50 Fascinating Facts about Footprints!

• June
• 10

6:17 pm Christian magazines, Footprints History, Reading

To mark our 50^th edition of Footprints, I’ve put together a collection of fifty fascinating facts about Footprints. 

1. Footprints is not the first magazine our editor Janet has headed up! She ran a penpalling magazine with her best friend for about eight or nine months when she was 13. 
2. The magazine was called “Cheeky” after her favourite perfume at the time. 
3. The Footprints vision was given to our soon-to-be editor at a women’s camp on Mt Tamborine Qld in September 1997. 
4. The first issue was launched just 3 months later, in January 1998. 
5. The front cover of our first issue was hot pink, and featured the footprints of our editor’s baby daughter! 
6. By the time the second issue came out in April 1998, we had the grand total of 25 subscribers. (Wow! People actually paid to receive our little magazine!) 
7. Of those 25, most are still subscribing! 
8. A one year subscription to Footprints back in 1998 cost just $7 (including postage!). Today it is only $12, with discounts available for bulk orders to the same address (3 or more = $8 each).  
9. Although we charge a small subscription free to cover our costs, we are always happy to offer a free 3 year subscription to anybody who truly can’t afford it. Simply ask editor@footprintsaustralia.com.  
10. These free gift subscriptions are made possible thanks to a number of supporters who give over and above their own subscription, to bless others. You know who you are!!! We pray that God will bless you for your caring and support! 
11. The largest number of subscriptions ever taken out by a single group was 30, by Samford Valley Community Church in Qld. 
12. After much prayer, God revealed the name “Footprints” to our editor in a dream, along with 3 reasons why it would be perfect. 
13. The first reason was that it brought to mind the famous “Footprints in the Sand”, a Christian poem which is known by many throughout the world. 
14. The second is that we should all be aiming to walk in the footprints of Jesus!  
15. And the third was that as a magazine aimed at women, we all know what it’s like to have dirty footprints track across a freshly cleaned floor (grrrrrr)! 
16. Our original slogan was “Encouragement for women, wives and mothers”. 
17. This later changed to “for women like you, by women like you”. 
18. The first official “Footprints” speaking engagement was in 2000, when our editor spoke at the Bayside Ecumenical Ladies Fellowship (at least I think it was the first one … my memory is a bit fuzzy about the exact details!). 
19. Since then three of our team members have taken up the challenge of representing Footprints at speaking engagements – Mel, Janet, and Nicola. No mean feat considering each is already juggling family, work/study, and church commitments! 
20. We also can recommend speakers in other parts of the country – Kathie (www.kathiemthomas.com) in Victoria is our web editor; and also our WA state rep in Perth, Narelle Nettelbeck (www.momentsformum.com). Contact editor@footprintsaustralia.com to book a Footprints speaker for your event. 
21. In April 2002, our email chat group, Footprints Chat, was started at the request of readers who wanted to connect and fellowship with other women online.  You can join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FootprintsChat/.
22. The Footprints website was first launched in July 2002. 
23. We held our first ever writing competition around the theme of “God Answered My Prayer” in 2002. Winners were announced in January 2003. 
24. February 2004 was the first “Footprints E-News” bulletin, a monthly email update. Nowadays it’s called the FOCUS ezine and has nearly 500 members. 
25. Our handy purse-sized magazine format was introduced in April 2003. 
26. The first Footprints book was published in 2003. It was called “Clues to your Calling: finding & following God’s will for your life” and was written by our editor, Janet Camilleri. (It’s still available from www.lightthedark.com.au for $17.95). 
27. The launch party for “Clues” was held at the Redlands Cultural Centre in September 2003, and was attended by over 100 people. 
28. The Summer 2004 issue included a free Christmas gift for every reader – a beaded bracelet, made with love by members of the Footprints Team. It took nearly all year to create approximately 300 bracelets! This started a tradition … 
29. Our subscribers have received the following Christmas gifts over the years: scrapbooked bookmarks (2005); handpainted doorhangers that read “Do not disturb – I’m reading Footprints!” in 2006; handcrafted bangles in 2007; a fridge magnet in 2008; and a bonus Christmas recipe liftout in 2009. (Would welcome any ideas for 2010!)  
30. By February 2005, we had over 250 current subscribers. 
31. We trialled a colour cover for our Winter 2005 issue; 
32. And upgraded to a full colour, glossy cover later that year! 
33. In 2006 we were blessed to find a local photographer, Victoria Purdie (www.purdiephotography.com) who has provided us with the majority of our magazine covers ever since. 
34. Footprints celebrated 10 years of publication at the beginning of 2008, with a birthday party at Rivers Café, Mansfield, in Brisbane. Approximately 70 ladies joined in the fun and we loved meeting our readers face to face! 
35. The second Footprints book, “DECADENCE: treat yourself to 10 years of Footprints” was launched at this event. (You can buy “Decadence” from Koorong, www.lightthedark.com.au, or contact Footprints direct). 
36. Special guests at our 10^th birthday party were Katie Clift from Brisbane’s 96.5 FM, and popular singer Aliki. 
37. The Footprints Team meets quarterly to package each issue for mailout, and to plan future issues. As they are scattered all over Brisbane (and beyond!) this is no mean feat! 
38. Thank heavens for email! Not surprisingly, these days most Footprints business is carried out via email. 
39. Never seen a copy of Footprints? To receive a free trial copy, send an email with your postal address to editor@footprintsaustralia.com. (Sorry, offer open to Australian residents only). 
40. Holding a women’s event at your church? We are happy to provide free back issues (depending on availability) to add to your goodie bags! (NB. Priority given to subscribers requesting this service). 
41. Footprints Women’s Ministries became an incorporated association on 18 March 2010. 
42. The 50^th edition of Footprints was launched on Saturday 22 May 2010. 
43. We will be holding a picnic afternoon tea to celebrate our 50^th issue at 2pm on Saturday, 24 July in Brisbane. If you are interested in finding out more, or coming along, contact editor@footprintsaustralia.com. 
44. Currently we have about 430 subscribers to the Footprints magazine; 
45. and these subscribers come from every Australian state and territory, although approximately half are in our home state of Queensland.
46. We also have readers in Vanuatu, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, and the USA. 
47. We have nearly 350 “fans” (or “likes” as they are now known!) on our Footprints Facebook page, which you can access at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Footprints-magazine-for-Australian-Christian-women/105081061840.  
48. Nobody makes any money out of Footprints; it’s always been a not-for-profit venture, run by volunteers. 
49. Each issue probably takes in excess of 100 hours to put together (and that’s a conservative estimate …). 
50. We are currently getting some new Footprints brochures designed and printed! If you would like us to send you some so that you can pass them around and hand them out to your friends, family and church, please contact editor@footprintsaustralia.com.

 So there you have it! Hopefully that will answer just about every question you could ever think to ask about Footprints … but just in case it doesn’t, we will shortly be going on a BLOG TOUR … more details to come!