“We’ve been through a traumatic situation. We think God wants us to write a book. Can you help us?”

Ney Bailey sat with this staff couple and offered insight from her own writing and speaking experience. During the 30-minute conversation, she wrote a page of notes for them.

They thanked her for spending time with them. She thanked them for telling her their story.

During BAM, an event at Cru15 for bloggers, writers and readers,  more than 160 people gathered to ask and answer questions like these. The buzz of conversation filled the room.

Staff members connecting with other staff members talking about how to write and publish everything from books to blog posts. No structured program; only conversations.

BAM, the Bloggers and Authors Meet-up, set the stage for staff members to create a visible and supportive community of people who desire to use their stories to explain the gospel to others.

“I want to write a manual for our social media team on campus. How do I get started?”

I fielded that question. It took me a few minutes for me to understand the scope of the project, but once I got it, I counseled this staff woman to start locally.

First, I suggested, she could write a manual for students on the social media team on her campus, and then, after she sees it working on her campus, she could then ask other campus ministries in her region to try it out. This approach made sense to her.

My favorite conversation? For more than a year, I had been coaching Leslie via email as she wrote monthly devotions for mothers of pre-schoolers. She found me at BAM. What a thrill to give her a hug and tell her how much I enjoy reading what she writes.

Whether or not you attended BAM at Cru15, if you want to join the conversation, find Cru authors and bloggers on Facebook in the Cru Writers Guild group.

Guest Post by: Anne Marie Winz, on the Women’s Resources Communication team.

Anne Marie, a 30-year-staff member, coaches staff members to become better writers through Writing for Life, a ministry of the Global Leadership Office.

NOTES:

• The Cru Writers Guild  is a closed Facebook group. Anne Marie Winz or Sus Schmitt will approve your request if you go to the group and request membership.
• See more photos from BAM in this Flickr album.