Third Thursdays Webinars

Thursday, April 24, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

Webinar leader

Emma Steel, Head of Every Cherry Publishing.

Emmaworked as a teacher in Special Educational Needs for seventeen years, and it was whilst teaching that she developed a passion for making books accessible to those with varied Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

After leaving her career in teaching, Emma moved into publishing. She has worked to create Every Cherry, which publishes accessible books for people with disabilities and people who find reading a challenge.

Emma is now Head of Every Cherry, where she’s striving to make engaging books that people with disabilities can read and enjoy!

From symbolised books, to sensory stories, Emma and her team have been a driving force to change the face of publishing to a more accessible playing field.

Description:

This webinar will outline the importance of accessible reading, not only for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) but also for people who are reading at a lower reading age, or who have low confidence when readingThe breadth of challenges schools face currently when teaching reading

Who Should Attend:

Editors, Curriculum developers, Designers, Publishers, Educators and anyone who would like to learn more about accessible reading!

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Please note the slight time change for our May webinar

1:30-2:30 p.m. ET/12:30-1:30 p.m. CT/10:30-11:30 a.m. PT

Webinar leader:

Karen-Marie Yust,

Josiah P. and Anne Wilson Rowe Professor of Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary

In her teaching and research, Karen-Marie focuses on nurturing spirituality and encouraging theological reflection intergenerationally and across the lifespan. Her current research explores the effects of digital culture on spirituality, particularly among children, youth and young adults. She draws from findings in media studies, developmental psychology, and educational theory to describe how online participation shapes personal identity and communal relationships and then reflect theologically on how the Church might respond constructively to the realities of contemporary life.

She is also exploring the changing dynamics of congregational life and asking how these changes offer opportunities to develop new approaches to faith formation and new foci for educational ministries. She is interested in taking Christian education outside traditional programs to other venues, such as online sites and non-religious gathering spaces.

An experienced pastor and Christian educator, Karen-Marie is ordained with dual standing in the United Church of Christ and Disciples traditions.

Description:

New technologies have helped developmental psychologists gain new insights into how children think and learn. That means curriculum writers and church school teachers need to update their understandings as well. This webinar will highlight research findings that move beyond the universal stage theories typically included in ages & stages charts. Together, we will explore the ways that children are much more capable of engaging in their own faith formation than previously believed. We’ll also discuss how this new way of looking at children might affect how we write and teach children’s ministries resources.

Following the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify problematic assumptions about children’s development that need to change

• Name several new findings about children’s development

• Recognize the implications of these findings for resource development and teaching

Who should attend:

Publishers, editors, designers, marketers, writers, pastors, church school teachers

Thursday, June 19, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

Webinar leader:

Chris Lim is an inveterate tinkerer who seeks to thoughtfully apply technology to advance the Gospel.

His company TheoTech produces spf.io, an all-in-one platform for translation and accessibility through AI with a human touch.

Married with two kids, Chris loves creating a home that is a foretaste of God’s Kingdom and building up the vitality and diversity of the body of Christ.

Description:

Generative AI is revolutionizing the publishing industry, offering powerful tools for translation, accessibility, and content creation. In this webinar, we’ll explore how Christian publishers can leverage AI to amplify their mission—reaching more readers, making content more accessible, and streamlining operations. Discover how AI-powered translation, voice cloning for audiobook production and more can help you serve diverse audiences while ethically expanding your impact. Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time or seeking ways to integrate it into your workflow, this session will provide valuable guidance on leveraging AI for both business growth and ministry outreach.

Who should attend:

Editors, Marketers, Production, Designers and publishing professionals from across the organization who want to explore the variety of ways generative AI can streamline your work to enhance both your productivity and your missional impact.

Thursday, June 26 , 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

Webinar leader:

Sarah Arbuthnot is the Chief Commercial Officer at leading publishing website provider and PCPA Adjunct Member Supadü.

Sarah has worked for the company since it started in 2008 across customer services and business development. Her interests and experience have been focused on consumer behavior and specifically how consumers behave in the digital world in respect of what they buy and how they shop.

Description:

Discover proven techniques to boost your book sales during high-demand periods and learn how to optimise your sales approach, increase visibility and drive conversions during peak seasons.

Perfect for publishers looking to make the most of seasonal opportunities

Who should attend:

C-Suite, sales, marketing, eCommerce specialists, designers, authors and anyone who wants to maximize book sales during peak buying seasons.

Thursday, July 17, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

Webinar leader:

John Behrens founded Nashville Audio Productions (NAP) in 2017, after years of engineering audiobooks on his own. He has been in Nashville since 2010, having happily left behind his original career in chemical engineering to produce audio.

When the work emails are done he loves being with his two boys and labradoodle, reading, cooking, and devouring history podcasts. Whether in music or audiobooks, he is passionate about drawing out people’s visions and bringing them to life with excellence.

Description:

This webinar aims to educate participants about the world of audiobooks so they can evaluate their company’s approach from a position of grounded knowledge and future-oriented strategy.

NAP has been producing hundreds of audiobooks for more than 6 years, for the likes of Harper-Collins Christian, Crossway, and MacMillan. Our goal is to demystify audiobooks for publishers and equip them to take the approach that best suits their company’s current needs and resources, with an awareness of the critical importance of audiobooks both now and in the years to come.

Who should attend:

C-Suite, operations, editors, rights, marketing, finance, and anyone who wants a clear understanding of the world of audiobooks.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

Webinar leader:

Paradigm shifts and moonshots–those are what motivate Jason Malec, Director for GlooAI. Life’s too short and important to coast. His superpowers are strategic thinking, connecting people and ideas, and storytelling.

He currently works with Gloo AI, a values-based AI venture. (ai.gloo.us) He’s been a founder or exec at Living on the Edge, American Bible Society, New Denver Church, ExploreGod, and North Point Ministries.

He and Meredith married in 1997, and have three grown children. He’s an avid cyclist, swimmer, and yogi, and earned second place in a sixth-grade speling be–—which was definately rigged.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be led by PCPA Adjunct Member and Gold Keynote Sponsor knkSoftware.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be led by PCPA Adjunct Member The Grandview Group.

Thursday, December 18, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT