If you’ve noticed over on the left side there, you can click on Credenda Agenda. For those of you who don’t know about Credenda, I would love to tell you a little of its glorious beginnings. Back in 1989 when our children were ages 9, 11, and 13, my husband got the idea for a church newsletter. Credenda means things to be believed; and Agenda is things to be done. It is somewhat important for us all to get them in that order. In other words, our faith is the foundation for our works. I still think it’s a great title (and I also think my husband has a knack for naming things well). He originally came across the phrase in a book of Puritan quotations (and they also had a knack for naming things), but he later saw it in something Thomas Watson wrote (who happens to be my favorite Puritan preacher/writer).
Back in the early days it was a fold-up newsletter. Our kids would get together at the Miller home with the Miller kids, and the whole kit and kaboodle of them would fold and stuff the thing into envelopes for mailing. What was in it for them? Donuts. And that was all. (Although I am sure there is some credit in heaven for them.)
Eventually it turned into a real magazine. I remember Doug coming home one day and handing me a page with my name written under the heading of Femina (another example of my husband’s naming knack), and the text of the column was transcribed from a Bible study tape of mine. Of course it was terrible, so I reworked it and polished it up a bit for its debut in Credenda.
For many years Credenda was free, and many people sent in their Christmas card list of names for us to add to the readership. You can imagine how that might get out of hand, and it did. Soon we had to reel it in a bit due to that minor detail called publication and postage costs. (Our church deacons are big on balancing the budget.)
Now Credenda Agenda is a web magazine. This is very exciting for us, and there is an impressive line-up of writers and contributors. Our son Nate is the Senior Editor, having been promoted from his boyhood collator status; our son-in-law Ben is the Managing Editor, responsible for gathering and posting articles, and Doug remains the Editor, or the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. I guess it has been pretty much a family endeavor from the beginning. Some families go on the road singing and playing music, wearing matching Western shirts. We write stuff.
So go on over and check it out. It’s lots of fun.
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So gratefully indebted to Credenda. Thank you.
We have a whole shelf on our bookshelf devoted to our collection of Credenda Agenda issues from way back. I’m enjoying the web version, too. Thanks for your labor in the Lord.
I’m very excited about it. I like your family’s hobby.
I absolutely love Credenda! Is there any chance you will have a hard copy option again that can be subscribed to for money? It’s so much easier for me to read things that way and I’m more than happy paying for it.
Katie,
One of the things on the table for Credenda is the possibility of publishing the “best of” in one hard copy per year. So that may happen in the future, Lord willing.
I think eleven was about how old I was when I started reading Credenda. I had to sneak my parents copy off the end table and read it curled up behind dad’s recliner since I wasn’t supposed to touch it until they were done with it and he was a VERY slow reader.
The good Lord has used Credenda Agenda to change our life! i think we have every issue ever put out. Definitely on our list of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!
So glad you do write stuff! And judging by the entertaining stories Rory tells on the way to school, the next generation is already gearing up to join the family business!
I have many fun memories of folding, stuffing, and sealing. I’m pretty sure pizza was a big incentive too. The real reward, though, is now I just sit back and click.
A “best of” would be great!
Reading Credenda has been a joy for many years.
Thank you for your service to the larger church body.
Thank you for writing “stuff”, I enjoy reding it!
Becky
It is a hoot to go back and read old issues. Lights and whistles go off in my head like a pinball machine when I read stuff that must have just bounced off my brain on the first reading.
Many an evening meal was concluded with a read from Credenda.
Some pictures – Nate’s story of the driving by the daycare center with the little boy playing air ball – are imprinted.
Thank you for the right stuff.
To this day I cannot take a whiff of a maple bar without also smelling the odors of photocopies and envelope gum….