70 Years Young and Growing

With the March/April 2005 issue of The Upper Room, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this remarkable ministry by building upon the enduring and endearing values of The Upper Room. What are some of those values?

Real people. Readers tell us they like The Upper Room because the meditations are written by real people, not professional writers or theologians. You can see photos of a few of these special people who contribute meditations on the back cover. Lift them in prayer and thanksgiving to God.

Sharing stories of God. The ministry of The Upper Room is based in scripture. It is as ancient as Luke's story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they exchanged testimonies, "Jesus himself stood among them" once again (Luke 24:13-36). Such is the power of talking about God with one another. The Upper Room makes this possible, not only through the exchange between writers and readers but with discussion guides for small groups. More and more churches are using The Upper Room in this way.

Only this week I heard about a Roman Catholic women's group that has just discovered The Upper Room. They read The Upper Room individually and meet weekly for spiritual support to discuss the meditations. The leader asked, "Has this thing [The Upper Room] been around a long time?"

Expanding the circle. Millions of people participate in this ministry annually—as readers, as writers, in groups, and in mission outreaches of many kinds in many nations. Yet, we feel God calling us to expand the circle. We are doing this now through devotional writing workshops and spiritual discovery experiences. We experience the risen Christ through the miracle of this ministry, and we want to share it with you.

- Stephen D. Bryant
Editor and Publisher of The Upper Room®

From The Upper Room® daily devotional guide, March/April 2005. Copyright © 2005 The Upper Room. All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.