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Redesigned timbrel resounds with stories, color

Redesigned timbrel resounds with stories, color

In efforts to release the power of story into women’s lives, the staff of Mennonite Women USA recently redesigned timbrel.

Staff members re-birthed the magazine, first created in1998 by former editor Cathleen Hockman-Wert. They hoped to retain some of the earlier flavor of publication – a strong emphasis on local-global connections and mission and service pursuits. At the same time, they strove to give it a new focus and look. Formerly a two-color publication, it is now a longer, full-color magazine.

One of the strongest redesign priorities is to dedicate the first six to eight pages for human interest stories that tell how women of faith grow in and struggle with their faith, says current editor Laurie Oswald Robinson. This priority grew out of a year of meetings with consultants and a survey which revealed human interest stories were compelling for readership of all ages and backgrounds.

“I know that Christian women are hungry for soul-tending in our society, and telling our stories is an important way that heal people and restore the tattered threads of people’s lives into some kind of tapestry they can understand,” she says.

“In the 21st century, we have begun to understand how the scientific model of pulling things apart left people grasping for how to put things back together. A story, with all its elements of spiritual mystery, is one way of restoring a sense of spiritual wholeness.”

Another redesign priority was to provide a forum for women of all ages and backgrounds to be in dialogue with God and with each other. The new tagline says, “Women in conversation together with God.” Each issue elicits response from women with a “sister question.” The question asks women to write a 100-word reflection on the upcoming theme. A sampling of those responses is published.

Rhoda Keener, MW USA executive director says, “Demographics have really changed throughout the church, including women’s groups. When Cathleen first birthed the magazine, subscriptions came primarily from women’s groups. timbrel replaced two publications, Window to Mission from General Conference’s Women in Mission and Voice from Mennonite Church’s Women’s Missionary and Service Commission. Today, 32 percent of subscriptions come from individuals.

“We recognize that many women want to relate to God and to other women but don’t do that through traditional women’s groups. This would include younger women who have full-time careers and can’t go to daytime groups, as well as newcomers to the Anabaptist church who don’t have the long-held connections of family and church family.”

The magazine strives to attract readers of all ages – whether individually or as groups. Any group of 10 women who subscribe together receives a lower rate. Oswald Robinson is striving to elicit the talent of younger writers, as well as using many tried and true writers.

One of timbrel's new columns, “Home, Hearth & Health,” invites columnists of all ages to address current spiritual and psychological wisdom relating to our homes, health, families and church families. Another new column, “Culture, Clips and Kudos,” uses two writers in their mid-20s to early 30s to review books, movies and the other arts.

To keep the magazine focused on the grassroots realities of women’s lives, a column called “Three Windows, Three Women” includes short commentaries written by women of three age categories, 20s-30s; 40s-50s; and 60s and above, about each issue’s theme.

Another change with the redesign is that it is no longer a shared publication with Canadian Women in Mission. However, it is staying connected to the Canadian sisters through a new column, “Across the Border, Across the Ocean” with columnist Heather Block, Manitoba, as well as articles from women around the world.

Oswald Robinson hopes that the redesigned publication has retained the best of the old as well as offering some additional elements. But most important, she hopes that the magazine will be a connector of women of all ages and backgrounds in this needy age.

“Women throughout the centuries have always needed each other,” she says. “But because of our increasing isolated society, it may be more difficult – and more necessary than ever before – for women to forge relationships. We want timbrel to be one stone in that bridge they walk to each other and to God.”