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September 20, 2001
NEW ZEALAND'S CHALLENGE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SCOOPS TWO AWARDS
By Julie Belding
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) - New Zealand's Challenge Weekly newspaper
received significant commendations at the annual conference of the Australasian
Religious Press Association, which was held in Christchurch on September 7-8.
Editor Henk Kamsteeg's article, "God in the Lab?" published on July 11 2000, was
highly commended in the "best feature in a newspaper or magazine" category. In
addition, Challenge Weekly itself was highly commended as the "most improved
newspaper" in the year 2000. These awards are competed for by Christian newspapers and magazines ranging from small magazines to large circulation newspapers throughout Australia and New Zealand, and are a highlight of the ARPA conference, which attracts dozens of Christian newspaper people each year. Around 60 editors, and some associated staff, attended the recent conference at Rydges Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The award-winning "God in the Lab?" article was based on the news that the Human Genome Project (decoding the human DNA) was nearing completion. The title was based on a quote from President Clinton who commented at the time that human beings were now "learning the language in which God created life. "Like the secrets of the atom unlocked in the 1940s, our knowledge of the genome may have the power to save us or to doom us," Henk Kamsteeg concluded in his article.
In regard to the recent ARPA awards, he said, "To be honest I thought we would have a fair chance of receiving the second one. After all, few Christian newspapers have had as many radical changes as ours during last year. But to be commended for 'Best Feature' was a total surprise. The whole Challenge team took part in selecting the best articles and newspapers to enter the competition. To win two major awards is really exciting and encouraging for us all. "We look forward with hope and expectation. It's hard work to get Challenge Weekly out on the streets every week, and we thank God for you, our readers and faithful supporters, who have helped make it all possible for more than 55 years. Most of all we praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the faithful One."
Dutch-born Henk Kamsteeg, who has been editor of Challenge Weekly since 1995, says that hopes that the awards will have a positive affect on the newspaper. Challenge is New Zealand's only interdenominational Christian weekly newspaper, and as such reveals Christians in all their diversity united together in their love and service for Christ. That's unique! "The weekly 'Publisher's Letter' on page two has long been one of the most popular features of the paper, and we have received several requests to publish a selection of the best in book form.
"Challenge Weekly encourages and inspires the reader, calling them to prayer. The articles and testimonies reflect the reality of God at work in our lives, our homes, our churches, our community in New Zealand and around the world. "There are so many Christians who do not realize what they are missing out on. Some even have never heard about the newspaper, although we are every week on Radio Rhema.
"It has always been difficult to get new subscriptions, but I still do not really understand why we can't double our readership. If every reader of Challenge Weekly would bring in just one new subscriber this year it is done! That would be fantastic!"
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