Registration now open for the 2024 annual event of the Association of Partners in Christian Education

Faith formation leaders thirsty for life, justice and joy will gather in St. Louis

by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service

Jon Brown and Mich Phillips of APCE’s 2024 annual gathering, which will be held Jan. 24-27, 2024, in St. Louis. (Contributed photo)

“Come, all who are thirsty” to the Association for Partners in Christian Education’s 2024 annual gathering, to be held in St. Louis from Jan. 24-27 or via the Annual Event Online.

Registration for the 2024 APCE event is now open. Early-bird rates are available through November 30 and includes rates of $160 per day in-person, $185 for the full online event, $395 for members and $580 for non-APCE members. The free Annual Event Online in Spanish is made possible by the partnership with the PC(USA).

Participants are invited to register separately for pre- and post-event programs, which offer opportunity for spiritual renewal and skill-building in educational technology, storytelling and Biblical interpretation.

“Each day of the conference we will address how God is able to renew us as we thirst for justice, thirst for life, thirst for kindness and joy,” says the invitation from Co-Chairs Mich Phillips and Jon Brown.

APCE’s 2024 annual event will take place at the historic Union Station Hotel and Amusement Complex. (Contributed photo)

The event theme comes from Revelation 22:17. According to past participants, people return to APCE’s annual event year after year because of the ways the event excels in hospitality and pedagogy, offering welcome to newcomers and workshops for everyone.

APCE’s 2023 annual event drew 540 people from across North America, nourishing the spirit of faith formation leaders whether they came as volunteers, professional educators, pastors or denominational and nonprofit leaders.

Mark Yaconelli

The 2024 event will take place in St. Louis’s Historic Union Station Hotel and Amusement Complex. Co-hosts Julie Gvillo and Pat Cleeland are being creative with the choice of location, which extends this year’s pilgrimage theme. All who are weary, who worry or simply wonder what is next are invited to journey and come together to learn, explore and grow.

The Rev. Melanie Marsh

Popular author, speaker, and workshop leader Mark Yaconelli will keynote the event. Yaconelli currently serves as founder and executive director of The Hearth, a nonprofit that heals individuals and communities through storytelling practices “to strength relationships, address injustices and cultivate compassion.” Yaconeli is the author of many books on youth ministry, prayer and storytelling.

Preachers include the Rev. Melanie Marsh, the Rev. Cedric Portis, the Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon and the Revs. Philip and Stephanie Doeschot.

Upon registration, attendees can choose from 75 different workshops offered over three days. workshops are searchable by category, making it easier for people to choose a focus or ensure they encounter a variety of topics while attending. Some are hybrid offerings and accessible to those attending the online event.

APCE is in partnership with the Presbyterian Mission Agency through the Office of Christian Formation and is a contributing member of the Christian Formation Collective.