FIRST GLIMPSE: the challenge of change     Eric Thomsen is the managing editor of ONE Magazine. Send comments and observations about ONE to editor@nafwb.org.

I hate change.

It’s a tough confession to make. At age 36, I’m part of the technological revolution. According to “experts,” my generation is impervious to the nauseating rhythm of the culture dancing around it, comfortable with sound bytes, and unfazed by strobe light-enhanced TV commercials that package Faulkner novels into 60-second flashes of hyper-reality.

I can’t deny that I process thousands of emails each week, update computer software monthly, and multi-task constantly—balancing telephone conversations, instant messages, graphic design programs, software glitches, and web updates with ease. If anyone should embrace change, it’s me.

I don’t.

Instead, I find solace from today’s pace of life in daily routines and reccurring deadlines, consistency I can count on. I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, read my newspaper [yes, newspaper] in a particular order, and plan my day using an old-fashioned to-do list…on paper. I take the same route to work and park in the same spot every morning unless someone beats me to it.

Did I mention I hate change?

While I am tempted to incorporate ONE Magazine into my one-man revolution against societal flux, I don’t have that luxury. Today’s magazine must be ever changing—constantly improving and moving in step with its readers. Without change, ONE Magazine would soon become irrelevant.

And irrelevant is simply unacceptable. For that reason, you will see the following changes in this and subsequent issues of the magazine:

• Type. Magazine text has been tweaked to provide optimum readability. Space has been added between lines, and the new body font is among the easiest to read.

• Layout. Designers have created more room for content and reader feedback while maintaining the clean, easy-to-navigate feel of ONE Magazine. Notice especially the table of contents, news pages, and featured columns.

• Content. Read “Brown on Green,” a new financial column by David Brown, director of the Free Will Baptist foundation. “Spotlight,” sponsored by Randall House Publications, will feature a different Free Will Baptist pastor or leader in each issue.

• Paper. In February-March 2009, ONE Magazine will begin printing on 60-pound, satin paper. The heavier weight of paper will increase the feel and durability of the magazine while the “dull” finish will reduce glare for greater readability.

Hmmm. Maybe the word “hate” was a little strong. I guess changes aren’t always bad. And with that, I’m going back to my routine.