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 Nurturing Faith Together Presbyterians Organized in Nurture & Teaching (POINT) will gather in San Antonio, Texas, for training on January 27-28, 2009, prior to the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators annual event, January 28-31.
The theme will be "Nurturing Faith Together," an exploration of faith formation in congregations and how best practices in educational ministry set the stage for transformational learning to take place. The Rev. Dr. Karen-Marie Yust, associate professor of Christian education, Union-PSCE, in Richmond, Virginia, will be our guest.
Orientation will be held for new POINT team members. This two-hour session will provide an overview of what it means to support the educational ministries of congregations as a volunteer. During the same time there will be a special gathering for Resource Center directors and middle governing body contacts for the opportunity to discuss their unique role of resourcing the greater church, including shepherding POINT volunteers.
Registration materials will be mailed to POINT team members and presbytery staff. 
Who:
POINT volunteers, resource center directors and presbytery staff
When:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009:
New POINT member orientation, 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
Resource center and presbytery staff gathering, 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
All event participants, 4:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009:
All event participants, 8:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Where:
Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
Cost:
The POINT program area will provide a subsidy of up to $200 for travel and half of the double-occupancy rate for one night’s lodging (approximately $75 or less if actual expense is less) to the first 150 participants who submit a reimbursement request. A $35 nonrefundable registration fee is required. Vouchers for reimbursement will be provided at the event.
Registration:
Registration materials are available by mail or online.
Hotel Reservations:
Call the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel, (888) 623-2800 or (210) 354-2800, or The Sheraton Gunter Hotel, (888) 999-2089 or (210) 227-3241, asking for in-house reservations. Mention “Association of Presbyterian Church Educators” to receive the conference rate at either hotel. Make your reservations early!
If the event hotels are full, more hotel options are available online.
Tuesday, January 27:
1–3 New to POINT orientation
1–3 Resource center and presbytery staff gathering
4 Welcome, worship, and plenary with Dr. Karen-Marie Yust, “Nurturing Faith Together”
5:30 Conversations around the table to reflect on the plenary and theme
6:15 Break
6:30 Dinner
7:15 Resource fair to explore what’s new and exciting from CMP, our partnerships, and other educational tools from the denomination
Wednesday, January 28:
8:45 Morning prayer
9 Introductory workshop for 2009 We Believe
11 Closing worship
Dr. Yust’s work focuses on the spiritual formation of persons across the lifespan and in a variety of roles and settings. Her major publications include Attentive to God, which proposes an alternative strategy for adult faith formation and leadership development, Real Kids, Real Faith, which opens a dialogue with parents about spirituality in the home, and an edited volume, Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religions, which invites inter-religious discourse on faith formation from birth to age 20. Her latest book, Taught by God, explores the relationship between transformational learning theories and classical spiritual practices. She is ordained with dual standing in the UCC and Disciples traditions.
While attending the APCE conference, take a brief walk from your conference hotel to the conference exhibit area, The Market Place, at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national staff will be on hand to answer your questions and share their latest resources. You will have the opportunity to make personal contacts for ministry support and browse displays for the latest publications from Congregational Ministries Publishing and many other vendors. |
