Agenda
Presbyterian Communicators Network
Central/Southwest Meeting – Austin, TexasFebruary 10th & 11th, 2005
Thursday, Feb. 10
12:30 pm
12 - 1:30 pm
Lunch - Smoot Fellowship Hall
PCN Registration - Smoot Fellowship Hall
1:30 pm
Office of Communication Presentation
Break
Raise the Bar on Your Writing Style
Learn how to make your communications more readable, accessible and while improving your writing style.
Presenter: Cherrie (pronounced Sherrie) Graham, owner and consultant with
Communication Ministries.
Cherrie is a long-time church communicator, having served as Communications Director for both the Wisconsin Annual Conference, United Methodist Church and Grace Presbytery, PC(USA) as well as the local church specialist at UMR Communications. She was also a local church communicator and served for several years as the program ministries coordinator for two churches.
Developing a Good Relationship with Your Local Paper
Presenter: Eileen Flynn, Religion Reporter, Austin American-Statesman.
Eileen has covered the religion beat at the Austin American-Statesman
since 2002. In 2003, she was accepted as a fellow at the Knight Center
for Specialized Journalism at the University of Maryland where she
studied Islam with other religion writers. She holds a bachelor's degree
in English/Creative Writing and a minor in philosophy from Massachusetts
College of Liberal Arts. A fiction writer in her spare time, Flynn won
second place in the annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest in 2001.
Break, Exhibit area open
Dinner - menu & Keynote:
How to be a good reporter/communicator while balancing denominational politics.
Presenter: The Rev. Verity Jones, publisher and editor of DisciplesWorld.com
Verity
Jones (pictured at left in 2001
PBS interview on capital punishment) was ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) and the United Church of Christ in 1995.
Previously pastor of Central Christian Church in Terre Haute, Ind., Verity assumed leadership of DisciplesWorld in July 2003. From the magazine's outset in 2002, she wrote a column on Christian unity. She also has written for Christian Century, Biblical Preaching Journal, the Journal of Preaching, and other publications.
A native of Richardson, Texas, Verity grew up in Enid, Okla., where she was valedictorian at Enid High School. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale College, the undergraduate arm of Yale University, and summa cum laude graduate of Yale Divinity School.
She comes from a distinguished family of Disciples. Her father, Joe R. Jones, was dean of the Disciples-related Phillips Theological Seminary and later president of Phillips University and professor of theology at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Her sister Serene is ordained and a professor at Yale Divinity School.
Verity is married to William Wagnon. They have one daughter, Gracie.
Group event (musical) optional
Friday, February 11
8:30 am
Continental breakfast, fill out Presbytery surveys ^top
9 – 10 am
Show and Tell. Sharing tips, models and naming products that work.
10 – 11:15 am
The Ingredients of a Good Website, and How to Improve the One You Have
Presenter: Dianna Ott, Coordinator, Internet Services, PC(USA).
Includes drawing for a website hosting or software giveaways compliments of the Synod of the Sun.
10:45 – 11 am
Break
11a – 12:15 pm
Online Meetings, Saving Time & Money.
Presenter: Shane Whisler, Associate Exec. for Communication, Synod of the Sun.
12:15 – 1:00 pm
1 – 2:15 pm
Workshop #1:
Crisis Communication for Congregations and Governing Bodies.
Presenter: Cherrie Graham, owner and consultant with Communication Ministries.
Workshop #2:
How to Implement the New Here & Now Awareness Campaign.
Presenter: Mindy Marchal, National Staff, Assoc. for External Communications
2:15 – 2:30 pm
Break
2:30 – 3:00 pm
Religion Communicators Council, Who, What, Why.
Presenter: Doug Cannon, President of Local RCC Chapter *a different topic may be presented here.
3 – 4 pm
Wrap up, evaluate meeting, respond to unanswered question, take suggestions for future requests, ideas.
4 – 4:30 pm
Closing Ecumenical Worship