Blog Your Passion and Grow Your Blog

Leigh Anne Wilkes

Does your blog represent what you are passionate about? If it doesn’t, it will show in your content and won’t resonate with your readers. Come to this workshop to learn how to find your niche and blog your passion.

The Magic of Storytelling

Shantel Park and Carol Rice

The Magic of Storytelling: You’ve heard them all hundreds of times, but the stories of growing up, adventures, lessons learned, and “olden times” never fail to enthrall. A well told story can easily compete with video games and Disney. Learn all about how you can use the power of story in your home to balance the technology and sense of disconnect. Make dinner time, and any other time, story time.

Forward to the Past and
Back to the Future

Gordon Clarke

Past, present, and future…the stories that span generations have the power to guide individuals, families, and communities. Discovering, recording, and sharing these stories is personally relevant and deeply meaningful. Amid all the names, dates and events of our ancestors, we should look for something more—the threads of humanity, the thoughts and feelings, the values and insights, the compromises and confusion, the wonder of life. Come learn how to add the human touch to your family history through personal and family “micro-stories.” You’ll see how these short stories enrich your indexes, family trees, photos, and documents …and give greater meaning to life.

Historically Speaking

Syd Lieberman

Family members often tell stories connected to a particular moment in history. That’s because stories never take place in a vacuum. Instead, they occur in a specific location, at a specific time. Details from that location and time can enrich a story and help others understand why certain events took place. Come to this workshop and learn how to weave history into your personal and family stories.

Monetizing Your Blog

Tauni Everett and Alison Moore Smith

Who wants to be a millionaire? Well, if you’re a blogger, you may well find yourself on the yellow brick road to frustration and disappointment. In this workshop, Taunie will pull back the curtain to reveal the truth behind the myths of monetization, and to help bloggers use their talents to make their blogs work for them. From networking and platform-building to launching Etsy shops or selling advertising, there is something here for anyone hoping to earn money through blogging.

Newbie Guide to Family History

Valerie Elkins

Are you intimidated by family history? Maybe it seems a bit intimidating. Or a little confusing. Or perhaps you just don’t know where to begin. Relax. It’s a lot easier than you might think. Learn how to get started with easy steps you can take today. Also includes great ideas for helping others get started, too.

Striking a Balance with Real life and Online

Heather Madder and Jana Parkin

It’s unacceptable to put our families in crisis or fail and give up on our dreams, both can work.  Come learn five essential principles for following your dreams and striking a balance while keeping God and family first.

Overcoming Your Fear of Telling

Kim Weitkamp

When someone asks us to tell our story, it can be a wonderful opportunity to share and connect, but do you freeze up whenever the question is asked? Learn how to craft your experiences into a story worth listening to, hear examples of how a whole generation has done it through the Wrinkles project, and overcome your stage fright, even if it happens at the foot of the bed.

Family History On-The-Go

Tim Cross

Smartphones are definitely cool. Most avid users are constantly looking for new things to do with their mobile devices. Did you know that Androids, iPhones and other mobile devices are chock full of features and apps that are ideal for family history? You’ll be amazed at the things you can do with your smartphone. Even better, there are lots of fun ways to include kids and other family members.

Telling Your Story (Isn’t that what your blog is for?)

DeNae Handy

Why do you blog? What do you want people to know? Why are you putting anything up online? Learn all about how to tell your story in a compelling way so that your readers will know who you are and what they can expect from your blog.

Sharing Your Story Through Film and Photos

Jeff Parkin and Ed Thompson

We all have them hiding on a shelf or sitting in a shoebox – those old 8mm tapes and boxes of photos, or even the more recent dvd’s. But what story do they tell? What compelled you to pull out the camcorder or photo for those events in the first place? Come to this workshop to learn how to take what you’ve got and put it together in a meaningful way, as well as learn some tips for making better home movies and fabulous photos.

15-Minute Family History

Michael J. Hall

So you’d like to do more with your family history, but just can’t seem to find the time? Life can definitely be a rush…and that’s not always a good thing. While you can’t get more time, you can do more with your time. You’ll be amazed at how many things you can do in just a few minutes that will help you move forward with family history. See how a practical approach gets great results using the small chunks of your time.

Making Family History a Family Affair

Annette Lyon

Researching your family history can be a daunting task, especially if you are going it alone. Learn how to get everyone in your family involved, from your 8 year old son to your 88 year old uncle! We all need a little help to connect the branches of our family tree – who is better to assist than the family!

Hearing The Voices of The Past

Teresa Clark

The transfer of family history, the core of the oral tradition, is approaching extinction. Whether harvesting stories from the past or the present, many view this as a daunting task. Participants will learn to create, cultivate, and harvest stories from their family heritage and even their own personal experiences. Tips will be given on research and understanding the reasons for sharing through the oral tradition.

Jump Into the Stream – Social Media and Your Blog

Michael Reynolds

What is social media, anyway? Why should you care and what difference does it make to your blog? Come to this workshop to understand what Facebook and Twitter are and what they can do for you and your blog.

When Google Fails You

Steve Anderson

We all rely so heavily on Google, everyone’s favorite search engine. But do you know where to go and what to do when the returned results aren’t quite what you were looking for? Join us for information and resources so you’ll know your next steps when Google lets you down.

Prompting Tales from Surviving Generations

Teresa Clark

We’ve all done it. We gather recording equipment, video cameras, and steno pads then sit down next to Grandma and say, “Okay, tell me about your life.” The interview subject claims to remember very little and often nothing they think is worth sharing. Often those who procrastinate or fail to keep journals believe they have lost the chance to share the important stories of their lives. This isn’t true! Tips will be given on interviewing skills, and tools for getting your loved ones talking.

Blogging Your Faith

Ken Craig and Jenny Eckton

You live your Christianity, so why is it so hard to write about it? Are you worried about offending your readers, or alienating potential advertisers/sponsors? This workshop can teach you all about why blogging your faith matters, and how to do so appropriately.