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CCM NOT for US
We bought this magazine for our pre-teen boys.In the very first issue we were disappointed by an interview with Jacki Valasquez sprinkled with sexual content, material attitudes and a real pride when it comes to recieving any criticism from those in Christ who might find her lifestyle questionable.We found articles, throughout the magazine, just as disappointing. If we wanted our boys to focus on how much of a woman's body is being revealed in her clothing, (which Jacki also discussed in her interview) we'd simply subscribe to any magazine off the impulse aisle.

Long story short...we cancelled and don't regret it.

CCM leaves off where other Mags pick up
Ok, I had a subscription to CCM, and it was alright.But when they removed the concert information, that was a big drop to me.For those who don't know what this means, CCM used to put information about pretty much all Christian bands touring, and where they were going in the next month.It was awesome!I found out about so many concerts that way.
As for the rest of the magazine, a lot has already been covered.The reviews are not reviews.I've never read a bad one.The interviews are pretty good.They do get in depth there.That's about it though.
However, my biggest beef with CCM has to be the fact that they are a small handfull of the Christian music industry.I remember reading it during the rise of P.O.D. wondering, why aren't they covering them?They're going platinum, and CCM is still doing the latest Amy Grant interview!
If you're into any modern Christian rock/alternative, this magazine is not for you.Try HM.
While this magazine is good for band information, I long for the days of 7ball Magazine.Honest reviews as well as a CD with 18+ new songs from bands all across the market.
Oh well.You can't win 'em all.

Good interviews, format.Music Reviews:Why bother?
CCM has long been THE standard by which all Christian media magazines have been measured.They've remained current with publication trends, and have always been visually interesting to look at.In a way, you could say this is the Entertainment Weekly of Christian Music.

CCM Magazine's greatest strength has always come from its artist interviews.Full of variety and often insightful, they provide the reader with a chance to get to know their favorite CCM bands (and even a few "mainstream" groups that are believers).Chances are you won't find anything too earth-shattering or controversial, but they don't fail to be informative.

CCM's greatest shortcoming is its album reviews."Where seldom is heard a discouraging word" could be the editor's motto.I don't know that I've ever seen a negative review in many years of CCM reading.I understand it's not nice to put down your "brother", but man, if he puts out a stinky album, I wanna know about it so I can save my money.(You and I both know not every CCM album is a homerun, so why write like they are?)The reviews can be so cliche laden that many could have come out the CCM Madlib file (insert word for "blessing", "joyous", and "refreshing").It's come to the point that I just can't trust the album reviewers anymore.

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Basic but true.
I had a subscription to Brio for ages when I was younger. It is wholesome and encourages girls to make the right choices in life based on the Bible. After a while, though, I realized that I kept hearing the same topics again and again, and they weren't ones I had trouble with - topics like not having sex before marriage and listening to music that sends a good message and obeying your parents and why the Bible says that witchcraft is wrong. These are all wonderful topics, of course, but growing up in a Christian community, I'd heard them all before.

Bottom line, Briois a good magazine, an alternative to secular teen-oriented magazines, but I would not recommend it to Christian girls who are looking for in-depth Bible studies and many spiritually helpful articles that go past the "basics".I recommend it to younger Christians who may not have been given much Bible-based advice in their life and are trying to find whether or not they are leading their lives in a way that will please God.

Good Pick
Brio is a great magazine for Christian girls.The magazine has friendly staff that take questions in the mail or on the computer.There is good advice that is helpful to all girls: clothes, make-up, guys, school and much, much more.Beauty tips and music reviews are given also.The fashion articles give the best ways to be stylish and modest.At the end of every issue there is a Bible study to follow along with for that month; to help you learn Scripture and be a better Christian.The magazine is awesome!

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Breakaway ROx!!!
Breakaway has been a great magazine for me. It helps teen guys like me with subjects from bands to girls. I love this mag...its by far the best mag i`ve ever subscribed to. It`s pretty cheap, too, so check it out.

Really Good.........
YES! FINALLY! After years of Christian magazines like Clubhouse and Sports Spectrum, I can finally get an exceptional Christian magazine, in my mailbox, addressed to me.

Although each issue is paper-thin (30 pgs. average), they somehow manage to get a whole lot of stuff in there. How? Only four pages of ads. (its a non-profit company) They also manage, every month, to get articles about high-profile Christian athletes, high-profile Christian bands, a few other things, and a slew of intelligent and well-thought-out departments (fixtures) into thirty pages. At your house. For less than two bucks. Every month. How neat.

These departments are:
-letters
-"Hey Mike!" its basically Dear Abby gone good.
-"Rebel Tonic Toads" A usually fictitional, kind of offbeat page.
-"Cross Training" Excercises
-"Truth Encounter" Micheal Ross (aka Hey, Mike) tackles things like the evolution theory and how the media controls your mind. Usually the article that you have think about. A lot.
-"High Voltage" Basically, people writing in, asking, "Is this CD OK?""Is this movie OK?""What do you think about...." To my suprise, it wasn't a relentless bashing of questionable bands (Evanescense), or bands that have explicit lyrics (Stand). Bob Smithouser basically lays down the pros and cons of the band, movie, whatever, and then says yes or no.
-Reader stuff: "Toon corner" Write, draw, create a cartoon with some Biblical meaning, and if they print it, you get fifty bucks. "Tune In" Write a CD review of a Christian CD, and if they print it, you get twenty-five bucks.

But, yes, there is a reason that I gave this only four stars. If you tried, you could rifle through this in about an hour. Perhaps they add on ten pages a month.....and then maybe more....but it probably won't happen and it doesn't really need to, but it would be cool. Also, its kinda hard to have a story about an athlete (which is a long story in itself) who has faith (which is usually a long story in itself) on two pages.

My last words: this is a great magazne for Christian teenage guys. However, the magazine could be thicker, and their scope of bands could be wider (hardly ever straying past the line of relient K, Rebecca St. James, delirious, etc., there's a lot more Chritian bands out there: check out punkreviews.com, they're all Christian bands), along with the length of their stories; but this is a great investment, and still above average (which I consider three stars). I suggest that you subscribe in the very near future.
-crf

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Wholesome but not filling.
I had a subscription to Brio for ages when I was younger.It is wholesome and encourages girls to make the right choices in life based on the Bible.After a while, though, I realized that I kept hearing the same topics again and again, and they weren't ones I had trouble with - topics like not having sex before marriage and listening to music that sends a good message and obeying your parents and why the Bible says that witchcraft is wrong.These are all wonderful topics, of course, but growing up in a Christian community, I'd heard them all before.

So I subscribed to Brio and Beyond, thinking it would have more meat.Brio and Beyond has a bit more depth, help in places that I had wondered about, but not much.There isn't any more "Are You Selfish? Quiz" nonesense, but only rarely do I get a great, helpful article.Occasionally, yes - articles on how to treat a young pregnant friend, how to steer clear of unclean thoughts - but not often.

Bottom line, Brio and Beyond is a good magazine, an alternative to secular teen-oriented magazines, but I would not recommend it to Christian girls who are looking for in-depth Bible studies and many spiritually helpful articles that go past the "basics".

good to a point
Brio and Beyond is for the Christian girl who does not mind reading a magazine with a conservative slant.This magazine is not a fashion magazine but instead is a magazine that makes you think.Aimed at older high school students and college students, its pupose is to help the girls in this age group become closer to God.It does this through fiction stories, advice columns, actor/actress/singer/athlete interviews, and monthly "Read through the Bible in a year" guide.Dispite being paper thin (issues range from 38 to 48 pages in length) the magazine is highly informative.My only gripes with this magazine is that it promotes, and sometimes spends pages on, promoting items sold by Focus on the Family.Added to this is my problem with the conservative slant of the magazine.I'm not conservative and I'm not liberal, it just frustrates me that this magazine cannot have a more neutral slant to it, especially since God is not conservative.On the flipside, as I mentioned earlier, the articles are informative, and the advice given is well researched, even if, at times I have disagreed with it. The magazine covers a wide range of cover models and articles, from the Brio Girl to Kedra Holland Corn to Natalie Grant.A recommended read for older teenagers and college students; but beware the slant.

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Asin: B00007AXEY
Sales Rank: 2356
Subjects:  1. Parenting & Families    2. General    3. Theory And Practice Of Education    4. Family & Parenting