In This Enews Issue November 2022
Happy Thanksgiving from the PHC
Educating Confirmation Classes
Support the PHC
Mt. Mitchell Blog 
Pictured above: PHC Thanksgiving card.
The PHC Wishes You A Happy Thanksgiving In all things
give thanks,
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus toward you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, Geneva Bible 1560 from the Board & Staff,
Presbyterian Heritage Center This Thanksgiving split-front postcard is in the PHC Collection, and dates between 1907 and 1914. The Geneva Bible (1560 AD) was the first Bible to number chapters & verses. Church Confirmation Classes Are Educated Through PHC Onsite & Future Online Options Confirmation classes on Presbyterian and Reformed history are one of the top-rated activities of church groups visiting the Presbyterian Heritage Center (PHC) in Montreat. Such classes offer an onsite multi-media experience of artifacts, rare photos, audio-visual film, Discover booklets and more. Where else can young people read an original 1789 newspaper printing the letters from the newly formed Presbyterian Church of the United States of America to the newly inaugurated U.S. President George Washington and his response? Or see contemporary magazines from the 1740s on the Great Awakening? Or learn about U.S. Presidents (Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and many others) and their Presbyterian connections? Many churches come back year after year to Montreat with their confirmation classes. These churches come from Washington, D.C. through the Southeast – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Group sizes range from 6 to 50-plus young people. The PHC can customize the experience for the greatest impact. But the limiting factor is how many church confirmation groups can travel to Montreat. The Covid pandemic highlighted the need for digital learning and effective educational program options. A recent national survey by the Knight Foundation found: “Museums are sources of inspiration and understanding. Through exhibitions, education and programming they provide not just content, but more importantly, context. They put a lens on the world that helps us gain a better understanding of ourselves and each other. And as they work to connect and inspire communities, the world in which they exist has changed.” This survey was conducted with the American Alliance of Museums and captures anonymous data from 480 museums of all sizes across all 50 states, including the PHC. Key survey findings were that dedicated digital staffing is severely limited. Half of the institutions who responded had either no dedicated digital staff or only a single individual. Digital strategies are still emergent. When asked, 31% of museums admitted they had no digital strategy while another 29% said theirs was in development. Only 25% have a shared digital strategy or incorporate one into their overall strategic plan. Digital limitations are resource dependent. “That’s why fundraising for PHC and its educational mission are critical,” notes PHC Executive Director Ron Vinson. “Insufficient financial resources mean a slower rollout of new initiatives, such as online confirmation class programs on church history, to reach groups throughout the country.” The PHC has been working on limited digital program tests with a small number of church confirmation groups for the past year. In 2023, additional work on basic digital components will be developed with beta tests about a year from now. If you would like to explore how you can aid in the digital educational program, contact the PHC. | 
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