The alt7 Conference, designed for clergy under the age of 40, is slated at Montreat (N.C.) Conference Center June 8-11. Conference literature notes that clergy under the age of 40 are younger than the average Presbyterian, adding, ” We may be online, energized, underpaid, frustrated, creative, isolated, prophetic, weary, traditional, misunderstood, innovative, disillusioned, post-modern, hopeful, or all of the above.”

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly, is one of the conference leaders. Information and registration materials are available at www.montreat.org/current/2009-alt7-conference.

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is inviting Presbyterians to share through videos how they are experiencing “The Church is Alive.” That one sentence alone is likely generating a few questions. So here, from the FAQ section of “The Church is Alive” site, is at least one answer: “‘ The Church is Alive’ project stems from a belief that the church is more than what some give it credit for. We have heard the worries and anxieties that say that our church is ‘dying’ or ‘already dead,’ but believe instead that the church is alive, vibrant and a powerful force for good in the world. We believe that the Holy Spirit is breathing new life into all corners of our denomination, and that our body of believers is rich with stories of giving back, exploring fresh approaches to community, and discovering new ways to worship God.”

 Reyes-Chow’s invitation to participate in the program can be found at www.thechurchisalive.com/about.html. References to “The Church is Alive” can be found in multiple locations on the Web too. The Web site is www.thechurchisalive.com. The blog is at http://thechurchisalive.com/blog.html and it’s also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/churchisalive.

The 2009 Presbyterian Communicators’ Network conference is being held in conjunction with Big Tent June 11-13 in Atlanta, Georgia. Have you signed up yet? 

We have a great line-up of plenary speakers and workshop leaders, including tech-savvy Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218^th General Assembly, speaking on “Social Media 101,” and Kevin Hoffman and Chris Cashdollar of Happy Cog (the company rebuilding the pcusa.org site), leading a workshop on Web site development. Other workshops that promise to be popular include “Beyond Language: Multicultural Communication,” “Church Newsletters: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” and “Worth a Thousand Words? A Graphic Design Primer.”

In addition to more than a dozen PCN workshops, there are three great plenary sessions: “Communications as a Ministry,” “Reaching the Un-Churched and De-Churched,” and “Communicating with Different Generations.” We’ve planned a tour of CNN headquarters followed by a special Q&A session with a CNN insider. And bring the kids – there are special programs for children, youth and young adults.

I know budgets are tight, but Big Tent truly is a great value. Participants can attend activities for our conference or sample workshops from any of the other partner conferences. In addition, there are shared Big Tent activities that include inspiring worship, shared meals, and a great outdoor celebration event at Centennial Park. The “early bird” deadline has been eliminated, which means the early bird registration fee will not increase. There are reasonable day rates for those who live in the Atlanta area or those who can only attend a day or two. And the first 100 PCN Conference registrants receive free hotel accommodations worth more than $300; see details on the attached flyer. There is still time to be one of the first 100 if you register now.

Please see the two attachments for a full PCN schedule and more details. Feel free to pass these attachments along to others who handle communication duties within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Also, as communicators, will you help us promote Big Tent? Post information and links on your web sites, or publish articles about the PCN conference and Big Tent in your online and print publications. There are some great promotional resources available on the Big Tent web site, including a downloadable video that can be posted on your web site and bulletin inserts.

Remember: Big Tent is open to all! People do not need to be on synod, presbytery or session staff. They do not need to be on staff at a church or involved with committees or networks. Anyone who has an interest is encouraged to join us at Big Tent.

See www.pcusa.org/comnet and www.pcusa.org/bigtent for more information.

I hope to see you at the Big Tent! And bring a friend – you’ll both have a great time.

Susan E. Lindsey, APR

Senior Communications Associate
Mission Communications
Presbyterian Church (USA)

See you at the Big Tent!
www.pcusa.org/bigtent