Thank You to Our Spectrum Community

Dear Spectrum Family,

Thank you.

Here in the United States, the Thanksgiving Holiday is upon us, and with it, an opportunity to offer my deepest gratitude to all of the individuals who make Spectrum such a special place of gathering and communion.

When I started writing for Spectrum in the spring of 2014, little did I know the imprint this community would leave on my heart. Each person who visits our website or reads the journal experiences Spectrum in their own way and has their own reasons for returning day after day. For me, Spectrum is a safe place to land, to grow, to gather together and wrestle with questions, dialogue ideas, and to journey with others who care deeply for this faith and its future. Though I was born into the Adventist faith, it was Spectrum that made it family. Perhaps this is your experience, too.

Today, as I celebrate my first Thanksgiving as managing editor of the Spectrum website, I am grateful to everyone who makes this community what it is and makes it a family for me and so many others.

Thank you to our staff members who take time to report, curate, interview, edit, troubleshoot, develop, and maintain this site — in between and around your full-time careers and family life. I am so grateful to you for caring so deeply about creating a robust, thoughtful, and friendly experience for our readers. Thank you to Bonnie Dwyer and Jared Wright who have been invaluable mentors during my first year in this new role.

Thank you to our many contributors and columnists. Some of you sent us your very first piece this month. Others have been writing for Spectrum for decades. Whether new or seasoned, you are why we are a reliable source of news and ideas within Adventism. I am grateful for your reporting, perspectives, essays, poetry, and devotional thoughts, and your continued willingness to share those insights through us.

Thank you to our readers for visiting our website and for reading the journal. I hear from so many of you who turn to Spectrum on Friday evenings and welcome the Sabbath by reading our articles. Others have told me they appreciate Spectrum as a place to continue their worship experience after returning home from church and Sabbath School. Still others visit every single day, trusting us to deliver the information and ideas you value.

Thank you to our commenters who keep our commitment to community through conversation alive. Your passion and enthusiasm for dialogue and the feedback you provide challenge us and make us better.

Thank you to all of our financial supporters: our board members who give of their time, talent, and treasure; the organizations that have provided generous donations so that we can provide breaking news stories and live reporting; our thousands of journal subscribers and all of you who have given gifts over the years. Every gift you have given, no matter the size, has made a huge impact on Spectrum. As an independent, non-profit organization, we simply would not exist without your support. Your dedication sustains us, and we are so grateful.

Thank you, everyone, for being on this journey with us. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving, filled with good food and family, laughter and joy.

Thanksgiving blessings,

Alisa Williams
Managing Editor
SpectrumMagazine.org

Image Credit: Courtney Hedger on Unsplash