When you pick up Light & Life Magazine next month, you’ll find a new design with more in-depth articles.
You may also notice a return to the standard magazine shape. Although Huey Lewis and the News thought it was “Hip to Be Square,” some readers say the magazine’s square format feels more like an advertising supplement in the newspaper than a magazine at the newsstand.
The existing format debuted in 2011 with monthly, theme-based
issues rather than the previous format that arrived every other month and covered a variety of topics. The magazine became smaller, but it published twice as often.
Some longtime readers continue to express concern, however, that the magazine doesn’t seem as substantial as in the past. In response, we’re making the magazine thicker and our articles longer while keeping the monthly, theme-based approach.
Compare us to several larger evangelical denominations that publish their magazines quarterly, and you’ll find we publish many more pages each year at an unbeatable cost — free distribution at Free Methodist churches. If you prefer a home subscription, call 800-342-5531 ext. 317 to receive the magazine for $15 a year.
Two Languages
April’s edition will also be the first that combines our English Light & Life with our Spanish Revista Luz y Vida, and adds original Spanish content. We’ll use a flip format with Light & Life’s back cover serving as Revista Luz y Vida’s front cover.
This change will greatly increase the reach and accessibility of Revista Luz y Vida. You can now pass along Light & Life Magazine to a Spanish-speaking neighbor, for example, and multigenerational families with members who don’t all read in the same language can now read the same magazine.
Lasting Legacy
This publication began in 1868 as The Free Methodist. It has changed names since then and undergone multiple redesigns. What hasn’t changed is the goal articulated by denominational founder and pioneering editor B.T. Roberts “to make our magazine a favorite and welcome visitor.”
NEWS BRIEFS:
FIRE CAUSES SEVERE DAMAGE TO CHURCH
Burlington, Vermont
A fire caused major damage Jan. 15 to the Free Methodist Church in Burlington. The fire’s cause reportedly was listed as “undetermined.” Structural damage, including a roof collapse, prohibited investigation of the 1903 church building, which lacked insurance. Go to fmchr.ch/bvfmfire for an interview with Pastor David Phelps.
PASTOR/PROFESSOR WRITES BOOK
Greenville, Illinois
In the new book “Make the Words Your Own: An Early Christian Guide to the Psalms,” Benjamin D. Wayman re-creates the earliest surviving Christian guide for personal devotion on the Psalms ever written. Wayman is a pastor at St. Paul’s Free Methodist Church and an assistant professor of religion at Greenville College. Go to fmchr.ch/bwayman for more coverage.
VIDEO-STREAMING PARTNERSHIP
San Antonio, Texas
A platform from Media Fusion helps local churches put worship services online through live streaming and archived video and audio. Visit bitly.com/fmcusa2015 to learn more about this partnership with the Free Methodist Church – USA; the company’s no-contract, 30-day-free-trial business model; and the special discount code just for FMCUSA churches.
WINTER TRAIN DISPLAY
St. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles Free Methodist Church opened its doors to children of all ages in December and January for its Winter Train Display featuring a Christmas village and both modern and antique electric trains. The antique trains on display were changed from week to week, and new features were added continually. Go to fmchr.ch/stctrain for more information.
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