As 2013 closes, it's time for a little retrospection. For editors, that means looking at completed publishing schedules with a sigh of satisfaction, and marking the highlights.

We've worked hard this year. Our editors traveled all over the United States, to Europe, and to the Middle East in search of the stories modern pastors need to hear. We've attended ministry conferences, visited small-town churches, and sat in mega-church stadiums. We've sat over coffee and meals with everyday ministers in unique situations. We've written books, advocated in Washington D.C., preached, worshipped, tweeted, discipled, and were in turn discipled by others. We've moved to a new publishing strategy, bringing Leadership Journal to you every month instead of just once a quarter. All this, with our small staff, is an achievement well worthy of popping a New Year cork!

And the hard work has paid off. Our readers have been engaging and sharing our content on and offline more ...