EPA Conventions: Totally Worth Your Time
Have you registered for this year’s EPA convention? Here are the top reasons to attend from your peers who think it’s more than worth the days away from the office.
There’s so much to learn
Do you want to be on the cutting edge of communication? Workshops feature instruction and wisdom from the best editors, writers, designers, and other creatives in the Christian world.
Perhaps like Connie Faber, from Christian Leader, you or someone on your team needs to learn the basics.
“I have worked for a denominational magazine for 30 years and, when I began, I had limited training in journalistic writing,” said Connie. “EPA conventions provided the practical training that I needed and introduced me to publications and people that inspired me. Working for a small publication of a small denomination, I have very few people who understand the work that goes into producing a quality publication and even fewer people who can serve as role models. EPA conventions and the EPA contest have been so valuable in helping me become a better writer and editor.”
Mike Reister, from Mission Frontiers, agrees that the convention brings value into all different aspects of his job. “The EPA conventions are my main source for professional development. . . . As a life-long learner, I go to these events expecting to come away with something new, and I’ve yet to be disappointed.”
Whether sessions cover the developing concerns in the Christian world, legal issues for communicators, or the latest USPS publication guidelines, you’ll find a plethora of information you need! As a bonus, you can also count on worship leaders and inspirational speakers to feed your soul as well as your brain.
You might find your next star freelancer
Mike Strathdee from The Marketplace frequently crosses the Canadian border for EPA conventions, saying a major benefit for him is “meeting freelance writers in my areas of interest.”
Sometimes we need qualified outside help in writing, podcasting, design, or other areas. Enter the EPA convention: You’ll find a treasure trove of experts!
And, on the other hand, it’s also a great place for freelancers to let others know when they’re available for extra projects.
Community doesn’t get any better than this
How many people in your normal circle of life understand pulling together a deadline? Working with editing, marketing, websites, and accounting all at once? Understanding the intricacies of communication?
At the EPA convention, you’ll find others who track perfectly with what you go through daily.
“The combination of relationships and industry insights has kept me coming back to the EPA convention since I first began my role,” said Marissa Postell Sullivan, managing editor for Lifeway Research. “Each year at the convention, I have the opportunity to make connections with other professionals who have been an encouragement to me personally and who push me professionally as a writer and communicator. I leave the EPA convention each year with new ideas to implement in my work and a renewed excitement for the work I get to do. The EPA convention challenges me to be more innovative in my work and to chart what’s next for Lifeway Research.
“The EPA convention has a community feel,” she adds. “It is a place where you can know and be known by outstanding communicators working in the evangelical space . . . it also serves as a place for community and encouragement as we build one another up in the work we get to do.”
Georgia Purdom, from Answers in Genesis, enjoys the problem-solving potential of networking. “It’s helpful to discuss both achievements and concerns with other Christian publishers. It can be easy to feel like your publication alone is struggling with something, but then you discover that others are as well. It’s great to brainstorm and see how others are facing similar challenges.”
As a bonus, the relationships you begin at the annual convention can last throughout the years.
See what your peers are doing
“[The convention] gives me a chance to observe what other Christian magazines are covering in their publications and the approach to their design.,” said Lea Greene of SAconnects. “I really enjoy perusing the magazine table. SAconnects submits entries to the awards contest every year, and it is fun to see where we rank among our peers.”
The convention highlights results of the annual EPA Awards Contest, showcasing publications judges have declared the best. Whether you win awards or not, Georgia Purdom feels just participating in the contests is one of the most helpful parts of the convention. She explains, “The feedback we receive on our contest entries helps improve our publications.”
Building and bonding
“I think anytime you leave the office with your co-workers you have an opportunity to bond,” said Lea Greene. “EPA provides an environment where you can bond over the work you are doing to fulfil the mission of growing and sharing the Christian faith.”
The convention can be especially beneficial for people who may not work together on a daily basis.
“As a part of a remote team, coming to the EPA convention together gives us the opportunity to strengthen relationships on our team,” said Marissa Postell Sullivan. “Attending . . . as a team also allows us to attend different sessions and to share key takeaways with one another, multiplying the learnings. When we attend EPA together, main sessions, breakouts, and conversations throughout the conference spark conversation and ideas among our team, inspiring us for the days ahead.
And as Mike Reister points out, attending together provides a wonderful opportunity to “celebrate one another’s accomplishments if/when recognized with an Award of Excellence or Higher Goals Award.”
Find unexpected personal benefits
You might be surprised by personal doors that open for you.
“In April of 2022, the EPA convention was held in Colorado. I was excited to get back to EPA after a COVID hiatus,” Lea Greene recalls. “SAconnects won a bunch of awards that year for one of our most popular stories . . . The design was striking, and the story was very compelling. At the awards lunch I was approached by Jennifer Howard and Sharon Mumper, from Magazine Training International. They asked if I would be interested in teaching a course on design abroad.”
Lea ended up being a trainer in Ghana. “The experience of teaching design in Africa is one I will look back on my entire life, and it was a gift of EPA. If I hadn’t been there, I would have never been a part of MTI or the training mission in Ghana.”
Mike Reister has a similar story. “Having been on three local planning committees in Colorado, one of the personal blessings I’ve come away with was a Gold ADDY Award recognition for the 2007 convention campaign materials I designed.”
Don’t forget the fun
Connie Faber said, “The annual EPA conventions are fun! It’s one of the few times I attend an event at which I’m not taking notes for the purpose of writing a news report or looking for people to connect with for a news article or feature essay. . . I also enjoy being in different locations and the time we have to leave the hotel/convention center to explore the city or take advantage of area attractions.”
Whether it’s enjoying a cultural Christian icon like Florida’s Holy Land park or The Ark Encounter, enjoying Scripture come to life at the Sight & Sound Theater, or even receiving a first-edition, signed paperback of former EPA president Jerry Jenkin’s hot-off-the-press novel, Left Behind, plenty of fun perks are in store!
See you in Branson May 4–6!
Jeanette Gardner Littleton has attended more than 20 EPA conventions since her first one in Springfield, MO, in 1989. She has written several thousand pieces for publication and has edited well over 10,000 articles and several dozen books for major publishers. She loves how the conventions have continually offered training and insights as her editorial roles have evolved over the years.
Posted February 11, 2025
