IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! 

LCW has a BRAND NEW website. Our new website is lancasterchristianwriters.com

This change will allow us to better meet the diverse needs of our growing group. While this site will remain active temporarily, we will post ALL meeting updates and announcements at LancasterChristianWriters.com so please BOOKMARK that page.

Also, like our new Facebook page: Facebook.com/LancasterChristianWritersAssociation. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

BREAKING NEWS!!!! INTRODUCING NEW LCW PRESIDENT JP ROBINSON

Dear valued LCW member:

This fall it will be thirteen years since we started LCW with over a hundred showing up for the first announced meeting at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church in Lititz. We’ve met consistently since and had an annual one-day conference since 2008. I can honestly that as a missionary kid, missionary, and currently serving in global missions outreach, I never expected thirteen years later to still be serving as president of Lancaster Christian Writers simply because I’ve never lived in one region that many years.

That said, for at least the last two years, as I’ve expressed to a number of you, I’ve felt that it was time to be handing LCW over to a new leadership with a new, fresh vision for the next generation. In part, this is connected to beginning a transition period at our international ministry headquarters as my husband (who is the mission president) expects to hand off to new leadership and step down to an advisory role/semi-retirement within the next three years, at which point we will be moving back to our home base on west coast. These months of COVID quarantine have brought me a clarity and peace that the time has come for me to step down as LCW president.

After a time of prayer and communication with many who have been my mainstay in making LCW possible over the years, teaching workshops, filling in as needed, making the tech happen, and just being the core foundation of this group (you all know who you are; thank you again!), it is with great delight that I can share God’s provision of new leadership, JP Robinson, who will be taking over as president of Lancaster Christian Writers effective immediately. If you have been at LCW monthly meetings, our one-day conference, or even at Montrose and Greater Philly Christian writers conferences, where he has been on faculty, you will have met JP Robinson and hopefully enjoyed his outstanding workshops. 

 

JP ROBINSON is the founder and CEO of Logos Publications, an emerging publishing and marketing team, a full-time author, and state-certified teacher with fifteen years of experience in marketing and education. His high-adrenaline historical fiction has been praised by Publishers Weekly and other industry leaders. He writes as well for such leading Christian magazines as Power for Living and Bible Advocate. Bilingual in French and pursuing his master’s degree in Education, JP frequently speaks at writer's conferences and to church groups across the nation. He has a passion for helping other Christian writers develop their talent, including the upcoming generation. JP has lived in at least three countries and traveled globally, but now lives locally in Lancaster, PA, where we are privileged to be blessed by his gifts and willingness to share his time and talents. Visit his website at www.jprobinsonbooks.com and contact him directly at jprobinsonbooks@gmail.com

I do expect to be in the Lancaster area for at least a couple more years and hope to not be a stranger to LCW in that time. And I pray that you will all give your own support to J. P. in moving forward effectively to make this transition a success, including offering any ideas for future meetings, locations, speakers, programs, etc. He will be putting out notices as to upcoming events, conference, etc.

 Again, it has been a privilege to be part of this ministry to Christian writers over these last thirteen years and to know each of you as well. I look forward to crossing paths again, if in a different capacity. And please feel free to contact me at need as well at jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,

Jeanette Windle

Former president, Lancaster Christian Writers

 

SUPER SATURDAY 2020 AND ALL LCW EVENTS CANCELLED TILL FURTHER NOTICE

ALL LCW EVENTS INCLUDING MARCH MEETING AND SUPER SATURDAY 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS

Dear LCW members/conferees:

It is with sadness and disappointment, but not without prayerful evaluation and consultation, that we announce the cancellation of our SS2020 one-day Christian writers conference scheduled for Saturday, April 18th, at Lancaster Bible College as well as this month's workshop, scheduled for next Saturday, March 21, at Lancaster Alliance Church.

Just some background as to making this decision. Several writers conferences (I was teaching at one) and countless other events for this weekend have already been cancelled. You likely know that schools and universities have suspended in-person classes indefinitely, including Lancaster Bible College where conference was being hosted. A ban for travel to and from Europe goes into effect at midnight (my husband just landed from Hungary, thankfully). Churches have also been advised to shift services online, and LAC, where we typically meet, will NOT have church open for any activities at least next two weekends, including scheduled LCW meeting.

When this weekend’s conferences began to cancel and more precautions began to be announced, we had hope that the situation would all be blown over by SS2020 five weeks from now. But whatever should be the situation (and I am no epidemiologist to judge),  precautions are clearly getting more comprehensive, not less, certainly within the five weeks that remain till our scheduled date. LBC can't even guarantee the campus would be open for date in question. So we are prayerfully making what we hope is the wise choice to cancel now while registrations are still light.

REFUNDING REGISTRATIONS: We will be refunding all registrations sent in to date. Most refunds were made online and will be refunded through PayPal straight to credit card/PayPal accounts from which they were paid. Please give us a few days, then let us know if you feel you should have received refund and haven't.  At this point we don't think any checks have been deposited while those few that arrived in mail will simply be shredded without depositing. If you HAVE paid by check and believe your check may have been deposited, please contact us direct to make arrangements for reimbursement.

It is our hope to reschedule our conference in the future and to resume regular monthly meetings as soon as possible. Meanwhile may I encourage you to take this extra time at home to explore the many online webinars and other resources for writing. And of course to actually write!

Please help us on your end to get the news out to any social networks to which you may have shared the upcoming conference.  put out a notice.We will be communicating as soon as we are able to resume our normal LCW calendar year.

Blessings, Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

LCW Welcomes Award-winning Author and Speaker Donna Smith Saturday, March 21, 2020

After having to cancel our January meeting due to weather, we are delighted that our January speaker was willing to reschedule for our March meeting. Join us in welcoming award-winning author and speaker Donna Smith at this month's Lancaster Christian Writers workshop Saturday, March 21, 2020, at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9).

WORKSHOP:  Dealing with Rejection. Rejection can feel like a paper cut or a knife in the heart. Are you oversensitive when someone criticizes you? Do you get extremely upset when someone corrects you? Does rejection of any kind derail you for a significant amount of time? This workshop is developed especially for writers, especially since rejection is something we all go through, above all, at the beginning of our journey to publication. Learning to handle rejection at any stage of our writing journey is important. Keys to healing and freedom will be shared, plus two unusual stories of rejection and how they were processed to healing.

 SPEAKER: Donna L.H. Smith is a Kansas prairie girl transplanted to Lancaster County, PA. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman program and holds two college degrees, both B.S. and M.A. in Mass Communication. Her debut novel, Meghan’s Choice, made the finals of both the Selah and Will Rogers Medallion Awards in 2018. Rose’s Redemption, second in the series, placed third in Western Fiction at the 2019 Selah Awards. She has served as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Mid-Atlantic Zone Director and is a member of AWSA’s Protégé program (Advanced Writers & Speaker’s Association). Donna has been healed and delivered from a lifetime of suffering rejection, and has a heart to help others find healing and freedom. Visit her at https://donnalhsmith.com/

SUPER SATURDAY 2020: And a reminder it is time to get your registration in for this year's one-day conference Saturday, April 18th, at Lancaster Bible College. See Registration and other info in right column. Remember that the success and continuation of our one-day conference depends on YOU helping us get the word out, so please consider sharing conference info with your church, Christian school, homeschool coop, library, or friends and family who love to write.

CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have a piece you'd like critiqued, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.

As always, email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

LCW Welcomes Award-winning Print Journalist and Author Lisa Bartelt Saturday, 02/22/20: PLEASE NOTE THIS IS 4TH SATURDAY OF MONTH, NOT 3RD

We hope you enjoyed last month's snow day. No worries about missing out on the fabulous speaker we'd scheduled for that day. She has graciously rescheduled for March. Meanwhile, Lancaster Christian Writers would like to invite you AGAIN to kick off your 2020 writing year Saturday, February 22, 2020, at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9) with award-winning journalist, author and blogger Lisa Bartelt. Please note this is 4th, not 3rd Saturday of month due to some scheduling conflicts.

WORKSHOP: How to Keep Going in All Kinds of Weather: Lessons for Writers from Running. When author and journalist Lisa Bartelt started running two years ago, she quickly learned there was seldom a perfect day for getting outside and training. Some days it rained. Others were sunny. Some days it was cold. Other days were hot and humid. If she waited for the perfect conditions, she’d never run. The same principle applies to writing. Over the past two decades , Lisa has found a way to write in a variety of seasons: single with a full-time job, married with a full-time job, as a stay-at-home-mom, through trauma, trying to make writing a full-time job, and treating it as a part-time job while holding down another part-time job outside of writing. In this workshop, Lisa will share eight lessons she’s learned from running that help her be a more consistent writer no matter the “weather.”
 

SPEAKER:  Lisa Bartelt is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, The Upper Room, Prayer Connect magazine, and The One Year Book of Joy and Laughter. She was one of fifteen winners in CBE International’s annual writing contest in 2018 and has served as a judge for writing contests hosted by Writer’s Digest and American Christian Fiction Writers. She was a journalist and editor for daily newspapers in Illinois for nearly ten years, where she won awards for both writing and editing. She blogs at http://lisabartelt.com

 
WRITERS RETREAT INVITE: Give your writing journey a beautiful boost April 2-5, 2020. When was the last time you had entire hours, much less days, of uninterrupted time to work on your manuscript? That’s what the third annual Genuine Writer’s Retreat wants to offer you just as soon as the weather starts to warm up again. Set in beautiful, engaging Annapolis, Maryland, it will be held this year at Gibson’s Lodgings, a lovely bed-and-breakfast with modern amenities and historic appeal. Attendees can gain encouragement from fellow writers and insights from two carefully crafted workshops, wander the town for inspiration, and/or pick a comfy spot within the B&B to breathe in the obligation-free air and write their hearts out. Early bird prices end January 31 though. So be sure to claim your space today at www.TheGenuineWriter.com!

 
CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have a piece you'd like critiqued, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.

 

As always, email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

SNOW ALERT!!! Please Take Note that Due to Expected Heavy Snow, LCW Meeting for 1/18/20 Is Cancelled

SNOW ALERT!!! Lancaster Christian Writers meeting for tomorrow, Saturday, January 18th, is cancelled due to expected heavy snow storm. Snow is expected to start 9am and to continue heavily throughout day with extremely icy conditions on road at a height about the time meeting is scheduled to end. After consultation with speaker, the decision has been made that safety for our many members driving home especially takes priority, so with reluctance we are calling a Snow Day. Enjoy the storm from the warmth of your fireside, hopefully curled up with a good book in true writer fashion, and we will be rescheduling our planned speaker as soon as possible.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

LCW Welcomes Award-winning Speaker and Author Donna Smith Saturday, 01/18/20 PLUS See Press Release for Super Saturday 2020

Have you ever struggled with your call to write? Received a rejection letter? Wondered if your writing was a worthwhile investment of your time? Then you won't want to miss this month's Lancaster Christian Writers workshop Saturday, January 18, 2020, at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9) with award-winning author and speaker Donna Smith.

WORKSHOP:  Dealing with Rejection. Rejection can feel like a paper cut or a knife in the heart. Are you oversensitive when someone criticizes you? Do you get extremely upset when someone corrects you? Does rejection of any kind derail you for a significant amount of time? This workshop is developed especially for writers, especially since rejection is something we all go through, above all, at the beginning of our journey to publication. Learning to handle rejection at any stage of our writing journey is important. Keys to healing and freedom will be shared, plus two unusual stories of rejection and how they were processed to healing.

SPEAKER: Donna L.H. Smith is a Kansas prairie girl transplanted to Lancaster County, PA. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman program and holds two college degrees, both B.S. and M.A. in Mass Communication. Her debut novel, Meghan’s Choice, made the finals of both the Selah and Will Rogers Medallion Awards in 2018. Rose’s Redemption, second in the series, placed third in Western Fiction at the 2019 Selah Awards. She has served as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Mid-Atlantic Zone Director and is a member of AWSA’s Protégé program (Advanced Writers & Speaker’s Association). Donna has been healed and delivered from a lifetime of suffering rejection, and has a heart to help others find healing and freedom. Visit her at https://donnalhsmith.com/

SUPER SATURDAY 2020!!! We have our date for this year's LCW one-day conference, Saturday, April 18th, at Lancaster Bible College. Flyer and web data will be available soon. Meanwhile, here is an initial Press Release. Remember that the success and continuation of our one-day conference depends on YOU helping us get the word out, so please consider sharing conference info with your church, Christian school, homeschool coop, library, or friends and family who love to write.

CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have a piece you'd like critiqued, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.

As always, email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

Join Us for LCW's 2019 Christmas Celebration Saturday, December 21st PLUS FREE Christmas EBook

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2019!!! Need a break from holiday frenzy? Then join your fellow Lancaster Christian Writers for some for food, fun, fellowship, outstanding talent, and some shopping at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) Saturday, December  21st, from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9)
 
SPEAKER: As per LCW tradition, our December meeting is reserved to showcase the creativity and genius of our own members. So pull out that inspirational prose, comedy sketch, poem, drama, devotional, even a scene (short!) of your novel, and come share with us. Time limit is 3-5 minutes (easy way to calculate is a maximum of 750 words; THIS INCLUDES ANY INTRO OR PERSONAL COMMENTARY!!!), in order to permit as many to participate as possible. We do need an advance head count so please email if you want to participate so as to get you on the list.

 FOOD!!!  If you are baking any Christmas goodies and would like to contribute
to the party, any and all will be greatly appreciated. If you have nothing to bring, don't let that discourage you from coming. We've never run short yet!

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING: AND if you have published titles or Christmas crafts, do bring them along for display.  What better or more economic gift can you get for family member or friend than a personalized autographed title or craft. WHICH also means you may want to bring your checkbook and cash for shopping.
 
HOLIDAY GIFT FREE EBOOK: A special thank you to LCW member Laurie Ressler, who is offering her Christmas title The Night the Angels Got Lost as a free advent gift. A captivating, three-part family Christmas devotional, it is a great way to celebrate the Promised Child's arrival with family of all ages. Read all about it and download FREE copy here: www.LaurieChristine.com/christmas-1
 
CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have that last piece you'd like critiqued before Christmas, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.

As always, more info can be found at our LCW blog: http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com Or email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

LCW Welcomes Conference Speaker & Author Carol Cool 11/23/19: Please Note This Is 4th Saturday Not 3rd

Join Lancaster Christian Writers  for our November meeting Saturday, November 23rd, at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9) with conference speaker and author Carol Cool. Please note that this is 4th Saturday of month vs. the normal 3rd Saturday due to timing of Christian book/craft fair LancoExpo 2019 on the usual 3rd Saturday.

WORKSHOP:  Your Passion in Print: Writing About What Matters to You
So you really want to write about the things that matter to you, the things that break your heart or get you excited. But how do you do that for markets that are not quite as passionate about your topic as you are? This interactive workshop helps you identify passions, consider how to earn trust, and plan to build bridges and platforms, as well as recognize when to cut your losses.   

SPEAKER:  Carol released her first book in 2016—Finding Balance in the Circus of Life—based on a popular retreat she teaches. Carol has been published nationally and internationally in magazines and journals such as PrayerConnect, Clubhouse, Christian Home and School, and The Bulletin of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. She runs her own editing and writing business, Cool Copy, which specializes in editing and writing in the corporate and nonprofit worlds. She’s taught at writers conferences in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. She is a CLASS graduate and speaks at retreats and conferences throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Carol is also a pastor’s wife, ministering with her husband, Rev. Les Cool.

GOT A BOOK OR CRAFT TO MARKET FOR THE HOLIDAYS? A reminder as well that LCW member, author, and local small press publisher JP Robinson is offering LCW members a low-cost, fun way to market your book or craft for the holidays by participating in LancoExpo 2019— the FIRST EVER book & craft expo on 11/16 from 10-3 p.m. at the Quarryville Library. Sell your crafts and/or books at only $25 per half table in a family-friendly environment. No commission will be charged. All profits are yours! Register easily and securely online: www.JPRobinsonBooks.com

CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have a piece you'd like critiqued, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.

As always, more info can be found at our LCW blog: http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com Or email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers

Lancaster Christian Writers Welcomes Novelist Lisa Betz Saturday, October 19, 2019 PLUS Openings for Devotional Speakers

Ever wondered how to create believable characters your readers would recognize if they met them in a dark alley? Then join Lancaster Christian Writers Saturday, October 19, at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Rd (off Hwy 30 across from Costco) from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9) as novelist and outstanding story-weaver Lisa Betz shares her secret tool for building  compelling characters. 
 
WORKSHOP:  My Secret Tool for Building Believable Characters: The Enneagram and How to Use It to Develop Fictional Characters. The Enneagram personality type system is perfectly suited to writers. Each of the nine types has “a distinct way of seeing the world and an underlying motivation that powerfully influences how that type thinks, feels, and behaves.” This information can become a powerful tool in helping a writer craft complex, believable, and consistent characters. This workshop gives a brief overview of the Enneagram, followed by examples to show writers how to use it in their work.

SPEAKER:  Award-winning writer Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a unique story to tell the world. She loves inspiring fellow writers to be more intentional about developing their craft and courageous in sharing their words. Lisa shares her words through speaking, leading Bible studies, writing historical mysteries, and blogging about living intentionally. She is also the managing editor of Almost an Author, a website for writers.

DEVOTIONAL SPEAKERS: We currently have openings for devotional speakers  during the rest of the LCW calendar year, including for October and November. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your writing/speaking skills and bless your fellow members. If you'd like to share a devotional (5-10 minutes related in some way to topic of writing/writers), contact Jeanette Windle at jeanette@jeanettewindle.com to be put on the schedule.
 
GOT A BOOK OR CRAFT TO MARKET FOR THE HOLIDAYS? A reminder as well that LCW member, author, and local small press publisher JP Robinson is offering LCW members a low-cost, fun way to market your book or craft for the holidays by participating in LancoExpo 2019— the FIRST EVER book & craft expo on 11/16 from 10-3 p.m. at the Quarryville Library. Sell your crafts and/or books at only $25 per half table in a family-friendly environment. No commission will be charged. All profits are yours! Register easily and securely online: www.JPRobinsonBooks.com

CRITIQUE GROUPS: We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups, so if you have a piece you'd like critiqued, bring 10 copies of up to 1500 words.
 
As always, email questions or concerns to jeanette@jeanettewindle.com
 
Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers