Calling Initiatives Our Work The Communities of Calling Initiative invites congregations into a 5-year project on vocationThe Called to Lives of Meaning and Purpose Initiative helps religious organizations to help Christians discover how God is calling them to lead lives of meaning and purposeWatch real-life stories of people living out their vocationsCheck out our free program for small groups to explore God’s callA free 6-week program for small groups to explore profession & vocationCheck out publications that have emerged from the Research Seminars Learn More Why is vocation so important? We believe vocation is a central Christian belief: that God calls each person. But the concept of calling needs to be rediscovered and renewed for the church today. Read more about the theology of vocation we are developing in the Collegeville Institute Seminars. How can my congregation use your work? Check out our resources for congregations, including: a new project on vocation, two free small group programs, a video story-telling collection, and books on calling. View Congregational Resources » Staff Jane Patterson Project Director, Communities of Calling Initiative jpatterso001@CollegevilleInstitute.org The Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson is Project Director for Communities of Calling Initiative at the Collegeville Institute. She is Associate Professor of New Testament at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where she also serves as Director of Community Care. In addition to Biblical Studies, she teaches in the area of Christian formation, where her work focuses on vocation and Christian practice. She is a contributor to Calling All Years Good: Vocation Across the Lifespan (Eerdmans, 2017) and the author of Keeping the Feast: Metaphors of Sacrifice in 1 Corinthians and Philippians (SBL Press, 2015). With John Lewis, she is a Co-Director of St. Benedict’s Workshop, a ministry devoted to helping laity live their faith in daily life, and serves the Diocese of West Texas as a member of the Discernment Committee. She is active as a preacher, teacher, and parishioner at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas. Jessie Bazan Program Associate, Communities of Calling Initiative and Collegeville Institute Seminars jlbazan@CollegevilleInstitute.org Jessie Bazan is the Program Associate for the Communities of Calling Initiative and the Collegeville Institute Seminars. Jessie Bazan earned her Masters of Divinity degree from the Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary and her Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University. In addition to her work with the Collegeville Institute, Jessie writes regularly for U.S. Catholic magazine and the Liturgical Press. She is the editor and co-author of Dear Joan Chittister: Conversations with Women in the Church (Twenty-Third Publications, 2019). We welcome your questions and comments at jlbazan@collegevilleinstitute.org.
