Guideposts
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Guideposts is a Christian-faith based non-profit organization founded in 1945 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Raymond Thornburg. and his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale. The Guideposts organization is headquartered in Carmel, New York, with additional offices in New York City, Chesterton, Indiana, and Pawling, New York (near New Milford, Connecticut). The primary activities of the Guideposts organization are publishing Guideposts magazine and maintaining an outreach ministry service.
[edit] Magazines
Guideposts publishes five magazines that have a combined paid circulation of close to 4.5 million. Guideposts magazine, with a circulation of 3.3 million, is among the top 20 largest magazines in the United States. Other magazines include Positive Thinking Magazine (launched in 2005) and Angels on Earth, both published bimonthly.
The first issue of Guideposts was a four-page leaflet containing a story by World War I Ace Eddie Rickenbacker. 10,000 copies were printed. In 1947, a fire destroyed the magazine's circulation files, but its circulation was saved thanks to publicity from radio broadcaster Lowell Thomas, and an article in Reader's Digest. Over the years, the magazine size has increased considerably. Each monthly issue contains numerous short articles by ordinary Americans of all ages, races, and backgrounds, recounting how their faith in God, or remembering the wisdom or example of an older relative or mentor, has comforted them through some personal difficulty. These can include bereavement, poverty, relocations, serious personal or family illness, career failure, immigrating from war-torn countries, being adopted, and strained personal relationships. Natural disasters, vehicle accidents, and becoming stranded or disabled on wilderness adventures are also frequent topics. Most articles contain a snapshot of the author, along with an artistic illustration showing the situation. Monthly lead cover articles often feature the story of a noted entertainer, professional athlete, or other celebrity who rose from poverty. Guideposts also sponsors a writing contest for teenagers to tell their personal stories, with various monetary prize awards. The magazine is nonsectarian and welcomes Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish writers.
Guideposts for Kids, a bimonthly magazine for younger readers, was spun off in 1989. In 2001, it became a web-only publication. Guideposts for Teens, also bimonthly, began in 1998. In 2004, it was renamed Guideposts Sweet 16, and re-oriented specifically toward teenage girls, but ceased publication in September 2007.
