Every week, The Call receives their stories: Great stories, wonderful stories, from devoted readers -- who desperately want to witness how their tiny congregation transformed a community. Or how a faithful little boy fired up a food drive. Or how a nest of baby birds brought joy to a funeral.
Sometimes, their stories come with messages that hint of hurt feelings. "Why don't you have more stories about small churches?" they ask. Or, "Why do you only care about what happens in Knoxville?"
Or, "Why don't you write more articles about retirees and history?"
Or better yet, "Why don't you do more positive ministry stories?"
Well, we do. Trouble is, most readers don't read those kinds of stories. We know, because we can see who's reading what through our online data.
In fact, our highest reader numbers seem to be gained from (1) stories about clergy salaries, (2) the annual ministerial appointment list, (3) anything that pits liberals against conservatives, or vice versa, and (4) anything that has to do with a person's sexuality, especially if it involves clergy.
So here's your chance.
While it's true that stories don't have to reap high numbers to be valuable, it's just more fun to share good news with 500 people instead of 5. So in this special, supersized "District Roundup" that follows, we've provided several stories that someone out there cares deeply about and wants to share. All involve faith and love in some way, and most will make you feel better than an article about clergy salaries.
Please, read their stories. If you know them, tell them their story made a difference. And when your church does something great that you want to shout to the world, send it to The Call. -- Annette Spence