Another notable anniversary

Amid the celebrations of our 40th anniversary, we quietly observed the one-year mark for WORLD Watch, our daily video news program for students. We shouldn’t miss this milestone: A first anniversary may not be as noteworthy as a 40th, but it may be more important.

When we launched WORLD Watch on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020 (WORLD’s 39th anniversary), we had high hopes: that we could produce a program that was entertaining and educational; that we could give students a bigger view of the world, and God’s work in the world, through news stories; that we could introduce complex topics in a clear, understandable way; and that we’d bring Biblical truth to bear on all the stories we cover.

We also hoped we’d be able to do all of that every day in video—a medium in which we had little experience.

As God delights to do, He has given us more than we asked or imagined (or hoped). The students in our audience make it clear that they are happy with the program. That’s a good thing, because that’s what we hoped for and have been working for all these months.

But God has exceeded even our wildest hopes in the grown-ups who love the program too. Many are the parents or teachers of the students at whom we targeted the program, but we hear from many others who subscribe to WORLD Watch for themselves, not for the kids in their lives.

We didn’t expect adults to love the program, but we shouldn’t have been surprised. All those things we built into every episode for the sake of the students—entertainment, education, a bigger view of the world, the explanation of complex issues, context to big news stories, and a Biblical perspective on all of it—are the same things adults want and need from their news source.

The beginning of a school year (and the beginning of WORLD Watch’s second year) is a great time to subscribe for the students in your life, or for yourself. To do so, go to the website worldwatch.news, where we give you several subscription options, including a free trial if you’d like to check it out before you subscribe.