Advocate | Spring 2015
What Every Leader Needs to Know

What Every Educator Should Know – But First You Have To Ask!
By: The APCE Advocacy Team We have all been there—or will be some day. You are dry-mouthed, nervously seated before a group of church members you have never met before who have the title of Director/Minister of Christian Education Search Committee. After some...

Is there Anybody Out There I Can Talk to?
By: Karl Westerhof “I mean, like, you know, somebody who’s wise and experienced, and who gets me?” Are you talking about a pastor? A therapist? A guru? “I think I want a mentor.” Whatever made you think of that? “I don’t know; I just hear about mentoring from...

My First Five Years…
By: Nakisha DeJong The words “God doesn’t call the equipped, but equips the called” hold a special significance in my life. Growing up in the church, I was exposed to the drama and conflict that often come with helping in ministry, so I told God I never wanted to...

An Educator Survival Kit
By: Anne Wilson Are there days when you feel like you’re barely hanging on? Do you ever feel like you don’t have the energy to attend another meeting? After a tough Sunday morning, do you wonder where to turn for renewal and strength? Being an introvert I don’t often...

Reflections on a Sabbatical
By: Priscilla Andre-Colton I’m lucky enough to be working in a church that includes their educator in the sabbatical policy. The policy provides that after six years, one is granted a three-month sabbatical. I decided to take mine in the fall---after all the Rally...

Resources Leaders Need to Survive
By: Mary E. Speedy Imagine all your books and resources disappeared overnight! What would you need to replace? Since everyone’s list of favorite resources is different, I asked a number of trusted friends and co-educators what they would do if faced with this kind...

If Only I Knew…
By: Karen Horst So, one night I went to sleep, and the world changed around me. How could I ever have imagined that the landscape for Christian Education would be so dramatically different compared to when I first started working in the field? If only someone had...

Retreat!
By: Susan Hetrick Once the province of mystics and monks, spiritual retreats have become common practice in mainstream Christian churches. However, in some cases, mystics might have a tough time recognizing what passes for a retreat today. I was invited to speak at a...