The 2015 young writer conference has come and gone – held on 1 August in Sydney. The annual awards were acknowledged. Celebrations held. Rejoicing continues.
The program centred on the young writers themselves bringing to the floor what they considered to be the vision and mission of their writing in Christian Today. All that information was collated, gathered and documented – now for the next part of the process.
Young writer editor Sophia Sinclair (2015 NZ Basil Sellers winner) originally from Christchurch but with her husband Andrew (2015 NZ Theological Award winner) who is reading theology at the Sydney Missionary Bible College, was allocated some funding to travel to New Zealand and visit three centres – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Sophia Sinclair will be in New Zealand from 18 September for two weeks, amongst other things, meeting with the New Zealand based young writers and filling them in on the conference's take on vision and mission and inviting their input plus other matters.
Then on October 30-31 the Leadership Group Young Writers meet in Tweed Heads to finalise the Vision Mission after the conference in Sydney and the input from the New Zealand based young writers.
This should allow the Leadership Group to document their findings and present it all on paper (on-line) to the young writers and culminate it at the 2016 conference.
This leads me now - to highlight some of the other awards recognised from 1 August young writers annual conference.
Australia
Most Improved- Australia
Christopher Archibald and Tim Robertson
Sydney
Most Improved "new young writers"
Michael Dahlenburg and Liana Monaghan
Adelaide
IT award
Zach Radloff
Gold Coast
I might add here that my son says I'm not doing too bad with IT in my ministries - as follows -
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
A Blog - (Sunday E-Blast)
Email
On-line Newsletter
A ministry web site (Dr Mark T)
PSI web site
Australian Missionary News IPTV – YouTube channel
My own daily column in Christian Today
In a class of IT exponents - our young writers - that list is of little consequence to their astonishing skills and awareness.
I was at Sydney airport recently and could not fathom something on my iphone and asked the gentleman sitting next to me. He handed the problem to his 9 year old son who showed me how to do that particular task within several seconds.
Most Improved – New Zealand
Jared Diprose
Auckland
NZ Editor's Award
Claire Debrois
Wellington
Claire is also a Reservist Officer in the NZ Army.
PSI Editor's Award
Sophia Sinclair
It's quite an astonishing mix.
Press Service International young writer program with Christian Today, which is the 3rd largest Christian News provider in the world - one of the most astonishing features in publishing young people.
Moreover we look forward to Sophia Sinclair's comments and reflections from the New Zealand young writers when the Leadership Group Young Writers meet on 30-31 October.
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.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
