Last week I wrote about some of the changes you’ll see soon in The Lookout and why we’ve chosen to make them. I focused on our Bible study materials and the features we’re adding to them to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

Now I’d like us to turn our attention to another key component of The Lookout our readers have long appreciated, the articles that develop each week’s theme. They appear as teaching articles, interviews, and stories of personal experience. Some explain the meaning of biblical concepts. Some suggest practical ways to apply the truth of Scripture to life. Others show how faith in Christ carries us through life’s trials and triumphs. Many of you have written to tell us these articles have helped you understand God’s Word and challenged you to live more intentionally.

Articles like these are foundational to our ministry and we will continue to provide them in each issue. As The Lookout begins to focus more specifically on your personal growth in Christ and your personal commitment to discipleship, you will see in the future articles designed to help you in two key areas.

The first area relates to the mission of Christ. We want to help individual believers live as disciples and make disciples as Jesus commanded. We want to help our readers see more clearly that no matter who you are or where you are, you can be a disciple maker. Where is your field? Who are your prospects? How can you lead them to be followers of Jesus?

The second area relates to the character of Christ. As disciples who make disciples, how do we reflect Christ’s character as we carry out his mission? How can we make God and his kingdom attractive to our culture?

While we’ll cover many topics in pursuit of these goals, they will provide a foundation for all that we publish. We’ll introduce this new direction for The Lookout in November at the International Conference on Missions in Peoria, Illinois. We’d appreciate your prayers.