For the last few years, I’ve been part of a unique ministry conference called Fashion Me a People. What I really like about it is that five different organizations have formed a partnership that joins their individual strengths in a creative collaboration. I’m biased, of course, because I work for one of the organizations (Bayard / Twenty-Third Publications), but I’d be impressed with this group even if I didn’t work for one of them. Each year, the group selects a conference theme based on an insight from the book by Maria Harris, Fashion Me a People.

Theme

This year’s theme is “The Word of God for All Ages,” which flows from this text in the book:

No longer is it enough to be passive members, receiving a word told us by someone else, filing that word away to be taken out for a reading now and then…we are realizing that the word of God is addressing us, saying something to us, making demands on us, and asking us to live that word in our lives. We are a people called by the gospel, called to make a difference in the world.

That last line is especially challenging to me. As I try to discern the best way to shape and edit periodicals for parish leaders, I think a lot about who “we” are. Who is it that is involved in the conversations generated by a pastoral magazine? Or on this blog? I also think a lot about the “difference.” What does the difference we are called to make look like? How do we know if we are making a difference?

A conference for all ministries

And so I love this conference because it struggles with the same questions I struggle with. The speakers and musicians come from many different backgrounds. By design, the participants span all the ministries of the parish. The conference planners intended to make this a gathering for the whole parish—not just one or two interest groups.

Besides Twenty-Third Publications, the other partners are the Center for Ministry Development, Catholic Relief Services, Oregon Catholic Press (OCP), and Our Sunday Visitor / Curriculum Division (formerly Harcourt).

Details

The conference will be held January 7-9, 2010, at the Hilton Disney Hotel in Orlando, Florida. I know travel money is tight because of the recession. Even so, consider finding a way to be at this one-of-a-kind event. There are some interesting financial incentives online to help out with your budget. You can see all the conference details by clicking here.

And until I see you there, take a minute to comment about that last sentence in Maria Harris’ quote: “We are a people called by the gospel, called to make a difference in the world.”

• Who are “we”?
• What does the “difference” look like?

(Please click on the “share” button below to forward this post to anyone you think should be with us in Orlando in January.)