Tuesday, September 26, 2006

ACFW Conference Report


I had the best of plans to blog from the conference. Really I did. I just somehow ran out of time each day. The wireless situation didn’t help in that it wasn’t available from the rooms. The conference ended Sunday afternoon, but I stayed over until Monday morning before flying out. Arrived home late Monday afternoon.

It was a great conference. Ran very smoothly. We had over 400 attendees. Four morning tracks were offered for levels beginning, intermediate, advanced, and professional. And five workshops were offered, covering all those levels, for each workshop hour slot in the afternoons.

Highlights:

1. Liz Curtis Higgs’ speaking. Liz is always wonderful—both humorous and poignant. She spoke three times during the conference. She’s a very polished speaker, plus she’s a writer herself, so she knows the travails and dreams and frustrations of writing.

2. Saturday night awards banquet. It was gratifying to see how this special night was presented in honoring the Book of the Year and Genesis Awards winners. Each course of the dinner was beautifully presented, served by white-gloved waiters. Attendees really dressed up. Lots of gowns, men in suits and ties, and a high level of bling. Yowsa. It was great to see how beautiful everyone looked. The presentation of winners was well planned, with a Powerpoint presentation that featured the book covers of each finalist as he/she was announced, and the appropriate book covers shown again as winners were announced. It was also great to see editors receiving certificates along with the writers who won third, second and first place awards. Goodness knows, the editors deserve that! First place winners received plaques.

This was a wonderful launch for a night that will continue to be a highlight event of each year’s conference. And I predict the impact of winning one of these awards will grow, with the industry recognizing them more and more as beacons of success.

3. The prayer room. We started offering a room set aside for prayer three years ago. This is no small thing, as this room must be paid for like any other meeting room, and means that have one less room dedicated to classes/workshops. But what could be more important? Each year this room has been used by more and more attendees. This year the room seemed in continual use. It was large enough and chairs spread out enough that many small groups or individuals could pray privately at the same time.

In the weeks leading up to the conference, God impressed upon me that my main focus and area of service during the weekend would be praying with people. It’s true that I had many responsibilities as emcee, but that is not what God lead me to spend much time in prayer preparing for. As God would have it, I did end up spending a lot of hours in the prayer room each day. I was amazed to count them up later—they went by so fast. I had the honor of praying with many individuals and small groups of friends. And let me tell you—I saw God move. In most instances these were not easy prayer sessions. Faithful followers of God were dealing with deep emotional pain from terrible childhood abuse and other betrayals, and harsh physical illnesses. God gave special words on how to pray for each person. As often as I’ve experienced this, I’m always overwhelmed anew at the grace and mercy of God in directing prayer at the exact point of need—a point of cause that is sometimes far removed from the symptoms. When God directs prayer to the root cause—that’s when real healing can begin.

4. Worship times. These times of singing can’t be separated from the overall focus on prayer, Liz’s talks, and the genuine feeling of family and caring that permeated the conference. The result was an overall feeling of a “spiritual retreat.” These are the words I heard from numerous people. Returning conferees came to the conference knowing it would be a spiritual experience as much as a craft-learning one. New conferees came for the learning and were amazed at the impact on their spiritual lives.

I encourage all of you to pray for conferees as they get back into their schedules. Satan is no doubt already swooping in to spread his discouragement and lies, trying to snatch away the encouragement and growth they experienced. We need to pray against that.

5. The visible impact of ACFW teaching on the industry. The Barbour editors publicly offered two new contracts to two first-time authors. And when all those who have signed their first contract for a novel after joining ACFW were asked to stand, it was so gratifying to see how many people were in that category. Next year there will be even more.

Our conference is now one of the largest Christian writers conferences in the country—give it another year, and it will probably be THE largest. And our organization is growing so fast (we’re at 1200 members and adding about 50 a month). ACFW will continue to impact the industry in more and more ways, training many of the CBA novelists of tomorrow.

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Today on Scenes and Beans

Sarah Wray: A Humbling Moment at the Salon

... I had tight spitball curls everywhere. I didn't even look like myself. What had I done?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Brandilyn,

I really enjoyed reading about this conference. I know so many writers who went. You made me want to join and I don't even write ficton.

I will pop in again soon. Be blessed, Lynn PS. I met you at Mount Hermon. Hope to see you again.

Tina Ann Forkner said...

And Brandilyn forgot to mention what a great job she did being the main announcer throughout the conference. God gives her the right words to say to the conferees and she is such a very good speaker.

Cara Putman said...

I have to echo that the praise and worship was awesome. It didn't matter that there were 400 people in the room; it felt like me and my Father and King. I so needed to see my Father's smile!

If you haven't attended yet and are a writer, I really encourage you to begin praying now about next year. The craft portion is wonderful, but the focus on Him is what keeps me coming.

Anonymous said...

I missed it this year due to work constraints, but I'm already planning for next year. Having attended both the AFCW (in Nashville) and several secular conferences, I realize how much of that spiritual fulfillment I miss at those "other" conferences. And it's folks like Brandilyn and Colleen Coble and all the other authors who give so much back to the community of hopefuls that make it really special. I'll see y'all next year!

Anonymous said...

I Kjersten,solemnly DITTO both Brandilyn and Cara's statements.

Lynette Sowell said...

I enjoyed my (short) visit on Saturday afternoon. I was able to say hello to 10% of the conference crowd during that time. To some it was a hello and a hug, to others a few minutes of chat. Sure beats e-mail! And I got to tell my hubby, "Welcome to my world." I sure missed not being there for the whole conference! But I'm planning for next year.

Tina Ann Forkner said...

Ron/All who wish to attend next time:
You won't be sorry. Liz Curtis Higgs was wonderful. And the singing did it for me. Rachel Hauck led it and the worship band was great. The ACFW rockers rock, for sure. :)
T

Unknown said...

Brandilyn, I was amazed and awed at what a fantasitic job the folks did on the conference. Wow, is the only word I can think of. Flawless.

It was so cool to see you hooking up your bloggers, introducing them, bragging on everyone. Whenever I think of going to BEA/ABA, I see something like that (of course everyone there was doing similary nicities), and how can I leave this nest of love?

Thank you for all you did. Our tada pic is on my site. Great idea btw. So cool to hang with you and everyone that attended. Awesome conference. I'm so grateful to all those who worked so hard to make it happen.

Stuart said...

It was indeed an awesome conference thanks to the hard work of the committee and the volunteers and speakers. It really is like one, big quirky family reunion.

Thanks for all you did, Brandilyn.

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

It sounded like a good time was had by all! Blessings from the Lord I believe!

ACFW rocks!

Camy Tang said...

Thanks so much for praying for me, Brandilyn. It was a tremendous time for me.
Camy

Unknown said...

It was great to meet you, Brandilyn, and you did an outstanding job as MC.

The whole conference was outstanding.

I'm still basking in the warmth and grace that overflowed in Dallas, and I'm sure your time in the prayer room had a great deal to do with how the rest of us benefited.

Wishing you every blessing in your writing and ministry,

Deborah

Catherine West said...

Ditto, ditto, ditto. A confession: I hate to fly, and I had to take two planes to get to Texas from Bermuda.
Was it worth it?
See you next year!!

I had an amazing time. Spirit filled, moving, just incredible. I can't really even begin to explain how much these past few days have impacted me. I feel validated as a writer. THat it's okay. I'm not published yet, but in God's time and throguh His grace, I pray to be.
It was wonderful to meet you and all the other ACFWers.
What a great group of people we have!

Anonymous said...

I've been experiencing the conference vicariously by hopping from blog to blog reading others' expereinces. Some day- maybe next year- I'll get to go.
I was one of the new authors announced by Barbour and friends that were in the audience, almost fell off their chair when they heard my name. So, God blessed me from Dallas!
Vasthi

MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA said...

Dear Brandilyn,

Thanks to you and to the entire ACFW staff for making this conference such a special event for me.

It was my first ACFW Conference. Little did I realize that it would be so life-changing. I came to learn about how to write fiction, but I left with revelation knowledge that has changed my life.

What I sensed most was that Christ reigns supreme over ACFW. His Presence was palpable, especially when you prayed for me. Thank you!

Lord willing, I plan to make this conference a highlight of my year.


Love and Blessings,

MaryAnn
www.maryanndiorio.com