Review Details

Engage: Issue 1

Product Review (submitted on 24 November 2008):

I'd been hoping for something like this for a while. Bible notes which combined daily notes which got you thinking, with opportunity to find out more when you really get into it, and articles dealing with real issues from a Christian perspective. This then, should have been ideal.
Unfortunately, I'm 17, and although I technically fall into the target age range for 'Engage', it seemed a bit simple and, well, young for me. Not that the notes weren't good. I just felt the standard notes could have gone a bit deeper, been a bit more meaty, while still retaining their thought-provoking, relevant approach.
I also thought that there could have been more articles, seeing as you only get 4 copies a year, you don't get through many topics. It might have been better to have one article per week or several per month so they're spaced out in the notes.
Another moan would be the shape/size. It's annoying. Sure it looks pretty good, but it's not great for the formatting inside, it's too thin, and that also makes it harder to use. A more magazine-like format as is used in Discover and Explore is to me, far more practical. And although the neon green and royal blue styling inside certainly can wake you up in the morning, they make pretty hard reading.
In conclusion, these are good notes. They're accessible without being too heavy, and they bring in a good thing with the articles.
It's about 30% Explore, 10% The Briefing, 60% Discover. I'd recommend it for younger teens, but not older ones. The idea you could read through the bible in 5 years is good, but these notes won't, in my opinion, last 5 years, and I'd say they were best suited for 13-16 year olds.
Ah well. The search goes on.