KCWC Comment from Past Attendee

Dorothy Purge of Jamaica attended in 2006. She wanted to share this thought with others interested in KCWC.

"A lengthy golden thread of the heaviest gauge binds together our thoughts as KY Christian writers. Often, we unwind into individual strands but together we are strong, tightly spun and create genuine material from the fabric of our imagination and daily inspiration."

More Bios and October Planning

The monthly planning meeting for the KCWC committee is this Saturday. Please be in prayer for the 2008 conference.

We plan to post short bios of our committee members so that KCWC attendees can get to know us. We're just posting a few at a time, so check previous posts for others.

KCWC Secretary Ginger Wilkinson is an executive assistant, writing devotions on the side. She is a former volunteer copy editor for the Baptist Peacemaker.

Margaret Hardesty-Day, a spontaneous writer, shares the gift of her travels with you, people she has met, paths she has traveled and pebbles she encountered. She is self-published and enjoys speaking about her travels. She is described as vibrant and engaging, a free spirit! She is KCWC Historian.

Kate Thomas is an author, speaker, and former teacher. She founded the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference in 1996.Kate has published three books, one of which is in its second printing. She has also published numerous articles, and is presently working on her fourth book. Kate currently serves on the KCWC advisory board.

More KCWC History

A friend of mine has a country saying that applies here: "If you see a turtle on a fence-post, you know he didn't get there by himself."

We credit Kate Thomas with the founding of KCWC (formerly called Kentucky Christian Writers Seminar). Kate would be the first to say that she had lots of help from a number of people to start the conference and to keep it going.

Constance Darnell, currently an advisory board member, has helped to build the conference, having been the coordinator for two years. She is a freelance writer and author of Songs For Martha (Harmony House Publishers, 2007). Her work has appeared in Focus on the Family's Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines as well as Kentucky Monthly and others. She works for her husband's chiropractic practice in Elizabethtown, KY, as well as providing help with his work as pastor for the Locust Grove Church.

Betty Whitworth is a retired language arts teacher, member of the Breckinridge County Public Library Board, journalist/columnist for THE HERALD NEWS in Hardinsburg, KY, free lance writer, independent editor, Sunday school teacher, Bible teacher, workshop leader, and storyteller. She is also a current advisory board member and former coorindator for KCWC.

The 2008 planning committee meets this coming Saturday, continuing the effort to make the 12th conference the best ever. Please pray for the committee as they plan for 2008, and subscribe to our blog for updates. Also, watch for 2008 details on our website www.kychristianwriters.com.

Emily Akin
2008 Publications Chair

KCWC Plans for 2008

At the July meeting, the KCWC committee discussed the evaluations from the 2007 conference. Faculty and conferees alike offered praise for the spiritual atmosphere and for the content. Some said they felt a little rushed. Perhaps that's because the committee wants to pack as much information and encouragement as possible into the two-day conference.

At the August meeting, the committee will be working on next year's schedule. Karen Moore Artl of Thomas Nelson Publishers is the featured speaker. We want to offer workshops for unpublished writers, but we also want to provide continuing education and encouragement for experienced writers. All in two days' time!

Organizing a conference with a committee of volunteers is always a challenge. However, this committee holds a prayer time before each meeting. This week, would you also pray for 2008 planning as the committee makes decisions on scheduling and choosing faculty.

Pray for 2008 and Photo

The KCWC committee meets this Saturday, July 21st, in Elizabethtown. Prayer time begins at 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, and the meeting itself begins at 10 a.m. The committee will study the result of the conference evaluations and begin planning for next year. Please pray for the committee as they embark on this new journey.

I'm still sharing pictures from 2007 conference, and here's one of the better ones. The editor panel is always popular with attendees. This year's group included (left to right), Karen Moore Artl, Thomas Nelson; Wanda Griffith, Pathway Press; Nicole Corlew and Jorge Berrios, Upper Room; Jim Watkins, Wesleyan; Jessica Bratcher, Elizabethtown News Enterprise; Anthony and Crystal Obey, GMA Publishers; Gloria Haynes, Redbird Publishing and Plain Flannel Publishing; and Kathy Carlton Willis, Glass Road PR.

Eleven Years and Counting

Have you met Kate and Joyce? Kate Thomas is KCWC founder. In an earlier post, we mentioned that, about 12 years ago, Kate attended an American Christian Writers Conference while suffering from a back ailment. Joyce Joines went with her and helped her manage to get the most out of the conference in spite of her pain.

Here's Kate looking for her name tag at the 2007 conference in Elizabethtown (11th year). She's been on the conference committee or advisory board every year since conference inception.

And here's Joyce at this year's conference. She's perusing the material on the free resources table. She is modest about her contribution to KCWC. She has served on the committee in the past, and she still attends each year.

If you didn't get to meet them this year, plan to attend the conference next year (June 20-21, 2008) in Elizabethtown. I'm sure they'll both be there.