2020 - The Dawn Of A New Decade

Andrew Peterson wrote these lyrics in his song, "You'll Find Your Way:"

Hold on to the hope that's taken a hold of you And you'll find your way. Keep to the old roads.

A new decade is almost here. Wow. It's kind of shocking to think about.

New possibilities, new models for doing business, new possibilities. What new things lie ahead for you in 2020? As I was thinking about the things I want to tackle in programming and on the air in the next year, I felt an inkling that before I dive into that, maybe it's a good time to start seeking what new things God wants to do in my life. Where does He want to get my attention, and what do I need to put at His feet? What do I need to let go of, and what do I need to embrace? What new heights does He want me to experience, and what new depths will I go through?

Although it's not always easy, I stand on tip-toe in anticipation for the things He wants to do next; just past the horizon, at the dawn of a new decade.

Someone once said that a congregation can only climb as high spiritually as the pastor goes deep in his or her own life. What a parallel. Maybe that's true of our stations and our audiences as well. This could be the right time for us to roll up our sleeves and take some inventory of our lives. It is for me. It's true that our hearts, tone, and feelings seep out in everything we do and say both on and off the air. So, why not take a time now, before the holidays, to do a reboot of our lives.

On-air and programming are great areas to lead and be a part of, and it comes with a responsibility to inspire and encourage our listener. Maybe the best way to prepare our stations, shows, and programming, is to start by preparing ourselves. To stir ourselves up in our faith. And get some alone time in our favorite quiet places. Away from the business of life. I find my faith can get so easily lost, and forget that foundation in which I started out. Perhaps, as Andrew Peterson sang so well, "it's time to go back to the old roads in your life, and you'll find your way."

Maybe that's the first step.

So what will it be for your radio station in 2020? A special January challenge? New format clocks? Fresh, new billboards and marketing campaigns? New imaging? Action plans and deadlines? It's all good! But I'm being challenged to have a measured break-to clear my mind, and give God back what he has given to me in the first place, and ask Him for a vision for next years ahead. What about you?

As I stood on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee at 5:43 a.m. and waited patiently for the sun to rise in Israel a few years back, these words in Isaiah 43:19 came to mind. They still ring true today, at the dawn of a new decade. "See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert."