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\nThe city of Charlotte, N.C., by day (above) and the city skyline by night. Photos courtesy of Visit Charlotte, Patrick Schneider Photography.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/the-night-time-skyline-of.jpg\")
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nFollowing is initial planning for the 2013 Annual Conference in Charlotte, N.C., on June 29-July 3. See below for information about the theme, leadership, location and facilities, fees, hotel costs, and a special day set aside for spiritual renewal. Additional information will be posted at www.brethren.org\/ac<\/a> as it becomes available.<\/em><\/p>\n Theme<\/span><\/strong><\/span> The following daily themes have been announced:<\/em> Find the moderator\u2019s reflection on the theme online at www.brethren.org\/ac\/theme-2013.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n Leadership<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Serving on the Program and Arrangements Committee alongside the three Conference officers and Conference director Chris Douglas are Eric Bishop<\/strong> of La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, Cindy Laprade Lattimer<\/strong> of the pastoral staff at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, and Christy Waltersdorff<\/strong>, pastor of York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill.<\/p>\n Volunteer coordinators include:<\/em> A day of renewal<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Sunday will feature three worship events:<\/em><\/p>\n — a morning worship service on the theme \u201cGrace, Grace, and More Grace\u201d with speaker Philip Yancey<\/strong>, a popular Christian writer and author of \u201cWhat\u2019s So Amazing About Grace?\u201d and \u201cThe Jesus I Never Knew\u201d;<\/p>\n — an afternoon worship service on the theme, \u201cThe Pathway to God Is Paved with Prayer,\u201d led by Mark Yaconelli<\/strong>, a writer, speaker, spiritual director, and co-founder and program director for the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology; and<\/p>\n — an evening \u201cConcert of Prayer\u201d<\/strong> inviting all to an experience of personal prayer and guided corporate prayer.<\/p>\n After each worship service will be a session of \u201cEquipping Workshops<\/strong>\u201d offering deeper insights into various areas of faith such as how we experience God, servant leadership, spiritual formation, and more.<\/p>\n Preachers<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Preaching on Saturday evening, June 29, will be moderator Robert Krouse<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Philip Yancey<\/strong>, author of \u201cWhat\u2019s So Amazing About Grace?\u201d and \u201cThe Jesus I Never Knew,\u201d will give the Sunday morning sermon on June 30. That same day, Mark Yaconelli<\/strong> of the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology will preach for a special afternoon worship service.<\/p>\n Paul Mundey<\/strong>, pastor of Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren, will preach Monday evening, July 1.<\/p>\n For worship on Tuesday evening, July 2, a dialogue sermon will be given jointly by Pam Reist<\/strong> of the pastoral staff at Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, and Paul W. Brubaker<\/strong>, a minister at Middle Creek Church of the Brethren in Lititz, Pa.<\/p>\n Suely Inhauser<\/strong> of Igreja da Irmandade, the Church of the Brethren in Brazil, will give the closing sermon of the Conference on Wednesday morning, July 3.<\/p>\n Location and facilities<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cMove in Our Midst\u201d<\/strong> is the theme for the 2013 Annual Conference, taken from lyrics written by the late Brethren poet and hymnwriter Ken Morse. This Conference falls in the 100th anniversary year of Morse\u2019s birth, in 1913.<\/p>\n
\nSaturday June 29, \u201cMove in Our Midst,\u201d<\/strong> Philippians 2:13, 2 Chronicles 7:14
\nSunday, June 30, \u201cTouch Us,\u201d<\/strong> Ezekiel 36:26-27
\nMonday, July 1, \u201cTeach Us,\u201d<\/strong> Ephesians 4:11-13
\nTuesday, July 2, \u201cTransform Us,\u201d<\/strong> Ephesians 4:30-32
\nWednesday, July 3, \u201cTransport Us,\u201d<\/strong> Matthew 9:38, Luke 4:18-19<\/p>\n
\nModerator Robert Krouse<\/strong>, pastor of Little Swatara Church of the Brethren in Bethel, Pa., will lead the Conference assisted by moderator-elect Nancy Sollenberger Heishman<\/strong>, interim co-pastor at West Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio. James M. Beckwith<\/strong>, pastor of Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, is the Annual Conference secretary.<\/p>\n
\nSite coordinators Dewey and Melissa Williard<\/strong> of Winston-Salem, N.C.
\nRegistration coordinator Nancy Hillsman<\/strong> of Durham, N.C.
\nHospitality coordinator Teresa Broyles<\/strong> of Roanoke, Va.
\nUsher coordinators Linda and Buddy Crumpacker<\/strong> of Blue Ridge, Va.
\nTicket sales coordinator Karen Haynes<\/strong> of Roanoke, Va.
\nUnloading\/loading coordinator C.D. Lyons<\/strong> of Concord, N.C.
\nEarly childhood services coordinators Pat Mullins<\/strong> of Little River, S.C., and Suzanne Rhoades<\/strong> of Daleville, Va.
\nChildren\u2019s activities coordinator, Kindergarten-2nd grades, Stephanie Naff<\/strong> of Bassett, Va.
\nChildren\u2019s activities coordinator, 3rd-5th grades, Lynette Harvey<\/strong> of Roanoke, Va.
\nJunior high activities coordinator Clara Nelson<\/strong> of Blacksburg, Va.
\nSenior high activities coordinator Mike Elmore<\/strong> of Salem, Va.
\nYoung adult activities coordinator Emily LaPrade<\/strong> of Boones Mill, Va.
\nSingles\/Night Owl activities coordinator Dava Hensley<\/strong> of Roanoke, Va.<\/p>\n
\nSunday, June 30,<\/strong> is\u00a0set aside as a special day for Conference-goers to \u201crefocus, restore, renew,\u201d with no business scheduled until Monday morning. This is in response to the item of business that came to the 2012 Conference highlighting a need to revitalize the Annual Conference experience.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/bob-krouse.jpg\")
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford<\/small><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bob Krouse<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Charlotte Convention Center<\/strong> opened in 1995 and has 280,000 square feet of meeting\/exhibit space, 46 meeting rooms, and a food court featuring some popular restaurant and caf\u00e9 chains. Since 2007 it has been implementing \u201cGoing Green\u201d procedures such as recycling, water conservation, use of bio-degradable paper products, and environmentally sensitive cleaning supplies.<\/p>\n
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