What about A Chapter a Day?
Across the months since I announced in April 2023 that it was time for the search for my successor to begin, one of the most often asked questions has been: “Once you retire, what will happen to A Chapter a Day?”
Before I answer this frequently asked question, let’s ask and answer at least two more questions.
When and how did A Chapter a Day begin? At the Lord’s prompting, I began to offer the daily A Chapter a Day emails in March 2016.
By the Lord’s grace, and with the help of my proofreader (my wife, Beverly), A Chapter a Day has been written, proofed, and posted so that it has arrived every morning for more than eight years!
It’s probably worth noting that A Chapter a Day was not part of my pastoral ministry for the first 26+ years of my service at Ingleside. It didn’t begin until I was 57 years of age and until our nest was empty. It wasn’t suggested or assigned by someone else. It grew out of a specific sense of leading that the Lord placed on my heart.
When it began, I really didn’t know if I could do it or how long it would last. I only knew that relying on the Lord, I was supposed to give it a shot – to help as many people as possible develop the habit of engaging with God through his word every day.
What’s the reach of A Chapter a Day now? The most recent reports say that more than 10,300 people subscribe. The number changes almost daily as new people sign up and as others opt out.
For comparison, just over 5,000 people currently subscribe to our Inside Ingleside weekly e-newsletter. So, we estimate that about half of A Chapter a Day subscribers are Inglesiders, and about half are beyond our church.
If you have benefited from A Chapter a Day and if you have shared it with those you love, thank you for reading and thank you for passing it along!
What’s the future of A Chapter a Day? In the near term, I plan to suspend A Chapter a Day on Tuesday, May 28, as we conclude our current journey through the book of Psalms.
After a hiatus of some months, I may resume A Chapter a Day as a retirement ministry. I may resume the daily emails. I may publish the material in printed form. It may become a podcast. It may take a shape I have not yet considered. I’m certain, however, that the Lord will give me good direction about what its long-term future should be.
If you are interested in what will happen to A Chapter a Day in the months ahead, no action on your part is required. I’ll communicate directly with everyone on the subscriber list when decisions are made.
And, of course, to all who have been partners on the journey, it has been a great joy and privilege to abide in the Scripture with you for our good and God’s glory . . . a chapter a day!
Your Pastor and Friend,
