To Carlsbad or not to Carlsbad?

That is the question!
Susan Moody, Annual Gathering Advance Planning Team

Of course, I want to go! The Annual Gathering (AG), July 26-29th, is a great time to connect with CCCC folks. The Word of God is proclaimed. We worship in unity. We pray in formal meetings and informal pairings. Meals are shared, my heart is encouraged, and I get to meet people doing Kingdom work in another part of our country.

I live in Chester, VT. Carlsbad, CA is 2943 miles from my house. I pastor a really small church, with a relatively small budget. Why should I spend their faithful offerings to travel all that way for a few days of meetings? Because it is important for the life of the CCCC. And, it is also more affordable than you may think.
The 2015 AG was held in Rochester, NY. My church spent about $1200.00 for me to be there. In Carlsbad, some of the costs are increased, but the Planning Team has been working hard to make this event as affordable as possible.

• Plane tickets are cheaper if you buy far in advance, so make your plans now! (Southwest currently has a round-trip ticket for $500.00 for me.) Additionally, the event was scheduled from Tuesday to Friday to take advantage of the lesser airfares on those days.
• In CA, you won’t need a rental car. A train runs on a limited schedule from the airport to Carlsbad for just $4 (More info coming in the brochure and on the website.) There will be airport shuttles to hire as well. Shuttle buses will run between the hotel and the church where all our meetings will be held. When this shuttle is not running, volunteers from the church will be available.
• The hotel cost is higher than last year ($178 per night plus taxes and fees) but it includes breakfast, and you will be staying in a brand new facility. If you are attending by yourself, there is an option to find a roommate to share hotel costs. Email ccccrideroomshare@gmail.com and a volunteer from the Carlsbad Church will help connect people looking to share hotel rooms and/or airport shuttle rides.
• The conference fee itself will be slightly higher this year ($200 for the full conference), because of increased overhead expenses, but you will receive more bang for your buck as well. As many meals as the budget will allow are included in the conference fee reducing your out-of-pocket expenses for food.

So, how does this all compare to last year? I hope to share my hotel expenses and take the $4 train ride, so I expect that my church will need to cover $1500.00 for the AG 2016 costs. Even if something changes, it still looks like I can get to CA and participate in this event for an additional $300 over what they spent to send me to NY. I think that is worth it for the sake of the Kingdom.

It is the prayer of the Planning Team that each of us will find a way to make the sacrifice of time and resources to come the 2016 Annual Gathering in Carlsbad and experience what the Lord wants to do among us.

One of the best ways to save money on this AG is to plan ahead! The deadlines for the hotel rate and conference rate are earlier this year. Watch for the brochure and sign up early!

AG2016-CARLSBAD- July 26-29, 2016