With a new year comes another new look for The Briefing, and it's looking and reading better than ever. It's a fresh new look, with the same aim of growing Christians.

What's in The Briefing?

• Articles to help every Christian in their walk with God.
• A Christian perspective on the actions and events of the world around us.
• A new section for pastors and lay leaders that provides encouragement and ideas to ministers of God's Word.
• 20 short and powerful studies to help you read the Scriptures daily (Bible Brief)
• An occasional longer article with space for reflection on the Scriptures and its bearing upon our lives (Briefing Essays).

The Briefing has been Australia's leading evangelical publication for over sixteen years, and we'd love you to be a part of it. In subscribing to The Briefing you're also supporting the ministry of Matthias Media in publishing Christian resources.

Call now to order: 1800 814 360 (in Sydney 9663 1478). Or click below to order online.

Subscription rates for The Briefing (including postage)

• Easy renew subscription: $47.50
• Standard subscription: $55.00
• Concession subscription: $30.00

e-Briefing (Delivered in an electronic PDF format)

• Easy renew email subscription: $35.00
• Standard email subscription: $39.50
• Concession email subscription: $25.00

Rates

• 1/4 page: $275.00 (GST included)
• 1/8 page: $175.00 (GST included)

These rates include web exposure for the same month as the print edition of The Briefing in which your ad appears.

For international rates, please email us.

Sizes

• 1/8 page: (h) 60.5mm x (w) 97mm
• 1/4 page: (h) 127mm x (w) 97mm

Text to remain 5mm inside advertisement border.

Deadlines February 2006-March 2007

Advertising on the web only

(For those who have missed the deadline for the print edition, or who do not wish to place their ad in the print version of The Briefing.)

We place ads on the ‘Brief Notices’ section of our website on the 1st of each month, and your ad will remain there for the entire month.

Rates

• 1/4 page equivalent: $200/month (GST included)
• 1/8 page equivalent: $100/month (GST included)

For international rates, please email us.

Deadlines

We can accept web only ads anytime before the 1st of the month.

Delivery details

Please send copy and artwork directly to us via email.

• Copy should be sent in a Word document or included in the body of an email.
• For logo artwork we prefer Illustrator eps files. If this is not possible, it should be sent in a very high res tiff file (1200 dpi for bitmap or 300dpi for greyscale). Please send two versions of your logo: black and white (for the print Briefing) and colour (for the web ad).

Booking an advertisement

To book an advertisement, please fill in the online booking form below and click ‘submit’. Alternatively, fax details to us on (02) 9663 3265 (click here to download the form in Adobe PDF format). Or you can send the details (as per the booking form) via email.

Positions Vacant Booking Form

For more information contact Emma Thornett on (02) 9663 1697 or via email.

Terms and conditions

1. Advertisers bear full responsibility for ensuring that advertisements comply with all relevant laws, including anti-discrimination legislation and the Trade Practices Act, and are not misleading, false or deceptive.
2. All advertisements are subject to the approval of the publisher.
3. Advertising agencies and advertisers accept full responsibility for the contents of all advertisements and agree to indemnify the publishers against any claim or proceeding arising out of the publication of the advertisements. Provision of the material or copy for publication constitutes acceptance by advertiser and advertising agent of this condition.
4. Telephone instructions are accepted but the publisher is not liable for error or misunderstanding if instructions are not confirmed in writing prior to publication deadline.
5. The positioning of the advertisement is entirely at the discretion of the publisher.
6. The publisher and its employees or agents will not be liable for any loss caused by late publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear, or errors or omissions in advertising.

Book or other resource manuscript submission

Our general policy at Matthias Media is not to accept unsolicited manuscripts. If you send us the completed manuscript of a book or other resource, there is every chance it will be returned to you unread.

We are, however, happy to receive and consider proposals and ideas for new books and resources. If you have an idea or some raw material that you think may develop into a useful resource for evangelism, Christian growth or gospel ministry, please send us a few pages outlining the following:

• the purpose or aim of the resource;
• its intended audience or market;
• a general description of the resource and how it would achieve its aims;
• an outline or summary of the proposed contents;
• a sample chapter or unit.

If we think the idea has merit, and may fit into our publishing schedule, we will encourage you to develop the idea to the next stage, at which time a decision will be made about publication.

Articles for The Briefing

The Briefing welcomes contributions from its readers. We encourage responses to our articles, some of which we publish as ‘Interchange’. However, we cannot promise to publish every (or even most) of the letters we are sent. We endeavour to reply to all correspondents.

We also encourage submissions of book reviews, short columns, and reports and observations written from an evangelical perspective. In order to increase the likelihood of publication, it is recommended that writers contact the Briefing editor before submission (Tony Payne).

Submissions are preferred in electronic format, in a format compatible with Microsoft Word. Book reviews should be under 1000 words; columns under 600 words. Submissions are usually edited for style and content, in consultation with the author.

To allow us to process permission requests for the use of copyright material owned or administered by Matthias Media, please read the following.

Broad Policy

It is only by staying afloat financially that Matthias Media can continue to invest in the development of new resources for growing Christians. This means that Matthias Media seeks some financial contribution from those that use and benefit from our resources (cf. 1 Cor. 9:7-9).

Our general approach is to give permission whenever possible for translation of our resources, or to allow appropriate use of extracts from them, in order to support the ministry of the gospel. However, it will generally be appropriate for a royalty to be paid for use of the translated material. (Naturally, some account will be taken of the financial circumstances of those using the translations or extracts. See our Pricing Policy for more about our approach in this regard.)

By and large, we will not accede to requests to make modifications to any of our resources, nor to requests which seem to be made in the hope of avoiding purchasing the resources.

As word spreads about our resources, we are finding it an increasing burden to have to respond to all manner of different requests. Accordingly, we are now having to formalise the process, and ask that those seeking permission provide us with all the information we need to process your request quickly and efficiently.

Please determine which of the following categories your copyright request falls under, and click on the corresponding link for more information about each category.

Once you have read the relevant section, please if you wish to pursue the matter further and we can send you details of the information we will require to process your permission request.

• Translation and limited publication for ministry in a local church or similar sized organization
• Translation and widespread publication (including by publishing houses)
• Requests for use of articles or extracts in newsletters, magazines, books, or web sites
• Requests for links or duplication of Matthias Media web site material
• Requests for use of illustrations (including Two Ways to Live illustrations)

Translation and limited publication for ministry in a local church or similar sized organization

Matthias Media is willing to grant permission for overseas missionaries or those in other ministries amongst non English-speaking people to translate and reproduce written materials for use in their own specific ministry context. (For broader use and distribution please see Translation and widespread publication.)

However, as stated in our broad policy above, we consider that it is generally appropriate for a contribution by way of royalty to be made to Matthias Media for the use of the material. The standard contribution would be 10% of the Australian retail price (as shown on the Matthias Media web site) per copy reproduced, paid in Australian currency through an Australian bank. Royalties should be remitted at the time of reproduction, unless reproduction is being done as copies are required, in which case remittances should be made at least once every six months.

A Letter of Agreement will be provided to the person or organization doing the reproduction, setting out the terms and conditions. A non-refundable application processing fee of $A100.00 is also payable to cover the costs associated with processing your copyright request and drafting the Agreement. You will also be asked to send us three copies of the translated resource.

If the users of the translated material are economically disadvantaged, we ask that you use your best endeavours to raise the necessary royalty through those who are funding the ministry you are conducting. If for some reason this is not possible, then Matthias Media will consider waiving its royalty entitlement, but not the application fee.

Over time, translated resources may become more widely known, and you may receive requests from other churches or Christian ministries for copies. If royalties are being paid on the resources, limited distribution of this nature may be undertaken. However in your Agreement will be a requirement that you notify us should the number of copies sold or distributed in a year exceed a certain quota. This is to ensure that we become aware of it if the resource is becoming popular, because we would like to ensure that a reasonable quality of production is being used in such cases (and it also gives us encouragement to hear how the resources are being used!).

The person doing the translation must undertake to provide a faithful rendering of the English version, and changes of a theological, rather than linguistic or cultural, nature must be approved in writing by Matthias Media. Matthias Media reserves the right to have the translation verified, and to insist on changes being made to the translation.

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Translation and widespread publication (including by publishing houses)

Matthias Media is willing to consider granting permission to overseas missions or other ministry organisations working amongst non English-speaking people, to translate and reproduce written materials for broad use. (For limited use, e.g. by a particular church or ministry organisation in a specific location, please see Translation and limited publication for ministry in a local church or similar sized organization.)

Generally speaking, such permission will only be given to organisations which can demonstrate a commitment in their ministry (e.g. through other books they have published) to a reformed, evangelical theological position.

We consider that it is generally appropriate for a contribution by way of royalty to be made to Matthias Media for the use of the material. The standard contribution would be 10% of the Australian retail price (as shown on the Matthias Media web site) per copy reproduced, paid in Australian currency through an Australian bank. Royalties should be remitted at the time of reproduction.

A written agreement will be provided to the person or organization doing the reproduction, setting out the terms and conditions. A non-refundable application processing fee of $A100.00 is also payable to cover the costs associated with processing your copyright request and drafting the Agreement. You will also be asked to send us three copies of the translated resource, and to ensure that the resources achieve a certain level of production quality.

If the users of the translated material are economically disadvantaged, we ask that you use your best endeavours to raise the necessary royalty through those who are funding the ministry to those users. If for some reason this is not possible, then Matthias Media will consider waiving its royalty entitlement, but not the application fee.

The person or persons doing the translation must undertake to provide a faithful rendering of the English version, and changes of a theological, rather than merely linguistic or cultural, nature must be approved in writing by Matthias Media. Matthias Media will reserve the right to have the translation verified, and to insist on changes being made to the translation.

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Requests for reproduction of articles or extracts (e.g. in newsletters, magazines, books, or web sites)

General notes

Under no circumstances may any article or extract be changed, shortened, edited, or quoted in such a way as to suggest a meaning different to that given in its proper context.

Matthias Media is not normally able to provide articles in text/electronic format, although issues of The Briefing and kategoria can be purchased in PDF format through our web site, or on the Briefing CD-ROM or kategoria CD-ROM, and text can be captured through those files.

A. Minor articles or extracts (less than 1,000 words)

For articles or extracts of 1,000 words or less, two distinct cases need to be considered:

1. Where the Matthias Media publication has reproduced the content from another publication (normally acknowledged at the end of the article or quotation using words such as “Reproduced with the kind permission of…” or similar), Matthias Media has no legal right to grant you permission. Permission should be sought from the publishers of the source material.
2. Where the article or extract has been first or originally published through Matthias Media (ie. not the case of (i) above), then:
   1. permission is granted for reproduction in printed newsletters or other materials which are being given away for free or on a purely print cost recovery basis, subject to the payment to Matthias Media of a fee (set out in the table below) per article or extract, and the acknowledgment of copyright in the manner set out below:
      

      Reproduced from [full reference of material], published by Matthias Media (www.matthiasmedia.com.au). Copyright. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

      Number of copies	Fee
      0-20 copies	$A 7.50
      21-100 copies	$A 20.00
      101-500 copies	$A 35.00
      501+ copies	Please call

      
      If regular reproduction is being carried out, remittance of the relevant fees may be done on a quarterly basis, rather than for every article.
   2. where reproduction is to be made in a publication which will be sold for more than the print costs, or for publication on a web site (whether ‘commercial’ or otherwise), please seek permission in writing.

B. Major articles or book extracts (more than 1,000 words)

Book Extracts

Please seek permission in writing.

Articles from The Briefing

Articles appearing in The Briefing as original articles (ie. not being articles reproduced from elsewhere, cf. (i) above), may be reproduced in newsletters or other materials which are being given away for free or on a purely print cost recovery basis, subject to the payment to Matthias Media of a fee (set out in the table below) per article, and provided that the person or organisation reproducing the article is a current Briefing subscriber.

Articles should feature the following acknowledgment:

This article is reproduced from The Briefing with the permission of Matthias Media. © All rights reserved. For more information about The Briefing and other resources for growing Christians, visit the Matthias Media web site (www.matthiasmedia.com.au) or call for a free catalogue on (02) 9663-1478.

In all other circumstances, including publication on web sites or in email newsletters, please seek permission in writing.

Articles from kategoria

Articles appearing in kategoria as original articles (ie. not being articles reproduced from elsewhere, cf. (i) above), may be reproduced in newsletters or other materials which are being given away for free or on a purely print cost recovery basis, subject to the payment to Matthias Media of a fee (set out in the table below) per article.

Articles should feature the following acknowledgment:

This article is reproduced from kategoria with the permission of Matthias Media. © All rights reserved. For more information about resources for growing Christians, visit the Matthias Media web site (www.matthiasmedia.com.au) or call for a free catalogue on (02) 9663-1478.

In all other circumstances, including publication on web sites or in email newsletters, please seek permission in writing.

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Requests for links or duplication of Matthias Media web site material

Permission is not required for you to put links on your own site to any material on the Matthias Media web site.

However, Matthias Media will normally decline requests for reproduction of our web site material on your own web site. This includes Two Ways to Live. We suggest you link to the material in such a way that it is easy for your users to return to your site should they wish (e.g. opening our page in a new browser window).

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Requests for use of illustrations (including Two Ways to Live illustrations)

Please note that we can't normally give permission for artwork or illustrations to be reproduced, as they are published under license from the artist or from image libraries. Normally you will need to also seek the permission of the artist or purchase the image yourself from the image library.

Please note that it is also our policy to restrict the use of the illustrations for the Two Ways to Live gospel presentation to a context involving the text of the Two Ways to Live gospel outline. In other words, we want to retain a close link between the illustrations and the specific explanation that goes with them. We do not want the illustrations to be used as generic illustrations for any gospel presentation or evangelistic enterprise. (Note: you do not need to seek permission to reproduce the drawings by hand in the context of demonstrating or presenting Two Ways to Live to an individual or group.)

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U.K.

Almost all of our resources are available in the UK. Trade distribution is handled by IVP (UK), so our resources should be available through any Christian bookstore in the UK.

We have had a very long and close relationship with The Good Book Company. Staff at the GBC have a very thorough knowledge of our resources, offer excellent prices and fast service. We therefore recommend them warmly to our UK customers.

Should you prefer to buy from a UK source, most resources shown on our web site will be available from:

Inter-Varsity Press (UK)

Norton Street
Nottingham NG7 3HR
UNITED KINGDOM

Telephone: (+44) (0) 115 978 1054
Website: http://www.ivpbooks.com
Email: sales@ivpbooks.com

The Good Book Company

Elm House, 37 Elm Road,
New Malden, Surrey KT3 3HB
England

Tel: +20-8942-0880
Fax: +20-8942-0990
Website: http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk
Email: timsales@thegoodbook.co.uk

Africa

IVP (UK) (see contact details above) will be taking on the role of distributor throughout Africa as of 16 December 2005. Until then, please contact Christian Book Discounters. CBD will continue as a retailer after 16 December, and, again, we recommend CBD as a supplier because of the longstanding relationship we have had with them, and their extensive knowledge of our resources.

Christian Book Discounters

Retail store

St. James Church of England
3rd Avenue
Kenilworth

Tel: (021) 683 2302

Wholesale & Mail Order

15 Wood Rd
Rondebosch 7700
South Africa

Tel/Fax: (021) 685 3663

Website: http://www.christianbooks.co.za
Email: peter@christianbooks.co.za

Tel/Fax: (021) 674-6931
Tel: (021) 674-6932

USA

We are currently working on new and improved arrangements for North America, which will make ordering faster and cheaper for both trade and retail customers. To keep up with developments, please join our e-News list for US updates:

However, the current arrangements are as follows:

For trade sales, We now have an American wholesale distributor, as well as an American retail website. Bookshops can order most of our resources through Ingram/Spring Arbour, or direct from Matthias Media in Sydney.

For retail customers, you can order direct through us through our online store ($AU prices). Alternatively, there are a few retailers in North America who tend to hold stock of many of our resources. These are listed below.

Wholesale

Matthias Media

Email: sales@matthiasmedia.com.au

Ingram Book Group

http://www.ingrambook.com

Retail

Matthias Media USA

http://www.matthiasmedia.com

Trinity Bookstore (Illinois)

http://www.trinitybookstore.com

Books by the Park (Ohio)

http://parksidechurch.gospelcom.net/books.php

Canada

The Navigator's Resource Centre (Ontario, Canada)

http://shop3.gospelcom.net/epages/nrc.storefront/EN/catalog

Other countries

Matthias Media is happy to ship to customers in any part of the world, especially if there is no local retailer or distributor.

IVP (UK) is the exclusive distributor in the following countries:

• UK and EU
• Singapore
• Malaysia/Sarawak
• Philippines
• Hong Kong
• Korea
• India
• Kenya*
• Nigeria*
• Ghana*
• South Africa*

* from 16 December 2005

E-Mail

Phone

• Within Sydney: Ph. 9663 1478
• Elsewhere in Australia: Freecall 1800 814 360
• From overseas: +61 2 9663 1478

Facsimile

• Within Sydney: Fax 9663 3265
• Elsewhere in Australia: Fax (02) 9663 3265
• From overseas: +61 2 9663 3265

Post

Matthias Media
PO Box 225
Kingsford NSW 2032
AUSTRALIA

Street address:
Suite 1, 42 Gardeners Road
Kingsford NSW 2032
AUSTRALIA

Ministry Partners

The Briefing is pleased to work in partnership with the following organisations, and to promote their ministry.

Firstly, we want to put on record that it is not our goal to make money. We are a non-profit company, and money is merely a means to an end—that is, providing quality evangelical resources for growing Christians.

We are also technically a non-profit company—that is, we cannot distribute profits to any person or organization by way of dividends.

However, this does not mean that we do not seek to make a ‘profit’ in the accounting sense—at least some of the time. We aim to be self-funding, and this means not only meeting today's financial commitments, but also putting aside money to allow us to fund the production of new resources. Profitability is the main way that we can generate funds to do this.

Secondly, because we are not here to make money, we are able to take some account of people's inability to pay when requested to do so. We would prefer that money alone not be a barrier to any person benefiting from the resources we publish. However, whilst dealing with cases on their own merits, we do take into account some other principles, such as:

• Equity: That is, we try to treat customers fairly, and not give unjustified benefits to some customers over others.
• Need for support: Whilst we will consider supporting people in their ministries, and will aim to do so generously as we are able, it has to be remembered that just about all ministries we deal with are ‘worthy’, and almost all struggle for funds. Whilst we would love to support them all, it is important that ministries raise their own financial support to meet their ministry needs. We obviously can't afford to offer discounts to every worthy ministry.
• Those being ministered to: Naturally, if the end-users of our resources are financially disadvantaged as a group, we will take that into account. People and organisations ministering to such groups clearly bear an additional financial burden to those who minister to people who can afford to buy the resources they benefit from.

Our doctrinal views are spelt out in a set of doctrinal studies written by our Founder and Publishing Director, called The Blueprint. The statement of faith which these studies are based on, is as follows:

1. The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
2. The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
3. The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall, rendering man subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
4. The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and his birth of the virgin Mary.
5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death (as our Representative and Substitute) of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God.
6. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
7. The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
8. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
9. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
10. The Sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement

Phillip Jensen, Founder

Phillip is well-known in Australia and the UK as a gifted Bible teacher and ministry visionary. After many years as the Pastor of St Matthias Church, Sydney, and the Chaplain to the University of New South Wales, Phillip has recently become the Anglican Dean of Sydney, and the Director of Ministry Training for the Sydney Anglican Diocese. Under God, Phillip has recruited and trained many young men and women for full-time gospel ministry, and initiated a number of very significant ministry organizations, including the Ministry Training Strategy and Matthias Media. Phillip and his wife, Helen, live in Sydney and have three adult children (and a growing number of grandchildren)

Tony Payne, Publishing Director

Tony Payne trained for ministry through the Ministry Training Strategy, and in 1988 began work as Matthias Media's first editor. Since then, Tony has accomplished a great deal: with his wife, Alison, he has grown a family of five children; he has completed a degree in theology at Moore Theological College; and he has overseen the development of Matthias Media, writing or otherwise.

Ian Carmichael, Operations & Finance Director

In 1988, Ian took over from Tony Payne as the St Matthias Church Administrator, also lending assistance from time to time with some of the business aspects of the fledgling publishing house. Gradually, the publishing business took over more and more of Ian's time, until a new Church Administrator was found and Ian became the full-time business manager for Matthias Media. Ian and his wife, Stephanie, have two children.

Karen Beilharz, Editor

Karen joined Matthias Media at the beginning of 2005. She edits pretty much anything that's put in front of her. She is one of the few in our office who does not like coffee. She does, however, have a great fondness for hot chocolate, green tea and Chinese peanuts. She completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong in 1999, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English at the University of New South Wales in 2000 and a Diploma in Bible and Missions at Moore Theological College in 2005. Her husband, Ben, is currently studying at Moore Theological College.

Guy Betbeder-Matibet

Order a resource, and there's every chance it will be packed and dispatched by Guy. A relatively new member of staff, Guy has an IT background and is already investigating ways to computerise a number of our dispatch functions, including the completion of Australia Post paperwork.

David Chapman, Accountant/Bookkeeper

After many years of experience in accounts in small business he joined the team in March 2004. David works behind the scenes assisting the Finance Director by processing monthly accounts and filling out various government forms. He also keeps the staff happy by paying them. He is married to Ruth and has two grown up sons.

Gordon Cheng, Resources Editor

Gordon is married to Fiona and father of three girls. He worked for ten years as a senior staffworker with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students at Melbourne University, and then at a number of churches in Sydney as an Anglican minister. Gordon moved to Matthias Media in February 2004 to put his years of ministry experience to use in generating new resources for gospel work. As Resources Editor, his brief is just about anything that's not The Briefing. Personal motto (from Rocky and Bullwinkle): “This time for sure!”

Anna Cole, Customer Service

Anna joined the Matthias Media team in June 2002. Her role includes answering customer calls and processing orders, and ensuring that Briefing subscriptions are kept up-to-date. As part of the female contingent of the office, she tries to ensure that conversations about footy are kept to a minimum, and that chocolate and fine music are regularly on hand.

Warren Doyle, Customer Service

Warren is responsible for the smooth and efficient running of our Customer Service Department. This involves answering customer calls, processing and dispatching orders and regulating the stock in our warehouse.

Joy Lankshear, Graphic Designer

Whilst not strictly an employee of Matthias Media, Joy does so much of our design work she might as well be. (In fact she once was!) Together with her husband Dave, she is one of Australia's top designers, yet spends much of her time on Christian projects. For more evidence of her skill, check out her web site.

Glendon Mar, Advertising Manager

Next time you hear a smoke alarm go off in our office, there's a good chance Glendon is making toast. When not creating noise with smoke alarms, Glendon is employed to create noise for our resources through Briefing ads, resource guides, Taste & See, brochures and more. Glad to be finally copywriting for a product he can believe in, Glendon and his wife Sharon have two young kids.

Simon Roberts, Multimedia Editor

Simon joined Matthias Media in 2003 after completing a Bachelor of Theology at Moore Theological College. Simon's role is to expand our range of non-print resources, including Bible talks on CD, DVD and video-based training material and multimedia CD-ROMs. Within a few years he hopes that everyone will not only know what an MP3-CD is, but how to play one! Simon and his wife, Alison, have two children.

John Sammut, Sales Representative

John is responsible for sales opportunities in churches and other Christian ministries, while also establishing and meeting customer needs. The role includes the management and development of sales systems and strategies. John has face-to-face contact with our customers and explores new opportunities to sell our resources. John is enthusiastic and excited about helping any Christian ministry to grow and share the gospel.

Emma Thornett, Publishing Assistant

Emma exists to facilitate the work of the Publishing Department (at least during work hours). This especially involves assisting Tony Payne in his day-to-day administration, as well as ensuring everyone else in the Editorial department does their jobs. Emma loves cats and is, according to previous work mates, ‘frighteningly efficient’.

The Board of Directors

The ‘faceless men and women’ that oversee all that we do, and keep us on the straight and narrow as an organization.

In 1987, Tony Payne, a communications graduate, was working for St Matthias Church (in Sydney) as the Church Administrator. Tony had spent two years previously training in the Ministry Training Strategy.

Phillip Jensen was pastor of the church and the Chaplain to the University of New South Wales. One of Phillip's great abilities was to assess the strengths of the young men and women who passed through the campus and church contexts, and to help them develop a vision for ministry and establish a platform which would suit their God-given abilities. And it was a vision for providing useful, written ministry resources that Phillip shared with Tony.

So, in 1988, Tony became the editor of a new venture called ‘St Matthias Press and Tapes’. Its aims were:

1. the publishing of a fortnightly publication for evangelical discussion and promotion of evangelical ministry, which would come to be known as The Briefing; and
2. publishing quality ‘ministry tools’—some of which Phillip had already developed (such as the Two Ways to Live personal evangelism training course, and Just for Starters).

The new venture would also aim to expand the St Matthias tape ministry which had begun several years before.

By the end of 1988, St Matthias Press had managed not only to meet the demanding schedule for The Briefing and published both Two Ways to Live and Just for Starters, but had also launched what is now known as The Blueprint, a series of discussion papers/studies on basic Christian doctrine).

Since then, St Matthias Press and Tapes has been incorporated as a non-profit company with a supervising Board of directors, has had a change of name to Matthias Media, and has grown from strength to strength (with just a few hiccups along the way).

The Present

Matthias Media now has a staff of 12 people in Australia, with links to publishers and churches around the world.

St Matthias Press (UK), now known as The Good Book Company, not only publishes resources developed in Australia, including The Briefing, but is also actively developing and publishing a range of other helpful resources for the UK market.

In the last few years, Matthias Media has also established a strong distribution point in South Africa, and a co-publishing arrangement in the USA with Crossway Books, the latter focusing mainly on the Interactive Bible Studies series.

As a result, over the past 12 months, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Matthias Media resources were sent out around the world—and hopefully used by God to grow many people's Christian lives.

The range of resources has also grown since 1988. We now have a portfolio of more than 150 resources to cater to many different areas and ages of ministry. From evangelistic Bible studies to evangelistic tracts, from foundational books to training CD-ROMs and DVDs, and much more, we're always looking to expand our range to help grow Christians around the world.

The Future

Whilst James warns us of the dangers of boasting or bragging about what will be achieved (“you do not even know what will happen tomorrow”), we pray that the Lord will continue to graciously use Matthias Media in the work of his kingdom.

If it is God's will, there is reason to be excited about the potential for growth arising from the fact that we are living in this era of great leaps forward in technology.

Specifically, the internet is a great boon for a small publisher of distinctive Christian resources stuck in our neck of the woods. The internet is already allowing us to build networks of like-minded evangelicals who are keen to make use of the resources we are able to offer them. Sites like Two Ways to Live, not only provide access to the gospel online, but have helped us form links with evangelicals around the world who are keen to promote the gospel.

But apart from changes in the method and geographic scope of the delivery of resources, in many ways we hope that it will be ‘more of the same’ from Matthias Media. More of what we have focused on since 1988: more proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, more growing of Christians until the day that our Lord returns, more resources that teach the truth: —more resources for growing Christians.

Matthias Media is a ministry team of like-minded, evangelical Christians working together to achieve a particular goal, as summarized in our mission statement:

To serve our Lord Jesus Christ, and the growth of his gospel in Australia and the world, by producing and delivering high-quality, Bible-based resources.

It was in 1998 that we first started pursuing this mission together, and in God's kindness we now have more than 150 different ministry resources being distributed all over the world. These resources range from Bible studies and books, through to training courses and audio sermons.

To find out more about this large range of very useful products, go to our online store, which has a complete catalogue, including samples of our products, and ideas for ministry. And read further in this section to find out about our history, about who we are, about what we believe, and about our pricing policy.