Ten days ago the managing editor of the magazine (Japan Harvest) I am Associate Editor for, asked me to head up a special edition. At that point we decided to postpone the almost-ready-for-printing Spring Edition. That meant that we were at a "standing start". Added to that is that I've only been on the team for one cycle of this magazine editing process - and that only as an associate, mostly just editing articles, but not doing bigger editorial decisions or dealing with the layout editor or anything.
Ten days ago a lot landed in my lap. Plus the knowledge that many of our usual writers were neck-deep in disaster response efforts. The desire to produce a magazine that told the story from the point of view that the secular media will miss - the Christian and church's side. But the lack of journalistic skills, the lack of an editorial team adequate to cope and the lack of time to write a whole magazine myself were large barriers that stood in my way.
I wrote that night here about asking God for wisdom and help. And last Saturday I had only four articles. Now, ten days since that standing start I have about 22 potential pieces, two additional editors, six people taking first-hand accounts and turning them into articles. I have two people with journalistic training doing interviews for articles. I have a graphic designer working on a cover and some inside graphics. Amazing! And the glory doesn't go to me, because there is no way that I could have organised that on my own.
More amazing is the prior planning that simply were God-incidents. Two of the first-hand accounts are from ladies I roomed with at the women's retreat only three weeks ago. Of the six people turning first-hand accounts into articles, four of them live outside of Japan and are or have been a part of the Editing Group I've been a part of for four years now. And I mustn't forget to mention the Magazine Editing Course I attended back in September 2009. I felt somewhat out of my depth there, but how the training and the handbook that went with the course have been useful this week!
I had a great meeting with the two people with journalism backgrounds on Thursday. It was only about 40 minutes, but was a great meeting, we felt like we'd gone from a few hopeful ideas to something that might just be a good magazine. The meeting was sandwiched by prayer - before and after when I prayed that this magazine edition would be to God's glory, not ours. I'm truly amazed at how it is coming together. Isn't it true - God loves to work through us when we are weak, because He gets the glory.
Ten days ago a lot landed in my lap. Plus the knowledge that many of our usual writers were neck-deep in disaster response efforts. The desire to produce a magazine that told the story from the point of view that the secular media will miss - the Christian and church's side. But the lack of journalistic skills, the lack of an editorial team adequate to cope and the lack of time to write a whole magazine myself were large barriers that stood in my way.
I wrote that night here about asking God for wisdom and help. And last Saturday I had only four articles. Now, ten days since that standing start I have about 22 potential pieces, two additional editors, six people taking first-hand accounts and turning them into articles. I have two people with journalistic training doing interviews for articles. I have a graphic designer working on a cover and some inside graphics. Amazing! And the glory doesn't go to me, because there is no way that I could have organised that on my own.
More amazing is the prior planning that simply were God-incidents. Two of the first-hand accounts are from ladies I roomed with at the women's retreat only three weeks ago. Of the six people turning first-hand accounts into articles, four of them live outside of Japan and are or have been a part of the Editing Group I've been a part of for four years now. And I mustn't forget to mention the Magazine Editing Course I attended back in September 2009. I felt somewhat out of my depth there, but how the training and the handbook that went with the course have been useful this week!
I had a great meeting with the two people with journalism backgrounds on Thursday. It was only about 40 minutes, but was a great meeting, we felt like we'd gone from a few hopeful ideas to something that might just be a good magazine. The meeting was sandwiched by prayer - before and after when I prayed that this magazine edition would be to God's glory, not ours. I'm truly amazed at how it is coming together. Isn't it true - God loves to work through us when we are weak, because He gets the glory.
5 comments:
It's a God thing! He wants this story told.
To God be the glory!
Wendy, that's fantastic. Praise God for His goodness...
I'm delighted to be part of your expanded team, Wendy. Praise the Lord all the way!
Good to know the editor's handbook has come in handy, even though you were sick and missed some of the conference in 2009. I refer to mine often also!
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