Location and Airports

The nearest commercial airport is McGhee-Tyson, Knoxville, TN (approximately 30 miles from Sevierville). It services Allegiant, American, Comair, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and U.S. Airways with 120 daily flights. There is no direct shuttle from the airport to Sevierville, but there are car rental and taxi services at the airport 865-970-2773. If flying, also check rates flying into Atlanta (4 hours away), Nashville (3.5 hours), and Chattanooga (2 hours). Some will find it most economical to fly into Atlanta and rent a car.

Meals

Both the Wilderness Hotel restaurant and Events Center Food Court serve breakfast. Nothing is planned for lunch and dinner, but most will eat together at area restaurants. Free soft drinks and snacks are available.

Cost

There is a materials fee for attending PTP. Why a Fee?

Registration is $185 (man)/$135 (woman) per person. Children may attend free. This includes all sessions and tracks.

Discounts:
Early Bird:  $175 (man)/$125 (woman) if paid by July 27, 2010. 
First-Timers: First time ever to attend PTP: $125 (men)/$100 (woman)
Weekend Only: Spiritual Renewal Weekend: $100

The fee is due at the time you register, and checks may be sent to:
Jacksonville church of Christ
Polishing the Pulpit
P.O. Box 520
Jacksonville, AL 36265

Other Questions

Is registration required if I am only coming for one day? Yes, registration is required, even if you are coming on scholarship or if you plan to only attend a few sessions.

What is the usual dress for the sessions? Dress/casual. most Men wear ties or pull over shirts to the day/night sessions. Ladies wear dresses or pant suits. Suits and dresses are usual for worship services.

Is transportation provided to church services? This is a friendly group, and many are driving vans with extra space, so let someone know if you need a ride. Note that there is a Wednesday night session at the Events Center.

Do you have to be a preacher or elder to attend? No. There are also classes for all church members, deacons, youth workers, women, teens, and kids. Anyone is welcome to attend.

May ladies attend men's sessions? Yes. While there are women's classes throughout the day, women may attend men's sessions.

May men attend ladies' sessions? No.

Will transportation be provided from the airport? No, there is no shuttle, but there are taxi service and car rental options.

What about the waterpark at the Wilderness Hotel? Some are concerned, understandably, about the hotel waterpark. The situation is similar to other hotels we have used that had pools, bars, or in-room movie options that were not appropriate for Christians.

All of the directors and overseeing elders are strongly opposed to mixed swimming and are taking steps to avoid this being a distraction to our attendees. We asked the hotel to let us rent the entire facility and close the waterpark. This was not possible, so we encourage all attendees NOT to use the waterpark because of the Bible's teaching on modesty (1 Timothy 2:9), our responsibility to avoid being a stumbling block to others (Romans 14:13), and our need to avoid putting ourselves in the path of temptation (Matthew 5:28; 6:13). We do not believe that this will prove to be much of an issue because we have reserved 95 percent of the hotel's rooms, and the waterpark is not open to the public (only guests of the hotel).

Will babysitting be provided? Yes, during most of the women's sessions. The charge is $50 for the week (regardless of how many sessions you use it or how many children you have). Children must be potty-trained and between the ages of 2 and 6.

There is NO CONVENTION-WIDE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SYSTEM, so please accompany all small children at all times.

What are the locations of exhibits, sessions, etc? PTP sessions will be held in two places: the Events Center Conference area and the Hotel Meeting rooms. These are within easy walking distance of each other. The locations for each track are listed in the schedule. (Note that the Events Center has both Ballrooms and Meeting Rooms.)

Is there anything for children and teens? Yes, there will be children's classes (ages 7-12) in the mornings. There is also a teen track and teen classes in the evenings.

Is parking free? Yes, parking at the Events Center is free if you stay at the Wilderness Hotel. If you are driving in, there is a $5 fee.

Do I have to stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Hotel? No, you are not required to stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Hotel if you wish to attend PTP. Please note, that if you do not stay at the Wilderness, then the Event Center will charge you $5/day for parking. We try to negotiate discounted prices for other area hotels, and will post that information here as we finalize our terms with them.  Remember to mention PTP for your discounted rate.  

May we arrive early or stay over? The hotel discount is good for two days before and after the event, so feel free to relax before or after PTP. Exhibitors can begin setting up at the Events Center at noon on Friday.

Will I have wireless Internet access? Internet access is free at the Wilderness Hotel of the Smokies. If you wish to receive Internet at the Event Center, then the Event Center charges $19.95/day or $75/week for access. You can purchase it with a credit card online through them at any time during the event.

Worship services

Worship services will be held at four area churches on Sunday. The schedule is posted for those services. Directions from the Events Center to each building will be provided at the hotel, and in your packets.

Key:
1) Sevierville Events Center
2) Sevierville church of Christ Directions from the Event Center
3) Gatlinburg church of Christ Directions from the Event Center
4) Seymour church of Christ Directions from the Event Center
5) South Knoxville church of Christ Directions from the Event Center

Sermon Swap Information

1. How many sermons do I need to send in?
We ask that everyone who wishes to participate sends in five sermon outlines and five devotion thoughts.

2. What are 2010's topics?
This year's suggest themes are The Plan of Salvation, Cities of Refuge, The Humanity of Jesus, Sermons from Psalms, The Non-Conversions in Acts, A Sermon for Children, Heaven/Hell, and PowerPoint Sermons. Of course, you are not limited to these topics.

3. What formats are available to be used?
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe PDFs are all accepted. If you are unable to use these programs, if you'll send your sermons via E-mail, we will convert them for you.

4. Help! My PowerPoint is too large to E-mail! How do I E-mail a file that's larger than 5 mb?
PowerPoint presentations can get large quickly due to images inside the presentation. If you are struggling with this problem, the easiest way to get past this hurdle is to split the file into smaller portions and E-mail them separately. Just be sure to name your files in an easy format for us to put them back together. If you have problems with this, send an E-mail to wes@housetohouse.com and he will walk you through it.

5. Who do I need to send the sermons to?
You can submit your sermons to wes@housetohouse.com.

6. Anything else?
When you submit your sermons, be sure to include your full name somewhere in the E-mail or in a file. If you have any other questions, send an W-mail to wes@housetohouse.com and he can help you.