For those of you who get a thrill from knowing what’s going on here in PresbyLand, I’ve spent most of my morning working on recruiting for the Leadership Event. And let me tell you, it isn’t easy work. It would seem that many students are too busy and overcommitted in general to attend conferences over the summer. So I’m resorting to some new avenues to get the word out about the event that go beyond listserv messages and our campus ministry networks.

I’ve only met with a few campus women’s centers on my travels around the country. When I’ve gone to them, though, I’ve been deeply impressed with the students and faculty there. They tend to be incredibly open and generous, willing to probe and ask the tough questions of both Christianity and their own assumptions about it. So I decided to go there to find some potential leadership event participants. This morning I went through our handy-dandy directory of PC(USA)-related colleges and universities and searched for all of them online, where I found out if they had some sort of women’s/gender studies program on campus (for the record, roughly 20 of the 65 schools listed do have something). I e-mailed several women’s studies departments, and have already heard back from one of them. I also contacted several women’s centers around the country.

Currently I’m also brainstorming ways to reach out to women of color and a broader cross-section of the church. The offices working with racial ethnic constituencies are a possible contact, as well as their racial ethnic young adult networks. I’ve already sent out information into building offices such as Young Adult Ministries, Peacemaking, and our buddies downstairs, Higher Education and Students’ Ministries. We have also sent brochures to Presbyterian Women. I would be interested to hear any recruitment ideas you might have.

Still, though, the best promotion is word-of-mouth. Please, please, please, even if you’re out of college or can’t come to the event, tell your friends about it and encourage them to come. I’m excited about all the possibilities inherent in this event, and I don’t think they’ll be disappointed if they come. Keep spreading the word!

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” --Acts 2:2-3

Kelsey