Contact: Louise Ward, YouthWorks!, Inc.®, 612-746-6412, Louisew@YouthWorks.com

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Nov. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- YouthWorks!, Inc.® (YW)--a multi-denominational family of ministries that plans and implements life-changing, Christ-centered missions trips and ministry experiences--has agreed in principle with Christian communications and publishing company Zondervan to acquire Youth Specialties--the international leader in training and equipping youth pastors and youth ministry leaders.

The agreement is for the YW acquisition of the Events Division of Youth Specialties. The publishing rights of Youth Specialties will remain with Zondervan. The acquisition is expected to be completed before the end of the year and will significantly expand the reach of the YW family of ministries, which currently operates in more than 80 cities in the U.S. and Canada. YW ministries have served more than 400,000 participants through 10,000 churches. Youth Specialties serves more than 10,000 churches and 100,000 youth ministry workers worldwide.

Paul Bertelson, founder and President of YW, and Moe Girkins, Zondervan President and CEO, will personally share additional details of the acquisition with some 3,000 youth pastors and ministry workers attending the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) in Atlanta, today.

"The YouthWorks team is excited about the opportunities this union offers," said Bertelson. "We believe that the work and the ministry of Youth Specialties are so very important! We recognize and value what the events and resources offer to pastors and ministry teams and the impact they have on our youth and the Church as a whole. Overall, Youth Specialties is a wonderful compliment to the YouthWorks ministry. But, just as important, we hold dear the stewardship of the Youth Specialties legacy that is being passed on to us."

YW and Zondervan share a primary goal in the acquisition: to advance the efforts of Youth Specialties while honoring the legacy of the ministry and its founders.

"We believe this agreement allows Youth Specialties to move to the next level under the guidance of a missions-minded ministry," said Girkins. "Our appreciation for the heart and mission of Youth Specialties has been at the forefront of this venture and we are confident that our friends at YouthWorks offer a great fit."

For additional information on the YW acquisition of Youth Specialties visit www.youthworks.com/ys.asp

About YouthWorks!, Inc. (YW)
YW was founded in 1994 as a youth missions organization with a goal to become a broader resource for the Church--to "Help the Church Be the Church." In 2008, YW expanded its ministry vision to include planning and facilitating ministry experiences for children, youth and families. Today, YW is a family of ministries--YouthWorks Missions, SportsLife Camps, GreaterWorks, YouthWorks Foundation and Recharge. With the impending addition of Youth Specialties, YW is poised to serve children, youth, college students, multi-generational families of all ages and youth workers. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN--with regional offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, Birmingham, AL, and an affiliate in Vancouver, BC--YW operates in more than 80 cities and has served more than 400,000 participants and 10,000 churches since its inception. For more information on YW visit www.YouthWorks.com.

About Youth Specialties
For nearly 40 years, Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers of nearly every denomination and youth-serving organization. Each year, Youth Specialties serves more than 100,000 youth workers worldwide through training seminars and conventions, resources and the Internet. Youth Specialties produces the YS National Youth Workers Convention for more than 15,000 youth workers each fall; and in the spring hosts the YS One Day(tm) training day for 20,000 youth workers. For more information, visit www.YouthSpecialties.com.  

About Zondervan
Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and the leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego and Miami, Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software and digital products through its Zondervan, eZondervan, Zonderkidz, Youth Specialties, Editorial Vida, and National Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online and by Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at www.Zondervan.com.