Matthew Shineman, Director of Communications
For 55 years, The LINK has connected the people and ministries of the Susquehanna Conference through stories of faith, discipleship, and transformation. Across decades and formats - from print to digital - it has served as a thread weaving together our shared witness to Christ’s love at work in the world.
And now, we’re turning the page once again.
This edition marks the final PDF version of The LINK. It’s a change we make not with sadness, but with purpose - because how we communicate must evolve just as our ministry does. This isn’t the end of The LINK; it’s the beginning of its next chapter.
Over the summer, we conducted a communications survey to better understand how clergy and laity engage with the Conference’s communication channels. The results were illuminating. The contrast between readership of the QuikLINK and The LINK was striking: 93% of respondents said they read the QuikLINK every week or most weeks, while only 54% said the same for The LINK. Meanwhile, 24% said they rarely or never read The LINK, compared to less than 2% for the QuikLINK.
These numbers tell a clear story. While The LINK has a loyal readership, it isn’t reaching or engaging people in the ways we hoped. For some, it’s viewed as supplemental - a “nice-to-have” rather than a “need-to-read.” Others shared that they weren’t entirely sure what The LINK was meant to be. Given the significant time and creative energy that goes into producing each PDF edition, the impact simply didn’t match the investment.
But The LINK’s purpose - to tell stories of God’s work across our Conference - is as vital as ever. If the QuikLINK is our space for news, The LINK is our space for narrative. The QuikLINK delivers headlines; The LINK goes deeper. The QuikLINK tells us what’s happening; The LINK reminds us why it matters.
The survey also confirmed that storytelling is something you want more of - stories that highlight lives transformed by Christ, ministries that make a difference, and people living out our mission of making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. You also told us you want more videos, podcasts, and multimedia ways to engage those stories.
So we’re reimagining The LINK for a new era of storytelling. Starting in 2026, The LINK will move from a static PDF to a dynamic, interactive email experience, sent directly to your inbox - where we know engagement is highest. This new approach accomplishes several key things:
It meets readers right where they are - their inboxes.
It allows us to track engagement so we can keep improving.
It opens the door to richer content - embedded videos, podcast links, and visual storytelling.
We’ll also move to a quarterly, thematic rhythm - Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall - that gives us space to explore ministry stories in depth. Each edition will focus on a theme and include interviews, features, and reflections that inspire and equip. We may also create special editions around key moments like Annual Conference, Advent, or Back to School.
This evolution also makes production more efficient. By removing the heavy design work of creating PDFs, we can spend more time creating and curating stories, photos, and multimedia that capture the heart of our connectional ministry.
Ultimately, this isn’t about doing less - it’s about doing better. The LINK will remain the Conference’s home for depth, reflection, and storytelling. It will continue to highlight the people and ministries that embody transformation, build shared identity, and remind us that we are linked together in Christ’s mission.
As your Director of Communications, I want to thank everyone who has made The LINK what it is - from those who contributed stories and photos to those who faithfully read each issue over the years. Since its founding in 1970, The LINK has been more than a publication. It’s been a living record of our faith in action - of who we are and how God is moving among us.
The format may be changing, but the mission remains. We will continue to tell the stories that connect us, that deepen our discipleship, and that shine light on the Spirit’s work across our Conference. In this new form, The LINK will carry forward the same spirit that’s animated it for 55 years - a spirit of connection, transformation, and grace.
Thank you for being part of the story thus far. The next chapter begins soon - and I can’t wait to share it with you.
