Christmas has come none too soon. We need an injection of holiday merriment.
It’s been a tough year, hasn’t it? With the official unemployment figures running above 10 per cent, and real unemployment and underemployment running much higher, the deepest recession in 80 years has depleted energy as well as funds. Not only have churches been trimming budgets; the churches’ leaders are stressed. They support those who have lost their jobs, their homes, their retirement savings and, most of all, their morale — and can find themselves physically and emotionally depleted.
Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have suffered such losses.
Our hearts and prayers go out to all who are ministering to those suffering such losses.
We know that many a church leader has stepped into the gap, and many a fellow Christian has followed the path of the Savior, bearing the burdens of the other.
As you know, the publishing industry has suffered a downturn in extremis, with many bankruptcies resulting. We at the Outlook have experienced the economic downturn, too. We’ve trimmed our operating costs and trimmed some more. But the generosity of our partners like you has provided both the funds and moral support to keep broadcasting the most sane, thoughtful, inspiring, and insightful thinkers in the church.
I hope you have found the Outlook to be a source of spiritual and pastoral strength in your challenging days. We’ve fed you lots of ministry resources, such as the inaugural teacher training issue: “Yes, you can teach.” We’ve served up generous helpings of inspirational writing in our Benedictory column. We’ve provided online networking tools on our Web site to help you connect with friends and colleagues. And, we’ve continued to serve you the Outlook’s longstanding main course: in-depth news analysis, Biblical and theological studies, provocative commentaries, and a forum for the sharing of your insights, the “Readers’ Outlook.”
For Christmas 2009 we’re giving you even more – that is, on into the New Year.
We will introduce a new magazine design and publishing schedule. We’re following the suggestion of many readers to publish the magazine biweekly instead of almost weekly – that’s 26 issues per year versus 43. This will enable us to expand the reporting and analysis, and increase the page count per edition while economizing on printing and postage costs. We’re upgrading the look of the magazine, so you can more easily convince your friends to read it. The content in the magazine will be reorganized into three major sections:
• At a glance: giving a 360o perspective of the church around the world via news briefs
• In Focus: in-depth reporting, analysis, and commentary on a few major topics
• Insights: columns, studies, departments
We’ll offer valuable online webinars, beginning with an introduction to the “Multichannel Church” with columnist Tom Ehrich on Thursday, January 7 at 2 p.m. Eastern time (see ad on p. 2).
And we will offer periodic, easily downloadable bulletin inserts on topics of interest to your congregations.
Lastly, we will co-sponsor, with Montreat Conference Center and the Cross-Cultural Alliance of Ministries, our second Church Unbound conference (see ad on p. 4).
You see, we’re innovating and expanding because we know the end of the story. It begins with the Advent anticipation felt by a people suffering their own recession of resources and spirit. The birth of Emmanuel brought celebration and merriment. Yet the big story was three decades away: Jesus’ ministry of healing and teaching. Then his reconciling crucifixion. Then his triumphal resurrection and ascension. And then his bestowal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The recovery from our own recession is still in the early stages. But as ones who know the end of the story we build, we innovate, we serve, we give. We do so at The Presbyterian Outlook, to help and encourage you do so on the front lines of ministry. And so, even before the story comes to its joyous climax, let the celebration of anticipation begin now. ‘Tis the season …
— JHH
