmed Lifeway’s stability, strong financial footing and continued mission focus.
During the August trustee meeting, Walker made clear the next leader would be taking over a strong organization. “The next Lifeway president will inherit a healthy organization from both a financial and cultural perspective,” Walker said.
In October, Lifeway’s presidential search committee began accepting nominations for the next president and CEO. Trustees emphasized a prayerful, intentional process aimed at discerning the leader God is calling to guide Lifeway into its next season of serving churches.
Search committee chairman Billy Stewart asked Southern Baptists to join in praying for the next leader of Lifeway. “We’re confident God is already preparing the heart of the person who will be called to serve as Lifeway’s 11th president and CEO,” Stewart said.
Discipleship at the center of Lifeway’s work
In August, Lifeway Research released the first part of an in-depth study on the State of Discipleship among U.S. Protestant churches. The survey of pastors revealed that while most say discipleship is a priority, far fewer have a clear plan for discipling individuals in their congregations. The study further revealed only 30 percent of churches have specific methods for measuring discipleship.
In response to the study, Lifeway is developing DisciplesPath, a free resource designed to help church leaders develop a clear, biblically grounded discipleship strategy for their churches.
Throughout the year, Lifeway’s work consistently pointed churches toward intentional, relational disciple making rooted in Scripture and lived out in community. One example was the launch of a 24-week Deep Discipleship program aimed at helping churches cultivate long-term spiritual formation rather than surface-level engagement.
“We remain committed to equipping churches with practical, biblically-grounded tools and training that strengthen leaders and foster healthy, disciple-making churches,” Walker said.
Camps and NextGen ministry impact
Lifeway Camps experienced significant growth in 2025, expanding to eight new camp locations and increasing access for churches and students nationwide. Momentum continues to build, with more campers already registered for 2026 than attended all Lifeway camps in 2025, signaling sustained interest and long-term impact.
Beyond attendance, camps emphasized spiritual formation and missions. In 2025, campers collectively gave more than $690,000 to support Southern Baptist missionaries, reinforcing a discipleship pipeline that connects student ministry with global missions.
Lifeway also invested in equipping leaders who serve children and students. Through gatherings such as ETCH, Lifeway’s NextGen conference, nearly 900 ministry leaders received training, encouragement and practical tools for ministry amid cultural change. These events reinforced Lifeway’s commitment to walking alongside leaders who shape the next generation of disciples.
Vacation Bible School: Discipleship that shapes families
Vacation Bible School (VBS) remained one of Lifeway’s most visible and impactful ministry touchpoints in 2025. Lifeway hosted VBS Preview events in the winter, equipping leaders early with training, strategy and curriculum insight. Churches across the country implemented the 2025 VBS theme, “Magnified!,” helping children explore God’s greatness and engage deeply with Scripture.
One example of that impact came through a VBS partnership with LifePoint Church in Smyrna, Tenn., where outreach efforts resulted in 2,000 children receiving Bibles. Stories like this reflect what many churches experience each summer: VBS is not simply a program but an intentional discipleship moment that often shapes families and sparks lasting spiritual conversations.
Looking ahead, Lifeway announced the 2026 VBS theme, “Illumination Station: Shining a Light on Who Jesus Really Is.” Anchored in John 8:12, the theme is designed to help kids respond to cultural confusion with biblical clarity about Jesus.
Lifeway Worship: Listening, learning and moving forward
In response to a question from the floor at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Mandrell reaffirmed Lifeway’s commitment to serve churches well through Lifeway Worship.
As part of that commitment, Lifeway named Kirk Kirkland as director of Lifeway Worship, providing leadership stability and renewed direction. In the upcoming year, Lifeway Worship will continue serving churches with music and resources designed to support congregational worship and equip worship leaders in their local church contexts.
Publishing, Bibles and recognized excellence
Lifeway and B&H Publishing Group marked several significant milestones in 2025 through new releases and industry recognition. A key highlight was the release of the CSB Grace Bible for Adults, designed to support adults with dyslexia and other reading challenges, reflecting Lifeway’s commitment to expanding access to God’s Word.
Several titles earned ECPA Milestone Sales Awards, including “The Gospel Story” (B&H Kids), which surpassed one million copies sold, and three Lifeway Women Bible studies by Kristi McLelland, Kelly Minter and Jennifer Rothschild, each exceeding 100,000 copies sold.
B&H Publishing Group was named Publisher of the Year by the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association, which also recognized multiple Spanish-language Bible projects for both sales and design excellence. Lifeway and B&H titles were further honored through the Christianity Today Book Awards, The Gospel Coalition Book Awards and the Southwestern Journal of Theology, reflecting the breadth of Lifeway’s publishing work across trade, academic and global contexts.
This recognition highlights Lifeway’s continued commitment to producing biblically faithful resources that equip the church and support discipleship across generations.
Lifeway Women: Celebrating leadership and preparing for what’s ahead
Lifeway Women marked a milestone year in 2025 as the Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum celebrated 30 years of equipping women for leadership and ministry. The event honored decades of investment in women’s ministry leaders while casting vision for continued growth and development.
Throughout the year, Lifeway Women also shared upcoming Bible studies and leader experiences, including behind-the-scenes engagement related to the “Names of God” study, scheduled for release in 2026. These initiatives reinforced Lifeway’s broader discipleship ecosystem for women in the local church.
Research that informs the church
Lifeway Research continued providing trusted insights throughout 2025 to help pastors and church leaders understand the spiritual landscape. The 2025 State of Theology findings showed significant gaps in Americans’ theological beliefs while also highlighting areas of confusion – even among evangelicals – that underscore the need for intentional discipleship.
Additional research revealed a growing gap between positive attitudes toward the Bible and consistent Bible engagement, offering both challenges and opportunities for churches seeking to form disciples. Late-2025 research also highlighted growth and momentum among new Hispanic church works, providing insight into how God is at work through diverse congregations.
Looking ahead to 2026
As Lifeway moves into 2026, its mission remains clear: designing trustworthy experiences that fuel ministry. “Whether it’s through Sunday School, Bible studies, camps, VBS, leadership training or global outreach, Lifeway’s desire is to help churches create environments for intentional, relational discipleship,” said Walker. “We’re honored to serve alongside churches in this kingdom work.”
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