From the Heart of a Publisher

When attending my first conferences, I was so nervous meeting faculty members. I don’t know what I thought they were thinking when they met me. I must have imagined they were sizing everyone up and putting pass or fail marks next to names on mental checklists.

The Other Side of the Table

Now that I’m on the other side of the table, I can tell you that is far from the truth. Last weekend I attended a Christian writers’ conference—the fifth one this year. Like you, we have lives going on before and after, making it stressful to participate in conferences. We can do our jobs without attending conferences, just like you can write and even publish or speak without attending. However, we know God has gifted us, equipped us, and called us to meet with you at these conferences, and you are coming there because God has called you to attend.

When preparing to leave for the conference, we pause and ask the Lord to send those who need what He has ready for them. We ask that if we are part of that plan, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to respond as He would. We desire to be instruments in His hands. When we gather as faculty, corporately, we reiterate this prayer and pray for God to remove all obstacles satan is throwing in your way. 

Before we begin our appointments, we worship the God who brought each person to sign up for appointments with us. We again ask that, regardless of what you come to our table for, we give you what the Lord knows you need.

Conference Testimony

As I rode in the car to the airport with fellow faculty, we talked about those appointments where God used us to sow into an author in unexpected ways. I said I’d made two authors cry, not because that was the goal, but because I affirmed in them God’s calling on their writing. Will I publish either of them? Maybe, but that wasn’t my role this time. 

When we meet you at a conference, the only thing we are thinking about is how grateful we are to be with “our people.” Because we’ve discovered there is no better place in the world than to be with other people who ‘get us.’ We are interested in you. We want to learn about you. We aren’t judging anyone; honestly, we can’t remember our own name by the end of the day. Yet, we have our eyes, ears, and hearts open for that one person God wants us to see.

Are You Listening?

At the end of last weekend’s conference, the final Amen had been said and I’d packed my bags. We were heading out the door when a tall man, who’d sat next to me when the speaker asked us to get into a circle to pray for each other before we were dismissed, tapped me on the shoulder. I’ll call him Paul. Paul had confessed a real need in our small group prayer, and I’d looked him in the eye when he shared and told him that I thought it was brave of him to share something so personal, and I’d promised I’d continue to lift his need. I almost didn’t turn around when he tapped me on the shoulder. I was done! I was tired and wanted to go, but he softly said, “So, are you a publisher?” And I heard the Lord in my heart say, Listen. I put my bag down and turned to look into pleading, hopeful eyes. As the room emptied, I listened to this man who’d been too afraid to meet with anyone that day—a first-time conferee. 

You Have the Same Role

I share this not because I want you to think I’m amazing—every faculty member could have written this same article. We all have similar stories. We are there for you. Foremostly, let me encourage you to share in our prayer. Ask the Lord to give you eyes, ears, and a heart to meet the person who needs you. Paul had been there all day waiting for someone to listen. The next Paul or Paulette could be there for you.

Question: How can you be more intentional in seeing and hearing those God has placed in your path at the next conference you attend?

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