Welcome to our February Newsletter!
How old were you when you became a Christian? I was 13. (I’m not telling you how many years ago that was, hehe!) In a recent survey, practising Christians were asked, ‘At what age did you become a Christian?’ An incredible 76% of Christians turned to the Lord before the age of 18! So we do need to reach out to our young people while they are young, and share the good news of Jesus as soon as we can. I’m not saying we shouldn’t reach out to older people (I’m taking an older lady to an Alpha course at the moment!), but think what heartaches could be avoided by walking in the Lord’s way from youth. Of course, not all young people will want to follow Jesus – but at least we can show the way. The rest is between them and the Lord. And he does wonderful things! 🙂
Let’s pray for the young people of the world, each one precious in the sight of God. Lent has already begun, but what about praying for young people from a different nation each day until Easter? Prayer is an amazing privilege – I’m sure we will all one day wish we had prayed more, because it really does change things. Oswald Chambers put it like this: “Prayer does not fit us for the better work; prayer is the better work.”
World Book Day – 1st March
For many years World Book Day has been a wonderful celebration of books and reading, with parents having to come up with a new costume each year! With a voucher, school children have been able to buy a book for just £1.
This year CLC have set up a scheme so you can now buy a selection of Christian children’s books for £1, and we are delighted to be partnering with them to give away our Beech Bank Girls, A Time Remembered for just £1/copy:-) This is the link to see all the books on the CLC website. The offer is already up and running, so don’t miss out! You can also get your £1 books from your local Christian bookshop. Do support them if you can. Don’t know where your nearest bookshop is? Follow this link. 🙂 Who could you buy books for? And don’t forget to pass the links on to all your friends, and pray for all the children who will receive the books!
Like to Win a Prize?
Reviews of our books are in short supply, but I’m told that the number of reviews a book amasses makes a massive difference to its success. I’d love to get a bit of a buzz going, but I can’t do it on my own!
Sooooo…. to reach as many young people as possible, I’m looking for people who will write honest reviews of our books on websites such as Amazon, CLCbookshops.com and Eden.co.uk (and of course our own Dernier Publishing.com). Please will you help? I know it’s a pain, but it’s all in a good cause, honest!
In return for your time, you could win a prize! Just email me to let me know how many books you have reviewed on how many sites, and you will have one chance to win for each review. (So if you review five books on two different sites, you will have ten chances to win.)
One of each of our books is up for grabs, so there are 16 chances to win. Shall we say until the end of March? If a son or daughter or niece or whoever has read the book, do feel free to write a review on their behalf. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be as simple as ‘Theo loved this book’. (Assuming he did, of course!) And your time is hugely appreciated – thanks so much.
Do You Write Stories for Young People?
For several years now I’ve run Write for a Reason, to help serve Christians who write novels for young people. I send out free weekly writing tips and run an online course, but now for something completely different: a “Meet-Up” course! Please find all the details below and on the Write for a Reason website. Let me know if you have any further questions – and do feel free to pass it on to anyone you know who could do with a bit of encouragement. 🙂
Are Your Children Safe Online?
I know it’s nothing to do with books, but online safety is a huge issue for parents, and we all need to keep an eye out for the dangers.
This website is a useful resource from the NSPCC to help you talk to your youngsters about staying safe online.
And that’s all for now! Every blessing to you all,
Janet
P.S. Don’t forget to let me know when you’ve done your reviews so I can put you in the prize draw! I look forward to hearing from you. 🙂