St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference

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**2009 Faculty**
T. Suzanne Eller has authored five books on youth and parenting issues, including The Mom I Want to Be and The Woman I am Becoming from Harvest House, as well as Real Issues, Real Teens from Cook. A contributing writer to Today's Christian Woman and the Christian Broadcasting Network's web site, she has had hundreds of articles and columns published.
Mary Ann O'Roark, former executive editor for Guideposts Magazine, is now a roving editor for the periodical. She is also one of the contributors to the 2009 Daily Guideposts. Mary Ann has also worked as an editor for Saturday Evening Post, McCall's and Seventeen magazines, and is the author of The Baskin-Robbins Book of Ice Cream, Entertaining, and Fun.
Tracy Higley, who writes under the name T. L. Higley, is the author of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series from Broadman & Holman, which includes Shadow of Colossus and City of the Dead. She has also had three previous novels published by Barbour, and has writ- ten over fifty drama productions for church ministry.
Zena Dell Lowe is a writer, director, producer, and co-founding partner of Skirt Films, a Bozeman based film production company. Her produced credits include the short films The Haunted Heart, Feeling Fat, and most recently, Hard Shell, which is currently showing in festivals. Zena was formerly the Associate Director for Act One, a nonprofit organization that trains Christians for careers in mainstream film and television. She is also an adjunct professor of writing at Covenant Christian College.

About Us:

St. Davids originated in the eastern Pennsylvania town of that name, as a ministry of the American Baptist Churches. But the St. Davids Christian Writers' Association is now an independent, nonprofit, interdenominational organization.

As such, we welcome believers from all branches of the Christian family, as well as conscientious writers from other walks of life who are interested in making the most of their talents.

The 52nd annual

St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference

June 22-27, 2009

at Grove City College, Grove City, PA

Theme: "Writing the Fire"

Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire. . .

Jeremiah 5:14

God appears often as fire: in the blazing bush that summoned Moses to liberate his people, in the light that flared over the tabernacle on their journey, and in the flame ignited in believers' hearts at Pentecost. The attempt to express that burning in words can be difficult, but it's what we writers feel called--compelled--to do.

The St. Davids conference is dedicated to helping you achieve that calling. We offer:

four days of workshops on a beautiful small-town campus

nationally known writers and editors as instructors

one-on-one tutorials and professional critiques

a writers' retreat and writers' colony for experienced authors

a wide variety of contests

Harbison Chapel at St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference

"I have been to other writers' conferences," a 2008 conferee writes, "but this one is unique because of the atmosphere that demonstrates Christian writers as members of a living spiritual community.

"Everyone is extremely friendly and supportive of others, which successfully models Jesus' love and grace. For that reason I have been truly blessed by the efforts of all of you who planned and prepared this special experience."

In 2009 the following instructors will be joining us:

Mary Ann O' Roark, former executive editor of Guideposts--now a writer and roving reporter for that magazine

T. Suzanne Eller, author of parenting and women's nonfiction for Harvest House, Today's Christian Woman, cbn.com, and many other publications

T. L. Higley, author of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World historical fiction series from Broadman & Holman

Zena Dell Lowe (formerly Zena Dell Schroeder), associate director of Act One, a nonprofit organization that trains Christians for careers in mainstream film and television

Melanie Rigney, former editor of Writer's Digest magazine and current freelance editor

Vonda Skelton, popular woman's ministry speaker and author of the Bitsy Burroughs children/young adult mystery series from Overmountain Press.

Barbara Crooker, award-winning poet with ten chapbooks and hundreds of published poems

Susan King, assistant editor of The Upper Room

You can click on faculty to read more complete bios of our instructors or on workshops to view the courses they will be teaching. For those of you who want more one-on-one interaction with an instructor, we offer tutorials and professional critiques for an extra fee. We are also introducing a writers' colony this year, for more experienced authors who simply want to get away from the cares of everyday life to write.

Rainbow Bridge at St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference

We provide a wide range of contests as well. Please click on information to learn more about the conference, or on brochure to request our by-mail pamphlet.

For those of you who can't come in June--or who just can't get enough of St. Davids--we also sponsor a one-day mini-conference in Stoneboro, PA in April.

If you are one of those for whom "writing the fire" is a burning necessity, we warmly invite you to join the club. Or, in our case, the family!