Cru writers, do you post on a blog? Have you published a book? Do you write for a Cru ministry, like Cru City, AIA, or Faculty Commons? Do you write online for other sites?

Cru Writers Community

Can you imagine the impact of a community of Cru staff who have a heart for ministry through writing? My vision is for us to encourage each other and support each other’s writing ministries. I read an African proverb this week that made me think of the potential we have by working in community:

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

We have two places already where writers can experience the benefits of a writers community: Cru Writers Guild on Facebook and the Bloggers and Authors Meetup at U.S. Staff Training.

(At the end of this post, I included a survey for you to tell us what you want to see in our Cru Writers community.)

Cru Writers Guild

Over 350 already belong to Cru Writers Guild on Facebook. This closed group is for men and women associated with Cru who are serious about writing as a ministry.

In this group, share encouraging stories of how God has used your writing to minister to others. Please share resources, how-tos, prayer requests, tips on publishing or on engaging readers. Definitely let us know when you publish books so we can celebrate with you!

We hope this community helps you find guest authors, create blog hops, request reviews of your book, or ask for some feedback before you publish a post.

Our desire is to build a community that encourages each other and helps each other succeed. Write me, Sus Schmitt, at e4e at cru.org if you write for Cru and would like to be invited to the Cru Writers Guild on Facebook. Invite others who write articles, blogs, books, et cetera. Invite your friends who feel called to a writing ministry, but haven’t really begun yet.

By the way, this group is not a “feed” of our blog posts. I’ll have a directory and a feed as soon as I’m able. (Here’s an old directory from BAM15.)

Bloggers and Authors Meet-up

The Bloggers and Authors Meet-up (BAM) has moved from being a Meet-and-Greet at each US Staff Training to a gathering of Bloggers, Authors and Ministry writers. BAM provides a venue for Cru writers to network with each other.

This year, we have a committee meeting monthly to put together the best BAM event yet. We’re working out a way for each of the individuals in these groups to “find” each other at BAM. Bloggers with bloggers of similar interests; Authors with authors (fiction, Bible studies, devotional,…); Ministry writers with writers from Cru.org, Cru City, AIA, Faculty Commons, and others. If you’re a screen writer, we will help you find others who might be attending, too. Your responses to the survey at the end of this post will help us pull this monumental task off! Thanks for praying for us.

BAM Crams

Instead of just mingling, BAM will inspire, equip, and encourage our staff in their calling to write for Him. We’ll have 30-minute breakout sessions (BAM Crams) as a new feature for BAM17. You’ll continue networking in your groups or pick one or all of these great BAM Crams:

1. Dr, Heather Holleman will present ways to improve your writing.
2. Gina Butz will present finding and keeping your blogging mojo.
3. Tez Brooks will present how to understand the book industry.

Thank you to so many of you who have participated in BAM in years past. We’re shaping BAM to be a meaningful and strategic event for Cru writers. We don’t have a date and time yet; stay connected to eQuipping for eMinistry through this blog, my Twitter account, or the e4e Facebook page to know the latest. The event page to let us know you’re attending will be on the Facebook event page as soon as we’re in the Cru17 schedule. The event page can help you let others know about your writing and arrange ahead who you’ll want to meet up with in July.

eQuipping for eMinistry

BAM17 Writers Tour

We just passed the halfway point on the BAM17 Writers Tour on eQuipping for eMinistry (e4e). Read the posts on this tour to become acquainted with writers who will be at BAM17 this summer.

Help for Bloggers on e4e

Stay tuned to e4e for more help for bloggers in the months ahead (see notes below for how to follow e4e). Some topics that I will be addressing in future posts:

• Photoediting
• The need for a platform / audience
• The need for an email list
• Podcasting
• eBook self-publication
• and more

Get More Engagement for Your Writing

Aside from the blog, I also receive numerous requests for content from bloggers from various Cru ministries who want to feature your writing. I definitely want to find ways to promote bloggers and their content. I need to know who you are and what your writing dreams are, too. Don’t be shy at BAM17. I want to meet you.

Have you considered the possibility of supporting each other instead of posting and publishing as “Lone Rangers” in our writing ministries? You’re aware by now of the emphasis of Cru17: WITH. Let’s prayerfully start considering what we might do together as writers for God’s Kingdom.

Thank you for taking the survey below.

Cru Writers Guild Interest Survey

NOTES:

• Thanks to Zack Russell, Bridges’ Visual Media Director, for designing the survey.
• Sign up for updates from eQuipping for eMinistry and tell your friends about e4e!
• The photo is from the very first BAM event at Staff Training in 2011.