Ben Campbell AE Mission and Jim Dawson WEC at One Day in Melbourne
2017 One Day in Melbourne's saw four presentations of professional authority for the delegates who came to hear the latest on On-line Ministry – focusing in on Australia's forgotten Christian media – Mission publication editors, Social Media maverns, Writers, Editors, Bloggers and small Christian publications.
John Sandeman editor Eternity
Cheryl McGrath CMS Communications
David Goodwin Online editor and writer
John Lemmon an Online blogger
One Day in Melbourne was held at the Moonee Ponds Salvation Army (packed room) on Saturday from 10.30am thru to 4.00pm in order for the many interstate delegates to fly in and fly out of Melbourne on the same day
The day heard about - philosophy of a secular like professional On-line publication into the Christian world; a philosophy of a Missions communications across the board, a philosophy of how we discipline ourselves on line and a philosophy of a Christian blogger's contextualisation.
John Lemmon
John Lemmon
John Lemmon was the fourth and final ministry philosophy presentation, blogging in a Christian context. In a powerful, enlightening, humours and buoyant presentation, aided by power-point, John took the delegates through his journey along with graphs illustrating his blogger readership.
His idea was to centre his blog on bible teaching. His aim was to avoid preaching or seminary lectures, rather straight bible teaching going from one passage to the next. His blog statistical history illustrated highs and lows of readership along with pages read.
John Lemmon then developed his philosophy of blogging demonstrating his specific model and although free, it has been so successful he sometimes wished he could have advertised his e-books. But from this successful Blog he has now with friends involved in emergency services another blog for this very specific enterprise.
David Goodwin
David Goodwin
David Goodwin was the OnFire Salvation Army youth magazine editor, now he is a freelance editor and writer and internationally acclaimed author of science fiction.
His call to arms was to tells his story of online communications by joining online-groups whereby his audience reach was exponentially increased by having to carefully think through issues these various online groups were discussing. Many were professional people and he found himself needing to argue his case and this required research into his own Christian beliefs.
David Goodwin provided chapter and verse as to the delights of Christian thinking being involved in such groups and illustrated the value of being challenged and the manner in which one is part of such a discussion. David Goodwin impressed upon the delegates that 'losing it' online is a complete no-no. It was a remarkable session.
Cheryl McGrath
Cheryl McGrath
Cheryl McGrath the Communications Officer for CMS in Victoria went through the dynamics within the structures of this well established professional mission society.
Cheryl provided a well presented and precise application of the principles of an evangelical mission with a clarifying power-point. Cheryl's past is in editing is this was obvious as being on top of her subject was clearly obvious to everyone.
Two examples was her statement – If God's love is for everybody everywhere, it's for everybody everywhere. Then her understanding that language itself carries with it it's own culture and that within language are many assumptions. Cheryl's discussion on missionary encounters in the third world demonstrated the depth of this presentation's clarity.
John Sandeman
John Sandeman
John Sandeman who started the day with the morning session, was a senior journalist with Fairfax for 25 years and brought those skills in establishing the Eternity magazine and its Online version along with its Friday Email with key note stories. Eternity soon after became housed by the Bible Society giving it a national identity.
John Sandeman highlighted the emphasis on the Eternity philosophy of equal-to - if not better – journalism. Such journalism does not set out solutions and determinations for its readers, rather top journalism presents the facts, the truth, the clarion call of what it is, then leaves the reader to come down on one side of the other.
One of the delegates, one of the five sports writers with Christian Today, a young man of 33 years of age and one of the big four banks 'bank manager' of their largest branch in Australia; afterwards said he was noting John Sandeman's directions for his own situation. 'I can apply much of what he spoke about'!
Rev Bob Thomas
The call
Rev Bob Thomas the editor of New Life, the MC for the day, emphasised that each speaker noted the power of social media and when asked regarding 2018, there were hands up everywhere supporting for 'One Day in Melbourne' for next year.
Over this week I'm covering these speakers in more detail and other aspects of One Day in Melbourne.
Sports writers for Christian Today at One Day in Melbourne – Jeremy Dover, Wes Tronson, David Goodwin
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