Many of you have embraced Catholic Volunteer Network’s invitations and spaces to re-imagine. Many of you are doing that in numerous other ways. CVN is learning from you. You are informing how we envision in new ways, how we plan in new ways, and how we risk and trust in new ways.  

We recently invited member programs to serve on the Recruiting Task Force to catalyst creativity and ideas. In the same spirit, we now invite you to shape another major CVN program: the annual National Conference on Faith-Based Service. After 44 conferences – including two virtual events that focused on re-imagining – it’s time to think creatively about the focus of this year’s gathering.

We need your help.  

Here are realities, applying to many of you, that can guide our visioning: 

• You are stressed, tired, burnt-out, and/or confused about the future of your program and the field of faith-based service. 
• You are giving incredible energy to exploring new ways that give you hope. 
• Not everyone understands faith-based service, which makes your job hard. 
• You need to do some grieving and healing. 

• You need practical support for planning, changing, and acting. 
• You want to honor the dignity and worth of every person involved or potentially involved in faith-based service.  

The CVN team is also living with all of that. We cannot provide all the answers, but we can work extremely hard to create spaces that help you pursue questions and ideas with others who care about you, your ministry, and faith in action. 

Therefore, we need you to help shape our time together in Orlando, November 14-17, at the B Resort and Spa. In thinking about the annual conference, we invite you to let go of constraints such as: we usually do this; here is the regular schedule to follow; we must have a big-name speaker. Instead, if you have felt moved or stirred by reading this, we need you at a few meetings to help us craft the vision for November.

Drop by CVN Office Hours anytime these next three weeks: 

• Wednesdays, March 23, March 30, April 6 from 2-3pm Eastern 
• Thursdays, March 24, March 31, April 7 from 2-3pm Eastern 

You may join Office Hours using this link.

Is it a retreat? A sunup to sundown Disney extravaganza? A space to say things out loud for the first time? A time simply to hug, laugh, and dance? All of this? None of this? 

Help CVN identify the needs, tone, and focus. We will do everything we can to put a plan into action. And guess what? You will probably be able to help with that phase too! So, join us at the times below – Mickey ears optional – to honor this network, its challenges, and its opportunities.

Help us help you.  

Yonce Shelton
Executive Director, Catholic Volunteer Network