The rumors are true: 2021 is almost here! Much as I hope you’ve been spared the brunt of this year’s challenges, odds are, that January page in the calendar looks mighty enticing. I know it does for me.

At the same time, I couldn’t think of a better season to have released a new 365-day Mockingbird Devotional (Daily Grace). Just so happens we’d been working away on it for three-plus years! So the launch felt providential, as did that for the Sports Issue of our print magazine, which also shipped last month. The response to both thus far has been nothing short of rapturous. In fact, the initial print-run of the devotional sold out in about two weeks (now back in stock!).

As folks have been forced to look online for spiritual sustenance, we’ve been gratified to hear how Mockingbird has served as a lifeline of hope and faith. Our virtual audience increased by almost 30% during COVID, and episodes of our principal podcast, The Mockingcast, now average over 10,000 downloads. Our recent Advent video series attracted close to 3000 views per installment.

I am so grateful God put us in such a strong position to minister grace to people during this trying time. No “pivot” required!

What’s next? First up in 2021 is the long-awaited launch of the overhauled mbird.com, which we cannot wait for you to see! A whole new level, right in the nick of time. While we wait to discover what form our events can take — likely some mixture of in-person and virtual (look for an announcement soon) — we’ve been working on several exciting new podcast and video projects. We’re also prepping the Surprise Issue of the magazine and an updated, hardcover edition of Grace in Addiction.

All this while the parade of high-quality written and audio content continues apace.

How You Can Help

Mockingbird relies on the generosity of individual donors and churches to fund its operations. We need to raise $360,000 to keep fulfilling our mission in 2021. For more info about where the money goes, click here. Three easy ways to help would be:

1. Become a monthly supporter. Close to 400 people give automatically to Mbird every month, anywhere from $20 to $2000. We would love to see that number increase. Remember, anyone who signs up for monthly giving will receive a complimentary subscription to The Mockingbird. Same goes for those who give one-time gifts of $500 or more.
2. See if your church can help. A handful of “partner” churches support us every year with funds from their outreach budgets. Others give via discretionary accounts. If you attend a church that is benefiting from our ministry but hasn’t gotten behind Mbird “officially” yet, be our advocate! Email us at info@mbird.com with any leads.
3. Spread the word. If you’re not in a place where you can give, there are other ways to pitch in. Write a review of one of our books on Amazon. Rate one of our podcasts on iTunes. Publicize Mbird articles on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram. Use one of our resources at your church or in your small group. Invite someone to an event, once they resume. Above all, pray for us!

If you believe in what we’re doing and want to ensure that it continues, consider making a donation to Mockingbird today. Thanks for reading, and we wish you the happiest of new years.

For those looking to while away the yuletide coma, here’s a rundown of what content got traction in 2019. It is limited to stuff that was posted in 2019, rather than viewed then (if we were including previous years’ output, for example, this post would’ve come in third). Enjoy!

Most Popular Posts Published in the Past 12 Months

1. Mary Definitely Knew
2. When The World Calls Them Otherwise
3. Three Thoughts on Denunciations and Deconversions
4. A Litany for the DMV
5. When People Tell Me It’s Hard to Find a Church
6. My Honest Recommendation
7. When A Pastor Flushes a Congregation’s Religion Pills
8. The Only Places on the Streets That Understand
9. A Love Much Greater Than Evolution Requires
10. As Happy As My Childhood Allows Me To Be
11. Sobriety Broke Me to Pour Me Out
12. Are You Burned Out?

Honorable Mentions: Don’t Ruin Brunch, The Failure to Find a Soulmate, When a Dragon Tried to Eat Jesus, What I Really Want For Dinner Is Not To Make a Decision, We All Get to Go Home with Beth Moore, The Peak Moments of Any Marriage, Things We Cannot Say, Stop Blaming the Devil, Raised by Narcissists

Three Most Popular Talkingbird Episodes

1. Everything New Is Moralism Again – Jacob Smith
2. Be Your Worst Self – Stephanie Phillips
3. The Survival and the End of the Preacher – Adam Morton

Most Popular Posts on Facebook (Not Mentioned Above): This one and then, this one

Most Popular Instagram: This one and then, this one.

Most Downloaded Sermons

1. God in the Midst of Our Secrets – Sarah Condon
2. How Dare You Judge Me! – Paul Walker
3. Jesus is Felicity Huffman – RJ Heijmen
4. The Alien Word – Jason Micheli
5. One Track Mind – Ryan Alvey

Most Watched Conference Talks

1. Creedal Faith in an Age of Seculosity – David Zahl
2. What The Hell Is Going On?: The Strangest Things about Stranger Things – Leigh Hickman
3. When God Makes All Things Nude – Charlotte Getz
4. The Unforgivables: Is There Hope Even For Those Consigned to a Secular Hell? – Jeff Mallinson
5. God Isn’t Mad at You (I’m Not Blowing Smoke) – Steve Brown