Category Archives: Agenda

Agenda, Luncheons

Inspiration for Christian Formation

Do you want to provide engaging and relevant Christian Formation for your congregation? Are you a volunteer or paid staff strapped for time, feeling lost or not knowing where to start? We know how you feel.

Come to the Christian Formation Luncheon to be inspired. Learn the importance of digital communication and walk away with best practices and tips on how to do so. Come get resources and share ideas for Christian Formation across the lifespan, children, youth, and adults. We are here to be your guide!

The Christian Formation Luncheon will be held on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 11:15 a.m. The cost is $25, and you can mark your attendance during your Council registration. The luncheon will be held in San Marcos River Room, also at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in San Marcos.

Agenda, Banquet, Council 2018

Dinners will be served

Not only are various luncheons offered at Diocesan Council, returning again will be the Mission Congregations Dinner on Thursday, February 22, and the Council Banquet on Friday, February 23 (this year with the opportunity to reserve tables to support a good cause!).

The Mission Congregations Dinner is hosted by Holy Spirit, San Antonio, and will be held at the Rocky River Grille which is located inside the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in San Marcos, which means after Council Eucharist, you don’t have to drive anywhere to eat! The evening of fellowship and good food features a fajitas (chicken and beef) dinner with all the fixin’s, plus chef’s surprise dessert, all scheduled to begin around 7:30 p.m.

Although this Council event is billed for mission congregations only, we extend an invitation to smaller delegations that would like to share an evening in community with food and conversation.

Pre-registration and $25 payment are required and available through the “Church” or “Individual” online registration forms available on the Council Registration page.  See you there!

The annual Council Banquet on Friday evening begins with a reception at 6:15 p.m. and the seated dinner at 7:00. There will be several cash bars (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) available, so bring those “greenbacks” as no credit cards accepted.

This year’s Banquet will focus on the opportunity for fellowship and reunion and will not feature entertainment other than friendly conversation with your fellow diocesan members and Council attendees.

And bonus! New this year, for a $200 donation to the Council Hurricane Harvey Relief effort, your church can reserve a table for 10 at the banquet. Even better you can request a center-of-the-action table or edge-of-room table for a quick exit.  And best of all, your group can arrive at a leisurely pace, knowing you have a seat for everyone.  Don’t have 10 friends?  That’s OK, find another church or invite a stranger! Click here to signup and pay.

It just wouldn’t be Council at the Embassy if we didn’t close our evening with a short Compline service in the Atrium about 8:45 p.m.

The cost of the Banquet is included for Clergy, Delegates, Alternates and Clergy Spouses. Registered visitors to Council (at $35) and registered exhibitors (cost of booth) may purchase banquet tickets for $40 each.

Agenda, Hotels, Nominations, Pre-council

Agenda – Hotels – PreCouncil – Nominations

checkmark greenNew Agenda Details – Banquet on Thursday, Worship on Friday

The St. Alban’s, Harlingen host committee is hard at work in hopes of making this the best Council ever.  And their favorite idea for Council is to begin with a party!  The Agenda of Events now reflects some of their personal touches.  With the Banquet on Thursday, our Council Eucharist will fall on Friday evening beginning at 6:00 pm.  As churches begin planning parish dinners at McAllen restaurants on Friday night we recommend an arrival time between 7:30 – 8:00 pm.  For all mission and small congregations, good news!  Holy Spirit, San Antonio is hosting your Friday evening dinner again, so watch for details coming soon.

checkmark greenOnly 119 rooms available in Hotels with diocesan room blocks.
  • Courtyard Marriott (New Listing) – 20 double bed rooms available at $109
  • Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham – 12 rooms available at $129
  • Drury Suites – 23 suites available at $109 or $119, plus 23 standard rooms (2 Queens) at $94
  • Casa De Palmas Renaissance – 26 king or 2-double rooms at $119
  • Springhill Suites – 15 king rooms at $109
  • DoubleTree by Hilton – SOLD OUT

Go to the Hotel page for detail information on these Council hotels.

checkmark greenCentral Convocation PreCouncil Meeting . . .

. . . will be SUNDAY, January 31, 2015 at Church of the Resurrection, Windcrest.  This PreCouncil meeting was incorrectly listed as Monday, January 31, 2015.

Go to the PreCouncil page for detail information.

checkmark greenNominations for Diocesan offices close November 1, 2015.  Please submit your recommendations now!
Agenda, Luncheons

More about our Speakers

There is a new page on the Council 2014 website.  Found in the left-hand navigation under “Activities” this “Speakers” page will highlight the presenters that will inspire us during the three days of Council, Feb 20 – 22, 2014 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa and Conference Center in San Marcos, TX.  This week we spotlight the Rev Becca Stephens serving as Chaplain at St. Augustine’s at Vanderbilt University, and founder of Thistle Farms & Magdalene, a community of women who have survived prostitution, trafficking and addiction.  For more about Becca Stephens follow this link to Speakers.

Agenda, Council 2014, General Information, Hotels, Nominations, Pre-council

Council 2014 – Open for Business

Not quite “Next Year”, but the planning is well underway.  Council 2014 will return to the Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa and Conference Center at 1001 E. McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX.  Point of reference, right next door to Tangers Outlets!  For those who attended Council 2011, you’ll remember we arrived on Thursday morning and didn’t need our cars again until Saturday afternoon.

We will be welcomed by the people who are St. Mark’s, San Marcos.  They are already finalizing plans for the activities of Council including exhibits, luncheons and the banquet.  You can expect some great shopping opportunities, Texas hospitality and outstanding menus all in a wonderful venue.  The business of Council opens at 1:00 pm on Thursday Feb 20, 2014.  Don’t be late!

Details will be added to this website as they develop.  But for now, pages just updated are:

Now it’s time for you to begin your plans.  Make your hotel reservations, mark the calendar for your PreCouncil meeting date, and consider nominating someone to serve at the diocesan level.

Agenda, General Information, Pre-council, Registration

Council 2012, let the planning begin!

Council 2012 will be February 16 – 18, 2012 at the McAllen Convention Center.  Council-dwtx.org updates have started, although “tentative” is often the catch phrase, you will find new information in many of the areas including:

In the near term expect more on Certification, Registration and Exhibitors.  Later you will see details on Council in Action, Luncheons and a wonderful Banquet featuring great entertainment, Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes, rated one of the top Texas bands!

Agenda, Council in Action, General Information, Nominations, Registration

The Church News “Council edition”

The complete January/February 2011 Church News is available on the Church News page as a PDF file.  On pages 7 – 10 you will find four pages devoted to all the details of Council.  Of special note is the cover story Abide in Me III Moves to Council.  Our annual Abide in Me conference will once again bring together churches from around the diocese for a time of sharing and collaboration as we all live out the ministries given to us in this time and place.  It will happen immediately after the closing of the 107th Annual Diocesan Council on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Council site, the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.  Congregational leaders who are not Council delegates are especially invited to participate in these workshops.  There is no fee, but pre-registration is required.  For those attending Saturday only, check-in will begin at 9:30 am on Saturday.