Dear Reader,
We are getting closer to a milestone in Reformed Worship’s history when we will mark the end of its time as a print and digital quarterly journal and its move to a fully free, website-only existence. The next issue will be the final Reformed Worship (RW) in print, but our story is far from over.
Change Is Hard, But You Can Do It
Change is hard. I feel it too. I love seeing the row of RWs on my shelf. I locate articles by looking at the covers. I appreciate the beauty of the artwork and the smell of the heavy paper. Some of you will miss sitting in your favorite chair, coffee in hand, reading through the journal. But change calls for new practices. We hope you will find a new rhythm of grabbing your tablet, opening up ReformedWorship.org, and losing yourself in the many articles and resources found on the site. And while we haven’t yet figured out how to duplicate the smell of the print journal, we are committed to increasing the use of art on our website and continuing to provide the same quality articles and resources you’ve come to expect.
Come with us as we keep telling the good story—the best story ever told— together.
Change in Medium, Not in Purpose
Yes, there will be change in the medium, but Reformed Worship at its core is not changing. We will continue to be a way for worship pastors, leaders, and planners to connect, be equipped, and be inspired. We look forward to many more years of providing trusted practical resources grounded in the richly diverse global expressions of the Reformed/Presbyterian theological tradition and drawing on the patterns of the historical church and Scripture itself.
Expanding yet Focused Mission
Reformed Worship’s website started as a simple archive of the print journal to make it easier for subscribers to copy and paste litanies into their bulletins. But since its beginning, the reach of the website has always been far greater than that of the journal itself. Our change in medium means we get to attend to that broader audience. At the same time, the exact opposite is also true: We can now develop resources for niche audiences without worrying about the space constraints that a print journal imposes. The move to web-only will allow us to be more supportive and responsive to your needs, but we need your help to accomplish that goal.
How Can You Help?
We value all our subscribers. This journal has always aimed to reach worship planners and pastors across denominational and national boundaries. So when we say all subscribers, we are thinking of all of our readership from every (or no) Christian denomination around the world. We want to hear your suggestions about what type of web resources would be most helpful for you in the future. What do small churches most need? What do rural churches need? What does your church need? What do you need as volunteer lay leaders, paid staff, or clergy?
Throughout its history, Reformed Worship has been invited by the Holy Spirit to be part of a circle of blessing that begins in the local church. The Spirit works through you to create resources. You share them with us and we curate and disseminate them, in turn blessing congregations around the globe. Thank you for being part of that story! Open to the work of the Spirit, we look forward to continuing to partner with you in the future—to writing new chapters together. Come with us as we keep telling the good story—the best story ever told—together.
We’d love to hear from you.
Joyce
Submit articles at reformedworship.org