The organizers of Read Write Rendezvous prayerfully strive to glorify God through a fellowship of encouragement and the celebration of stories written from a Christian worldview, rooted in the Bible as a light in the darkness, for the edification of the saints, and pointing the world to His saving grace through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Stories and Sweet Fellowship
Read Write Rendezvous is a casual gathering of readers and writers that sweetens reading and storytelling experiences with fellowship and encouragement. The event celebrates Christian fiction and sweet reads with food, giveaways, and books. Rendezvous includes corporate worship, speaker sessions, author panels, small group discussions, games, and author signings.
Bookish Bee-ginning
Read Write Rendezvous is modeled after the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat. After years of prayer for an opportunity to bring readers and authors together, avid reader Bonnie Roof founded CFRR with book bloggers “Annie JC” of Just Commonly and “MeezCarrie” of Reading Is My SuperPower; the first event was held in 2016. Fueled by a shared passion for Christian fiction and a desire to foster interaction among authors and readers, the stewards facilitated three successful events. Their efforts inspired the creation of similar gatherings before passing the baton.
Attending the first CFRR had a profound impact on Beth, the organizer of Read Write Rendezvous and owner of JustRead Publicity Tours. She was also a member of the planning committee for the 2017 and 2019 Christian Fiction Reader Retreats. She is passionate about giving readers and writers a genuinely meaningful experience. Learn more about Beth and JustRead’s story (another bookish beginning by Annie and Carrie) on the JustRead website’s About page.
An Idea Blooms
JustRead Publicity Tours is a longtime promotional partner of The Christy Award, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) Christian fiction recognition program. During a brainstorming meeting regarding The Christy Award Winners Gala for 2023, a webcast event, a watch party was suggested. Tossing around the logistics of a possible watch party with a meet-and-greet prelude quickly snowballed to include a CFRR-inspired day of bookish fun and fellowship.
JustRead has embraced this opportunity to celebrate finalists and their stories in person. During years when The Christy Award events are in-person, Rendezvous has followed the ECPA program lineup of PubU (publishers’ conference), Beyond the Books (new reader reception with finalists add-on), Art of Writing (writing seminar), and The Christy Award Winners Gala at the same location or a nearby venue. When The Christy Award program returns to a virtual format, Rendezvous provides a meet-and-greet webcast watch party before the day-long reader and writer gathering.
Drive of the Hive
Regardless of where or how often Rendezvous is held, it will stay true to CFRR standards as a reader event organized by readers, with authors and readers in mind and heart. Fostering genuine connections in a casual setting is a top priority. Fiscally, Rendezvous is community- and sponsorship-funded, with all registration and sponsorship funds going directly into the event and giveaways. Participating authors, organizers, and staffers volunteer their time and fund their travel and lodging to keep costs as low as possible for everyone. Organizers benefit from event merchandise presales, consignment sales, and ad placement profits.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all the helpers and contributors. A special thank you goes to Annie for her practical CFRR groundwork and Carrie for her endless support and handholding. Both are innovative thinkers, invaluable advisors, and always gracious with their time and encouragement. JustRead resources go beyond organization and sponsorship to include an entire hive of volunteer book bees (readers that love buzzing about books and reader events), plus working partnerships with authors, publishers, and industry professionals, the foundation of a book-loving community.
May your love of stories be sweetened by fellowship and encouragement at Rendezvous and always!