This New Year's, don't make just another resolution. Make a heart revolution.
That's what pastor Sergio De La Mora tells readers of his first book, Heart Revolution: Experience the Power of a Turned Heart (Baker, Jan.). De La Mora, leader of one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, says "unturned hearts" are the cause of failed marriages, unsuccessful careers, and our country's divided government.
"The course of a person's life will always be determined by the condition of his heart," De La Mora tells RBL. "What this is about is inspiring our nation to turn its heart back to God and live from its core."
De La Mora developed the book's content over the past three years preaching in evangelical Protestant churches and at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. He has appeared with fellow mega-pastors Joel Osteen, Hezekiah Walker, and Ed Young Jr.
Baker believes all of this exposure strongly positions De La Mora to become both the next pastor with a break-out book and the newest voice from the growing community of Hispanic Protestants, a group Baker would like to reach into more deeply. The book will be released simultaneously in Spanish as La Revolucion del Corazón.
"There is really no one out there poised to be the voice of Hispanic Protestants as he is," says Deonne Beron, publicity manager for Baker. "He can be part of the mainstream and also speak about where he has come from and what concerns him and other people who have immigrated to this country."
De La Mora came to Baker through Osteen's network, and his book tour will include appearances with the Houston-based bestselling pastor and with other Christian heavy-hitters like Rick Warren. Baker is putting a lot of resources behind Heart Revolution, which the publisher expects to reach 50,000 in sales in 2011. All the marketing is being done in-house, but an outside firm, Karen Campbell Media, has been hired to handle publicity.
"The game plan is to have him speak and do signings and get local bookstores to partner his appearances," Beron says. Baker has booked one national Christian television appearance and placed ads in national media, including PW. "The media is continuing to build," says Beron.
Kimberly Winston is a freelance reporter who covers religion for Religion News Service, ReligionLink, and Publishers Weekly. She is the author of Bead One, Pray Too: A Guide to Making and Using Prayer Beads (Morehouse, 2008).
