The Bishop’s Conference for Clergy,
Lay Professionals and Spouses
May 7-9, 2012 at Shrine Mont
Registration deadline: Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Return this form with your check made payable to “The Diocese of Virginia.”
Mail to: The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, Attn: Bishop’s Spring Conference,
110 West Franklin Street, Richmond VA 23220
Name: ______
Name of spouse (if attending): ______
Church Name: ______
Your Email: ______Phone: ______
Spouse’s Email: ______
______My child/children will attend (see enclosed child care form; $50/child)
______We will be present for the entire retreat.
______Monday night only ______Tuesday night only
Please list your names as you would like them to appear on nametags:
______
______Please check here if you have special dietary needs or room requests (due to handicaps or disabilities). Describe:
The cost of the conference is $170/person. The commuter and part-time fee is $90/person. The cost for children is $50/child.
Scholarship assistance is available. Please contact Kathlyn Jones directly at
Pets are not allowed at Shrine Mont.
Child Care Information
Child care will be available for parents that would like for their family to join them at the conference. Please fill out this form completely so we can properly prepare for your child/children. If you have changes, please contact Kathlyn Jones () by Friday, May 4.
It is especially important that we know whether your child will be present during the group child care activities, since we must have an accurate number of children to plan sufficient adult supervision. The adult-to-child ratio is so important that the child care coordinator will be required to turn away children who are not registered in advance. This is essential for the well-being and safety of your children as well as for insurance purposes.
The child care supervisors are not permitted to administer any medications (over-the-counter or prescription).
Child care is provided only during conference and workshop sessions. You are responsible for your children during all meals, receptions, and free time.
If you wish to have child care, please complete the form below and include $50 per child in your fees; send all registration materials to: The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, Attn: Bishop’s Spring Conference, 110 West Franklin Street, Richmond VA 23220.
Child Care Registration
Parent(s) name(s): ______
We/I will need child care on:
______Monday night ______Tuesday morning
______Tuesday evening ______Wednesday morning
Children’s names (as they wish to be called) and age:
______
Small Group Workshops
Tuesday Morning
We are taking a different route this year, and instead of a keynote speaker we are offering workshops for Tuesday morning. Please indicate which workshops you would like to attend by checking the boxes below. You should check your top two choices, so that we can plan for appropriate space in each workshop. If you choose to attend Biblical Storytelling, Fighting the Good Fight, or the Hike to North Mountain, please note that each of these is two and a half hours long and will take the entire morning session. Participants in the hike to North Mountain will also pack brown bags and enjoy their lunch with their group on the mountain.
Please see the next page for descriptions of the workshops.
[ ] Stay Healthy, Stay Alive! with Helen Zebarth, Parish Nursing Committee
[ ] Alternative Music Workshop with Martha Burford
[ ] Spiritual Direction 101 with The Rev. Ben Campbell
[ ] Media Relations for Churches with Sarah Bartenstein, Henry Burt & Emily Cherry
[ ] Meet me in Galilee with the Race Relations Committee
[ ] Aging Gracefully with the Committee on Aging
[ ] Fighting the Good Fight: Transforming Conflict with Awareness and Heart with Karen Salter
[ ] The Theology of Budget with Frances Caldwell
[ ] Biblical Storytelling: I Love to Tell the Story (both sessions) with the Rev. Rhonda Baker
[ ] Hike to North Mountain (both sessions and lunch) with Ed Keithly
Tuesday Morning Workshop Offerings
Descriptions
1 Hour 10 minute Workshops:
· Stay Healthy, Stay Alive!
Healthy living, which includes eating and sleeping habits as well as responses to daily stressors and anxieties, can translate to a longer and more complete life. Helen Zebarth from the Parish Nursing Committee will provide suggestions and open doors of conversation around how to live longer, fuller, happier lives through the decisions we each make every day.
· Alternative Music – Coming together In Song
W.H. Auden said, "No good opera plot is sensible...people do not sing when they are feeling sensible." Sydney Lanier said, "Music is love in search of a word." The goal of this workshop is to explore how our music in worship is love in search of expression. This may not be sensible, but, don't you sometimes just want to dance or sing before the Lord, to stir up the spirit, with the only reason being to express that love? In this workshop, we will sing joyfully, will play with some familiar and/or simple music, adding bells, glockenspiels, and other instruments to add new colors. As we play, we can talk about how music's profound playfulness is an icon to God.
· Spiritual Direction 101
Take a crash course in learning about spiritual direction. What is spiritual direction? Who are spiritual directors? Is it something that you need in your life? Join the Rev. Ben Campbell as he outlines the very important role that Spiritual Directors play in many lives.
· Media Relations for Churches
Join Sarah Bartenstein, director of communications at St. Stephen’s, Richmond; Henry Burt, secretary and chief of staff of the Diocese; and Emily Cherry, diocesan communications officer, in this workshop that will explore how churches interact with the media. Learn how to approach crisis communications situations; how to build and grow relationships with the press; and how to get your stories heard by the secular media. This workshop will focus on growing your communications ministry as a form of evangelism for your congregation.
· Meet me in Galilee -Beginning the Journey from Repentance to Reconciliation
Join members of the Race Relations Committee as they journey through the past of the Diocese of Virginia, an area rich with history, good and bad. In thisoverview of the program, "Meet Me in Galilee", the journey continues with avision of how toaddressthe lingering problems of the present and embrace afuture of justice and respect for every human being.This exploration of the history of racism andrace and the promise of reconciliationin the Diocese of Virginia isa repeat of the very popular workshop offered at this year’s Annual Council gathering.
· Aging Gracefully
This workshop will cover how to help others and yourself navigate the difficult reality of growing older. Join the Committee on Aging as they discuss the necessary steps to take as an aging Christian. This workshop will provide conversation, resources and tips for people of all ages.
· The Theology of Budget
The Gospel of Matthew says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Indeed, our personal, parish, and even diocesan budgets reflect something about where our corporate “hearts” lie. In what ways does this story accurately reflect where we want to be as individuals or as a church? How can we as Christians view our budgets as a ministry, instead of a necessity? Join Frances Caldwell and Ed Miller as they decipher what the Bible says that God expects from his followers financially and how to use our budgeting to build up our spiritual lives and disciplines. We will leave with suggestions and tips on how to share this message with our parishioners, as well as reflections on how a budget is so much more than just numbers on a page.
2 hour 30 Minute Workshops:
· Biblical Storytelling: I Love to Tell the Story
The old hymn says it all - but how do we tell the story of folks whose names aren’t remembered, or whose lives aren’t even mentioned and may in fact be hidden in the text? Telling a scriptural story so that it is current and understandable takes imagination, prayer, and maybe even a little research. Come and hear as Rhonda Baker shares some of the stories you may not know and shares techniques to help you tell the story to those around you. Together we will put flesh on the dry bones and bring the stories to life!
• Fighting the Good Fight: Transforming Conflict with Awareness and Heart
Participants will learn how to recognize, name and manage the uses of power that create conflict. Participants also will learn strategies for using conflict to create, heal and transform a faith community. Participants are encouraged but not required to bring examples of challenging conflicts from past or present.
· Hike to North Mountain
Join Ed Keithly on a hike to the top of North Mountain to get in touch with God on a “higher” level. This hike will leave in the morning and hikers will enjoy a brown bag lunch with their group on the top of North Mountain. You will be back by free time.