“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” –Matthew 22:36-40
We want to express our sincere appreciation to the congregation for your support in sending us to the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) 2026 conference in Pittsburgh from January 21–23. Your investment in continuing education is a powerful expression of trust, encouragement, and shared commitment to the ministry we do together. Your generosity made it possible for us to step away from our daily rhythms to learn, reflect, and be renewed for the work we are called to do here at Crossroads.
APCE gathers pastors, Christian educators, and ministry leaders from across the country, offering an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about faith formation in today’s church. During our time together, we built meaningful relationships with colleagues from congregations large and small, urban and rural, all seeking to serve Christ with creativity, integrity, and hope. We learned new approaches to ministry and connected over what has been life-giving, what has been challenging, and how God is teaching all of us through God’s work. It reminded us that while each congregation is unique, we are never alone.
We attended a wide range of workshops that helped us learn new skills, gain fresh perspectives, and think creatively about ministry with children, youth, and families. One workshop that stood out focused on Universal Love through Universal Design by thinking intentionally about accessibility, inclusion, and how our ministry spaces and lessons can better reflect God’s expansive welcome. We were also enriched by plenary speakers, including Rev. Dr. Theresa Cho, whose preaching challenged and encouraged us through storytelling, humor, and connecting scripture to our world today, and Rabbi Evan Moffic, whose reflections on loving our neighbor invited us to listen more deeply and engage those we meet with curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
Through worship, sermons, and shared prayer, we were reminded that ministry flows out of God’s grace, not our own effort alone. Being immersed in worship with others who care deeply about nurturing faith across generations renewed our spirits and sharpened our sense of calling.
Thank you for investing in our growth and formation as leaders. Your support strengthens not only those of us who attend conferences like this, but the ministry we share as a congregation. We are thankful for your partnership and look forward using what we have learned to shape our life together as the body of Christ.
With joy and gratitude,
Tanya and Christa
