MISSION: Connecting Christian writers in New Zealand.
VISION: To encourage and inspire Christian writers throughout New Zealand.
VALUES: Christian faith, God’s Word, professionalism, quality and social outreach.
NZ CHRISTIAN WRITERS is a nationwide collective of over 330 authors, bloggers, editors, lyricists, poets, publishers, songwriters, storytellers and writers throughout New Zealand. Along with our bi-monthly magazines and competitions we offer inspiring seminars and writers retreats to encourage, inspire and upskill people in their writing. NZ Christian Writers’ vision is to encourage and inspire Christian writers throughout New Zealand. We welcome both beginner and experienced writers to join us.
For over 40 years, NZ Christian Writers (previously known as The New Zealand Christian Writers Guild), founded in 1983, has linked Christian writers and provided them with fellowship and teaching.
The main aims and purposes of NZ Christian Writers are:
To promote writing and communication, which is in harmony with God’s Spirit and the teaching and life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to encourage Christian writers to express their faith in both the religious and secular media.
To uphold Christian ethics, while maintaining a non-denominational and evangelical stance.
To provide training for writers by means of seminars and educational materials.
To encourage and support local groups of Christian writers and to provide standards for their establishment and organisation.
To provide a voice for Christian writers, and encouragement for those who write in isolation.
These are the personal values we see as the heartbeat of our collective:
Christian faith = Jesus Christ is Lord, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, His Body includes all people who have been joined to Him through a saving faith.
God’s Word = The Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant and authoritative written Word of God.
Professionalism = Producing publications with a high value of professionalism.
Quality = Raising the quality of Christian publications throughout New Zealand.
Social outreach = Writing about our Christian faith and values as a social outreach to readers throughout New Zealand and around the world.
Honorary members have each made exceptional contribution to us as the collective of NZ Christian Writers. They are awarded with the special title of Honorary Member to recognise their significance within our collective. They are no longer required to pay for annual membership indefinitely.
JUSTIN ST. VINCENT has self-published four books including a worldwide trilogy exploring The Spiritual Significance of Music (2009-2012), and free eBook Love Live Forgive: Insights from Artists (2014), all available from Xtreme Music. He is married to Sara-Maria with three daughters, Maxima, Vivianna, and Gloria, based in the beautiful suburb of Northcote, Auckland. Justin St. Vincent is President for NZ Christian Writers, previous NZ Vice President of the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA), former Chairman for the national Board of Promise Keepers New Zealand, and was a Member of the New Zealand Society of Authors. He combines his passions for broadcasting, business, ministry, music, and Christian faith at his work with Rhema Media. Responsible for Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, he develops advertising campaigns for radio networks Rhema, Life FM, Star, Shine TV, plus national print devotionals, The Word For Today, and Word For You Today. He has also written devotionals for Promise Keepers Study Guides, God’s Awesome Power and Your Influence.
// Vice President, Board Member, Honorary Member & Writer
JANET FLEMING is married to Mike and they have five children and thirteen grandchildren. They live on the shores of the beautiful Whangaroa Harbour where they farm cattle and oysters. Both Janet and Mike have been involved in their local church and in working with children and youth from their teenage years. Mike has also been very supportive in encouraging Janet to write and in her role on the Board of NZ Christian Writers, of which she served for over thirteen years as President, and is now Vice President. Janet writes poetry, music, devotions, Bible Study material and children’s stories and puzzles. Her devotions are published by Choice Gleanings, Canada. Janet developed a love for writing poetry from a young age when her mother read her ‘Christopher Robin’. To begin with it was often used for ‘mischief’, then later for special events. She loves to include illustrations from nature in her work.
KATHRYN PAUL lives in Northland. Her love for writing began in her school years. She went on to complete a Comprehensive Writing Course with The Writing School. Successes during the writing course included an article published in NZ Wilderness magazine and a short story in Woman’s Day. Her next step was writing a novel designed to appeal to boys. Her children’s novel entitled, Dog Tucker was published by Scholastic New Zealand in 2009. Dog Tucker received a Storylines Notable Book Award for Junior Fiction in 2010. A reprint of Dog Tucker was recently released in March 2021. Kathryn is the magazine editor for NZ Christian Writers and leads a local writers group in Northland. She is passionate about encouraging writers of all ages. She believes the Bible is the best book of all and says it needs to be read with enlightenment from the Best Writer of All, The Holy Spirit.
ANDREW STIRLING was brought up in an atheist family and had a radical encounter with God in his early 20’s. He has seen the supernatural power of God work through him to help many others. Andrew has a heart to see God’s people grow into their full potential as true disciples of Christ. He lives in South Canterbury with his wife, Shing where they homeschool their four children. Andrew has been serving as Treasurer for NZ Christian Writers since July 2023.
JULIA MARTIN is married with three adult children and twelve grandchildren and lives near Cambridge. She has been involved with schoolteaching, business, farming and tourism. Julia has been a member of the NZ Christian Writers since 1996 and is a current member of the Board. She is a freelance writer with many published articles, stories and poems in secular and Christian publications.
JANETTE BUSCH is the owner of WritingAnswers and co-owner of QualityCVs.co.nz (a curriculum vitae consultancy) with her niece. With qualifications in technical and professional communication, science, editing and proofreading, Janette has worked on a wide variety of academic texts as well as a number of biographies and memoirs; she has also written book reviews, scientific press releases and profile articles for a number of publications. Currently, she is a proof reader for the New Zealand online magazine, Daily Encourager. She enjoys discovering new information and skills, so is a member of NZ Christian Writers, the Institute of Professional Editors (Aotearoa New Zealand), the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA), and the technical communicators and science communicators associations of New Zealand where she attends conferences, seminars and meetings; and now, in the Covid-19 era, a wide variety of Zoom meetings. Janette has two adult children and two grandsons, and lives in Christchurch. She can work with you no matter where you live, in New Zealand or internationally. After eight years of fighting EQC and her insurance company to get an honest pay out for her badly earthquake damaged home she is now enjoying a more settled life in a brand-new house that she thanks God for every day as she walks through the house to her kitchen in the morning. Please phone (021-233-7691) her for rates for editing, proofreading and writing.
CHRISTEL JEFFS is, first and foremost, a beloved daughter of God – the one that Jesus loves. Beyond that she is an author, editor and poet. She lives in Northland, the land which serves as the backdrop for her debut novel, The Gumdigger’s Wife (2016). Her poetry features in several Fast Fibres Poetry anthologies and she self-published her own in 2018 (Counter-Cultural Christian Chick). She holds a master’s degree in creative writing as well as a diploma in editing. She edits for Daystar Publishing and has her own editing business. She is currently training as a counsellor, along with working part-time for Manna Christian Stores and part-part-time for the Packard Motor Museum in Maungatapere. The most treasured time of her week, however, is spending a morning at her favourite café and working on her second novel, a sequel to The Gumdigger’s Wife. Christel became a Board Member for NZ Christian Writers in July 2023. Author Profile: www.facebook.com/christeljeffs91 and Jeffs Editing Services: www.facebook.com/jeffsediting
