Southern Cross’ special Connect09 edition is set to go to press, and parishes need to orders by Monday if they want to ensure additional free copies.

“If parishes do nothing they will receive the same amount of copies as the usually receive,” said Southern Cross Managing Editor Jeremy Halcrow. “But this publication will be an effective way to inform young people and fringe church goers about Connect09 – so please order your free additional copies.”

Stocks of these additional copies are limited and will be filled until they run out.

The edition has been conceived to also work as an evangelistic tool.

It includes an extract from the Essential Jesus version of Two Ways to Live written by Tony Payne. And it also includes a further ‘historical’ gospel explanation based on John Dickson’s new documentary The Life of Jesus.

The majority of remaining articles are written as testimonies, including interviews with Colin Buchanan and Jesus V8’s Andrew Fisher.

It does not include any internal Diocesan news or the other ‘in-house’ information included in the usual edition of Southern Cross.

“I see it is a tool for fringe or nominal church-goers, especially those who attend at Christmas. It has been written with this audience in mind,” said Mr Halcrow.

“That said this special January edition will prove a handy reference for everyone involved in Connect09. There will be information about a number new projects you will not have heard about. It includes a pretty comprehensive picture of Connect09 with a month-by-month calendar of events and a handy list of resource contact numbers.”

The special edition has a similar look and feel to glossy music, sports or women’s magazine. It is smaller than the usual Southern Cross format at 230cm x290cm.

“This makes it easier to hand out to newcomers,” says Mr Halcrow.

“I have had feedback that one church is thinking of handing it out to Christmas visitors in a showbag. That’s exactly the sort of usage we imagined.”