In this, my fourth year with Forward in Christ (FIC), there is a little bit of road in the rearview mirror. I can look back and assess what goals our staff has met and missed.

A goal we have met is making it possible for WELS congregations and organizations to learn more about the mission of FIC in a personal way.

FIC’s mission is multifaceted: to help readers grow in their Christian faith; to encourage readers to live as Christians in a secular world; to provide ways for readers to gain a deeper personal perspective on Christian life and challenges; to inform readers what is going on within WELS; to nurture the sense that readers are part of something bigger than their local churches; and to broaden the information, insights, and perspectives readers receive in their local congregations.

Congregational members and convention attendees learn about this mission in a personal way when I accept Forward in Christ Sunday requests or attend an organization’s convention. It is personal because individuals have an opportunity to interact with someone associated with the magazine.

Meeting people at the grassroots level makes it easy for readers to pass along feedback on the magazine. And they do share words of appreciation and suggestions for improvement.

But they share more than that. They pass along story ideas and recommendations for future content.

Imagine a person at a Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society convention saying, “I think I have a story for you. I even have the title and subtitle of the article.” That was Julie Wen. You read her story in the October 2025 issue: “From Buddhist to Lutheran: It started at a rodeo.” Or imagine being seated at a congregational meal following a Forward in Christ Sunday worship service. You hear the story of a woman who had no biblical knowledge until she was 31 years old, and then you meet her. Now, she and her family are members of a WELS church in Wisconsin. This is Skye Defourneaux. You can read her story here. Stories like these materialized because I was in the position to meet people.

So what have I learned by meeting readers of FIC? They are deeply appreciative of having Christ-centered content to read each month. They are interested in applying God’s Word to situations in their lives. They are encouraged by the stories of fellow Christians who have—only through the Lord’s help and strength—overcome great challenges and adversities.

I have also learned how people read the magazine. A men’s group reads and discusses articles each week at a coffee shop. A group of men and women use parts of the magazine as a resource for Bible studies. A husband and wife read a page or two of the magazine, along with the Bible, each morning at breakfast.

And readers do not want the magazine’s influence to end with them. They tell me how they recycle their magazines at doctors’ offices, nursing homes, hospitals, and auto repair shops. Others ask how they can repurpose their magazine.

Yes, there is much to learn by looking in the rearview mirror of life. But it is time again to look through the windshield. Forward . . . in Christ.

Want Pastor James Pope to visit your congregation or organization? Request a speaker at forwardinchrist.net/submit. There you can also submit comments or story ideas.

James Pope | FIC Editor

Author: James Pope
Volume 113, Number 1
Issue: January 2026