How did you listen to Adventures in Odyssey growing up? And how do you listen now? On the radio? A box of cassette tapes? The classic whitsend.org website? That's what this latest editorial is all about.

With the recent announcement that Odyssey will stop producing CDs, I thought it was time to reflect back on how listening to the show has changed over the years. I write about my experience growing up in this month's editorial, It Began with a Radio Show. Have a read-through and then tell us about your experience listening to Odyssey in the comments section.

We're all blessed to have Odyssey in our lives. Last month we launched Round 3 of our contest, called My Odyssey Story. We asked you the question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? And you answered, with so many heartfelt responses. It really is amazing to see the difference this show has made.

And now, we've compiled excerpts from each entry into a special article on AIO Update. You can find it all in Editorial 75: A Journey of Voices. Check it out here and then leave a comment below.

🎈🎊 THE WINNERS OF #MYODYSSEYSTORY 2025 ARE HERE!! 🎊🎈

We had 21 people enter this year, totalling nearly 6000 words of how Odyssey has impacted the fans. We even had Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie, participate this year, which was very special. And now, it's time to reveal the three winners from our random draw!

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

🥇 1st place: True B.
🥈 2nd place: Kate P.
🥉 3rd place: Benjamin H.

The first-place winner will receive a prize package of the following:
• Ultra Rare Trading Card, "Elvis Jay"
• 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit Sundae”, art by @Rebl_Art
• 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Town of Odyssey”, art by @phoebepheebsphibs
• 3" Ice Cream Gang vinyl magnet, by Hal’s Diner
• "Opening Moves" by Phil Lollar, the first book in the Blackgaard Chronicles
• "Silas Marner" 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
• "Straight Outta Odyssey" sticker, by Hal's Diner

The second- and third-place winners will receive the same prizes, minus the trading card. I will be contacting the prize winners for shipping information. ✨

All entries will be featured in full on the AIO Update website, and excerpts will be included in an article to be released later this month. They may also be featured in future social media posts.

A big thank you to everyone who participated this year, and in years past. Adventures in Odyssey really is something special, and so is this fan community. It's amazing and touching to see the real impact this show has had on our lives. Thank you for sharing! ​❤️

Have you ever told someone about Adventures in Odyssey, and ended up trying to explain what an audio drama is? It turns out audio drama is a great invention, but not a lot of people know about it. But what makes it such a versatile medium? That's what Editorial 74 is all about.

​In a world full of visuals, how does audio drama fit in? We have a special guest writer to answer that question. JD Sutter of Audio Theatre Central shows us the real value of audio drama in a new article, The Taming of the Tech. You can read (or listen) to the editorial, and then add your thoughts to the comments.

Enter to WIN the My Odyssey Story Contest! 🥳

That's right, our contest is now LIVE. We all have an Odyssey story. Is there a certain episode that’s really meaningful to you? Is there a character you identify with? Is there a storyline that has strengthened you in your faith? Has the show or the AIO community helped you in some way? Now you can share your Odyssey story for a chance to win some cool prizes!

👉 How to Enter 👈

1. Write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? For your entry to be counted, you must write a minimum of 100 words, but more is encouraged! There is no maximum word count.

2. Post your entry to the AIO Fan Club Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/aiofanclub) with the hashtag #MyOdysseyStory or send it in an email to: aioupdate@live.com

👋 More Details

• Entries must be submitted during the month of January 2025. The deadline is January 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST.
• You can post multiple times, but you will still receive just one entry per person in the prize draw.
• Open to people worldwide.
• No anonymous submissions. We’d like to contact you if you win the prize!
• Not affiliated with official Adventures in Odyssey or Focus on the Family.

​🏆 Prizes

Three winners will be chosen in a random draw. Prize winners will be contacted to provide their mailing address so that they can receive their prize.

The first-place winner will receive the following:

• Ultra Rare Trading Card, "Elvis Jay"
• 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit Sundae”, art by @Rebl_Art
• 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Town of Odyssey”, art by @phoebepheebsphibs
• 3" Ice Cream Gang vinyl magnet, by @hals.diner
• "Opening Moves" by Phil Lollar, the first book in the Blackgaard Chronicles
• "Silas Marner" 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre

🥈🥉 Second and third place winners will receive the same prizes, minus the trading card. (It's Ultra Rare. Unfortunately we only have one!)

⭐ How Will the Entries Be Used?

Entries will be posted publicly on our website, AIO Update, and may appear on our social media as well. We will include your first name and last initial. Additionally, some entries will be featured in an article on the AIO Update website to showcase the impact Adventures in Odyssey has had on its fans.

🎨 The beautiful contest art and logo is by @phoebepheebsphibs

All right, let’s get writing! I’m excited to read everyone’s #MyOdysseyStory this month. 😃

Read all about it in Editorial 73: A Christmas Compilation. And then let us know your favorite Christmas moments in the comments below!

Earlier this year, we held Round 2 of the My Odyssey Story contest. We asked fans to write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you?

22 of you shared your stories! It was inspiring and meaningful to hear the difference Odyssey has made in fans' lives. All those entries are now available to read in full here.

Stay tuned for details about Round 3 of the contest, coming soon. 👀

As Thanksgiving arrives, it’s worth reflecting back on how Adventures in Odyssey episodes approach the topic of thankfulness. I've noticed there's a trend which begins all the way back in the first Thanksgiving episode, "Thank You, God", and shows up again in the most recent episode, "A Thankstaking Story".

I talk about this in my latest editorial, Grateful Expectations. Should we be thankful at all times? Should we be thankful for everything? After you've read Editorial 72, let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Adventures in Odyssey is quickly approaching 1000 episodes. Today marks the radio airing of the last episode in Album 77: A New Perspective. It's the final album with episodes numbered in the 900s. The next album will begin with episode 1000.

Now that everyone has had a chance to hear Album 77, it's time to talk about it! Did you have a favorite moment or episode? Let us know what you thought in the comments.

Here's the album summary: "Jules thinks the band she joined, Manic Ravioli, could unlock purpose in her life, but Connie disagrees, especially after noticing the bad influence it's having on her. Elsewhere, a tough football game forces Cooper to reconsider how he leads the team, and Penny faces Wooton's thorny family relationships head-on when his parents unexpectedly appear at her art show. Over at Whit's End, Jay catches a glimpse of a world where he's the 24/7 center of attention, and Whit challenges Renee's belief that science and faith are incompatible."

Have you noticed something about today's era of Adventures in Odyssey kids? Buck, Jules, Olivia, Emily, Jay—they're all voiced by adults. Gone are days when Odyssey's kid characters were played by actual kids.

I talk about this trend in my latest editorial, An Old Era. What effect will this have on the show? Are child actors gone for good? You can read about all this and more in Editorial 71. And if you like, add a comment below to add your thoughts to the discussion.