Natalie Chu Christian Today editor
This Saturday 25 March the official launch celebrations of 'Christian Today New Zealand' is being held on the Gold Coast as its being combined with an update of the '2017 young writers conference' on the Sunshine Coast set for Saturday 12 August.
Attending include Christian Today Australia editor Natalie Chu and the IT specialist Steven Huang, the 2017 young writer conference planner Australian Rebecca Moore, and New Zealand young writer editor Irenie How.
Christian Today New Zealand was first published on Monday 13 February and this introductory period was to try and iron out any dramas with a new international Christian news site. In this initial period these are the tasks that have been introduced ready for the launch on Saturday.
One Kiwi young writer is published daily
One of the original 2012 young writers re-published
A fresh main home page feature each day
Irenie How on Saturday 11 February came to Sydney for an uploading tuition by Christian Today and this process now occurs with Irenie placing articles on a timer whereby Christian Today can upload onto the CTNZ when applicable.
There remains 'sharpening of the site' to ensure the strong readership is agreeably blessed with content, format, easy reading fonts and ambience.
Irenie How Kiwi young writer editor
Process
Press Service International (PSI) has been working with Christian Today since 2009 developing a program whereby Australian young writers were published, in 2012 New Zealand young writers were established and in 2013 international young writers.
PSI is a ministry of Well-Being Australia whose chairman Dr Mark Tronson, a Baptist minister of 40 years ministering as the Australian cricket chaplain for 17 years and since 2001 Life After Cricket. He served for 14 years in Moruya as Master of the respite lodge Basil Sellers House for Australian Institute of Sport elite athletes and replicated this in Tweed Heads for SE Qld AIS Sport Units from 2006.
Last year Dr Tronson (65) presented a structural theory to Christian Today whereby - by mirror imaging Christian Today Australia they could introduce a Christian Today New Zealand edition. This was put to Christian Media Corporation International (CMCI) heavies in New York and London and CTNZ and given the green light.
To make it happen Kiwi young writers have come on board volunteering in many different roles. This includes emailing each morning to NZ Christian media the young writer article published that day, editing, panellists for the awards, statistician, new young writer coordinator and others.
As from next week on Tuesday and Thursday's a designated NZ Christian News article will be published.
Russell Modlin chair of the 12 August 2017 Sunshine Coast young writer conf planning group
2017 young writer conference
Meanwhile, on Saturday as part of this CTNZ launch, Rebecca Moore of the conference planning group is bringing an update on how preparations are coming along for the 12 August young writer conference on the Sunshine Coast.
The planning group originally met in October last year on the Sunshine Coast:
Russell Modlin, Rebecca Moore, Kandima Awendila, Haydn Lea, Cartia Moore, Wesley Tronson. Caitlyn Furler, Jo Fuller.
The annual young writers conference is a major event on the calendar with the 'Basil Sellers Awards'.
2017 Sunshine Coast young writer conf planning group
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html