In January last year, 12-year-old Rachel Timperon e-mailed the first
issue of her free weekly newsletter for young Christians from her home
at Molesworth in the Derwent Valley, and her world changed overnight.

Within a month she found that she was the editor of a publication
going via the Internet to children in 16 countries, and today, 18 months
later, Kid’s World has hundreds of subscribers in 53 countries on six
continents. And not only individual children subscribe, included on the
list of recipients each week are schools, Sunday schools and youth
groups in such far-away places as America, Egypt, Canada, England and
Malaysia.

Rachel, now 14, and her co-editor, grandfather Pastor Ron Clarke,
author of the long-running ‘Word for the Week’ e-mail devotional page,
produce a weekly mix of stories, quizzes, competitions, birthday
announcements and personal greetings that is proving a heady cocktail
for young readers. Aimed at the 8 to 15-year-olds, they say it is
creating something of a "world-wide community of Christian children
on the Internet." It is a recommended site in the world- wide
Christian internet directory, published in the USA.

Kid’s World doesn’t require its readers to visit a website, although
an introductory web page is available. It is an attempt – Rachel and
Ron say the first – to reach children personally by direct electronic
mail.

"The reason for its success is it’s an e-mail to each
child," Ron explains. "They treat this as a peronal
letter." Every subscriber receives an extra e-mail on the day
before their birthday – a nice touch that requires an entire program on
Ron’s computer just to manage the birthday data base. Each week children
all over the world receive a personal e-mail from the Derwent Valley,
Tasmania, Australia.

Kid’s World readers are encouraged to send in contributions, and the
newsletter runs a confidential penfriend exchange program. Further
information is available from Rachel’s website at
http://www.pastornet.net.au/kidswld/index.html

Rachel (Matthew 18:3-5)

An e-mail from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
(Kids World) http://www.pastornet.net.au/kidswld/index.html
(Adults World) http://www.pastornet.net.au/word4week