CW writers ready for ÒcruiseÓ

ChristianWeek depends heavily on the work of freelance writers scattered throughout this big country. As editorial director I have long yearned to provide professional development opportunities to at least some of the regular contributors. At last this dream is coming true.

Early next month about a dozen of us will be meeting for four days to provide editorial personnel with professional training and to build among us a stronger sense of team and mission. In the planning process we got tired of referring to the project as “the upcoming professional development seminar,” and instead started billing it as “the cruise.”

It’s proven to be a good way to get the essential crew aboard. The team includes CW’s five regional correspondents, two staff editors, three ChristianCurrent publishers and editors, the editor of B.C. Christian News and utility man Gus Henne.

The cruise begins with two days at a retreat centre in Hamilton, where CW managing editor Kelly Henschel and I will be conducting a series of finely focused seminars that will strengthen our writers’ abilities to meet the specific demands of our newspapers. We will also learn from several of these contributors in their particular areas of expertise.

We then set sail for Guelph where we will participate along with more than 200 others in the annual God Uses Ink writers’ conference. Several of us will be doing some teaching, and all will be doing a lot of learning. We are very thankful conference organizers have put together a “professional track” that directly addresses many of our needs.

We are also grateful for the generosity of some donors who are making it possible for us to bring people from Fredericton, Vancouver and points between together for this special time. The cruise is a key step in building a team that can pull together for the long haul.