After 15 years of publication Issue 85 is to be the last one...for now!

Buy your collectors edition of issue 85 now from Cross Rhythms Direct for only £3.50

A Statement From Cross Rhythms General Manager, Jonathan Bellamy

Following it's re-launch in June this year, the unprecedented success of the Cross Rhythms website has prompted us to take an unexpected decision to cease publication of our national Christian music magazine, after more than 15 years.

The effect of the new Cross Rhythms website has taken us aback. Response from users has been met with almost 100% approval, our visitor sessions have increased by nearly 30%, music sales have trebled and the site is currently ranked among the top 35,000 sites worldwide. We believe this increase is down to the amazing service the site now offers to those interested in any dimension of Christian music, plus the significant educational and lifestyle teaching resource it now offers on all manner of spiritual and social topics.

After much prayer, discussion and deliberation, we have come to the decision that this issue (issue 85) will be the last one that we will be producing for the time being. We are not saying that the magazine has come to an end. In fact we believe that one day it will return. However we believe we are being clearly focused on the direction we need to take in this next stage and the confirmation of the role of our website in the future of this ministry is clear.

With the re-launch of the website one thing that has emerged is its strength to communicate about Christian music. Gone are the days of waiting 2 or 3 months for your CR mag to pop through your door, and give you a limited number of reviews and only ten articles. Now every day music news, articles and reviews are added to the Cross Rhythms website. And if you want information on just one artist you can upload all the info we have on one page - articles, reviews and news stories from the last 15 years of writing about them in Cross Rhythms magazine! Plus, there's audio samples of radio playlist tracks, contact details and of course the ability to buy product right there and then (at the cheapest of prices, most being at only £9.97!).

One of the primary visions of Cross Rhythms is to produce Christian music and media that stands up in the marketplace outside the Christian church, as well as within. It is our opinion that when the magazine returns it will be better able to engage with a readership who do not attend church but love the music they hear through Cross Rhythms. I believe at the right time, the magazine will indeed return again, fresh, new and relevant for that time. As Winston Churchill once declared 'This isn't the end, it's not the beginning of the end, but it may well be the end of the beginning.'

We couldn't bring a halt to our music magazine though, without a final comment from it's founding editor, Tony Cummings who wants to let you know: "I believe we are seeing a whole new level emerging for Christian music service and awareness in the UK. The power of the internet to deliver up to the minute news, features and audio play, supercedes the ability of a bi-monthly publication to promote this music. With more than 90,000 visitor sessions now being recorded on our website, compared to a magazine readership of 12,000 people every 2 months, and with 58% of the UK population having access to the internet, it's easy to see why our efforts need to focus in this direction. The Cross Rhythms website has been going for more than 10 years and we have kept up there as the internet has developed. After more than 22 years experience this step will help us maintain our strong position as a recognised and respected voice for Christian music. It shows that we truly do know Christian music."

To finish, we would like to thank those of you who have read and purchased Cross Rhythms magazine over the years. There would have been no point to this journey without you! Please do add your comments and feedback on this page, both your reaction to our decision and also what Cross Rhythms magazine has meant to you.

We have also added a temporary magazine feedback form to the front page of our site. If you have read Cross Rhythms magazine, whether you are a new or seasoned reader, we really would love to hear from you.

Buy your collectors edition of issue 85 now from Cross Rhythms Direct for only £3.50

For more information on how we see the future of Cross Rhythms unfolding, please read our article The End Of The Beginning