January 7, 2025 Newsletter
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 by Cindy K. Sproles

OLD FRIENDS

(emphasis on old)

Welcome to the new year. 2025! I was looking back through the photos, and I realized just how OLD we are! (Sorry, Terri, you're still a spring chicken -- and you know, I KNOW about chickens! lol)

Anyway, I pulled this picture because it pushes back to 2020. Yes, my hair was still it's original auburn and the truth is...Terri looks exactly the same! (How does she do it?) But the photo is the perfect example of longevity. This year, ACWC celebrates its 19th anniversary. But more on that later.

First Things First!

We have eight ON-CAMPUS rooms available. If you are an off-campus person and you'd like to move on-campus, we can do that for you. The cost to upgrade to a single from off-campus is $284 (per person). Probably not much more than what you are paying for your hotel off-campus. If you are interested in one of these rooms, let me know. If you are a husband-wife or you have a roommate willing to share, contact me, and I'll give you the double rate. [email protected]

That said, we have room for 19 more conferees. So, pass the word to your friends. We'd love to sell this out.

THE BOB BOX

We've not mentioned this much so far, but as a ministry, we believe in giving back. We are commanded to care for the sick, poor, widows, and orphans. And yearly, Christian Devotions support those with needs. But at the conference, we work with our own Bob Hostetler to help him raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is a disease that touches several of our families, in particular, two of Bob's grandchildren-siblings, Ryder and Caylie.

Our bookstore keeps a box labeled THE BOB BOX, and we ask that if you are so inclined to give it, we would love it. The great thing is that whatever total is in the Bob Box, Christian Devotions Ministries matches it. IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, the company that Bob's son works for doubles it. So, our gift ends up being tripled. Thanks to your giving, Bob's grands have received groundbreaking medications that, with the hope of the future, will cure Cystic Fibrosis. It's a lofty dream, but Bob's family and members of my family are reaping the rewards of this ground-breaking research and medications. Consider donating to THE BOB BOX and know that you are giving back and it's going to help individuals you can connect to.

PAID CRITIQUES AND MENTORING

The time is drawing nye for you to receive a paid critique. These are well worth your investment in your career. You'll send your work to one of our faculty members, and then they'll do a quick critique and offer you some suggestions to help make your work better. Mentoring appointments are nearly filled. In a mentoring appointment, you will spend 1 hour with one of our mentors, digging deep into your work and helping you. I've often said that if this had been available to me 25 years ago, I'd have been the first in line to sit at the feet of a seasoned, well-published writer and learn. Our mentors are Linda Gilden (great with non-fiction and speaking), Edie Melson (social media guru), Larry Leech (writing coach), Billy Wayne Arrington (scripts, lyrics and ministry), Denise Loock (editor and author - fiction and non-fiction), Andrea Merrell (editor and author - fiction and non-fiction), Eddie Jones (AI, Amazon ads, publishing via Amazon KDP / Ingram). Visit the critiques and mentoring page and contact Terri via that page. Critiques and Mentoring

EXTENDED TEACHING

LUCKY YOU! Because we want you to get as much as you can from this conference, we will send you a link each week for the next SEVEN weeks to additional and extended teaching. These blog posts are designed to give you snippets into areas we might not have time to address in the world-wind conference time frame. This week, Bob Hostetler offers you some insight on writing your bio. This is probably one of the most important things you'll need in your writing career. Read Bob's post and practice. You don't have to turn it in...but practice, practice, practice. This is great information from agent-author Bob Hostetler. Click below for Bob's Post on bios. This link is live on the site today.

Don't Write Your Bio - Write Why ME!

CHECK-IN INFORMATION

As we draw closer to the conference, I'll bring up a page on Conference Updates. This page will list everything you need to know to check in at the conference. We'll have the hotel name, information on what to wear...you know, all that "stuff" that you need to have to start the conference.

I will begin by saying that the conference begins at 1:00 on Friday, Feb. 21. You may join us at the Cove by 11:00 a.m. if you choose to attend early bird classes. Do not arrive earlier than 11:00 a.m. We'll give you more details on that in the future. But for now, just know that early bird classes begin at 1 p.m. There is no lunch served at the Cove. You will need to eat off-campus, and then supper ( or, if you're fancy...dinner) will be served somewhere around 6 at the Cove.

Check the newsletter page weekly on the website

IN CLOSING -

LONGEVITY IN FRIENDS

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:15 ESV

He calls us friends! Isn't that something to behold, the Lord of all calls us friends. I don't know about you, but I love the book of John. It's probably one of my favorite gospels. You could tell in his writing that God had gifted John with writing skills not common to an uneducated fisherman. He would gift him to write and fish. :)

So, why am I talking about longevity and friends? Because when I look back over the years before my hair turned white, I see the people that God placed in my pathway -- the people He planned to use alongside me in this ministry. The people I can call friends.

In 2004 God brought Eddie and I together as best buds. We've often laughed and said God took two misfits and made one pretty, okay person to make a ministry. It wasn't something we were looking for, but it was something in the Father's plan for us. We've known each other for over 20 years, and the bulk of that has been in ministry together along with our spouses. But it was a conference where Eddie and I became friends and it was a conference where God spoke to our hearts. It was a conference where God brought us Andrea Merrell (our first volunteer who is still with us). And it was a conference that brought Terri Kelly, the founder of Devokids and now my right-hand buddy, to this conference. Are you seeing what I'm saying?

Attending a conference is more than learning the skills of writing. When you hear "networking," this is making friends. These people become your peers, your writing support. They become your friends, and I can say the longevity of those friendships will be amazing.

Don't just come to this conference to learn writing. Come to make friends. They may just be the ones that God calls you into service with. They will be your prayer warriors, your brothers and sisters. And if you love them with the love of Christ, you too will grow old with them.

Remember, you are called a friend by Christ. Never lose sight of the value in that.

Until next week-

Much love,

Cindy