Plan on attending the CE conference at Montreat June 1-5, 2009. Go to http://www.montreat.org/current/2009-christian-education to register on line.  

Here's more info from this year's conference director, Forrest Palmer:

This year's conference theme is "Living out Hope: Spiritual Practice in a Wounded World." Key leadership includes: Maren Tirabassi - Worship Leader - author of 15 books and noted storyteller; Susan Hylen from Vanderbilt will be the keynoter; Victor Floyd – Musician; and Loli Reiter - Community Builder. Workshop leaders include Martha Miller, Clark Simmons, Barb Palmer, Forrest Palmer, David Wallace, Neema Cyrus-Franklin, Sam Adams, Don Richter, Bill Jones, Catherine Taylor, Nancy Blakely. A spirituality center and certification course (see below) are also available.

Some Educators bring teachers, youth leaders or education leaders with them for the experience!

Planning team: Forrest Palmer, Tammy Winchip, Mardee Rightmyer, & Sarah Grace Montgomery

Watch for new information on "What's an APCE Membership Good For" next month .

APCE Membership --along with the economy, and perhaps because of it, APCE memberships are slightly down this year. Your dues and involvement in APCE remain important to the health of the organization and to individual members alike. Please join today for 2009 if you haven't already. For info, go to www.apcenet.org.

Upcoming Certification Courses:

Worship, Sacraments, and Education
Instructor: Dr Jane Rogers Vann
Dates: June 1–5, 2009 (in conjunction with the CE Conference)
Course Provider: Montreat Conference Center
Contact: Susan Akduman at (800) 572-2257, x339

Religious Education Theory and Practice
Instructor: Dr. Eugene Gibbs
Dates: June 28 – July 3, 2009
Location: Michindoh Camp and Retreat Center in Hillsdale , Michigan
Course Provider: Covenant Gathering
Contact: Donna Gray

Religious Education, Theory & Practice Certification Course

Offered by and Sponsored by SCRAPCE, Austin Seminary and the Synod of the Sun

August 3-7, 2009

Led by: the Rev. Dr. Michael Waschevski, Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth; Adjunct CE Professor at Brite Divinity School and APTS

Deadline to register is: June 22

E-mail vknox@synodsun.com or mjrcce@gmail.com for a brochure or go to http://events.synodsun.com to download a brochure.

The APCE Endowment committee is grateful to all those who contribute to the endowment. Ky Weekley, a long time APCE member and regular contributor to the APCE Endowment has said this about his reason for giving to the endowment, "In APCE's   early years the financial circumstances were so precarious.  With APCE becoming more ecumenical and with less denominational support, it became obvious that an endowment would be one way to help insure our long-term growth and success.   Having the honor and privilege to have served on the Cabinet and as President has been one of the highlights of my career.   My gifts are one way I can say "thanks" for all that APCE has provided me over the last 36 years!" Thanks Ky! No matter your reason and no matter the size of your gift, the endowment is important to the future of APCE. 

Educator Call Help: Martha Miller, Association for Vocation & Certification for the PC(USA) reports that the revised version of Calling to Educational Ministry is now available. It's been out of stock for several years but has been redone. The first section is for educator search committees and the second is for educators who are searching. You can see it at http://www.pcusa.org/marketplace/item.list.jsp and on www.pcusa.org/christianeducators.

One Educator's Comments: You may be interested in the following article, courtesy of the Presbyterian News Service and writer Emily Odom about APCE member Mark Lampley's experience on the Educator Certification Council, “The ties that bind us in Christ: Minister's experience on the Educator Certification Council evokes ‘the communion of saints.'” If you have similar stories to share about what educators are doing and thinking, please send them to me for possible inclusion in the Alert (medora.hix@carypresbyterian.org).

Survey Response: A note from Gail Quets, Research Services, PC(USA): We recently urged you to participate in a confidential survey to help the Committee on Review of the PC(USA) as a Whole learn how the denomination might better serve its members and constituents. As of today, we still have not heard back from many of you. Committee members are counting on your participation, and they would like to thank you in advance for your help with this very important project. Please participate even if you are not affiliated with a PC(USA) congregation. Use this link to begin the survey: www.pcusa.org/educator. Should you have questions about the survey, please contact Research Services, toll-free at 1-888-728-7228, ext. 2040, or at research@pcusa.org. If you have questions about the review, please contact Frank Maloney, at fmaloney@pensions.org.

I close this APCE Alert with an update on the PC(USA) Educator Amendments. More than 40 people responded to my invitation in the last Alert to send advocacy information about the Book of Order amendments re: Christian educators. Thank you for that! Unfortunately, apparently the amendments have received the required number of votes to pass (08-F) or close to it (08-I). I believe we learned something through this process and I trust that APCE will be even more proactive about supporting educators next time.

God bless you in your ministry,

Medora Hix

President, APCE