HWPC Spiritual Life Conference-- Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get some brochures to give to my friends?

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Click here to download a PDF of our Spiritual Life Conference brochure. The brochure is formatted to print onto a standard 8½ x 11 page. You may feel free to print out as many copies as you'd like.

How do I get to Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church?

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Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church is just over a mile north of Highway 64, by way of Highway 196.

You may download a PDF of directions to Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church here, or find links to online map services for directions at our main church website.

Will there be any meals offered as a part of the conference?

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Lunch will be provided as a part of the "Open Q&A Luncheon" on Saturday. There is no additional cost for this meal; however, we do ask that you RSVP regarding your intention to participate in it. (Donations toward covering the costs of providing lunch will be welcomed and accepted with gratitude!)

There will also be a Pastors' Luncheon on Friday at 1pm. This luncheon will be open to pastoral staff and their wives only, and only to those who pre-register for it; unfortunately, there will not be room to accommodate others.

Apart from these luncheons, there will not be other meals provided. A list of recommended local restaurants will be provided as a part of your information packet, which will be given to you when you check in for the conference.

Who is Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church?

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Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church is a Christ-centered, Bible-based historic church of believers committed to preaching, teaching, and sharing the transforming grace of Jesus Christ in the local and worldwide communities since 1834.

Because of Christ, we live in spiritual community with God Himself, we are redefined as a community of fellowship bound together in Him, and we work to serve the community we live in by offering biblical teaching, worship, and assistance.

We are a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). For more information about who we are and what we believe, please visit our church's main website.

Will childcare be provided?

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We are currently evaluating how we might best serve those attending the Spiritual Life Conference with regard to childcare and nursery services. If you plan to attend the conference and have a childcare need, please contact us about your needs. Be sure to include specific details about what age(s) your child(ren) is/are, and what your needs will be.

As we determine what need and capacity require of us, we will keep you informed of our decisions.

Will there be a time for questions?

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There will be a question and answer session at the end of each lecture. Additionally, the luncheon on Saturday will include a time for questions and answers.

The Q&A following the lectures will be restricted to questions directly pertaining to that lecture. Any other questions will be fielded during the lunchtime Q&A on Saturday.

Questions may be submitted anonymously on the provided question cards. They may also be asked at the open microphone which will be present at each session.

Pastor Eubanks will moderate all of the Q&A sessions, but the answers will primarily come from the guest speaker(s).

What is the format for the lectures?

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The first two lectures will last approximately 45 minutes, while the third lecture will run for about 30 minutes.

The format and structure of the lectures will be largely left up to the speaker; however, we anticipate that the lectures will be all, or almost all, direct presentation and true "lecture" and not interactive or question-response format. (There will be other times during the Spiritual Life Conference designated for interaction and Q&A.)

During the lectures, it is requested that interruptions be kept to a minimum. There will be a time for questions at the end of each lecture.

How did you determine the theme/topic?

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The leadership of our congregation, which we call our Session, has decided that we will focus on a single topic or aspect of spiritual life and formation each year. We call that our Ministry Focus.

The Ministry Focus is discerned first by our pastor, who prayerfully considers our congregation and what area(s) of growth stand out as particularly needful. As he senses the Holy Spirit's prompting, our pastor then brings a suggested Ministry Focus to the rest of the Session for further prayerful consideration. Once the leadership is agreed on the Ministry Focus for the coming year, preparations are then begun for how that Ministry Focus will be implemented into the life of the church.

The Spiritual Life Conference is one of the many ways that our Ministry Focus is implemented. Because of its timing in our church year, we consider the conference to be something of a capstone to our Ministry Focus, wrapping up the year with a final bit of encouragement, teaching, and strengthening in that area.

What is the Spiritual Life Conference for?

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Spiritual formation is one of the most vital aspects of our "sanctification"-- the working out of our faith and how it pertains to all of life. As Christians grow and mature in their faith, the many spiritual aspects of life need formation and development.

For example, if someone has a musical gift-- a knack for playing piano, say-- then they may well be able to sit down at a piano and play untrained. If, however, they invest time, energy, and attention to studying, learning, and practicing, they will almost always see vast improvements over what their innate abilities might allow.

So it is with our spiritual lives, as well. As Christians, we are given the capacities for a diverse set of interests, characteristics, and activities. By themselves, they help to define us as spiritual creatures. But as we develop them, by God's grace, we give way to a flourishing in our spiritual capacities that is far more than the innate spirituality by itself.

All of this is, of course, dependent upon God. We cannot force ourselves into spiritual maturity, any more than a 10 year old can force himself to be a fully developed man, no matter how much he desires to be free of his gawkish boyhood. God brings us into maturity in His own time, and in His own ways. But historically, God has chosen to utilize His church-- and her ministries-- as a means to bring about maturity in believers.

That is why we offer the Spiritual Life Conference. We believe that God can and will use it as a means of spiritual formation for His people.