Tapestry 2007 Fall Conference
Register DetailsThe 2007 Tapestry Conference was a terrific success, with 300 adults in attendance. Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2008 Tapestry Conference to be held at Irving Bible Church on Saturday, October 25, 2008. On-line registration will begin right here in early September 2008. 
Feel free to download the 2007 conference notebook materials, prepared and compiled by each of the conference presenters (it’s a 9MB PDF and may take a few minutes to download.)
In the meantime, for more information about Tapestry, a ministry for adoptive and foster families, visit www.tapestry.irvingbible.org.
Karyn Purvis, Ph.D
Dr. Purvis is the director of the TCU Institute of Child Development. Before returning to school to earn her Ph.D., she fostered many children. She has devoted the past decade to developing research-based interventions for at-risk children. She and her colleague Dr. Dave Cross were awarded last year’s Heroes in Healthcare Award by the Dallas Business Journal, and they have co-authored a book titled The Connected Child (2007).
This session is full.
Keynote Presentation
Dr. Purvis will help parents discover creative resources for connecting with adopted and foster children.
Amy & Michael Monroe
The Monroes serve as leaders of Tapestry. They have four children, Miles (7), Grant (5), Kate (3) and Carter (3), each of whom were adopted. By day, Michael is an attorney and Amy, formerly an elementary school teacher, is the chief operating officer of Monroe, Inc. – a family operation consisting of one husband, four children, and endless amounts of laundry, shopping and errands.
This session is full.
Adoption: Where to Start
This session is designed specifically for those considering adoption or early in the adoption process. This session will cover many of the common myths about adoption, and will include a practical overview of domestic, international and foster care adoption.
Greg & Tracey Fields
The Fields live in Greenville, Texas, where Greg serves as Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, (PCA). They have four daughters, Abby (8), Ellie (5), Lucy Grace (3) and Zoe (2). Greg and Tracey are learning how to deal with the everyday challenges of living in a small town with a racially diverse family. They love uninterrupted sleep, The Office, and strong coffee.
This session is full.
What’s the Big Deal? The Realities of Race and Culture in Adoption
As transracial and transcultural adoption becomes more common, the need for honest, realistic discussion concerning these issues becomes more apparent. This session will focus on race and culture as they relate to adoption, and include practical insights based on real-life experience.
Carolyn Halliburton
Carolyn Halliburton is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has worked in the field of adoption for over ten years with both adoptive parents and birth parents. Carolyn and her husband Brian are the parents of a daughter, Taylor, and son, Andrew, who both joined their family through open adoptions. She is a member of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship where she serves as a Life Group Leader and Children's Ministry Volunteer.
This session is full.
Understanding Open Adoption
One of the most misunderstood aspects of the adoption landscape is “open adoption” and one of the most misrepresented groups of people involved in adoption are birthparents. This session will offer a fresh and healthy perspective on each, and will include helpful insight on how to make open adoption a positive thing for all involved.
Paula St. John
Paula is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked with children and families for 17 years, the last 12 for The Gladney Center for Adoption. Paula obtained a Bachelors of Social Work from Texas Tech University and Masters in Social Work at University of Texas in Arlington. She has previously supervised both Birth Parent and Adoptive Parent Services, and currently supervises the development of Training and Education Programs for adoptive families.
This session is full.
Blending the Two:
Adopted and Biological Children
This session will cover considerations that are important for families with both biological and adopted children. Topics will include adopting out of birth order, handling questions from biological children about adoption and developing realistic expectations for families adopting with children in the home.
David Cole
David is an attorney in the private practice of law, specializing in matters relating to adoption and assisted reproduction. Before entering private practice, he represented Dallas County Child Protective Services and Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. David is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and in 1995 was awarded the American Bar Association's Child Advocacy Award.
This session is full.
A Legal Overview of Adoption
People often have a variety of questions relating to the legal aspects of adoption. This session will cover some of the basic legal aspects of domestic and international adoption and will also touch on a few of the more common misperceptions about how adoption laws work.
Kathryn Jackson
Kathryn and her husband Rick have three precious children through adoption. Using her own personal experience, Kathryn has a passion for ministering to women in the midst of infertility, miscarriage or adoption, primarily through the vehicle of Shiloh, a ministry of Watermark Community Church in Dallas.
This session is full.
Adopting After Infertility
Many families begin to consider adoption after a difficult period of dealing with infertility. This session will cover many of the realities that couples face as they consider adopting after infertility, and will offer helpful insight on how to move forward in a healthy and positive way.
Carol Demuth
Carol works with Buckner Adoption & Maternity Services, as an adoption counselor. She also maintains a private practice in Dallas, Texas providing counseling, education, and mediation services to individuals and families touched by adoption. Carol is a reunited adoptee, who has been an adoption educator for over 25 years and has authored Courageous Blessing: Adoptive Parents & the Search and Considerations in Adopting Beyond Infancy.
This session is full.
Helping Adopted Children Develop Healthy Identity
Helping chilren who were adopted develop a healthy sense of who they are is a critical aspect to successful parenting. This session will provide insight into many of the important keys to helping these children achieve a healthy identity and sense of self.
Melody Rockwell & Jerry Sullivan
Melody Rockwell has 30 years of service with Child Protective Services. She is currently the Region 3 (North Texas) Foster and Adoption Program Director. She has extensive experience in foster and adoptive home development, emergency foster care placement of children, placement of adoptive children, and post adoption services. Melody is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and received a Masters of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington.
This session is full.
Foster Care & Foster Care Adoption
This session is for anyone considering foster care and/or adoption from foster care as well as those who are already involved in foster care. The session will cover some of the basic aspects of the foster care system, and will also provide helpful and practical insights aimed at helping families develop realistic expectations at each stage of the foster care journey.
Jerry Sullivan is the State Director of Foster Care for Arrow Child and Family Ministries. Jerry is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator. He has worked with special needs children and families for 13 years, and has served foster children and families at Arrow since 2000.
Jennifer Jolin &
Melanie Chung-Sherman
Jennifer is a licensed Master level social worker and has been a social worker for seventeen years. For the last nine years she has worked in the field of adoption, and has worked with many families who have adopted domestically and internationally as well as families who have adopted relatives and step children.
This session is full.
Adoption and School
This session will cover some of the common challenges and issues that parents and children face in school. The session will also offer some practical tips on how to avoid many uncomfortable situations, and how to successfully navigate some of the common challenges adopted children face in school.
Melanie Chung-Sherman is a licensed Master level social worker and a licensed child placing administrator with the State of Texas. In 1999, she began working in the field of international adoption and also child welfare. She worked as a child abuse investigator with the Texas Department of Protective and Family Services in Dallas, Texas before returning to the field of international adoption in 2002. She and her brother were adopted from South Korea in the 1970’s.
Pattye Hicks
Pattye Hicks is the Director of Post Adoption Services at The Gladney Center for Adoption, where she has worked for the past 17 years. Pattye has worked extensively with children and families for the past 25 years, including providing adoptive parent education for adoptive families through numerous presentations, articles and videos. She and her husband also have a daughter, whom they were privileged to adopt.
This session is full.
Joys and Challenges of Tweens and Teens
This session will cover what to expect with adopted children during their ‘tween’ and ‘teen’ years. These years can be full change and challenge for any parent, and sometimes even more so for parents of children who were adopted. This session will also include practical advice as to how to parent kids well during this critical stage.