Engage Journal Goes All Digital
Beginning with the spring 2013 edition, Engage journal, a magazine for Church of God leaders, will be delivered entirely in electronic format.
The final printed edition of Engage was mailed earlier this week and should arrive in subscribers’ mailboxes over the next two weeks.
Engage began under that name four years ago with the winter 2009 issue. Its predecessor was Covenant Resources, which was printed for the purpose of informing Church of God ministers and leaders about upcoming events and happenings within the denomination, as well as providing uplifting and informative articles.
“Over the last decade, magazines and newspapers have been turning to a digital format as an additional delivery method,” stated Cameron Fisher, editor of Engage. “While in the beginning, print versions of magazines delivered by postal mail were the norm, the emerging trend is more toward electronic delivery, or both.”
Recently, Newsweek magazine announced its decision to go completely digital, and one of the nation’s most recognized newspapers, USA Today, announced to its readers that information in the print version will be reduced in favor of steering toward online.
Fisher further explained that the change to electronic delivery will be more timely, as postal delivery of a printed magazine has always had its limitations. Not counting the time to gather articles, editing, and design, the timeframe for printing and delivery can take anywhere from six to eight weeks. Digital delivery eliminates the last two steps, allowing for information in the issue to be as timely as possible.
A compelling reason for moving to electronic delivery is that Engage can continue to be a free publication, a practice that has been in place since its inception.
“Engage has always been sent free of charge to ministers at the local church and state levels,” Fisher said. “But through the years there have been many who have called and requested subscriptions who don’t fall in one of those categories. Even though most of the articles cater to church leadership, we have had many others, such as evangelists and retired ministers, who have requested to receive subscriptions. In most cases it has been cost prohibitive, but with the migration to digital, access will be much easier for anyone wanting this resource.”
Currently, Engage is available for online viewing at www.cogengage.org. Here, the printed pages are available in a format that allows for page turning and easy printing of articles. As the digital-only version of Engage evolves over the next several issues, the online version will become more interactive to include more “clickable” links that will take readers to related articles, (a more in-depth version), or even to videos. The digital version will be available to be viewed on a desktop PC, laptop, smartphone, or portable tablet device.
The new format for Engage is not fully defined, but is scheduled to be launched this spring. The revision will include a greatly enhanced website presence. To keep with the quarterly journal format, release of new material may be once every three months, or may include periodic updates.
“Once a printed magazine is off the press, it’s done,” Fisher continued. “The beauty of electronic publications is changes and updates can be made literally up to the second before its intended launch. This is critical with breaking news and reports on events, such as the International General Assembly. Digital presentation will allow for the insertion of breaking news articles when necessary and the flexibility to modify delivery dates.”
Fisher noted that with this change will come some adjustments on the part of the Engage subscriber. For starters, ministers with credentials in the Church of God should be sure their most current email address is on file with the Church of God International Offices, which can be accomplished through the monthly minister’s report. Other interested subscribers can email [email protected] with this information. Please note in the email that you wish to be included on the digital Engage mailing list and include your name, mailing address, email address, and ministerial file number (if applicable). Comments and suggestions may also be sent to [email protected].
