All across the valley we read about special instances of care and kindness. Like Natalie who, at age 11, died of a brain tumor, but her legacy lives on through the Make a Wish Foundation. Her one wish – “Can we feed the homeless?” Or seven-year-old Grace who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer at the age of three. Last Christmas she organized a toy drive and donated toys and books and a Christmas tree decorated with Beanie Babies to the Cardon Children’s Medical Center. Or the generosity of Pilots N Paws, where 5,000 pilots have rescued over 70,000 animals – transporting homeless dogs and cats to new homes or shelters giving them a second chance at life.
Join us for an inspiring weekend with Dr. James Kok, author of The Miracle of Kindness…Changing the World One Act at a Time and former Director of Care Ministry at Crystal Cathedral. Dr. Kok will be the keynote speaker at the S.A.C.K. (Simple Acts of Care and Kindness) Conference to be held at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church. Under Dr. Kok’s leadership, these popular conferences have been held across the U.S., Canada and Australia; and now for the first time, in Sun Lakes, Arizona. The conference will be held Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21.
Joining Dr. Kok as a keynote speaker will be Scottsdale resident Dr. John Vawter, former President of Phoenix Seminary and author of Achieving High Performance Friendship.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear all five general sessions from the two keynoters, plus their choice of two of the special workshops presented by six top professionals: Christy McClendon, Joelle Hadley, Elva Coor, Dr. Julian Pickens, Hospice of the Valley and Kathleen Thoren. Among the topics are “The Thirteen Secret Behaviors” to help us maximize our gifts of reaching out to others, “Care and Kindness is Infectious—Others Catch it and Pass it on,” “How to be a Faithful Friend,” and “The Science and Secret Behind Happy People.”
The community-wide event is open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Seating is limited, so register early. The two-day conference is Friday, March 20 from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m. The registration fee is $15 and includes lunch on Saturday. Register online at www.sunlakesumc.org or at the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church located at 9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes; phone 480-895-8766.