Often  getting away  from home and work is the ideal time to draw near to God.  APCE’s Spirituality Center is open each day for self-guided and group spiritual practices designed to center your soul, open your heart, and experience the living God.  Rita Odom and Fran Shelton will facilitate the group experiences and be available for questions and/or listening with you for God’s holy gifts of grace, love, and acceptance.  A schedule of each day’s opportunities will be posted on the door.   Come visit and receive a token of friendship.

Fran Shelton is a spiritual director, founder of non-profit Faith & Grief Ministries, and a PC (USA) pastor.  She enjoys leading retreats, reading, and hanging out with family and friends.  She lives in Dallas, TX.

Rita Odom is an elder and a Certified Associate Educator. She has written curriculum for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and for Grace Presbytery and Mo Ranch summer camps. She is retired and lives on the river in Hunt, TX.

Walk the Labyrinth – A Path of Prayer

The labyrinth is a wonderful way to become centered, to deepen awareness, to get back in touch with your heart (especially when you’ve been filling your head!). Give yourself the gift of a little time for this ancient spiritual practice sometime during the conference. The labyrinth will be located in Exhibit Hall A – next to the Market Place.

Morning Yoga (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 7:00 – 8:00 am)

Registration Fee: $5.00 per session

Signed Release Waiver required

This mixed-levels yoga class serves a range of students who are guided through a flowing sequence of poses for the integration of spirit, mind, and body. Students are gently reminded to remain mindful of each breath and movement and given guidance on how to make adjustments for their current needs and progress toward more advanced poses and breathing techniques as they are ready. Your health and happiness in the practice are top priority!

Michel Le Gribble-Dates is the creator of the Fruitful Living Course, Story & Stretch: Narrative Yoga for Kids and Liturgical Yoga. She is an author, certified yoga instructor, health coach, labyrinth facilitator and mindfulness educator.

Conference Choir

Thursday, February 7, 2019, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Workshop B time slot (registration required)

Friday, February 8, 2019, 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. – Conference Choir Sound check

The conference choir is offered as a joint workshop between APCE and PAM. Registrants are invited to share in music making and participate in Saturday’s closing worship. Join clinician Joshua Taylor, Director of Worship and Music at First Presbyterian Church of Dallas for this opportunity to share in song together. The choir will be premiering a hymn commissioned for this Annual Event.

Hymn Festival – Come to the Waters!

Thursday, February 7, 2019, 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Moody Memorial United Methodist Church – 2803 53rd St., Galveston, TX)

Come and sing along on a variety of hymns highlighting the APCE Theme of Come to the Waters led by the Chancel Choirs of Moody Memorial UMC of Galveston and First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, TX. Scripture, poems, hymns, and anthems will be presented with congregational participation. Join us for a glorious evening of music!

The True Story of Cinderella – A comic mini operetta

Friday, February 8, 2019 – Immediately following the APCE Awards Banquet

Enjoy the “true” Story of Cinderella sung by 12 solo voices in formal attire, along with a narrator, pianist, and bell! You will not want to miss this enjoyable musical comedy by Warren Martin. Martin, a Westminster Choir College graduate and longtime faculty member, wrote “Cinderella” for the annual May Day Celebration. It was never intended to be staged. Martin insisted that the work be sung “oratorio style”, that is, with the singers in a row across the front of the stage, facing forward, not playing to or looking at each other. The classic story is explained in a beautiful tapestry of music which is fun for all. Laughter guaranteed!

Kids Against Hunger Meal Packing Opportunities

Friday, February 8

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. (Workshop #540)

and/or 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

All conferees are encouraged to sign up to help pack meals for the 25% of the Houston population who experiences food insecurity. Through the Kids Against Hunger packing program APCE hopes to package 14,000 meals. These meal packages provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by a malnourished child’s and adult’s body and mind. Take a small part of your day to make the ultimate hands-on contribution to help feeding children and families. 50 Volunteers can pack 10,000 meals/hour! Will you help us reach our goal? Registration required. For more information: https://kidsagainsthunger.org

Alternative Lunch

Friday, February 8

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

A simple meal of vegetable soup (vegetarian and gluten-free) and crackers, a whole-wheat dinner roll, and a serving of the Kids Against Hunger meal (vegan and gluten-free) will be offered for $12.00. 25% of each meal sold will go to Galveston Urban Ministries, our 2019 Annual Event designated offering recipient. Registration required.

Galveston Urban Ministry (GUM) has been selected as the 2019 APCE AE designated Local Mission Project. GUM offers after-school programs for kids, mentoring programs for youth, and adult job training. From their website: Our mission here at Galveston Urban Ministries is to develop holistic relationships to transform the community we love. Whether we’re teaching kids how to read, helping our adult neighbors prepare to enter the work force, or educating work groups from all over Texas on how to alleviate poverty, our goal is to see the North Broadway community thrive! We want each of our neighbors to have healthy families, good paying jobs, and above all else know the abundant love of Jesus!

For more information: www.galvestonurbanministries.org