Hello ,

I've been asked a number of times, "Pastor Mike, how did you think to actually begin sending out e-mail e-devotionals to subscriber's inboxes on a daily basis?"  It's a great question, and perhaps a short explanation is in order. :)

I came to the small North Dakota town of Bowman with my family in 2002 to be the pastor of a local church in that area.  In 2003, the church began to feel that having a radio presence was a good idea.  The Open Word Radio Devotional began in April of that year, and ran every weekday for more than seven years on KPOK Radio in Bowman.  Within those seven years of consistently broadcasting, God blessed us with the opportunity to also broadcast on KNDC in Hettinger, North Dakota, and KPAR FM in Dickinson, North Dakota.  

I was blessed to become acquainted with so many people during that time.  More times than once, I have had people walk up to me and tell me about a special program that touched their hearts on a morning when they needed it.  I've enjoyed listening to stories of people listening to the program while tending their cows, or while sitting on a tractor harvesting wheat.  It was a truly humbling experience to think that God could use radio airwaves to consistently reach out to others with His word.

In 2009 I began to feel a "pull" to begin sending out daily e-devotionals through e-mail to our listening audience. It was one more way to connect, and after praying about it for some time I began looking for software that would allow me to send "broadcast" e-mails to subscribers.  

At first, the subscribers just trickled in.  At one point, I was sending out daily e-Devotionals to 6 people.  Then something happened, and people from all over the United States began to subscribe and to tell their friends.  I was even informed that an entire nurses wing of a hospital was using the daily e-Devotionals as a study aid in the morning when they got together on their coffee breaks.  

In 2010, my family moved from the Southwest corner of North Dakota to the Northeast corridor.  The Open Word Radio Devotional faded away, but the e-mail e-devotional really blossomed and became even larger than it had ever been.  A of yesterday, we signed up our first international subscriber.  I am humbled and excited for what the Lord is doing with this FREE daily spiritual time that we spend together.

Well, that's the short version of how The Open Word e-Devotional came to be.  God continues to bless this ministry, and I am so happy to have the opportunity to be trusted every morning by so many subscribers.  Truly, it has been Gods leading through this entire journey.  

I feel that God has once again laid it on my heart with a goal of doubling our subscriber membership within  year.  He has blessed us with that in the past year, and we anticipate wonderful things ahead for the following 365 days. Thank-you so much for reading these, and for contacting me from time to time.  I solicit your prayers for this ministry, as we attempt to bring more of Christ's love to a world that desperately needs it right now. 

If you should wish to let your friends now about the FREE sign-up to The Open Word e-Devotionals, please send them the following link: The Open Word Daily e-Devotionals

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word