A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Innisfil Journal, Thursday July 8, 2010
Christian Writer Wins National Award

Heather Kendall, a resident of Innisfil since 1997, received a national award June 16, at The Awards Gala of The Word Guild.

She won first place in the news category of The Canadian Christian Writing Awards. Faith Today published her article, Reach Out With Good Friday Drama, in March/April 2009 edition.

In it she described the interactive play, In Search of Jesus, which New Life Fellowship Baptist Church has put on every Good Friday for the last four years.

Heather is the author of the book, A Tale of Two Kingdoms, and a freelance writer for various Christian publications. Her latest work is a poem in the anthology, Grandmothers’ Necklace. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is sponsoring this book to support grandmothers in Africa who are looking after their grandchildren, orphaned by AIDS.

Heather is a member of The Word Guild, a national organization of writers, editors and speakers who share a Christian worldview. With 350 members, it provides professional development to published and aspiring writers through multiple channels, including writing contests and awards, newsletters, Internet discussion groups, manuscript critiques, and workshops.

The SCOPE, Wednesday September 29, 2010
Lefroy Author Wins Christian Writing Award

Heather Kendall has only been penning published work for a few years.

But already, the Lefroy resident has been nationally recognized for her talent. Kendall earned a Canadian Christian Writing Award, in the news category, during a ceremony in Mississauga recently. The awards were presented by The Word Guild, a national organization of writers, editors and speakers who share a Christian worldview.

“I was going to write an essay for my pastor in 1993, and got sidetracked getting so excited tracing Jesus through the whole Bible,” she said, sitting in her home last week: “It took me time to mature; I ended up with my book 12 years later.”

Kendall was recognized for an article published in Faith Today in 2009. Entitled Reach Out With Good Friday Drama, the piece describes the interactive play, In Search of Jesus, which has been organized by New Life Fellowship Baptist Church for the last four years.

Currently, the guild has 350 members across the country. So Kendall feels the award helps validate her work in promoting the messages contained within the bible.

The guild also provides professional development to published and aspiring writers through contests, newsletters, Internet discussion groups, manuscript critiques, workshops and conferences, said Kendall.

“Through the guild, I learned that most people write articles and get known before they publish a book,” she said. “I call myself a backwards lady. It’s been quite a learning experience. (The award) validates me, making me feel I really can write.”

Kendall has written the book A Tale of two Kingdoms, and freelanced for various Christian publications over the last few years. She has also written a poem for the book Grandmother’s Necklace, with proceeds benefitting [sic] African women that care for their grandchildren, who were orphaned as a result of AIDS.

“It’s so important to see how Christ-centred the Bible it [sic]. It’s all about Jesus and our salvation,” said Kendall, of the book. “Children don’t know the relationship between bible stories, and I was really concerned with showing how God works in history.”

For more information on Kendall, visit www.tale2k.com.