Getting Focused

Yesterday we invited the Campus Crusade staff members at our U.S. staff conference to tell us what they like about the magazine, and how we could make it more useful for them.

I am grateful to the 56 people who took time in the midst of our busy conference schedule to meet with our team. They sat around tables and answered a series of questions about the magazine, our service and our online presence at worldwidechallenge.org and CCCI.org.

We’ll keep seeking the opinions of staff members and subscribers as we work to make the magazine as useful as possible to every reader. If you have a comment about the magazine, leave it here!

– Mark Winz –

U.S. Staff Conference on Twitter

Hello friends of Worldwide Challenge!  It’s abnormally quiet around the Orlando office today as much of our staff is in Fort Collins, Colorado for the Campus Crusade for Christ 2009 U.S. Staff Conference.

The good news is, if you are among the Twitter-savvy you’ll be able to follow the Staff Conference.  All you need to do is follow the CSU Twitter or to read what folks at the conference are saying, use the Hashtag #CSU09CCC

Also, if you’re among those at CSU, we’d love to hear what you think! Feel free to leave us a comment or two here, and let us know what you think of Staff Conference 2009.

Small Details

One part of our redesign that begins with our September/October issue has little to do with what the issue looks like, and more to do with what it weighs.

Along with design changes, the pages of the issue will be a bit smaller—by ¼ of an inch in each direction. That’s the size of magazines like Time and Newsweek.

While the change will hardly be noticeable, in one copy, it is significant when spread over the 75,000 or so copies we print and mail every other month.

The smaller size means a lot less paper will roll off the press. That is sound both ecologically and economically. And the smaller pages will weigh less, and thus save us some in postage costs, partly offsetting the postage increase we saw, like you did, in May.

This small detail is just one more way we are trying to serve you better, by showing you how God is at work through the hearts and hands of Campus Crusade for Christ staff members around the world.

–  Mark Winz –

Rainfall

At the end of a tiring day I was reminded of Jesus’ statement that God sends both rain and sun on the righteous and on the unrighteous (Matt. 5:45).

With my wife and daughter, I had driven from Orlando toward my hometown in Nebraska. We had crossed the north half of Florida, then Georgia and Tennessee from north to south, and were near Cadiz, Kentucky. We stopped for dinner.

Parts of the day had been sunny, parts cloudy, and we had even driven through mild rain a few times. But shortly after we stopped, the worst downpour of the day started. We rejoiced that we were enjoying salads in a restaurant instead of dodging traffic in the deluge.

Soon the rain stopped, and we drove on praising God that he had kept us safe all day and out of the weather. The next day we drove on to Nebraska, and next week we plan to be in Colorado for our Campus Crusade staff conference.

As we drive, we’ll be mindful that while God sends the rain to fall on everyone, we can rejoice in the righteousness He offers us in Christ.

– Mark Winz –

Bright Spots

Our Outlook section plays an important role in the magazine now, and will be even more prominent after our redesign. In that section we seek to include a taste of the scope of Campus Crusade’s reach around the world—to all countries and to all parts of society.

We’re adding more color and contrast to that part of the magazine.

First, we’ve moved the opening photo inside a frame so you will see the image without text or titles on top of it. And a line map will help you identify the location the photo was taken.

The stories through the following pages will be highlighted with stronger images. Also, more items will contain a pointer to more information online or contact information so you can learn more or do more in response to each item.

And at the back of the issue, our Insight section will feature larger illustrations designed to more powerfully present simple ideas that will strengthen your walk with Christ.

Look for the bright spots throughout each issue after our redesign.

–  Mark Winz –

A Fresh Look Up Front

The cover and first few pages of your September/October issue will reflect much of the change of our redesign.

The cover will, as always, highlight one of the best photos from the issue’s feature stories. But our title on the cover will reflect the new fonts, and the other text on the cover will be placed more simply to avoid conflict with the image.

The new, simpler table of contents will come next. Now the contents will be one page with a dominant image. Also, the cover story will be identified clearly in the listings.

My column will follow, with a new fresher look, paired with our masthead so you know who is taking part in putting each issue together.

Steve Douglass’ column follows, in a place similar to where it is now. But it, too, will have a new look, with a larger, more active photo of Steve. The small, posed portrait that used to be in every issue will be replaced with photos that will change from issue to issue.

All of this is designed to make each issue more valuable to you.

– Mark Winz –