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Missions Mosaic readers are noticing the updated look of their September 2009 issue of the magazine. The new layout features five sections—Community, World, Life, Heart and Soul, and In Every Issue—as well as new fonts and graphics.

Janet Erwin, editor of Missions Mosaic, said that following extensive research in August 2008, the adult resource team at WMU decided to revamp the look and organization of the magazine into something more fresh and contemporary.

"After evaluating the data we collected and about two days of dreaming and visioning last fall, we came up with what we think is a better way to serve the readers and the missionaries," Erwin said.

Some of the big changes to the magazine include the Life section which features LifeMatters, LifeStages, LifeChat, and LifeStories, to expand on the previously existing LifeMatters article.

"LifeStages is designed to empower women to identify and understand the various stages of a woman’s life and how to minister specifically to her," Erwin said. "LifeChats is a conversation between a younger and an older woman providing a generational connection for missional hearts. LifeStories are missional stories submitted by readers with one being selected each month."

Jean Cullen, ministry consultant for WMU, said that the more developed Life section of the magazine will better serve the readers by addressing a woman’s specific life stages as well as social issues that all women face.

Also, the previously existing Missionary Sidebars will be featured exclusively online beginning in September. These will then be called Missionary Snapshots, and will be found at www.womenonmission.com.

The Letters to the Editor portion of the magazine is now called Sound Off. Panorama of Service is called Global Partners and is expanded to a four-page spread to cover the work of IMB, NAMB and WMU. Global Partners not only includes global missionaries, but also stateside missionaries and different ministries of WMU.

Other sections with name changes include the monthly foundation article, Pass on the Passion, that is now called Gift of Missions, and the Help for Leaders page which is called Leaders Corner.

One part of the magazine, Ministry/Witness, is renamed Go and Do and is reduced to a one-page feature consisting of specific ministry ideas and tips that readers can take with them as they witness to others. The updated Ministry/Witness no longer features a corresponding meeting plan. However, readers are still able to find meeting plans for the Missionary Focus, Prayer, and Bible Study articles.

Cullen said that they refreshed the leadership pieces, so the leaders of women’s groups can better apply the material to their small groups.

Readers who prefer the current layout will be happy to find that some of the magazine's features will be left untouched. Content for the book club, SHADES of REaD, will stay the same, but with a slightly renovated new design. Prayer Patterns will remain the same, as will Missionary Focus.

The idea behind this missions-centered publication began in 1906 as a bimonthly journal called Mission Fields. It became a monthly journal in 1914 when the name changed to Royal Service. Since then, it has undergone several layout changes with the most recent update being in 1995 when the title changed to Missions Mosaic.

"We hope the magazine not only informs people about missions around the world but also speaks to their daily lives," Cullen said.