Mennonite Life, 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, will hold a book launch celebrating the revised edition of John Ruth's "The Earth Is the Lord's: A Narrative History of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference" in the Mennonite Life Community Room on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m.

Since the first edition was published in 2001, "The Earth Is the Lord's" has been integral in situating the narratives of Lancaster County in the history of Anabaptism. Mennonite Life's reprint of the book features a new foreword by John Ruth, new cover art, and minor revisions to the text.

The release event will feature a video of John Ruth reading selections from his new foreword. Additionally, local Mennonite historian and author Steve Nolt will offer a presentation on the influence of the book and the research opportunities it provides to both familiar and new readers.

Beth Oberholtzer, graphic designer, will share about the updated cover art, which features fraktur from Mennonite Life's permanent collection. The images connect the story with Mennonite Life's ongoing preservation work.

The revised edition will be available for sale at the event, and preordered copies will be available for pickup. Light refreshments will be served.

The event is free, but registration is required. To register, visit http://www.mennonitelife.org/events or call 717-393-9745. A livestream of the event will be available at http://www.facebook.com/MennoniteLife.

Mennonite Life's vision is diverse communities connecting across boundaries by knowing and valuing their own and each other's stories of life, faith, cultures, and histories.