2023 Forma Pre-Conference Options
2023 Forma Pre-Conference Options
The 2023 Forma Pre-Conference will take place on the campus of Virginia Theological Seminary on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 (click here for map of VTS). Registration begins at 9:00AM and Pre-Conference offerings run from 9:30-3:30PM. Lunch is included in the Pre-Conference registration fee. There are three options to choose from.
Operationalizing the Baptismal Covenant: From Personal Discipleship to Mutual Ministry
Note: There are 200 tickets available for this Pre-Conference offering.
This session builds on what Baptized for Life* has learned about forming courageous Christians and thriving Christian communities and introduces the work of the Mutual Ministry Initiative**. We will share practices, resources, and opportunities for equipping people of all ages and abilities to live fully into their baptismal identities for the sake of God’s mission. Our time together will be participatory, engaging your stories and questions with our research, living our baptismal ecclesiology as mutual ministry. You will leave with new resources for celebrating baptismal feast days, a renewed appreciation for the “curriculum” of the liturgical year, and ministry models that honor the gifts of all the baptized.
*a 5-year Lilly Endowment Inc.-funded initiative in six dioceses
**a 3-year Lilly Endowment Inc.-funded initiative to emphasize baptismal ecclesiology in theological education
Presenters include:
- The Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin - Canon to the Ordinary for Discipleship & Vitality, Diocese of Northern Michigan and Project Director, Mutual Ministry Initiative
- Canon Myra B. Garnes - Catechist, Baptized for Life; Officer for Youth Ministries Department of Faith Formation, The Episcopal Church
- The Rev'd Yoimel González Hernández - Catechist, Baptized for Life; Associate Rector, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church; Dean of the Latino Deacon School, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
- Dr. Lisa Kimball - Project Director, Baptized for Life; Vice President of Lifelong Learning and James Maxwell Professor of Lifelong Christian Formation, Virginia Seminary
- Br. Thomas Steffensen, SSF - Resource Developer, Mutual Ministry Initiative; Diocesan Chaplain, Diocese of Northern Michigan
- Ms. Francie Thayer - Spiritual Director, Baptized for Life; Director, The Retreat House Hillsboro, Maryland
Music That Makes Community Paperless Singing Workshop
Note: There are 30 tickets available for this Pre-Conference offering.
- Explore a practice of paperless (oral tradition) singing leadership grounded in a spirit of welcome and generosity
- Engage models of teaching and leading that welcome our bodies, hearts, and mindsExperience music reflective of the growing diversity of our communities and celebrating our rich spiritual and liturgical traditions
- Experience building community and strengthening relationships through community and congregational singing
- Participants will gain confidence in paperless singing leadership via shared leadership, skills practice, and reflection, expanding and exploring our musical options practically and creatively.
Learn more about Music That Makes Community on their website.
Martha Jones Burford (she/her/hers) believes when we become conduits for music, we participate in “the love that moves the sun and other stars.” (Dante) Whether drumming with kids, teaching a student heel-toe organ strategies, singing during a march, composing for specific voices, or learning from college student choir members, Martha hears God declaring God’s love for creation through what God has created. Martha is currently Minister of Music at Grace Episcopal Church, Lexington, Virginia, where she and a wonderful choir and congregation make beautiful music in liturgies, and where she is blessed to lead Community Singalongs and Drum Circles, Monthly Evensongs, and even to play with "Chapter 3!" a new girl band! Paul Vasile (he/him/his) is a church musician, consultant, composer, and teacher who finds his greatest joy in collaborative and community-centered ministry. Committed to modeling expansive, imaginative, and hospitable experiences of music making wherever he goes, Paul's leadership builds trust, invites spaces of creativity, vulnerability, and play, and supports practices of reflection and holistic learning. Recognized as a multitalented musician and liturgist, he is helping to strengthen, energize, and liberate faith communities through the ways they worship and sing together. Based in Washington, D.C., Paul serves as an interim/transitional musician, offering consulting services and creative resources to congregations in seasons of discernment, challenge, and transformation. His skills make him a unique resource to congregations experiencing anxiety or conflict. As the part-time Executive Director of Music that Makes Community, Paul is equally passionate about modeling and sharing leadership practices that sustain the musical and spiritual life of communities. He mentors and supports an ecumenical network of song leaders across North America who are committed to oral tradition (“paperless”) song leadership practices. Committed to expressing and exploring faith in new ways, Paul also composes sacred music that expands and enriches the church’s language of praise and prayer. His music is represented in Glory to God, All Creation Sings, and Voices Together, as well as The Hymn Society resource, Songs for the Holy Other. Martha Jones Burford
Paul Vasile
Understanding Suicide Risks, Warning Signs, and Strategies for Prevention
Note: There are 50 tickets available for this Pre-Conference offering.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Suicide attempts and completed suicides impact families, friends, communities, and spiritual homes, leaving many to ask, "what should I be doing?" Many individuals and leaders want to help, but feel uncertain about how to recognize suicide risk, when to intervene, and how to intervene. During this pre-conference workshop, participants will learn to recognize risk factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts or attempts. Participants will learn to recognize warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Participants will also learn how to respond to an individual or family in crisis and have the opportunity to try these intervention strategies during the workshop. Finally, participants will learn strategies for raising awareness about suicide & suicide prevention in their Parish.
Presenter: Mollee Reitz, MA, NCC, LCMHC - Wellness Director at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, nationally certified counselor, and a licensed clinical mental health counselor.
Mollee Reitz
Mollee Reitz is a nationally certified counselor & a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Charlotte, North Carolina. She currently serves as the wellness director at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte. Mollee received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English & Psychology from Texas A&M University. Mollee received her Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Wake Forest University. Mollee served as an outpatient mental health therapist, a school-based therapist, an elementary school counselor, and in a private practice before coming to work at Christ Church where she provides mental health support and education to individuals and families across the lifespan. When Mollee isn't working, she enjoys swimming, reading, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her dog, Bailey.
