The 146-year-old publication that launched Standard Publishing will switch to a monthly schedule starting in September.

Believed to be the nation's oldest Protestant weekly publication, Christian Standard magazine has been continuously published since its first weekly issue rolled off printing presses April 7, 1866. It has produced issues every single week for 146 years, except for two weeks in 1937, when a flood put its presses underwater, Standard said.

The Cincinnati-based company's decision to move the publication to a monthly format indicates "a redefinition" that positions the magazine for a strong future, according to Publisher and Editor Mark A. Taylor. The new monthly will have a total of 68 pages, allowing for more substantive treatment of subjects, including longer articles in some cases..

"The new format will be something like most weekly issues of TIME magazine," Taylor said. "But the changes will be more than in appearance."

Christian Standard's weekly publication coincided for many years with its use in conjunction with adult Sunday school materials, and many churches ordered it along with their quarterly Sunday school curriculum.

Increasingly, however, churches are moving to other models that emphasize small group or other types of fellowship groups for adults, Standard said.

In the new format, each issue will include special treatment of its cover theme, as well as other articles about current issues or church practices. The September issue, focusing on money and stewardship, kicks off the new approach.

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