Registration Under Way for NACSW Convention in Dallas March 8-11

More than 50 sessions and workshops will be offered at the annual convention of the North American Association of Christian Social Workers on March 8-11 in Dallas. This year's event, which will be held at the Marriott Dallas/Addison Quorum, is co-sponsored by Baylor University's School of Social Work and Buckner Children and Family Services.

Conference sessions will address issues on administration and policy, community organizing and development, direct practice, faith of the social worker, promising practices of faith-based organizations and congregations, and social work education.

The convention also will be the site of the Centennial Celebration of Social Work Education for the Church on Friday, March 9, at the hotel. Hosted by Baylor School of Social Work, the birthday party will feature a Tex-Mex buffet, live music, Texas Two-Steppin' and the video premiere of "We've A Story to Tell," produced by the School of Social Work and KWBU Productions at Baylor.

A pre-convention institute will be held all day Friday, March 9, on "No Longer a Minority: Hispanics y la Familia." Topics will include "Immigrant Hispanic Families in Cultural Transition," "Understanding Today and Yesterday's Hispanic Families" and "Not All Hispanics Eat Tacos!"

Baylor's Center for Family and Community Ministries is sponsoring this event through its Chafin Lectureship. Patty Villarreal, community ministry director for Buckner in San Antonio, is coordinating this event through Buckner's partnership with the CFCM. Laura Cadena, who serves in the Global Missions office of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, also is participating in the institute.

A second pre-institute will focus on premarital counseling and marriage education training, led by Drs. Preston and Genie Dyer, faculty in Baylor's School of Social Work. Daily Bible study will be led by Dr. David Garland, associate dean of Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, with music by Christian vocalist Cynthia Clawson.

The mission of the NACSW is to equip its members to integrate Christian faith and professional social work practice. For more information about NACSW and the convention, visit www.nacsw.org. To register online, visit www.nacsw.org/conv.

For more information about Baylor School of Social Work, visit www.baylor.edu/social_work. For more information about Buckner, visit www.buckner.org.