Until it was axed, Plugged In was one of two magazines I would literally read cover to cover. It was filled with reviews of TV shows and films from a Christian family perspective. It was well written and relevant and exactly what this young dad needed. The other was The Presbyterian Record – intelligent, newsy and produced by first-rate professional journalists.
What made them great – in my mind at least – was the content. It spoke to my interests. It dealt with issues which mattered to me. It satisfied my needs. It piqued my curiosity. It got me motivated. It got me thinking. Often, I was inspired.
The days of print are waning and there’s nothing we can do about that. But interests, issues, needs and curiosity remain. While I haven’t found any website that I can literally consume in one sitting, there’s plenty that satisfy the hunger. First Things may be Catholic, but it’s solidly evangelical – and deep. The Aquila Report is unabashedly Reformed and conservative. The Gospel Coalition has a Canadian edition. There’s a lot of great stuff out there.
What makes these publications great is the fact that they speak to a community. As faith-based publications, they speak to our deepest motivations.
Community, in a group sense, is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.” A healthy community is marked by its ability to share freely with others of like mind. In a faith community, it would be with kindred souls. Identity is an important part of it.
A geographic community has a town centre. Prior to the advent of radio and TV, neighbourhood parks and village commons were filled with people. After hours, it was the pub. Or the social club. And so on.
A faith community has a church or perhaps a denomination which fits one’s outlook. My kin – those with whom I most closely identity – are Reformed followers of Christ who adhere to the authority of scripture as written, who acknowledge Christ as the way, the truth and the life, who get their primary inspiration from the Holy Spirit and who recognize that our lives and bodies are not our own. We know following God’s will might not make us friends with the world and contemporary secular values.
A congregation or even some presbyteries can provide a bit of community. Sadly, many mainline denominations have abandoned their foundation and are theologically adrift.
So how do we get together? We’re too scattered for a town hall or village square. Organizations are cumbersome and can be messy. Enter the special-interest and trade publication. The marketing, advertising and media industries understand this: “National news is the voice of the nation; new age publications represent people; local press stands up for community,” industry advocacy organization Campaign states on its website.
More to the point: “Your magazine is your identity,” said Sue Todd of NABS, a support organization for the advertising and media industry.
We need a village square, a gathering place, a sharing space. Most church courts aren’t going to cut it. We are splintering and scattered.
We need a magazine.
And that’s what we’re doing. Renewal Fellowship is retooling to focus most of its resources on the publication of a new online magazine. Launch date will hopefully be in the spring. A team has been assembled to put together a design and business plan.
We’ve been having many conversations about content in recent months. We’re aiming for a product that would coalesce our common values but not be identified with any specific denomination. In the words of one team member: “a wonderfully evangelical publication.” We’re aiming to provide what’s missing from other publications.
Here’s what we’re thinking for sections or tabs.
- People & Places – what’s new and exciting.
- Worship – ideas and practices which are reformed and bold and speak to new generations and cultures.
- Theology – religious truths and how they can be applied in a changing world.
- Politics & culture – how to engage and react to what’s going on.
- Essays – insight and inspiration.
- Leadership – advice for pastors, elders or anyone.
- Discipleship & Evangelism — how to normalize it and cultivate new communities.
- All in the family – Christian parenting, healthy grandparenting.
- Holy Spirit – the person and work of the Third Person of the Trinity is often overlooked.
- Opinion – positions on various issues.
- Mission and ministry – planting seeds of faith and feeding the needs.
- Prayer – how can it be more effective.
Are we on the right track? Let us know what you think.
Are you interested in contributing an essay, blog or story? We can’t pay you, but we’d love to have you on the team.
Share your thoughts at renewalfellowshippcc@gmail.com.
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The publication planning committee: Andy Cornell (convenor, RF), Paul Johnston (co-convenor, PSALT), Jinsil Park (RF board), Philip MacFie (RF board), Glynis Faith (Living Stones), Jon Wyminga (Living Stones), Sandy Copland Dufour (RF chair)