Belmont University’s College of Theology and Christian Ministry (CTCM) has announced that registration is now open for the ‘Writing for Your Life’ conference on campus February 6-7. Partnering with the Writing for Your Life conference series, headline speakers for the Nashville event will be acclaimed authors Brian McLaren and Carol Howard Merritt. Belmont’s professor of theology and Christian ministry, Dr. David Dark, will also be a featured speaker.
The conference will also include an optional post-conference retreat on Feb. 8. The DigDeeper Retreat offers a more in-depth seminar about the various aspects of successful writing taught by Ami McConnell and Brian Allain.
A member of the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry, the Writing for Your Life conference at Belmont will offer 1.1. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for pastors in attendance. In addition, The DigDeeper Post-Conference Retreat will offer an additional .5 CEUs.
“Our 2017 spiritual writers’ conference at Belmont was so well-liked,” said Brian Allain, producer of Writing for Your Life, “that we received a rating of 4.71 out of five. We are excited to welcome another set of top speakers for 2018.”
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist and public theologian. In 2004, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological Seminary in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and in 2010, he received a second honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal). His first work of teaching fiction (or creative-nonfiction), ‘A New Kind of Christian’ (Jossey-Bass, 2001), won Christianity Today’s ‘Award of Merit’ in 2002. His work has also been covered in Time, New York Times, Christianity Today, Christian Century, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and many other print and online media.
Rev. Carol Howard Merritt is a minister whose writing, speaking and teaching is anchored in theological wisdom and sociological insight. She’s a sought-after keynote speaker, especially on the topic of ministering in a new generation. The award-winning author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation, Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation and Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church, Howard Merritt is a frequent contributor to books, websites, magazines and journals. She is a regular writer at the Christian Century where her blog is hosted.
In addition to the headliners, other speakers for the event include: Andrew Peterson (author and musician), Patricia Raybon (author and consultant), Jennifer Grant (author and consultant), Mihee Kim-Kort (author), David Dark (author and professor), River Jordan (author), Ami McConnell (editor and consultant), Daisy Hutton (HarperCollins), Joe Iovino (United Methodist Communications) and Sharon Wilharm (screenwriter).
Tuition for the main conference is $349 and includes all General Sessions and Breakout Seminars, lunches, snacks and beverages during the breaks, one-on-one meetings, and an open-mic evening session.
Writing for Your Life is committed to offering many useful resources and services to support spiritual writers. We offer in-person writing conferences and online webinars featuring leading spiritual writers and publishing industry experts. Authors discuss and teach about various aspects of spiritual writing. Industry experts offer advice on how to get published and how to market. In addition, we offer several types of writer support services, online video training presentations, and other resources. Learn more at www.writingforyourlife.com.
