Join us for the 2020 Asheville Christian Writers Conference

February 21, 22, and 23, 2020

The Cove – The Billy Graham Training Center – Asheville, NC

The Asheville Christian Writers Conference is not a level of writing – it’s a battle cry. God calls us to step up and answer with the best work possible using the talents He has given. We are called together to focus our hearts on the task Christ assigned us . . . to strengthen our ties with one another and hone our craft of writing so we might effectively spread the Word of God through fiction and non-fiction books, screenplays, scripts, articles, and blogs.

ACWC is not a level of writing – it’s a battle cry.

Join us for 2 1/2 days of intense work for as little as $292 (off-campus rate).

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Recent Posts

November Newsletter

11/17/2019 9:05:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

Happy November,
THIS IS LONG....BUT IMPORTANT. READ EVERY WORD. (purty please?)

I cannot believe the time is ticking away so FAST. There is so much to be done. First and foremost, I am asking you to begin to pray for our conference. Enemy attacks usually hit us in January, but this year they are hitting us now. We have already had 5 conferees have to leave us due to serious family issues and illness. Please begin to pray as our prayer warriors pray - that God will send those He'd have to attend this conference and that His ways would override any attacks from the enemy. I am serious. PRAY this prayer. We want all our conferees at the Cove safe and sound and their families and friends in perfect condition.

I will be adding each of these newsletters to our conference webpage. Please visit it frequently for the newsletters and any updates you may miss. You will notice that I not only send you the newsletter via Mailchimp but I also send you the LINK to the email via Gmail. Please mark us ([email protected]) as safe on your browser security so that we do not go to your spam or trash. I do my best to communicate with you. HENCE, why you see the Mailchimp, a Gmail note, and I list on the website. Someone will always say, "BUT I DIDN'T KNOW." You have no excuse not to know the information. I make sure you have access to information in three different ways. :) Just sayin...you should never NOT know. lol.

PLEASE NOTE: IMPORTANT - If you pre-registered at the 2019 conference, you have received a note from me back in July and August about verifying your reservation. I gave a deadline (you know, deadlines are important when you are a writer) that if I didn't hear from you within a 15 day period, I would assume you were not attending and your $25 would be funneled into our scholarship fund. If you are just now letting me know that you cannot attend, your deposit has been placed in the scholarship fund and those funds were given out this week. If you are not planning on attending, please let me know. The rooms we hold are costly and when all is said and done, if they are not filled by conference time, Chrisitan Devotions must pay for those rooms even if they are empty. Our ministry is small. We love this work, but we cannot afford to pay for rooms that are not filled...not when we have a list of folks who want to attend and cannot because the spot is taken. Please be kind and let me know if you are not planning on attending. At this time, there is no refund on the $25 deposit.
If you pre-registered at the Cove in February and paid $25 or if you paid a deposit online from the website: I am working on invoices now. Please help us by sending your payment as soon as possible. We must pay the Cove, in December. So help us out. When you get your invoice you can choose to pay it in two payments, however, you will be charged the PayPal charge for that convenience. I wish we could afford to pay that for you but we can't. We're itty-bitty and though God provides to the fullest, He's not great about PayPal's charge. (grin) Please help us by paying as soon as you receive your invoice. If you can pay in full that would be awesome. If you can't then the remainder is due Jan 5.

CURRENTLY, we have 9 rooms available on campus. If you are an off-campus person and would like to come on campus, please let me know. We can work something out. Email me at [email protected]. We have 38 open conferee slots. So if you know someone who wants to attend, let them know before we sell out. Those 38 slots will fill quickly.

JUST TO RECAP LAST NEWSLETTER IMPORTANT NEWS:
If you have registered online then I have your registration deposit and room preference. All I need (from those married couples attending) is an email for both. (Please note that if your spouse does not plan to attend the full conference they are required to attend the full group sessions in order to stay on campus and they must wear their name badges at all times. The Cove is a non-profit and everyone that stays on campus MUST BE REGISTERED and ATTEND the conference. I cannot force you to attend all sessions, but to qualify you must attend the general group sessions in the morning and at night. You can email me at [email protected] with that information. ALSO, a big problem arises when OUR LADIES register under a PayPal account with their hubby's name and email. I honestly don't mind who's account you use, BUT I do need to know you are female. Otherwise, I am placing you in a single room under the assumption you are male. SO please let me know if you are FEMALE (grin) registering under your hubby's PayPal so I don't put you in the wrong room...very embarrassing.
Here's an example of one thing I run into within PayPal. Hamlett. Who are you? Male or female? Would you send me an email and let me know? SMILE.

HERE'S WHERE THE HARPING STARTS: (LOL) I need a photo and short bio (50 words or less) that includes your email address and web or blog page. We do prepare a roster for our conferees so the sooner you send this...the better. You will send these (the photo and bio) to [email protected]
This is important to us. Our roster is one of the tools we use to 1) help you know folks before you arrive 2) use as a networking tool after the conference 3) keep as a document and not have to fumble with business cards that get misplaced. Our roster sets us apart from other conferences and we truly believe it's an important asset. If you have not already done so, please send your bio and photo as an attachment to Andrea. Thank you in advance.

CLASSES
Our classes and the schedule are officially posted on the website. The web url for the classes is https://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/2020classes and the url for the class schedule is:https://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/2020classschedule. Keep in mind, some things could change, but at this time these are the classes and the schedule.

SETP UP AND STEP OUT
It's important to know we provide two learning tracks. One for newer writers (Step UP) and one for more advanced writers (Step OUT). We can't make you stay in any one track but we encourage you to choose one and try to stay. PURCHASE the MP3's for $35 (cheap, cheap) and you will have the entire conference. Plus, you will receive ALL, let me repeat, ALL the class handouts for every class. So choose a track and stick. Take home the manual you get and purchase the mp3's. You will have the entire conference at your fingertips. Get face time at the conference with the faculty that can teach you where you are currently. Take home the book and order the MP3s and you can study the classes you missed in your office. FACE TIME is vital. Just sayin...

WE SELL OUT YEARLY - You can be our best advertisement. Let your peers know we are having a conference. Encourage them to register. Help us fill this conference to overflowing. We are praying faithfully that God will send those He would have attend. Every year He sells this conference out. SO pray with us that very prayer, Lord, send those You would have attend. Then sound off and let others know about us.

Critiques, mentoring, and contests: Be sure to check out our critiques, mentoring, and contest page. We are still locking in our mentors so check back from time to time. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. This is how you learn and to sit at the feet of professionals giving you direction...it's wonderful. There is an additional cost but it's something you do to further your career. We try to keep pricing reasonable. Terri Kelly manages these appointments so be sure and visit the Critiques and Contest Page - her email is listed there.

Sparrow Award (Formerly The Badge of Honor Book Contest) - The winner of the Sparrow Award will have their manuscript (must meet requirements) presented to the board or either Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas or Iron Stream Media. This is not a guarantee for a contract but it is a foot in a door. We've had several of our winners published because of this award. Sarah Loudin Thomas heads this contest up and her email, along with the rules and requirements are on the website under Critiques and Contests. (It has a pretty spiffy trophy too!)
The Devotions Contest - Why not try? One of the best ways to grow as a writer is to enter contests. Please step out of your comfort zone and enter the contest. The guidelines and rules are, ONCE AGAIN, on the critiques and contests page.

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE.

Do Not Fear

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24 NIV

I have days. Good ones and then days like today. Days when tears pool in the corners of my eyes and balance tediously. I wish the reason for the sensitivity was my writing but it's not. It's a monster called cancer, that attacks my family...in particular, my husband. (Otherwise known as my prince.) Suffice to say, there are times anxiety engulfs me. It takes my breath. Sucks the joy out of me. It fills me with fear.

When those days happen, my writing suffers. I walk to my office door and can't seem to make my hand twist the knob. So my computer sits idle. Untouched. Cold. Words escape me. So trust me, I completely get it when I have conferees tell me they are afraid. Life sometimes does that to us. It's important to know that you have friends who can come under you and support you when those moments hit. If you don't have them, find them. You need them.

This morning my prayers were simple for my husband and for my best friend, who just found out she has lymphoma on Friday. "Lord, help me find the joy in the hardship. Teach me to seek gratefulness even when I don't understand Your ways. Even when I don't understand the WHYs." This scripture came to me by the goodness of God last night because He knows I'm a pacer. God knows I get up all through the night, pass by my prayer bowl, grab and prayer request, walk the hall and pray over it before I can go back to sleep. Sometimes I do this 7 or 8 times through the night. My husband calls me a prayer pacer. I suppose that is as good a title as I could have. The truth is, I worry. But last night, I slept all night long because God said, Cindy pay attention to My Word. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

There is a method to my madness here because as writers fear creeps into our hearts. We're afraid that our work will be rejected, others will think it's not good enough. We'll fret and worry that we can't ever meet the expectations we put on ourselves. I'm here to tell you - fear is fear. Be it in our writing or in a battle with a monster like cancer. Fear is fear. You have to have people in place who can help keep you in check. That doesn't mean someone who fusses at you, rather, someone who nudges you at the perfect time. (I have Edie, Eva Marie, Edie, and Bob).

As I sat in Sunday school class this morning, my phone buzzed with a text. Across the room was my a good friend, Angie, who texted, "I see your fear. I am with you." And at that very moment, it was as if God rested His hand on my shoulder. The fear eased and I could breathe.

The closer the conference approaches, the easier for Satan to try his best to scare you, but don't believe the lies. DON'T YOU DARE. Because if I can withstand the fear into peace, so can you.
Turn the knob on your office door. Flip on the computer and write. Fear gives us inspiration but writing gives us an outlet. Now write and know that you are being prayed over EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Much love,
Cindy Sproles
Director, Asheville Christian Writers Conference

October Newsletter

10/20/2019 7:29:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

We're rollin'...yes we are!
Let me get the elephant outta the room first and foremost. Some of you follow me on Facebook and you've read about our recent discovery of my husband's bladder cancer. Wow, it's been a crazy 4 weeks. It's never fun when you find out your loved one is ill and it's especially not fun when they say the "C" word, but this is the cards we've been dealt and our trust is fully in Christ that His will, will play out. We pray for healing, and we ask you to pray for that as well, but we rest assured that if this is not in God's will, that His plan is far greater than we could imagine - even if we don't understand. So, I'm asking our friends and family to pray with fire. Pray with the fire of the Holy Spirit that God will send healing. Tim has surgery tomorrow morning. Please pray for his safety and for successful surgery. I'm telling folks when you post on social media anything encouraging at all, use the hashtag #praywithfire. This thing is bigger than us. There's a world who hurts. When you post that hashtag, not only does Tim see them, but a world who is hurting and searching will see the love of Christ. It's a day at a time right now. I continue to work and move ahead, trusting that God will strengthen my legs when they grow weak.

Having said that: NEWS!

LPC is acquired by Iron Stream Media - Let's remove elephant number 2 from the room. (You didn't know there was a herd, did you?) In September, Iron Stream Media acquired Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. We know how people talk and rumors spread, so we're giving you the scoop and the TRUTH. NO, LPC was not in any financial trouble. NO, LPC was not falling apart. The move to allow Iron Stream Media to absorb LPC was nothing short of an answered prayer. Now if you know Eddie and I at all...you know we bathe everything in prayer, and we do our best to listen when God tells us, "It's time." We agreed years ago that we'd tell God yes when He asked us to do something. We did that in 2008, in the middle of an economy crash, and started a publishing company. God has blessed LPC generously and so two years ago, when He begin to nudge Eddie that our time was complete. It was hard to loosen our grip. The truth is, we are only so smart (lol) and as the industry and media changes, things grow. Eddie had grown LPC as big as he could alone. He shouldered the brunt of marketing, publishing, selling, royalties, and general business. Now he had help with the editing from amazing editors, but the workings of the company, he shouldered alone. God finally said, "It's time. You've done well. Let it go to the next level." So after two years of prayer and soul searching God brought us into contact with Iron Stream Media. The wonderful thing is, their heart was perfect and signing the papers to a fellow publisher who has the same beliefs and heart as us. . .was nothing short of a God thing. So now, Iron Stream is the publisher and LPC continues on UNDER the arm of Iron Stream. Nothing changes. Everything continues as is. That's the wonderful thing. We're still LPC.

This move was perfect for our authors and editors. The arm of Iron Stream is so much bigger and our books have the opportunity to reach more people. THIS IS A GOOD THING. So if you hear rotten rumors, please know, there was no disaster that allowed this to happen. It was the perfect next step to continue to grow LPC into the place God has designed. Squelch those rumors because you have the truth. Finally, NO EDDIE IS NOT LEAVING CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONS. Eddie and I have served together as ministry partners for ten years. Nothing changes here except that our hair has greyed. We are both fully active in the ministry, working on the next project that God says, "HEY EJ...How about..."

Now that those elephants are out to pasture. Let's move on.

If you pre-registered at the Cove in February and paid $25, if you haven't already, then I need you to do the following:
EMAIL ME AT [email protected] and tell me 1) do you still plan to attend 2) your room preference (single or double) 3) if you choose a double do you need me to assign a roommate?
If I do not get this information from you, your room reseveration will be put back into the open room pool and will be sold to the next conferee wishing to attend.

Now don't think I'm mean...you've known since the conference in February, I'd be contacting you. If you could just let me know by verifying you are coming and what room you want...it helps with registration so much. We sell out so fast and if I have unclaimed rooms into November, conferees are not getting to attend. So help me out by following this simple instruction.

JUST TO RECAP LAST NEWSLETTER IMPORTANT NEWS:
If you have registered on line then I have your registration deposit and room preference. All I need (from those married couples attending) are the names of both husband and wife and an email for both. (Please note that if your spouse does not plan to attend the full conference they are required to attend the full group sessions in order to stay on campus and they must wear their name badges at all times. The Cove is a non-profit and everyone that stays on campus MUST BE REGISTERED and ATTEND the conference. I cannot force you to attend all sessions, but to qualify you must attend the general group sessions in the morning and at night. You can email me at [email protected] with that information.

When will I pay the remainder of my conference fee? Conference fees will be invoiced to you in October and must be paid by January 5. We are required to pay bills so we must receive your payment in full by January 5. I will send notices to you with the total you owe and a link for you to pay the invoice in Pay Pal. If you wish to pay sooner (LOVE YOUR HEART) then let me know and I will send you that invoice earlier. I know this falls in October and you are looking at Christmas, but knowing this now, gives you time to prepare. You don't want to miss being at the Cove. It IS AMAZING.

HERE'S WHERE THE HARPING STARTS: (LOL) I need a photo and short bio (50 words or less) that includes your email address and web or blog page. We do prepare a roster for our conferees so the sooner you send this...the better.

REMEMBER, you can check the website monthly at https://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/newsletters. Each of these newsletters will be posted there. If you miss one, go to the site. They will be there. I encourage you to mark this email address as "Safe" in your internet security so it does not throw these into spam or trash. BUT CHECK THE WEBSITE Under the Conference UPDATE tab and then NEWSLETTERS. Everything you need will be posted there.

We are in the process of receiving classes from our faculty and hopefully we will have those up soon. Again, continue to check the site. We will update the classes and the schedule as we receive the information. In the meantime, check out our contests, critiques, and mentoring. These are in addition to your conference fee and are available to purchase as you decide to participate.

I am available via email at [email protected]

WE SELL OUT YEARLY - We are praying faithfully that God will send those He would have attend. Every year He sells this conference out. SO pray with us that very prayer, Lord, send those You would have attend.

Critiques, mentoring, and contests: Be sure to check out our critiques, mentoring, and contest page. We are still locking in our mentors so check back from time to time. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. This is how you learn and to sit at the feet of professionals giving you direction...it's wonderful. There is an additional cost but it's something you do to further your career. We try to keep pricing reasonable. Terri Kelly manages these appointments so be sure and visit the Critiques and Contest Page - her email is listed there.

Sparrow Award (Formerly The Badge of Honor Book Contest) - The winner of the Sparrow Award will have their manuscript (must meet requirements) presented to the board or either Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas or Iron Stream Media. This is not a guarantee for a contract but it is a foot in a door. We've had several of our winners published because of this award. Sarah Loudin Thomas heads this contest up and her email, along with the rules and requirements are on the website under Critiques and Contests. (It has a pretty spiffy trophy too! - Just sayin!)

The Devotions Contest - Why not try? One of the best ways to grow as a writer is to enter contests. Please step out of your comfort zone and enter the contest. The guidelines and rules are, ONCE AGAIN, on the critiques and contests page.

Bring Them

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? - He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? Mark 4:21

"Nana, you and Papaw are sons of Abraham."

That one floored me. Outta the mouths of babes, right? So, when I told our grandson he was a son of Abraham too, he informed me that a huge responsibility for a six-year-old.

Declan always makes me chuckle, but his insight is amazing. He reminded me that in order to be a son of Abraham, he'd need to be sure he let his light shine. And he was right.

As you travel this writing path, there will be times when you feel so overwhelmed, so lied to by the enemy, that you question your reasoning for even attempting such a venture. Still you cannot believe the lies of the evil one. Not for a minute, for God has called you into this season. He's gifted you with exactly what you need to learn the craft and then set out to write the story He wants you to tell.

Don't let the lies of an evil world force you to hide your gift. Put it on a stand. Work hard to do what God has assigned to you. Don't worry about man's desires. Instead, trust in his timing. This is not a hard realization if my 6-year-old grandson has figured it out. He already knows that to be a true son of Abraham - or man of God, he has to let his light shine.

Are you going to let a 6-year-old outshine you? I hope not. Knuckle down. Walk in faith. Trust in God's timing and He will bring you success. Do it for His glory, not your own. SHINE.

Much love,
Cindy Sproles
Director, Asheville Christian Writers Conference

2020 Asheville Christian Writers Conference - Welcome - August 2019

8/24/2019 5:49:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

Welcome to the Asheville Christian Writers Conference – August letter

Well, the time has arrived.
It's the end of our travel season and time to gear up for the 2020 Asheville Christian Writers Conference.

I know many of you have registered early and have waited patiently for me to begin contact. Truth is. . .I'm only one person. I have to wait until travel time has ended so I can manage the work behind this conference.

So here we are. Our first email. I am excited to welcome you on board. So let's begin with some instruction. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. You'll save us both a lot of work. :)

If you pre-registered at the Cove in February and paid $25 then I need you to do the following:
EMAIL ME AT [email protected] and tell me 1) do you still plan to attend 2) your room preference (single or double) 3) if you choose a double do you need me to assign a roommate?
If I do not get this information from you, by Sept 15 that you are attending, your room reservation will be deleted by October 1.

Now don't think I'm mean...you've known since the conference in February, I'd be contacting you. If you could just let me know by verifying you are coming and what room you want...it helps with registration so much. We sell out so fast and if I have unclaimed rooms into November, conferees are not getting to attend. So help me out by following this simple instruction.

If you have registered on line then I have your registration deposit and room preference. All I need (from those married couples attending) are the names of both husband and wife and an email for both. (Please note that if your spouse does not plan to attend the full conference they are required to attend the full group sessions in order to stay on campus and wear their name badges at all times. The Cove is a non-profit and everyone that stays on campus MUST BE REGISTERED and ATTEND the conference. I cannot force you to attend all sessions, but to qualify you must attend the general group sessions in the morning and at night. You can email me at [email protected] with that information.

When will I pay the remainder of my conference fee? Conference fees will be invoiced to you in October and must be paid by January 5. We are required to pay bills so we must receive your payment in full by January 5. I will send notices to you with the total you owe and a link for you to pay the invoice in Pay Pal. If you wish to pay sooner (LOVE YOUR HEART) then let me know and I will send you that invoice earlier. I know this falls in October and you are looking at Christmas, but knowing this now, gives you time to prepare. You don't want to miss being at the Cove. It IS AMAZING.

Finally, I need a photo and short bio (50 words or less) that includes your email address and web or blog page. We do prepare a roster for our conferees so the sooner you send this...the better.

Oh, one other thing. You can check the website monthly at https://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/newsletters. Each of these newsletters will be posted there. If you miss one, go to the site. They will be there. I encourage you to mark this email address as "Safe" in your internet security so it does not throw these into spam or trash. BUT CHECK THE WEBSITE Under the Conference UPDATE tab and then NEWSLETTERS. Everything you need will be posted there.

We are in the process of receiving classes from our faculty and hopefully we will have those up in a month or so. Again, continue to check the site. We will update the classes and the schedule as we receive the information. In the meantime, check out our contests, critiques, and mentoring. These are in addition to your conference fee and are available to purchase as you decide to participate.

I am available via email at [email protected]

YOU HAVE HEARD AND OBEYED

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2 NIV

Our biggest call at the Asheville Christian Writers Conference is to be sure we pray. Believe it or not we have 400 people who pray for this ministry and this conference on a daily basis. Our main prayer is simple - "Lord send those you would have attend. Let them hear your call and obey."

You are getting this letter which means you have heard and are obeying. That in and of itself is a major ordeal. Do you realize how many do not respond?

I, better than any, know the fear of stepping into a call from God. It's a little scary especially when we are not able to control the direction or result. Still, God calls us to write for Him. He asks two things of us: Do the work to the very best of our ability and pray. When we do that - when we give our work to Him...loosen the grip and let God control things, then He uses us. And He uses us to HIS GLORY not our own. He understood that when we say yes, God listens and as long as we continue to call on Him in faith with a willing heart and a teachable spirit, He will do incrediable things through your writing.

God has placed within you the burning desire to write. It may be one story, it may be hundreds. But it's there. You have taken the first step. You heard the voice and responded. When you cry out to Him for guidance and direction, GOD WILL ANSWER. His ear is turned to you. Wasn't the psalmist amazing as he penned these words?

And so...we begin this new journey together. You and I. Are you ready? Because God is waiting on us.

Much love,
Cindy Sproles
Director, Asheville Christian Writers Conference
Eddie Jones, Christian Devotions Ministries President
Beth Fortune and Dee Dee Parker, Conferee Care Representatives
Bennie Jones, Kevin Spencer, and Wendy Leech, Conference Bookstore
Sara Thomas and Terri Kelly, Sparrow Award and critiques/mentoring

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