Newsletter - October 28, 2017

Newsletter - October 28, 2017
Saturday, October 28, 2017 by Cindy Sproles

We're On A Roll!

http://mailchi.mp/89cf66c57c2f/33983lhlsr-1237613

*DISCLAIMER - I'm writing this after 2 brain surgeries and an update on my computer. Any typos are purely the fault of 1) autocorrect (who hates me) and 2) a brain that is not quite connected yet. Grace please.

I am so excited. God has shown up. I told you we begin praying for God to send those He would have attend the conference the next year, the day after the conference ends. I stepped out in faith and reserved additional rooms this year. Honestly, with the surgeries, I haven't really had much time to worry if they were filled or not. We just kept praying. Tonight I finished the reservations and we are SOLD OUT for on campus housing. We still have 16 off campus slots left, so anyone wishing to attend will have to stay off campus at one of the hotels at the foot of the Cove. I am so thrilled. God knew in advance, I'd be a bit off with the surgeries so He, once again did the work for me. This is a praise. When you go to bed tonight, please send up your praises to the God who knows and provides.

I have removed the pay links for on-campus housing. All that remains on the site is a link for off-campus. SIXTEEN SLOTS and we are filled to the gills. I still have a list of folks to contact, which I will do tomorrow, and see if they are interested. But in the meantime, I'm doin' the happy dance.

Scholarships
Our scholarships have been distributed this year. I was thrilled when the committee chairman sent me the winner's names. I've called them or emailed them and I have to tell you...it's such fun to talk to these folks and give them the news. So thank you to our committee chairman for taking on this difficult task.

We do honor the privacy of our selection committee and also our scholarship winners since this is a provision of the greatest kind from God. What is important to know is: 1) I have nothing to do with the selection of the winners. I can't. It wouldn't be fair. 2) The committee director is amazing. Rest assured every application was prayed over and loved.

I will be sending out invoices soon.
For those who paid deposits, I will be sending you invoices via Pay Pal so you can complete your reservation payment. We were happy to offer a pre-conference deposit and now, we work to bring in those funds as quickly as possible so we can put on a conference. You can look for those in the next couple of weeks.

So here's what's coming down.

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT - Our website is running beautifully albeit we've had a couple of small snags. Overall, SKWD (Celebration Web Designs) has done a wonderful job. We're doing our best to bring them to the conference for those of you who are looking to get your website started or refurbished. We'll be offing your more information on their services later, whether they are able to attend or not.

Take a look at our website, and even browse through my website www.cindysproles.com and get a feel for the work they do.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS - We will have Mary Denman, writer and professional photographer, who will be at the conference this year. Mary will be available to take head shots for you to use in your publicity and on your website or business cards. She will offer a couple of packages and a good price for you. This information will also come to you as we firm up our final plans. But if you are in need of a professional head shot, now is the time. Mary will be sending us pricing so you can plan ahead. You will be able to make appointments with her once you arrive at the conference should you choose to take advantage of her services.

JUST A REMINDER

Please, please do not reply to this newsletter with your questions or even answers to questions I have asked. I cannot find all the responses. If you need to respond please email me at [email protected].

Remember, everything you need to know will be posted on the website, even these newsletters. We have a tab called CONFERENCE UPDATES. When you click updates you'll find information on registration, checking in at the hotels, contests as they progress. Any kind of update. Currently this page houses last year's information, but honestly, it won't change much. So read through it. Under Conference Updates you will also find NEWSLETTERS. You will be able to read every newsletter, so I encourage you to check in on this page and make sure you are getting all the upcoming news, needs, and happenings. As always, beginning in January we will offer a few weeks of emails with additional teaching for you. The closer we get to the conference, you will receive weekly letters. October through December, you will see monthly letters.

BIOS for our ROSTER
For those returning, you know the drill. We need a new photo and a short (50 word bio). Please send those to [email protected]. You may put your bio in the body of the email, but attach your photo as an attachment. Please label your email in the subject line BIO, so we know to send it to me. If you are new. I need a 50 word bio, written in 3rd person, and a photo of yourself. Please make your photo of you and not your entire family. We just don't have the space in our roster for large photos. Please keep your bio down to 50 words. Add your email address. This will be your networking tool. Every year I ponder whether to do away with this but then I realize what a valuable tool it is, so we trudge ahead. Start sending those. It doesn't matter if you sent one last year. SEND A NEW ONE THIS YEAR. We do not have the time to dig through last year and find your bio.

LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT

If you are good with Word, Publisher, and Excel. If you are good at social media, I'm looking for an assistant. It is a volunteer position. But you feel a calling to help, contact me at [email protected]. We have the Conference manual that we put together along with some tweaks on other needs. Please, ONLY CONTACT ME if you are knowledgeable in Word, Publisher, and Excel. AND if you are the one who wants to do the social media, then I need to know you will commit to do so and that you actually know how to do it (grin). Think on it. Pray on it. If you feel God is leading you to help PRE-CONFERENCE, let me know. You will not be required to work during the conference. This is all PRE-CONFERENCE.

Finally
Pray for this conference, for our faculty and for the conferees God will send. This is so important to us. Like I said, we began praying for you the day the 2017 conference ended. Begin to prepare your hearts. I'm working on some new things for the conference this year and with this surgery...I need your prayers.

Our faculty will be as follows:
Our headliners: Bob Hostetler (we all love the Bobster) and Tim Shoemaker (Tim is the most amazing man - you will really love him)
Our teachers: Edie Melson, LaTan Murphy, Andrea Merrell, Sarah Thomas, Anna Floit, Lori Hatcher, and Lin Johnson
Our mentors: Yvonne Lehman, Larry Leech,Linda Gilden, and Edie Melson
Agents: Diana Flegal, Les Stobe, and new agent for the Steve Laube Agency, Bob Hostetler
Publishers - Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and also from the Christian Communicator - Lin Johnson
Magazine - Lori Hatcher

Please read the site. I am still updating information so it can't hurt for you to read through the classes and faculty a couple of times. Things change. Stuff happens. So make your life easy and read through the site. :)

ONCE AGAIN
Send your bio and photo to [email protected]
Talk us up
Pray for us
PREPARE YOUR HEART

One other detail. We do record all our classes and keynotes. HOWEVER, many of you asked why we did not record worship time. We can't. We are not allowed to record the music. It's a copyright thing and we can't afford thousands of dollars to pay for the rights to record. I'm sorry. But LaTan has cd's and she'd love for you to purchase one and worship with her at at home.

FINALLY, let me share where God is leading us this year . . .

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:8 NIV

What do you want from your writing? What do you expect?

I'm winding down as the facilitator of the Beth Moore study, The Quest. In this study Beth has taken time to locate practically every question asked in scripture. It's amazing. And in the beginning, I wondered why she would do this. Ultimately, to teach us that relationships are built by asking questions. God loves questions. There's over 600 in the Bible.

When you set out on this writing journey, I wonder if you were like I was in the beginning. I just knew there was a nudge. An ache in my gut that wouldn't quit until I sought out the reason. When I attended my first conference, I had no idea what to expect from myself, much less the conference. Hence, my journey began.

You are here because we prayed for God to send those He would have attend. Those He wanted to nudge to seek after His will . Our job is simply to be obedient when He calls. Do our best work when we write.

We take the first steps into this writing world and wonder if it's meant for us. There's decisions - what to write? Who to write about? How to write? And then there are those questions of the heart. Is your heart in the right place when you step up to the writing plate? Are you truly writing for God or is there a selfish motive - a trophy of a book on the shelf?

It's important you learn right away, everyone's work is not meant to be made into a book. To quote a mentor and friend, Alton Gansky, "Your work may only be meant for the person sitting next to you."

Still, in order to walk this journey, you have to be willing to ask questions. Learn. Seek. Worship. Sacrifice. Not only in the writing world, but in your spiritual walk as well. Writing is easy. Giving the work up to God, is HARD. As writers, we want our work published now. Waiting on God, is . . .to. . .slow.

Take the words from Matthew - For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Study on them. Pray over them. This journey is more than writing. It's writing for God. Big shoes to fill. Lots of trips and stumbles. But if you ASK, you will receive. If you seek, you will find. ASK God to speak to your heart and lay out the plan of your writing journey, at least a step at a time. Then trust.

GET READY. We're ramping up!

Much love,
Cin

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www.ashevillechristianwritersconference ~ P.O. BOX 6494, Kingsport, TN 37663

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