This Monday, the 13 February sees the launch of 'Christian Today New Zealand' and the excitement is palatable.
It goes way back to 2014 to the Wellington NZ young writer conference where the future was first discussed by the Kiwi young writer 'leadership team' (see photo).
Then in 2015 Kiwi young writer and Press Service International chief editor Sophia Sinclair visited Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch speaking with Kiwi young writer groups.
These groups saw as their long term goal an on-line Christian publication to compete with other New Zealand Christian publications, but there was a snag. There was no fund raising strategy to cover public liability, insurance, administration, legal necessities, government and the like.
The big day
An idea came that by adopting something within IT which is old hat - but with a new application - mirror imaging web sites has been around for years. What if we could mirror image the Christian Today Australia web site for a Christian Today New Zealand edition - replacing Australian young writer articles with New Zealand young writer articles.
It would double the advertisers scope, be identical, except it would host New Zealand young writers. This would mean having someone in New Zealand to upload Kiwi articles onto the Christian Today platform. The model has the Kiwi's remaining under PSI and avoiding those additional separate expenses.
I sent an Email to Christian Today spelling this out in some detail, with the editor and the Christian Today IT guy saying this would work. It needed CMCi approval in New York (Christian Media Corporation international), the largest provider of Christian news around the world.
Approvals given
In November last year approvals were given by CMCi and after a flurry of activity many of the Kiwi young writers have come on board to initiate the functioning of Christian Today New Zealand.
NZ Editorial team: Irenie How, Sophia Sinclair, Bishop Brian Carrell, Liz Hay
New Young Writer co-ordinator: Kara Greening
Weekly NZ Christian media notification: Esther Koh, Sabrina Meyer, Michele Ong
Panellists – Brian Carrell, Liz Hay, Tash McGill, Peter Rope, Sophia Sinclair, Christian Tyson
Christian News: Liz Hay
NZ young writer advocacy: Rev Paul Cornish
The latest step -
Kiwi young writer editor, Irenie How of Christchurch has set out a one article per day publishing schedule for Cycle 1 which consists of 4 weeks = 20 articles.
Cycle 1 runs from Monday 13 February to Friday 10 March. There are 10 such Cycles throughout 2017.
Ready, set ...... for Monday
Irenie How is flying to Sydney for a Saturday Christian Today tuition session on 'uploading to the CTNZ platform' and also - participating in the 'mainstream Christian media leaders morning tea and lunch'.
Rev Bob Thomas (New Life), John Sandeman (Eternity), Dr Bruce Redman (Salvation Army), Colman Chan (Life Monthly), Rev Dominic Steele (Christians in Media), Ramon Williams (Religious Media), Natalie Chu (Christian Today), Dr Mark Tronson (Press Service International) along with several of their associates, Irenie How, Christchurch.
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