GAC09013
May 8, 2009

From social media to newsletters: Full slate of workshops announced

Contact:
Susan Lindsey, (502) 569-5060

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Presbyterian Communicators’ Network is pleased to announce topics and leaders for more than a dozen workshops to be held at the national conference from June 11-13 in Atlanta, Ga. Communicators from any denomination are invited to attend the conference and workshops.

Beyond Language: Multicultural Communication – Rev. Dr. Sharon Mook of Avondale, Ga. has served as a pastor, professor, chaplain and counselor in various settings. She presents a workshop that examines the differences between how various cultures communicate and the role of non-verbal communication.

Care and Feeding of your Web Site – Dana McMahan and Jonathan Dennis, Web content developers for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), conduct a workshop designed to help Web managers keep content fresh, links vital and visitors coming back. This workshop can help communicators get the most from their Web sites.

The New Tool Box: Podcasting, Blogs, Wikis, RSS and More – Dianna Ott, director of Creative Services for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), leads a workshop exploring a range of new communication tools. The workshop is designed to help participants understand and use these tools more effectively.

Beyond Screen Stigma: Using Communication Technology in Worship – Bryan Dunagan, teaching pastor at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta and Nathan Young, graphic communication and technology administrator for the Olympia Presbytery, present a workshop on making the best use of today’s technology without distracting from or overwhelming the message coming from the pulpit.

Church Newsletters: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Genie Hambrick, communication director at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., and Marta Kramer, communication director at the Synod of Lincoln Trails, discuss gathering content, deciding between print and electronic formats, desktop publishing options and elements of good design and layout in this informative workshop for newsletter editors and others.

The Story behind the Numbers – David Crittenden, co-executive of the Synod of Lincoln Trails, offers help to “word people” who struggle to interpret numbers and data in a meaningful way. This workshop will help participants use numerical data to tell the stories behind the figures.

Communicating through Controversy – Sue Westfall, associate executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, discusses how to keep the conversation going when emotions run high. She will examine techniques to help disparate groups move past barriers, build consensus and work productively together.

Social Media 101 – Bruce Reyes-Chow, tech-savvy moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leads a workshop exploring the use of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, instant messaging and other social media tools and techniques.

Web Site Development – Kevin Hoffman and Chris Cashdollar of Happy Cog, discuss key considerations for building a new Web site or redesigning an existing one, including content, design, navigation, security and content management systems.

Worth a Thousand Words? A Graphic Design Primer – Lucy Ke, graphic designer for KeFactors, Inc. of Avondale, Ga., leads a workshop to help communicators use photos, tables, graphs, drawings, color, fonts, layout, white space and other visual elements to make a stronger impact and more effectively convey news and key messages.

Telling the Story with Digital Photography – Erin Dunigan, freelance photographer and writer, leads this workshop on using powerful visual images to tell compelling stories. She will also explore various camera features and technical issues related to digital photography. Participants should bring cameras.

In addition to the workshops, conference participants can attend three plenary sessions, or join an optional CNN tour, a networking reception, and the Presbyterian Communicators’ Network lunch, where the winner of the Presbyterian Writers Guild’s Angell Award will be announced.

Nine other Presbyterian conferences are being held during the Big Tent event. The various conferences will share worship services, an exhibit hall and selected meals. Registration is $285 for the full conference and day rates are available for those who can attend only a day or two.

For more information, visit the Comnet and Big Tent sites.