Location Information

  • Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel & Conference Center at Capitol Hill
  • 2500 Legends Circle, Prattville, AL, 36066 US


WHEN?

Join us Thursday, November 14, 2024. Check-in time in the Conference Center Lobby will be held between 4:00 pm CST and 5:00 pm CST. This registration check-in is for the CONFERENCE only. Check-in at the on-site hotel begins at 4:00 pm.

We depart on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 4:00 pm CST. 

WHERE?

Our conference will be held at the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel & Conference Center situated on a beautiful Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in beautiful Prattville, AL. We have a bank of rooms negotiated at a discounted price at the same Hotel & Conference center.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Prattville, AL is located just north of Montgomery, AL. Flights are available into Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), Birmingham (BHM; 90 minute drive), or Atlanta International Airport (ATL; 2.5hr drive). 

WHAT WILL WE DO?

The following is an approximate session schedule with session titles, subject to editing as needed. All times are in Central Standard Time.

Thursday

  • 9:00am-2:00pm OPTIONAL: Anyone who is interested can join us in Montgomery, AL (20 minutes from Prattville) to enjoy a mom-focused historical field trip. We will visit the The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in the morning then other Civil Rights landmarks around lunch and early afternoon. This activity will be at each person's own cost and is completely optional.
  • 4:00-5:00pm Conference Check-in at the event center (with goodie bag dispersal)
  • 5:15-6:00pm Curriculum Q&A Session in Event Room (Grand Oak Ballroom Patio; downstairs in the Conference Center)
  • 7:00 Official Start Time - Hymn, Exordium,  Ice Breakers, & Welcome during Dinner 
  • 7:45 Your Purpose in Home Education (Speaker: Erin Cox)
  • 8:30 Free Connection Time

Friday

  • Mothers who need some additional sleep may enjoy this opportunity to sleep in. The hotel features outdoor patios and seating downstairs for those who are early risers.
  • 9:45 Brunch
  • 10:30 Doxology + Opening Prayer + Hymn
  • 11:00 The JOY of Contentment (Speaker: Lisa Merithew)
  • 11:50 Short Break
  • 12:15 Couch Connection (Q&A Session with Speakers Lisa Merithew, Hayley Croft, and Erin Cox)
  • 1:15 Lunch + Quiet Connection (Chat with new friends or spend a few moments alone refreshing from the morning of information.)
  • 3:00 Bible Journaling Lesson
  • 5:00 Sunset Worship
  • 5:30 Literature, Suffering, and the Moral Imagination (Speaker: Hayley Croft)
  • 6:30 Dinner and Claiming Joy in Every Season (Speaker: Amber O'Neal Johnston)
  • 7:30 Closing Prayer

Saturday

  • 8:30 Breakfast
  • 9:15 Worship
  • 9:35 Making Space for Diversity in Learning Styles (Speaker: Erin Cox)
  • 10:30 Break & Quiet Connection or Reflection (Hotel room checkout for those departing at the end of the conference)
  • 12:00 Lunch and How to Rest in Real Life (Speaker: Erin Cox)
  • 1:00  An Enduring Hope (Speaker: Lisa Merithew)
  • Afternoon Break (with snacks)
  • 3:00 CLOSING TALK: TBD (still being prayerfully considered) (Speaker: Shawn Merithew)
  • 4:00 End of Conference

WHO CAN COME?

This restful retreat is meant for mom to enjoy alone. Nursing, non-crawling infants are welcome to attend the daily events with mom. Since this year's retreat is at a hotel and accommodations are up to each attendee (see hotel information at the bottom of this page), you are welcome to travel with your family, but children who are of crawling age and older are not allowed at meals or in the conference event space. 

WHERE DO I STAY?

Following the registration section below, you can find information for discounted accommodations and  how to find roommates (if desired). 

WHAT ELSE DO I RECEIVE?

Great question! In addition to ALL the delicious meals being included, 9 encouraging and empowering talks, new connections and community, plus an art lesson (with the supplies you get to take home with you!), each attendee will receive the following: 

  • Conference T-Shirt
  • Goodie Bag (including snacks, a notebook, and other fun surprises!)
  • An autographed copy of A Place to Belong
  • Individual Headshots (because moms are never in the pictures!)

HOW MUCH DOES THIS COST?

This conference is being hosted as a ministry. Therefore, our aim it to meet costs and nothing more. 

The full price for the conference is: $499.00 and we have a maximum number of attendees of 60.

If you use code EARLYBIRD before April 30, you'll receive 10% off, making the conference $449.10.

While the hotel stay is not included, and you can find more information below, we have arranged a small bank of rooms for $165 per night. Each room sleeps 4 (two queen beds). With taxes and fees, for two nights, DIVIDED BY FOUR ROOMATES, you will spend $95 per person. 

This means that your conference attendance to all workshops, the art lesson, and worship sessions along with all meals plus the outlined goodies above will be $544.10 (plus any travel expenses) during the early bird period for 2.5 days of connection, encouragement, fun, and relaxation!  (See the hotel information below registration for more details.)

Meet the Speakers

Amber O'Neal Johnston Author & Homeschooling Mama of 4, curating a culturally rich home of diverse lifegiving books, art, music, poetry, people, and things.

Amber O’Neal Johnston lives in Georgia, nestled among pine trees, hammocks, and ziplines with her husband and their four children. Her happy place is the back porch on a rainy day, preferably with a giant mug of hot tea and a good book. She’s the author of A PLACE TO BELONG: Raising Kids to Celebrate Their Heritage, Community, and the World, and she offers literature-based homeschool lesson guides focused on Black history and culture at HeritageMom.com and on Instagram @heritagemomblog.


Erin Cox Wife, Homeschooling Mom of 4, CEO of The Gentle + Classical Press

Danny and Erin just celebrated 21 years of marriage and 12 years of home education. You can find them busy herding chickens or children on their homestead in central Alabama. Erin began writing curriculum as a ministry in 2017, and that ministry has grown into a family business that serves thousands of families around the world. Erin is a non-fiction junkie, an introverted HSP, and is much better at casting vision than following through ;).


Hayley Croft Wife, Homeschool Mom of 4, Founder of Grace & Truth Co-Op, Worship Leader Mentone Community Church

Hayley and Heath reside in Mentone, AL where Heath pastors Mentone Community Church, and they raise their four children - ages 20 to 11. Hayley established and runs a thriving homeschool co-op that blends classical and Charlotte Mason philosophies. Hayley is a self-proclaimed bibliophile who enjoys meeting new people, leading worship, and is an active member of the Close Reads Community.


Shawn & Lisa Merithew

Lisa and Shawn just celebrated 27 wonderful years of marriage as they raise their eight beautiful children in Montgomery, AL. Shawn is the lead pastor of Morningview Baptist Church, and Lisa home educates their youngest six children after having graduated two onto college. Lisa is an inspiring friend, a heart-mentor to many women in her church and homeschool community, and is an avid classical educator. Lisa enjoys connecting with young moms, encouraging friends, and studying God's Word.



DINING

All meals that take place during the event are provided with ticketing. Meals are being catered by the Montgomery Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. As such, dietary modifications or restrictions cannot be accommodated. 

The menu is currently being refined and will be posted at a later date. 

(As a celiac, I completely understand any frustration this may cause for people with food allergies, diabetes, or other dietary limitations.  The meals are being selected based upon their ability to be naturally gluten free. However, the food is not guaranteed to be gluten free or free of any other allergen. Unfortunately, due to the scope of this event, we are unable to offer no-food ticketing options. We are so sorry for any frustrations this may cause.)


REGISTER TODAY

  • Join us for 3 days of refreshment and connection. Ticketing includes food and your t-shirt,but does NOT include rooming. Find hotel options below.

Through 7/1/24, you may pay a 20% deposit up front then the balance on 7/20/2024. If you do not select the "deposit" option under the ticketing above, then the full amount will be charged to your card upon registration submission.

Below the ticketing section, you have an option to add protection for the conference ticket portion of your trip. If you choose to add protection, this is insured by a third party, NOT The Gentle, Classical Press. Your hotel costs are NOT covered under this protection.

You may also add an additional attendee by clicking "ADD ATTENDEE" under the ticket protection option.

After entering any additional attendees, you will enter your billing information.

You must click SUBMIT under billing below to finalize your registration.

Tickets are non-refundable but CAN be transferred for a $10 fee.


$499.00


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