DATE: JUNE 1, 2009

For Immediate Release:

Calvary Chapel's Senior Pastor Chuck Smith
Teams up with composer John Andrew Schreiner
To Create a Fresh Ministry Tool & New Media Event

Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, announced the release today of The Psalms of Comfort with narration by Senior (and founding) pastor Chuck Smith-featuring original music from composer John Andrew Schreiner. The Psalms of Comfort is the first in a series, which will also include The Psalms of Praise and The Psalms of Wisdom, both currently in production

Pastor Smith continues what has been a lifetime of involvement with new media pioneering. His tape ministry and The Word for Today radio ministry were both early catalysts for the worldwide presence of Calvary Chapel. Today, there are thousands Calvary Chapels around the world

The Psalms of Comfort combines Scripture blended with original music that captures the heart of each psalm and provides a beautiful backdrop for Smith's signature storytelling. The text is from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible with limited paraphrasing by Pastor Smith.

"The reassuring warmth and singular presence of Pastor Chuck Smith's voice is uniquely suited for this project," says Executive Producer Chuck Fromm. "He has created a devotional and meditation classic." Pastor Smith believes that "meditation is the best way to approach and absorb the Psalms."

The Psalms will be given away through Calvary Chapel's association of home and hospital ministries and also sold through their bookstores and catalogues. CDs and downloadable Psalms will be available on the Calvary Chapel website as well as at earlychristianworship.com, iTunes and Amazon.com among a number of other online sites.

Pastor Chuck Smith began sharing his love for the Psalms in a media context first through his tape and radio ministry and later when he hosted Maranatha! Music's Psalms Alive recordings at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in 1983 (still one of the top-selling Christian projects of the past three decades). At 82 years old, Pastor Smith reflects the Psalms most profoundly in his energetic and inspired leadership, a perfect representation of the wisdom there: "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green" (Psalm 92:14).