Convergent Friends Reader - Call for submissions and nominations

Background

Since 2004 or 2005, increasing numbers of Friends from across Quakerism's branches have been engaged in dialogue and discussion through their blogs. The conversation has ranged from concerns for restoring and maintaining our faith traditions; reflecting on our historical roots; considering our future as a religious society; and sharing with great vulnerability and openness our struggles and questions in the here-and-now, helping to live into God's kin(g)dom on earth as Friends.

Through the medium of blogs and the internet, the mending of Quakerism's historic schisms is being helped by the interweaving of this online discussion and its resulting friendships and meet-ups. In turn, the glimpses of renewal and excitement that has emerged out of that discussion has been labeled as "convergent."

In early September 2008, I wrote a post about how we in the blogosphere might broaden the conversation about the interest in Convergent Friends and about the growing sense of Quaker renewal that has been helped by the online conversation.

After having had a conversation with a Quaker acquaintance who is involved in the world of Quaker publishing, I felt a sort of courage grow within me:

It now seems time for me to take the next step toward the publication of a compilation of blog posts.

The publication would be a sort of "reader," similar in format to Martin Kelley's self-published Quaker Ranter Reader from 2005.

What follows below are the details of how to submit blog posts of your own as well as how to nominate blog posts that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the publication. So even if you are a lurker--or especially if you are lurker!--you can have a role in shaping the contents of the final product.

Blessings,
Liz

UPDATE, Second Month 2009: For an easier way to share your thoughts, you can take a brief online survey. The URL is

http://tinyurl.com/col4ym

or you can click here and go there!

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Call for submissions.

All Quaker bloggers and blog readers are encouraged to submit or nominate blog posts by March 15, 2009 that exemplify the "convergent conversation" that has been occurring online in recent years.

PURPOSE:
To provide a printed quality publication of a sampling of online writing that represents the convergent conversation among Friends.

To provide greater access to these online writings to Friends meetings, Friends churches, and Quaker individuals who may not have easy access to the internet or who may prefer print media over electronic media.

To provide an easier way for Friends' faith communities to refer to and discuss ideas contained in these online writings (e.g. study groups).

DETAILS: In keeping with the purpose of this publication, all submissions and nominations must be blog posts, must have the permission from the blog writer to be considered, and must not have appeared elsewhere in print. (We wish to avoid the complication of dealing with copyrights, permissions, etc.)

LENGTH: Length is not a primary consideration: As in vocal ministry during worship, the nature of the content and substance are more important than length, since some of the shortest posts (messages) can raise significant points for reflection and can help advance, deepen, or enrich the conversation.

HYPERLINKS: All links that appear in the original blog post must be footnoted to include either the corresponding URL or a relevant remark intended by the original link or both.

Links that appear in the original blog post may be omitted [changed into plain text] within the submission at the discretion of the blogger.

Links in posts that are *nominated* will be left to the writer of the original blog post when possible or otherwise will be dealt with at the discretion of the editors.

TOPICS: Submissions and nominated posts can cover a range of topics that is as broad as the Quaker blogosphere itself.

Keep in mind the purpose of the publication. Just because a blog post exists online doesn't mean it speaks to the intended theme of this publication.

EXAMPLES OF TOPICS:

Personal story
Personal concerns
Meeting for Worship
Faith and practice
Membership
Quaker schisms and branches
Quaker language and terminology
Theology
The Testimonies
Families and children
First Day School
Adult Young Friends
Quaker renewal
History and early Friends
Scripture
Witness

NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS or NOMINATIONS: There is no upper limit. However, if it's helpful to have one, how about we say that each blogger can submit up to four posts of her or his own choosing; and each person who nominates blog posts can nominate up to six (assuming the nominations will not be from the same single blogger).

DEADLINE: March 15, 2009. Our hope is to have this publication available at the 2009 FGC Gathering! Get your submissions and nominations to us by March 15, 2009 to allow us to review the blog posts and begin the self-publishing process.

HOW TO SUBMIT or NOMINATE BLOG POSTS: Send the following information to lizoppATgmailDOTcom:

Blogger's name
Blog post's title
Blog post's URL

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please email lizoppATgmailDOTcom directly, or post a question here.