You, along with thousands of other Canadians, are part of a like-minded community who care deeply for the health and well-being of families. You want to see your family thrive and your family’s faith strengthened and centred on Christ. Your heart is that the hope of Christ is passed on to others around you. You desire to grow as a wife or husband, parent or grandparent, son or daughter through biblically based advice and support so you can thrive in your relationships with your family and friends. 

One of the ways we’ve offered you this support is through the Focus on the Family magazine.

But with the financial uncertainty we’re facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the declines we’ve seen in revenue, we made the tough decision not to print a physical version of the June/July issue of the magazine. And we will need to make this same decision for the August/September magazine if finances remain tight. 

However, there is a digital version of this month’s issue available on our website.

It is our hope that you’ll still get the helpful advice and support you’ve come to expect from the magazine, just in a digital format. You are likely facing unexpected pressures and new realities these days and we want you to know we are here to support you through them. If you haven’t already, please visit our help for families during COVID-19 page for a whole collection of resources to help you.

As the impact of the COVID-19 crisis became apparent in mid-March, we recognized the need to support families in an environment that was changing quickly. With schools closed, parents needing to work from home and most activities cancelled, families started looking for help to navigate these challenging situations.

With a large collection of digital content, we could quickly provide families with faith-building entertainment, timely articles and broadcasts, downloadable activities and more. A free four-week trial of the Adventures in Odyssey Club proved to be very popular with more than 10,000 Canadians signing up! This club offers digital access to every episode of Adventures in Odyssey – something parents could use to entertain their kids while instilling biblical wisdom. One mom told us: 

“I came home from an overwhelming workday to an exhausted husband who had been managing his own job plus our three kids all day. The kids were getting to the end of their ability to enjoy each other and the house vibe felt like a ticking time bomb. So, I put on one of the free Adventures in Odyssey tracks and the entire atmosphere changed! I’m thankful for this type of practical help for families like mine whose world is turned upside down!”

Then in mid-April we were able to launch Focus@Home, a streaming service with content for children, teens and parents. This service launched for free and includes over 30 hours of biblically based, family-friendly entertainment created by Focus on the Family.

We have also remained committed to providing our counselling services to those who need help navigating life, whether it’s a result of the pandemic or not. Our team was quickly equipped to work from home so they could respond to those requesting appointments. And as always, we have continued to pray for the many requests we receive each day, trusting that God hears our prayers and desires to answer them.

As the economic uncertainty continues to play out, we’re working hard to make sure we can continue to offer families as much support as possible, while at the same time, reducing our expenses where we can. That’s why we’re providing a digital format of the Focus on the Family magazine while we can’t offer it physically. But it’s not gone forever – we know how well loved it is!

As a donor-funded ministry, we rely on the generosity of friends like you to provide this ministry to families. Would you consider making a donation today so families can continue to receive the help and support they need to navigate these challenging times? Your support will make a big difference to the thousands of Canadians who are looking for help every day. Visit our giving section online to make your secure donation today or call us at 1.800.661.9800. Thank you in advance for your continued support! 

Please join us in praying for those who have been affected by this pandemic, whether through the stress of working from home while teaching and parenting children, the loss of a job, or especially the loss of a loved one. If you have been significantly impacted personally, please know our prayers are with you. Thank you for joining us in the important work of providing people with biblically based support, which is especially important in these difficult days.