The New Testament is in fashion with teenage girls by Bible Network News Staff
Revolve - the Complete New Testament decked out as a fashion magazine
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, USA, August 21, 2003 — Thomas Nelson takes an innovative approach to reaching teenaged girls with the Gospel, with the magazine, Revolve.
Features in Revolve include:
Quizzes.... "Are You a Good Daughter?", "Are You Dating a Godly Guy?", "Are You at Peace", and more.
Beauty Tips.... Suggestions to enhance one's inner beauty.
Guys Speak Out.... Guys give their opinions on everything from the way girls dress to the ideal date.
Blab.... Revolve staffers answer actual questions from readers.
Calendar.... Fun activities throughout the year, as well as Pray for a Person of Influence days on celebrities' birthdays.
Bible Basics.... Straightforward definitions of Christian concepts like salvation, heaven, and holiness.
Top Ten.... Lists like "Random ways to make a difference in your school" and "Ways to be a cool sister".
Bible Bios.... Brief descriptions of famous women of the Bible.
Learn It & Live It.... Tips on applying Biblical principles to one's life.
It's not Seventeen or Cosmo Girl, though it could easily be mistaken for one of them. It has a glossy cover featuring headlines like Beauty Secrets You've Never Heard Before, Are You Dating a Godly Guy? and How to Get Along With Your Mom, but this magazine contains more than just fashion secrets... it holds the secrets to life.
Thomas Nelson Inc., under the teen brand, Transit, has published a fresh and innovative New Testament designed to look and read like a teen fashion magazine.
"We've surveyed hundreds of teens across the (United States and) across the world", says Kate Etue, Senior Editor at Transit, "and found that the number one reason they aren't reading their Bibles more is that it's too big and freaky looking... So we asked them, 'What do you read?'"
The answer was overwhelming: Magazines! In fact, Christian teens surveyed by the Nelson marketing staff said they read Glamour, Teen People and Seventeen more than the Bible.
So the problem for Bible publishers is: how do you get a teen to read the Bible if it's only fashion magazines that are, well, in fashion?
The answer is: Revolve. Published in July and retailing for $19.99 in Canada, Revolve is part Bible, part teen culture 'zine, bringing the New Testament to teenaged girls in a format that's familiar to them, and showing them that the Scriptures are indeed still relevant for life in the new millennium.
Using the easy-to-understand New Century Version, Revolve includes additional features that are common to glamour magazines, like beauty tips and quizzes, but puts a decidedly Christian spin on them. As a result, teenaged girls can feel comfortable exploring the Scriptures and over 500 further-study notes because of the hip (phat) format.
To ensure that the notes are as relevant as possible, they were written by women in their early twenties who have spent time with young girls and know what teens are looking for in life and from the Bible. Through this new Bible format, young girls learn to approach family, friends and life with Christian beliefs and morals, while at the same time not feeling excluded from pop culture.
"By mixing pop-culture fashion magazine formats with the eternal truth of Scripture, we've found a way to make the Word of God exciting, relevant and fun for young women again", says Etue.
Laurie Whaley, Brand Manager for the New Century Version, agrees. "It's our responsibility as Bible Publishers to make it come alive to them", she says, "God isn't (confined to) a leather Bible at all times... He's all about meeting people where they are. That's what Revolve is."
Besides, while Seventeen and Cosmo Girl may be the most popular magazines among teenaged girls today, Revolve is the most popular book ever written.
An edition for teenage boys is planned for next year.
