Those of you who are subscribers to Western Friend may be beginning to wonder where your September issue is! The short answer is that it’s coming, though not in September.

At our board meeting in Seattle at the end of August, we had some fruitful discussions about how WF can better serve its mission of supporting the spiritual life of Friends in the West. We are committed to helping Friends make connections within and across the three unprogrammed Yearly Meetings in the West, and are actively seeking ways to do that within the pages of the magazine, in other media, and through direct outreach to Friends. As a print publication that is struggling financially (along with most every other print publication out there), we also recognize the need to be better stewards of our financial resources.

To address these various needs, staff and board saw the way clear to change WF’s print production schedule from ten issues a year to eight. However! We are also adjusting the number of pages in each issue, and so readers will still receive just as many great articles annually as they do right now. It is our hope that this adjustment will allow us to run longer feature articles when appropriate, and to delve deeper into specific topics featured in themed issues.

Readers will witness this change straightaway; in late October, you will receive a 32 page, full-color issue covering all three yearly meeting gatherings. We are excited about combining the three, as it allows WF to better highlight the connections between these communities. In December, we will continue with the ever-popular Arts issue (send me submissions! Visual arts, written, you name it!) The January/February issue will focus on Friends and Finances (it’s already shaping up to be a great issue), and then March through June we will publish monthly.

By changing the print version of the magazine, we also expect WF will be better able to engage with Friends in other ways. Look for improved content on the website in the coming months, as well as opportunities to take part in programs co-sponsored by WF.

Thank you for your interest and engagement!

Kathy Hyzy
Editor