"God’s Own Country" launches crowd funder to celebrate bicentenary

NATIONAL, New Zealand - June 20, 2014 - PRLog -- Santa Barbara, California,  — A group of prominent New Zealand Christian leaders are behind a new crowd-funding project.

Launched on 18 June, the crowd funder for "God's Own Country" - a full-color nonfiction book celebrating 200 years of Christian activity in New Zealand - will run until 28 July. (https://www.godsowncountry.co.nz)

"God's Own Country" to be published by Sea Hill Press is scheduled for release in November this year. The book’s release date coincides with the bicentenary of the first reading of the Gospel in New Zealand by Revd Samuel Marsden, on Christmas Day 1814, at Oihi, Bay of Islands.

The book’s focus is on Christianity and the Christian churches and organisations that have played a significant and beneficial role in the development of New Zealand, a bicultural nation with a rich Christian heritage.

The title references the poem about New Zealand written by Thomas Bracken, which was published in 1890 in a book entitled "Lays and Lyrics: God’s Own Country and Other Poems."

The phrase was popularized by Prime Minister Richard John Seddon and is a reminder to New Zealanders of the country’s natural beauty, peace and plenty under God.

Sea Hill Press is publishing the book in consultation with New Zealand Christian academics and leaders. More than 15 contributing writers from New Zealand’s Christian community will co-author the book.

The team includes Glyn Carpenter, National Director, New Zealand Christian Network, and member of the 2014 Bicentenary Planning Group. Dr. Stuart Lange, Senior Lecturer, School of Theology, Mission and Ministry Laidlaw College, Auckland campus, is advising the publishing team on the book’s outline. The list of contributors includes Major Christina Tyson of The Salvation Army, New Zealand, and Dr Mark Keown, New Testament lecturer at Laidlaw College, Auckland.

Publisher and US-based New Zealander Greg Sharp, of Sea Hill Press, and Auckland-based media consultant Terry Cobham have joined forces to produce the "God’s Own Country" book.

Rhema Media, New Zealand, is running a promotional radio campaign on its national network to bring attention both to the Kickstarter fund-raising campaign and the book’s release in November this year.

By using crowd funding, the publisher hopes to reduce production lead time through quickly bringing together potential supporters and contributors. Anyone with interesting images and stories relating to the history of Christianity in New Zealand should contact the publisher about submitting these for publication.

For additional information, visit https://www.godsowncountry.co.nz

Contact:

In New Zealand:
Terry Cobham
Cobham Productions
terry@cobham.co.nz

In the USA:

Greg Sharp
Sea Hill Press, inc
(805) 845-8636
info@seahillpress.com (mailto:greg@seahillpress.com)

http://www.seahillpress.com/books/christian/god-s-own-country/ (http://seahillpress.com/)

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The crowd-funding campaign for the book "God’s Own Country" will continue until July 28, 2014.

Greg Sharp, principal of Sea Hill Press Inc., based in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Sea Hill Press Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand, has dedicated his working life to the field of printing and publishing.

Terry Cobham, media consultant and former Director of Programmes at the Rhema Media Group, is an Auckland-based broadcaster with extensive experience in documentary television and radio production.