Would-be editor helps produce new book

Love of writing leads to internship at publishing company

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

An Avondale College student has helped produce a book of stories from writers across the South Pacific that will be launched as a stewardship initiative tomorrow.

Final-year communication major Kerry Arbuckle read, selected, organised and edited manuscripts for Ordinary People—Generous God during a two-week internship at Signs Publishing Company in Warburton, Victoria.

“She made a significant contribution in turning a stack of submitted stories—in a variety of formats—into a finished book,” says Signs book editor Nathan Brown. “We are grateful for her efforts.”

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia will launch Ordinary People—Generous God at the midyear meetings of its executive tomorrow. The book, a sequel to Ordinary People—Extraordinary God (2005) and Ordinary People—Faithful God (2007), supports the church’s Year of Stewardship. It contains 55 stories of people living in partnership with God and the results this brings.

In his introduction, Nathan describes the production of the book as a story of stewardship in itself, citing the uncertainty of whether enough stories would be submitted for a third volume. “When we commit our lives, our talents, our time and our projects to Him, this is stewardship, whatever the circumstances or consequences,” he explains. “But when God responds is His generosity in partnership with us, we have a story to tell—and, in this case, a collection of stories to share.”

Kerry describes her internship, during which she also edited a cookbook and a series of study guides for Faculty of Arts lecturer Brad Watson’s novel Finding David, as a “confidence builder.”

Ordinary People—Generous God is available from Adventist Book Centres.