While we must not abandon book projects or writing for magazines (see below for suggestions and resources) we also must not overlook the opportunity to make an immediate impact through writing for our hometown and regional newspapers. Remember, most magazines have a lead time of six months or longer, but newspapers print what is news - now.

Someone has said that the editorial page is the most read section of the newspaper. It is here that we have the privilege and responsibility to be a representative of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). It is here that we can be "salt and light" in a world that is growing increasingly dark as we:

1. Know the One we’re seeking to represent. We need to pray over our writing and remember that prayer is not just talking to God but also listening for His answer. We need to search the Scriptures to find His perspective on what is happening. Resisting the temptation to proof text, we need to instead commit ourselves to "correctly analyzing and accurately dividing . . . the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 amp).

2. Be careful not to hit our readers over the head with the Bible. While it is God’s Word that convicts and changes lives, one or two short quotes that directly speak to the issue we are addressing will make more of an impact than multiple long quotes. We need to avoid King James English unless we’re quoting a verse that is most familiar in the KJV. And remember, although the Word of God is the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17), we need to wield it in love.

3. Know our subject. There’s no better way to blow our credibility than to present fuzzy or distorted facts. We need to take the time to find out what we’re talking about. But remember, while we need to be informed, we also need to guard against becoming consumed by the events happening in our world. Limiting the time we spend in front of the television or our computer screen getting the latest news will help us not to become so overwhelmed emotionally.

4. Know and respect our readers. Don’t talk down to them or judge them for having a viewpoint different than ours. Aim to be "gracious as well as sensible, for then [we] will have the right answer for everyone" (Col. 4:6 tlb).

5. Be compassionate and sensitive. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of those who have lost loved ones and recognize that pat answers and religious clichés will only push them away from the Lord when they need Him the most.

6. Guard our hearts. The horror of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon will always remain with us. We have reason to be angry, but we must be careful not to allow anger to "gain control over [us] . . . for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil" (Eph. 4:26-27 nlt ). We need cool heads and quiet hearts if we are to write for the Lord.

7. Provide hope and reassurance that God has not abandoned us. "His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:5 tlb). "Nothing can ever separate us from his love" (Rom. 8:38 nlt). "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble" (Psalm 46:1 nlt). We need to cling to His promises and share them with our readers - not just through the editorial pages of our newspapers but through the numerous discussion groups on the Internet where all too often Christianity is not accurately presented. We can make a difference!

 

Other Suggestions:

• Become part of OPERATION INFORM through Dan Wooding's ASSIST News Service (ANS).     "Christians should be able to rightly divide the news - as well as the Word of God," Dan says. "The tragic events of Sept. 11 underscore the need to know what is really going on in God's world. We have launched OPERATION INFORM so you too can be informed and know where your prayers are needed." Visit http://www.assistnews.net to find out more. Dan served on the faculty of this year's Colorado and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences. He is a highly respected international journalist who specializes n eyewitness reporting of persecuted Christians around the world.

• See the article, "Rising Above Fear," written by one of the staff members of this year's Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. Make a commitment to pick up your pen and write instead of give in to fear.

• Visit The Amy Foundation's web site (http://www.amyfound.org) and check out their resources for starting a Church Writing Group as well as their Group Lesson Plans.

• For an example of a Letter to the Editor that I wrote and faxed to my local paper the day after the terrorist attack click here. It was published two days later on September 14.

• Click here for a list of .newspapers around the nation that take op-ed pieces. For a Sample Op-Ed click here.

• Order a copy of The Persuasive Person - Communicating More Effectively in Person and in Print by Jim Watkins. This 134 page book is an excellent resource for strengthening your writing and speaking skills. Send $7.00 plus $1.95 for first class or $1.10 for media mail shipping (PA residents please include 6% sale tax) to: Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026-3507.

• Write your own or someone else's story to point readers to the Lord. Keep in mind the need to write with "Sensitivity" and study the Scriptures and tips you'll find at "Write Your Testimony." You may also want to order my tape, "Turning Personal Experiences Into Print." Send $5.00 (postage paid) to Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026. PA residents include 6% sales tax.

• Order a tape of the workshop Sherri Langton taught at the Colorado and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences, "The Literature of Personal Disaster." Sherri asks, "Is a story good just because it relates a horrific event?" In her workshop she discusses why we write about tragedy and how we make it real to the reader as well as redemptive. Send $5.00 (postage paid) to Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026. PA residents include 6% sales tax.

• Reach out one-on-one to those who are hurting. One of the greatest gifts you can give them is simply to listen. You may also want to make a copy of "Re-Creation," a poem I wrote that you'll find under  Hope and Comfort. Feel free to share it as God leads you.

Profits from the sale of the above items will be sent to FRIENDS OF SUDAN, a non-profit corporation that seeks to be "A Voice for the Voiceless" Sudanese who have lost 3,000,000 people in the past 18 years of civil war. Why Sudan when the needs are so great in our own country? Because, as Michael Gantt, president of Friends of Sudan says, this is "A Family Crisis." They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and must not be forgotten. I hope you'll visit www.friendsofsudan.com and support this ministry with your prayers and gifts.

While we must not abandon book projects or writing for magazines (see below for suggestions and resources) we also must not overlook the opportunity to make an immediate impact through writing for our hometown and regional newspapers. Remember, most magazines have a lead time of six months or longer, but newspapers print what is news - now.

Someone has said that the editorial page is the most read section of the newspaper. It is here that we have the privilege and responsibility to be a representative of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). It is here that we can be "salt and light" in a world that is growing increasingly dark as we:

1. Know the One we’re seeking to represent. We need to pray over our writing and remember that prayer is not just talking to God but also listening for His answer. We need to search the Scriptures to find His perspective on what is happening. Resisting the temptation to proof text, we need to instead commit ourselves to "correctly analyzing and accurately dividing . . . the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 amp).

2. Be careful not to hit our readers over the head with the Bible. While it is God’s Word that convicts and changes lives, one or two short quotes that directly speak to the issue we are addressing will make more of an impact than multiple long quotes. We need to avoid King James English unless we’re quoting a verse that is most familiar in the KJV. And remember, although the Word of God is the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17), we need to wield it in love.

3. Know our subject. There’s no better way to blow our credibility than to present fuzzy or distorted facts. We need to take the time to find out what we’re talking about. But remember, while we need to be informed, we also need to guard against becoming consumed by the events happening in our world. Limiting the time we spend in front of the television or our computer screen getting the latest news will help us not to become so overwhelmed emotionally.

4. Know and respect our readers. Don’t talk down to them or judge them for having a viewpoint different than ours. Aim to be "gracious as well as sensible, for then [we] will have the right answer for everyone" (Col. 4:6 tlb).

5. Be compassionate and sensitive. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of those who have lost loved ones and recognize that pat answers and religious clichés will only push them away from the Lord when they need Him the most.

6. Guard our hearts. The horror of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon will always remain with us. We have reason to be angry, but we must be careful not to allow anger to "gain control over [us] . . . for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil" (Eph. 4:26-27 nlt ). We need cool heads and quiet hearts if we are to write for the Lord.

7. Provide hope and reassurance that God has not abandoned us. "His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:5 tlb). "Nothing can ever separate us from his love" (Rom. 8:38 nlt). "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble" (Psalm 46:1 nlt). We need to cling to His promises and share them with our readers - not just through the editorial pages of our newspapers but through the numerous discussion groups on the Internet where all too often Christianity is not accurately presented. We can make a difference!

 

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• Become part of OPERATION INFORM through Dan Wooding's ASSIST News Service (ANS).     "Christians should be able to rightly divide the news - as well as the Word of God," Dan says. "The tragic events of Sept. 11 underscore the need to know what is really going on in God's world. We have launched OPERATION INFORM so you too can be informed and know where your prayers are needed." Visit http://www.assistnews.net to find out more. Dan served on the faculty of this year's Colorado and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences. He is a highly respected international journalist who specializes n eyewitness reporting of persecuted Christians around the world.

• See the article, "Rising Above Fear," written by one of the staff members of this year's Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. Make a commitment to pick up your pen and write instead of give in to fear.

• Visit The Amy Foundation's web site (http://www.amyfound.org) and check out their resources for starting a Church Writing Group as well as their Group Lesson Plans.

• Get in the habit of writing letters to the editor. See the criteria for the Roaring Lambs Awards (http://www.amyfound.org/penroaring.html) at The Amy Foundation web site and submit entries that qualify.

• For an example of a Letter to the Editor that I wrote and faxed to my local paper the day after the terrorist attack click here. It was published two days later on September 14.

• Click here for a list of .newspapers around the nation that take op-ed pieces. For a Sample Op-Ed click here.

• Order a copy of The Persuasive Person - Communicating More Effectively in Person and in Print by Jim Watkins. This 134 page book is an excellent resource for strengthening your writing and speaking skills. Send $7.00 plus $1.95 for first class or $1.10 for media mail shipping (PA residents please include 6% sale tax) to: Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026-3507.

• Write your own or someone else's story to point readers to the Lord. Keep in mind the need to write with "Sensitivity" and study the Scriptures and tips you'll find at "Writing Your Testimony." You may also want to order my tape, "Turning Personal Experiences Into Print." Send $5.00 (postage paid) to Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026. PA residents include 6% sales tax.

• Order a tape of the workshop Sherri Langton taught at the Colorado and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences, "The Literature of Personal Disaster." Sherri asks, "Is a story good just because it relates a horrific event?" In her workshop she discusses why we write about tragedy and how we make it real to the reader as well as redemptive. Send $5.00 (postage paid) to Write His Answer Ministries, 316 Blanchard Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026. PA residents include 6% sales tax.

• Reach out one-on-one to those who are hurting. One of the greatest gifts you can give them is simply to listen. You may also want to make a copy of "Re-Creation," a poem I wrote that you'll find under  Hope and Comfort. Feel free to share it as God leads you.

Profits from the sale of the above items will be sent to FRIENDS OF SUDAN, a non-profit corporation that seeks to be "A Voice for the Voiceless" Sudanese who have lost 3,000,000 people in the past 18 years of civil war. Why Sudan when the needs are so great in our own country? Because, as Michael Gantt, president of Friends of Sudan says, this is "A Family Crisis." They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and must not be forgotten. I hope you'll visit www.friendsofsudan.com and support this ministry with your prayers and gifts.