The Press Service International young writer program includes 19 young people from around the world and this group all fit neatly into Week 1 of the 5 week Cycle.
The commitment is to write 10 articles a year, once every 5 weeks. Some young people enjoy writing so much, they would write under water and sustain this commitment for quite some years.
Others write for 2-3 years and find that the consistency in demand upon their time and pressures is such that it is a 'season' and they legitimately move on. What we try and avoid is for young people to write one or two articles and then move on. The Press Service International team makes a big play on commitment.
Each Thursday is a weekly memo and these international young writers are invited to send in their newsy item for our 'distant fellowship' – as we all live 'continents apart' the way to build a fellowship team is to gradually get to know each other. Hence the newsy item feature – and well patronized it is.
International young writers
China
Canada
England
West Indies
USA
Mozambique
Over the past 5 years the young writer program has also enjoyed young people from
South Africa
France
Afghanistan
Malaysia
Korea
Connections
How these connections have been established has been through word of mouth and recommendations.
Initially, there is a proclivity for writing and having your 'Voice' heard around the world through a column in Christian Today.
Social media has made these article distributions much more pronounced as a young writer may place their 'article link' on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others – their friends then 'Share' the article, and their friends in turn, and before you know it, tens of thousands of people have read it.
This phenomenon is in addition to the huge readership from Christian Today itself which is part of the CMCI group of Christian News providers (Christian Media Corporation International).
CMCI houses Christian Post in the US, Canada, Germany while Christian Today is in the UK, Australia, India, Europe and expanding. Christian Post is the world's single largest news Christian provider followed by Christian Today UK and its Facebook is the largest with 4.6m followers. They all link to each other.
These international young writers are having their 'Voice' heard around the world and it is a joy to our hearts.
The 19 New Zealanders are in a separate Week - this is Week 4, but one of them Andrew Sinclair is reading theology in Sydney and listed in the international group. Andrew won the 2015 New Zealand Theological Award.
Current international young writers
Oscar Duan
Genevieve Wilson
Kandima Awendila
Lisa Goetze
Paul Lewis
Dan Peterson
Sharma Taylor
Rosie Robinson
Beckie Bowie
Jason LaLone
Tim Wilson
Charis Jackson
Stacy-Ann Smith
Amanda Robinson
Danielle Jones
Andrew Sinclair
Brenden Bell
Grace Wood
Janine Williams
Now, Josh Robbie from Queensland's Gold Coast has relocated with his South African wife to South Africa.
This is one of the joys of the Lord in our Press Service International 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.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html