We’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Today devotional. In January 1950, ReFrame Ministries, then known as The Back to God Hour, sent out the first 5,000 copies of the new daily devotional booklet, which would later be titled Today. Requests for the devotional booklet poured in, and just three months later, the print run soared to 30,000 copies. In 2025, Today reaches hundreds of thousands of readers and listeners worldwide in more than five languages. You can still get Today in a little booklet, but Today also comes to you on the web, email, mobile app, radio, podcast, social media, and even your virtual assistant (e.g., Alexa).

We are thankful that God has blessed readers and listeners with Today for 75 years. From the first issue, the devotional's purpose has been to help readers spend time with God each day, reading and reflecting on the Bible, and speaking with God in prayer. Today plays a crucial role in fulfilling ReFrame Ministries’ mission to utilize media to share the good news of Jesus Christ, disciple believers, and strengthen the church around the world. As we thank God for using Today to share his love and message, we ask God for another 75 years and a continuing harvest of readers and listeners who are refreshed, refocused, and renewed in God’s Word each day with Today.

The Family Altar

The history of Today actually begins with The Back to God Hour, ReFrame Ministries’ very first media program. The radio show began in 1939 as an initiative by the Christian Reformed Church in North America to reach a broad audience with the good news of Jesus Christ and encourage believers with teachings from the Word of God within the Reformed tradition. Almost immediately, producers began to receive requests for additional materials to follow up on the weekly preaching program. Early responses to these requests included printed versions of The Back to God Hour sermons. In the late 1940s, a daily Bible reading calendar called “Daily Manna” became so popular that radio minister Peter Eldersveld and his team decided to produce a monthly booklet of daily devotional readings to better meet the demand. The first issue appeared in January 1950 under the title “The Back to God Hour Family Altar,” later abbreviated to simply The Family Altar.

One author, one month, one theme

Rev. John Vander Ploeg, pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church in Lansing, Illinois, wrote the devotions for that first issue, developing a single theme over the course of the month. That one theologically trained author would pen all the devotions in the month based on a single theme has been the hallmark of Today from its very first issue. The founding editors felt it was important “to make each month a unit in itself, so that the reader would follow a consistent line of Scripture exposition throughout the days of that month, and would have a unified picture of the material covered in the daily meditations.” They also wanted to make the devotions accessible to the average reader, as many Back to God Hour listeners were new to the Christian faith and unfamiliar with the Scriptures.

Today continues with this model. Since its first issue, Today has published more than 900 devotional series on a wide range of biblical topics. Each series is like a month-long Bible study. Many have delved into the books of the Bible, guiding readers through key, personal-level insights found in both Old and New Testament books. Others explored major theological doctrines and concepts, such as creation, sin, salvation, and eternal life, always from a standpoint of personal application for the reader.

Ministry milestones

As ReFrame Ministries grew, the daily devotional booklet grew along with it. By the 1960s, churches and local volunteers distributed more than 100,000 issues each month in churches, businesses, shelters, jails, and prisons. The ministry mailed individual copies to subscribers across the United States, Canada, and worldwide. As ReFrame expanded its language ministries, local teams around the globe either translated the Today devotions or wrote devotions in their own languages in the spirit of Today. Currently, Today is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Urdu.

The decision was made in June 1971 to change the title of the daily devotional from The Family Altar to Today. Ministry director Joel Nederhood initially made this change as a test to see if the new title would make it easier to offer the devotional over the air. The title test was a success, and the devotional has been called Today ever since. Interestingly, The Family Altar was retained as a subtitle until 2010, in part for continuity, but mainly due to US Mail rules and government regulations concerning nonprofits. It was in 2010 that Today adopted the “refresh, refocus, renew” tagline, which is used today.

In 1976, Today underwent a format change as a cost-saving measure. The booklets would be published bimonthly instead of monthly. Printing every other month made it cheaper to print and mail the Today booklets.

For several years, audio versions of Today were distributed on cassette and later on compact disc. In the early 2000s, readers could listen to the devotions on our website. In 2011, ReFrame began producing a two-minute version of Today for radio, titled This Is Today, which was later retitled simply Today. The radio version gained popularity quickly and is still heard today on approximately 283 radio outlets worldwide. Currently, listeners can stream the full-length readings of their Today devotions on their favorite podcast platform, the Today website, and the Today app.

In the years before the first airing of The Back to God Hour in the 1930s, innovative leaders recognized that radio was a “gift from God” to fulfill the great commission. Modern media continues to be a gift from God for sharing his Word and encouraging his people. By 2020, the number of people reading or listening to Today digitally well exceeded the number of physical copies being printed. The web, email, mobile app, and podcast platforms have dramatically increased the accessibility of Today. These media outlets also improved Today's ability to reach new readers and listeners. In the last ten years, the Today team has been able to offer ebooks and digital collections that draw from Today’s vast Devotional Library to address the specific needs or concerns of individuals. These include seasonal collections for Lent, Easter, and Advent, for example, or more personal needs, such as seeking God in seasons of suffering, finding hope in Christ alone during turbulent times, or answering any of the myriad biblical and theological questions. Hundreds of thousands of people have found Today through pathways made possible through God’s gift of modern media.

Another 75 years of Today tomorrow

As we celebrate 75 years of Today, we thank God for his wonderful provision and ask him to continue to grow Today. We ask him to open new channels for his Word to go out via Today. In 1950, ReFrame Ministries established a daily devotional to help put God’s Word in the hands of radio listeners who wanted more. Then known as The Family Altar, the devotional helped people open their Bibles on a regular basis and encouraged them to deepen their personal relationships with God. Today continues that mission in 2025, and with God’s blessing, from now until the year 2100 and beyond.

Would you like to help bring Today to new generations?

Today is a free gospel resource, but it is not free to publish; there are significant costs associated with producing and distributing a high-quality devotional. Today is made possible through the generous support of readers and listeners like you. Your gift will bless generations to come with Today as we begin our next 75 years. Give to Today.

Explore Today

You can read each day’s devotion right here on our website. You can also subscribe to receive Today in your email inbox, download our mobile app, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. 

Our online Devotional Library contains every series and devotion published since July 2005. The entire catalog of devotionals under both titles, The Family Altar (January 1950 - May 1971) and Today (June 1971 to present), can be found in bound format at the Hekman Library at Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Digitized copies can be obtained from the library by request and for a modest fee. Contact the library for more information.