Wednesday, April 6, 2011 (re-publication)
Bucking The Trend
Christian newspaper grows from scratch to 60,000 copies while UK newspapers have been fighting gradual decline
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
NOTTINGHAM, UK (ANS) — In the last decade the UK’s daily newspapers have lost readers to news websites, 24-hour TV news programs and iPhone apps for a daily diet of news.
But against that background, and a struggling British Christian publishing scene, one newspaper has grown to over 60,000 copies every month since its launch in 2001.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, “Good News” is an evangelistic newspaper that churches, city missions and evangelistic groups across the country buy to give away. It has grown almost completely by word of mouth recommendation and gentle encouragement on their website, www.goodnews-paper.org.uk.
So why have Christians been buying into the concept of newspapers as an evangelistic tool when the Internet and other hi-tech gizmos have been all the rage?
Editor Andrew Halloway has a simple answer: “Although the Internet is a great way to spread the gospel globally, nothing can replace a local church developing face-to-face contact with their local community. Church websites are a great tool, but a non-Christian with no interest in church is hardly going to be searching the web for a local church. Churches need to connect with their neighborhoods, and regularly delivering a free paper in their area, letting people know the church exists around the corner, is a great way to establish contact.
“The paper sows seeds, and then the church can follow-up by knocking on doors to ask whether people want to continue receiving it, and using the stories in the paper as an opportunity to discuss the Gospel.”
But if newspaper reading is declining, why should locals bother with a free paper stuffed through their door? “National dailies have seen a drop,” Andrew replies, “but at the same time free papers like ‘The Metro’ have become a huge success story, and the number of local free papers has expanded, plus free local magazines. So people are used to free literature through their door. And if you want them to read about Christianity, you fill your paper with stories of changed lives – avoiding Christian jargon – and designed in a tabloid way that will grab attention.”
And that’s where Andrew’s combined expertise in evangelistic publishing and journalism comes in – finding testimonies of both Christian celebrities and “ordinary” Christians and writing them in such a way that non-Christians are intrigued.
Andrew was trained as an editor at CWR (Crusade for World Revival) in Surrey by a former regional newspaper journalist, before working for CPO (Christian Publishing and Outreach) in West Sussex as editor and publishing manager. He spent eight years at CPO, writing and producing literally millions of pieces of evangelistic literature – invitations, tracts, booklets, etc. – before spending five years at New Life Publishing in Nottingham. There, he was deputy editor of the magazines of two national denominations (Assemblies of God and Elim) and editor of a similar evangelistic paper to Good News. Going freelance in 2007, he works for Good News and writes for other Christian groups. 
After starting on Good News in 2007, Andrew revamped the design and content, established a new website and saw the circulation rise by about 25% in his first two years in charge. The recent recession has halted the rise, although sales have remained steady, currently at around 63,000 copies. But the team behind Good News are confident that the paper has the right formula for continued success – though they are completely reliant on God for the future.
The team, a group of volunteer, “every day” Christians from several denominations, set up Good News in 2001 – with nothing but faith and the wisdom of experienced Christian newspaper editor Donald Banks. When the first print runs sold out, it confirmed their belief that God had called them to this ministry.
Good News is a mission, run as a charity, and so the price of each copy is kept as low as possible – currently just UK14p.
Rev John Mutton, Chairman of the Good News team, believes this is one key Good News’ success: “At just 14p each, individual Christians can afford to buy a few copies to give out to their friends and neighbours, while at the other end of the scale, large churches can cover their entire community without worrying too much about their budgets.”
Birmingham City Mission takes 4,000 copies a month. Executive Director Wesley Erpen says: “Our missionaries use it mainly when they are visiting their housing estates and it gives them the opportunity to go back month by month.”
Pastor J. Daniel Sam of Furnworth Christian Fellowship in Bolton finds the newspaper a help in their outreach: “Good news instead of bad news, light instead of darkness! That’s what we are sowing into our community thanks to your skills and our muscle. teamwork for the kingdom of God. The Good News paper has been a real blessing and encouragement to Christians as well, up here in the North West.”
Evangelists working for Outreach UK (formerly Home Evangelism) also use Good News. One shares how God has blessed his distribution of the paper: “A lady read an article in Good News on tarot cards, as this was something in which she was involved. She is now being helped by her local church. Another lady was having studies with the Jehovah Witnesses, but she was given a copy of Good News and we have been able to help her, from the Bible, to see how she had been misled.”
Every month, Good News receives requests for follow-up literature or personal contact from readers who commit their lives to Christ. Good News also places hundreds of free copies of every issue in prisons across the country.
Let’s hope this is one good news story that will run and run.
For more information about Good News see www.goodnews-paper.org.uk. For a free sample copy for UK readers, email: [email protected]