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BCA News March 2001

In this issue:

1. Deadline approaching for BCA workshop

2. Hotel extends reservation deadline

3. Mission opportunity available

4. Record number of contest entries received

5. Grapevine

6. Website placement registry

DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR BCA WORKSHOP

March 16 is the last day to register for the annual BCA workshop March 28-30 in at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Columbia, S.C. An additional day in Charleston March 31 also is available. Affinity groups also have been added to the schedule.

Cost is $225. Send registration forms and payment to BCA Workshop, PO Box 270187, Nashville, TN 37227. A complete conference schedule and registration forms are available online at http://www.baptistcommunicators.org/registration.htm.

Professional development opportunities will be in four tracks of study, each involving three, two-hour meetings. A fifth track involves three field trips to Columbia businesses. Topics are Market Strategy, Websites, Crisis Media Relations and Media Buying. Professional development will meet twice on Thursday and once on Friday morning.

An early-bird writers forum is set for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. Then, comedian Dennis Swanberg will kick off this year's workshop at 6 p.m.

A continental breakfast and devotion begins Thursday morning in First Baptist Church, Columbia, with senior pastor Wendell Estep. Chuck Wendt, vice president and director of marketing, Lexington Medical Center will be the plenary speaker Thursday afternoon. A dessert fellowship wraps up the evening with songwriter/humorist Rod McClendon.

On Friday, a business meeting accompanies a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. The agenda will include a brief discussion about the annual awards competition and the 2003 workshop, which currently is set for San Diego, Calif. Immediately after the business meeting and before the final professional development session, participants will divide up into "affinity" groups. Six groups, divided according to professional emphasis, will meet. They are editorial, electronic media, graphic design, management, photography and public relations.

For lunch, BCA members will have a picnic at the Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden. Satch Krantz, executive director of the zoo, will speak. Krantz will share some of the market strategy that has enabled this non-profit organization to be one of the top 10 public zoos in the nation. Cost is $20 for spouses.

The awards dinner concludes the annual workshop. Christian musicians Destiny's Call will provide a dinner concert. Cost for the banquet is $25 for members attending only the banquet, spouses and other guests.

An "on your own" day trip to Charleston on Saturday is being offered; transportation will be provided depending on participation. Tourist information about Charleston will be available at the workshop registration table. Tourist spots around the hotel in Columbia include the state capitol, a Confederate memorial, art museum and a Civil War museum. Information also will be at the table about nearby restaurants and shopping areas.

If you have any questions, call Scott Vaughan at 803-765-0035 or email scottvaughan@scbaptist.org.

HOTEL EXTENDS RESERVATION DEADLINE

The Adam's Mark Hotel has agreed to extend the reservation deadline until March 8. You can still make reservations by contacting the hotel directly at 803-771-7000. Room rates for a single is $92 per night plus tax.When making reservations, please mention the BCA Workshop for the special rate. An airport shuttle is available.

BCA RECEIVES RECORD NUMBER OF AWARD ENTRIES

BCA received 535 award entries from 146 members in the Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition. Entries will be judged March 5 at the South Carolina Baptist Convention building in Columbia, S.C.

Miller Murphy, BCA awards chairman, has enlisted judges from the Univeristy of South Carolina journalism school as well as public relations and design professionals from throughout the Columbia area.

Individual winners will be presented certificates and recognized during a banquet at this year's BCA workshop on Friday, March 30, in the Carolina Ballroom at the Adam's Mark Hotel.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS

BCA members are invited to participate in a ministry collection project during the spring workshop in Columbia, S.C. The items will benefit the Columbia-Metro Baptist Association Multi-Housing Ministry and Christian Women's Job Corps (CWJC) Of The Midlands.

The multi-housing ministry needs Spanish New Testaments in a popular version and English New Testaments in Contemporary English Version. It also needs salvation tracts for children.

The CWJC ministry needs GED Study Guides which can be purchased in any book store, diapers and financial donations to help clients with GED tests, drivers licenses, etc.

Collection boxes and banks for financial donations will be prominently placed at the registration desk during the workshop.

BCA OFFICERS MEET

In addition to finalizing plans for the workshop, BCA officers conducted other items of business during a February 9 meeting in Atlanta.

Officers approved a policy to charge people who request the BCA mailing list. The list will be available to BCA members for $50 and to non-members for $200. BCA office coordinator Keith Beene said occasionally, he receives requests for the mailing list, but there previously was no policy on the issue.

Officers also heard a report from program vice president-elect Denise Withers of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. She said the 2002 BCA workshop will be April 4-6 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Louisville, Ky. Information about the 2002 workshop will be available at the South Carolina meeting.

GRAPEVINE

Rob Marus is pursuing a master of arts in religious studies degree at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan., on a full scholarship. He also remains in his full-time position as coordinator of Mainstream Missouri Baptists. rob@mainstreammo.org

Send Grapevine news to kbeene@baptistcommunicators.org.

WEBSITE PLACEMENT REGISTRY 

Looking for a new job? Need a new employee? Check out the placement registry on the BCA website. 

BCA News - April 2001

Workshop Edition

BCA WORKSHOP DRAWS 70-PLUS TO SOUTH CAROLINA

More than 70 Baptist Communicators Association members attended the annual workshop and awards ceremony March 28-30 in Columbia, S.C.

Highlights of the event included Christian comedian Dennis Swanberg's opening night appearance and a luncheon at one of the nation's top zoos, Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Zoo executive director Satch Krantz outlined his marketing strategy for the multi-million-dollar tourist attraction in Columbia.

The workshop featured several professional development seminars on marketing, advertising and websites. "I especially enjoyed the conference on writing a marketing plan," said Scott Goggins, marketing specialist for national Woman's Missionary Union. "The participants were divided into two groups and given an outrageous mock product to market?it was a unique tool to get us thinking creatively."

BCA members also had many opportunities to build relationships. "I enjoyed getting to know people that are in the same field, deal with the same kind of budgets, deadlines and personalities," said Melissa Mann, graphic designer for Union University, Jackson, Tenn. "I especially enjoyed the zoo. It was not only fun, but educational."

In a business session, BCA members approved a lifetime membership for Ferrell Blankenship, who retired last year after 17 years as broadcast services director for the Mississippi Baptist Convention.

Members also approved a by-law change to add the position of president-elect to the officers. The change was made to facilitate continuity in the organization from year to year.

Diane Reasoner, communicators director for the Georgia Baptist Convention, was elected president. Other officers are Tim Yarbrough, Missouri Baptist Convention, president-elect; Denise Withers, Kentucky Baptist Convention, program vice president; Terry Barone, California Southern Baptist Convention, and Mark Wyatt, California Southern Baptist, program vice presidents-elect; Scott Vaughan, South Carolina Baptist Convention, membership vice president; Tanya Dawson, Woman's Missionary Union, missions vice president; Terri Lackey, LifeWay Christian Resources, awards chairman; Jim Edminson, Baptist Childen's Homes of North Carolina, professional development coordinator; Ken Camp, Baptist General Convention of Texas, treasurer; Stacey Hamby, Missouri Word&Way, newsletter editor; and Chip Turner, FamilyNet, historian.

Tamera Heitz-Peek, public relations director for Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., announced the recipients of BCA's annual scholarships.

The $1,000 Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Undergraduate Scholarship was divided and awarded to two students. They are Jennifer Baird, a junior English/communication major at Missouri Baptist College, St. Louis, and Emily Dockrey, a junior journalism/mass communication major at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala.

Rachel Zhang received the $500 Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Graduate Scholarship, and Laura Giminez received the $1,000 Alan Compton/Bob Stanley Minority and International Scholarship.

The $1,000 professional scholarship was divided between Debbie Moore, a freelance writer from Charleston, W. Va., and Robin Parrish, media services coordinator, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee.

As a mission project, BCA members raised $300 and donated items such as diapers and GED books to Christian Women's Job Corps of the Midlands and Columbia Metro Association multi-housing ministry.

The workshop concluded with the annual awards banquet. A complete list of winners was emailed to BCA members April 3.

The 2002 BCA workshop will be April 4-6 in Louisville.

OTHER THOUGHTS FROM BCA:

"I've never been to a BCA meeting before, so it was a great first-time experience for me! I loved meeting people from so many different agencies and seeing the wealth of backgrounds and talents and skills. It's so wonderful to be a part of a professional organization whose purpose is really to serve God. Not many people get that opportunity! -- Jenny Rogers, staff writer, International Mission Board.

"I had a blast at my first BCA workshop. It was a great opportunity to meet and/or catch up with the people behind the scenes in Baptist life. The fellowship and sharing was a real boost to my professional view of Baptist communicators, and I came back feeling like I was part of a newfound family." -- Cam Tracy, web development agent, Union University, Jackson, Tenn.