Photo - Tim Newman, a plenary speaker and one of the chairs for the meeting
On Saturday 1 September - Christchurch Salvation Army Centre - at the 2018 annual young writers conference, the Kiwi young writers have set time aside to discuss self-determination.
The Kiwi young writer program was established in 2012 with a host of New Zealand friends and associates such as ARPA contacts (Australasian Religious Press Association) recommending numbers of young people to initiate the program.
Press Service International in conjunction with Christian Today pulled together the young writer ministry in 2009 and three years later the Kiwi young writer program was joined in.
Since then, the idea of self-determination has been aired but nothing happened. There were solid suggestions with structure and operation, but when it came to finding appropriate young people within the program to run it, it simply did not happen.
Now, 2012-18 – that is seven years inclusive - there seems to be a greater enthusiasm to see something established, and we’re excited.
Photo - Esther Koh a background in teaching English at tertiary level
The options
Over the past few weeks in the weekly young writer memo sent out each Thursday evening, a set of ideas has been listed with associated comments towards this end – self-determination. These were
Structures
Many small roles
Volunteerism
Own web site and CTNZ
Giving it a go
Each of these was aired and explained, moreover they were spelt out in such a way as ‘no one person’ need to be imbued with such a weight they will inevitably fall over.
Photo - Emma McGeorge 10 years MAF mission experience
The meeting
1.30pm after the lunch the Kiwi young writers will come together to initiate discussion on such a development – self-determination.
The two chairs are our two Kiwi plenary speakers - Tim Newman and Daniel Jang - each are giving a short introduction positively echoing the merits of going alone.
The discussion will follow these broad indicators
The positives of self determination
The merits of structure
Volunteerism - mutual benefit
Making a start
Our own site along with CTNZ
These subject headings will provide the meeting discussion points toward an end
Photo - Ethan Miller in Church youth ministry
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