Our publishing house welcomes Reformed Journal Books, compassionate Christian voices of resilience and hope
NOVEMBER 6, 2023—Today, Front Edge Publishing is joining with the new Reformed Journal Books in unveiling the cover of our first joint venture in what both teams of media professionals hope will become an ongoing series bringing readers thoughtful, helpful books for individual reflection, group discussions and educational programs.
The debut book of this new publishing imprint is Jeffrey Munroe’s Telling Stories in the Dark: Finding healing and hope in sharing our sadness, grief, trauma, and pain.
Please “stay tuned” for more news in coming weeks—because Jeffrey’s book will be available for pre-order from Amazon—and other book retailers—before the end of 2023. The book’s national launch date will be in early 2024.
Today, our two teams of media professionals—Front Edge and Reformed Journal—are jointly announcing our work together—and we are unveiling the cover of Jeffrey’s book, designed by the Front Edge Publishing Art Director, the award-winning artist Rick Nease.
Who is Jeffrey Munroe?
Jeffrey Munroe is editor of the digital magazine Reformed Journal. He also is the author of Reading Buechner: Exploring the Work of a Master Memoirist, Novelist, Theologian, and Preacher. Over many years, he has worked with writers, authors and scholars nationwide whose work is shaped by their religious faith. One of those long-time friends, the best-selling author Sarah Arthur, also will be debuting her own new book in early 2024 with Penguin Random House. To help launch both Jeffrey’s first book and this important new imprint, Sarah graciously took time in late 2023 to write the Foreword for Jeffrey’s new book.
To put it simply: This book and this new imprint represent the collective good work of a host of professionals who truly want to share hopeful stories in these troubling times. This is an exciting group of people to get to know through their upcoming books—and who want to actively engage with groups and congregations nationwide. (Look below for more information about how to make contact.)
Jeffrey’s long career began with his studies at Michigan State University and Western Theological Seminary, after which he became an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America. He served in the non-denominational youth ministry Young Life for three decades in West Michigan and Europe, and served as Executive Vice President of Western Theological Seminary for close to a decade. He and his wife Gretchen live in Holland, Michigan, and are the parents of two adult children.
What is The Reformed Journal?
The Reformed Journal is an online magazine with a broadly inclusive mission:
We are a community of readers and writers who explore faith and life from a generously Reformed perspective. The Reformed tradition is one of the original branches of the Protestant movement with congregations across the U.S. and around the world.
These roots run deep: The Reformed Journal was published from 1951 to 1990 by Eerdmans and originally drew authors and readers primarily from the Christian Reformed Church. The mantle was then passed to Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought, originally sponsored by the Reformed Church in America. Perspectives started an online presence with the introduction of The Twelve blog in 2011. Today’s digital Reformed Journal is not affiliated with any denomination or institution, but stands on the shoulders of both the original Reformed Journal and Perspectives.
The Reformed Journal community of authors today—Jeffrey describes his colleagues and their work this way:
The writers who contribute to our online magazine are wise guides—including pastors, professors, and thinkers from various Reformed institutions across the United States and Canada. We stand outside our formal institutional structures to offer free expression. Although our history dates back to 1951, we have seen a resurgence of activity and interest in our work in recent years. The environmental crisis, racial strife, and political polarization accompanied by fissures in denominational life and shrinking attendance in local congregations have raised many questions about what it means to live a faithful and faith-filled life.
Want to Get Involved?
Our world certainly needs hopeful stories—and practical ways to build healthy relationships and communities. That’s what we’re collectively trying to do. We welcome you to connect—and get involved.
If you order a copy of Jeffrey’s new book (when already is listed for pre-order from Amazon), you will meet this remarkable, wise community of women and men—because each chapter of Jeffrey’s book is written in collaboration with one or more of these “wise guides.” From its inception, this book has been designed to showcase not only Jeffrey’s insights as a storyteller—but dozens of other women and men whose real-life stories will inspire and offer fresh paths to resilience and hope.
This book truly is, as we often say at Front Edge Publishing, “a community between two covers.”
Hopes for this new book imprint, Reformed Journal Books—
Jeffrey writes:
We see many of the timely issues we already are covering in our magazine as emerging in crucial national conversations, right now. We also are aware of the unique wisdom that our religious and professional backgrounds can collectively bring to those conversations. So, we are launching this book imprint, Reformed Journal Books. In coming years, we hope these books will provide deeper engagement with our writers, providing helpul books that are ideal for individual reflection and small-group discussion.
Please, visit us at our homepage for the new imprint: ReformedJournal.com/books to learn more about our debut book—and eventually to download a free PDF discussion guide. Through that page you also can learn how to contact me, Jeffrey Munroe, about speaking, retreats, or Zoom appearances with discussion groups. Or, you can contact me right now through my website www.JeffreyMunroe.com
Contact [email protected] to place bulk orders for this upcoming book. We also can explain options for modifying the books in your bulk order to include information about your group or congregation either on the covers or in additional pages. Such a modification could make a “group read” a special opportunity for community outreach.
Finally, want the Movie Version?
Here’s a 1-minute book trailer prepared by our own Marketing Director Susan Stitt:
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