The New York Christian Institute, a former Bible college located in Clarence, NY, is conducting its first reunion, “What a Difference 10 Years Makes,” July 31–Aug. 2 at the Clarence Church of Christ. Professors, graduates, attendees, and associates are welcome. For questions or information, contact Gary Gregory at gary.gregory@ccuniversity.edu; Brenda (Artis) Jackson at baj214@aol.com; Sandra Kast at sakast@charter.net; Linda (Robinson) Lawson at Linda@LawsonsHome.com; or Shelly (McDonald) Steiger at robinsbill78@hotmail.com.

AUGUST

The 2009 North American Christian Convention-sponsored Minister and Spouse Retreat will take place Aug. 11-13 at the Lifeway Conference Center, Ridgecrest, North Carolina. It will be the perfect spot for ministry couples who want to relax together at a program planned just for them. The price, $325, includes the entire program, entertainment, a sweetheart banquet, two nights' lodging, and all meals. Get all the details and register at www.gotonacc.org.

SEPTEMBER

Milligan College in Tennessee will host Virtual Ministry 2.0, Social Networking and the Church on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The free event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Gregory Center. Featured speaker will be Jose Castillo. The event will offer instruction in how to use social networking tools to reach your congregation and community. Castillo, the 1 p.m. speaker, is a consultant for Fortune 500 companies and startups on the convergence of technology, marketing, and ideas. He has consulted with numerous churches and parachurch ministries to help them evangelize their communities and improve communication with their congregations. (See www.thinkjose.com.) The 2 p.m. topic will be ethical implications of social networking for ministers and church leaders; at 3 p.m. there will be a panel presentation on the best practices for social networking for ministry. At a 4 p.m. bonus session, Milligan communication faculty will offer a tutorial for creating a Facebook or Twitter account. For more information and to register before the Sept. 11 deadline, visit www.milligan.edu/socialnetworking or call (423) 975-8021. CHRISTIAN STANDARD is cosponsoring this event.

Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, TN, will host an academic conference entitled “Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address: Past, Present & Future” Sept. 18 and 19, 2009. The conference, which is open to the public, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday and end at noon Saturday. Featured speakers will include Paul Blowers (Emmanuel School of Religion), Glenn Thomas Carson (Disciples of Christ Historical Society), Clinton J. Holloway (World Convention), Gary Holloway (Lipscomb University), Stanley McDaniel (JBC), and Tommy Smith (JBC). Papers (40 minutes in length) on topics related to the conference theme are invited from professors, independent scholars, ministers, and graduate students. The following should be included with each proposal: your name, position title, organization, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, title of paper, and 150-word abstract. E-mail it before July 31, 2009, to Dr. Greg Linton at glinton@jbc.edu or mail it to his attention at Johnson Bible College, 7900 Johnson Drive, Knoxville, TN 37998. The registration fee for the conference is $25 ($10 for students), and limited housing will be available on campus for $15 per person per night (based on double occupancy). Registration forms will be posted on JBC’s Web site (www.jbc.edu) soon.

 OCTOBER

Christians across the country are planning community observances of the 200th anniversary of the Declaration and Address October 4. They will include unity Lord’s Supper services under the banner of “Great Communion,” the nationwide promotion of the anniversary. One of the largest will take place at 5 p.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Congregations tracing their roots to the Restoration Movement that sprung from the Declaration and Address--Christian churches and churches of Christ, a cappella churches of Christ, and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)--are encouraged to gather for a combined Communion service in your area to celebrate the Lord’s sacrifice, remember the creation of the Declaration and Address, and proclaim the vision of unity that is the catalyst for the Restoration Movement. Find ideas for planning, promoting, and conducting the celebration in your community at www.greatcommunion.org.