Well for the Journey is thrilled to announce that Eric Clayton, Baltimore’s own award-winning author, storyteller, speaker, and Star Wars & Spirituality aficionado will be the speaker for our Spring 2024 Well Said Speaker Series fundraiser. The event will take place on Thursday, April 18 from 6-9 pm ET at Grace United Methodist Church in Baltimore (corner of Charles Street and Northern Parkway.) Eric will be with us for an in-person evening event filled with pop-culture, spirituality and fun in support of the mission-based work of Well for the Journey. We invite you to join us for “Sacred Stories, Modern Myth: Connecting Your Spirituality within Pop Culture.”
ABOUT ERIC
Eric Clayton is an award-winning author/writer, speaker, and storyteller. He is currently the deputy director of communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States and the author of “My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars” and “Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith” (Loyola Press). He joined the Jesuit Conference in 2019 and produces content that invites audiences to reflect on how to integrate Ignatian spirituality in their everyday life. He guest hosts “AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast” and writes an award-winning weekly newsletter entitled “Now Discern This” for an audience of nearly 30,000 subscribers.
Eric previously worked at Catholic Relief Services, most recently as the Campaign Content Manager, overseeing the development of prayer and advocacy resources aimed at promoting Catholic social teaching to a US-based audience. In that role, he had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Bosnia-Herzegovina and more and gather stories that demonstrated the power of solidarity, resilience and hope. While at CRS, he had the privilege of collaborating with peacebuilding professionals, integrating lessons learned from graduate work to help devise new ways of sharing stories of peace.
Eric has also managed social media channels for Maryknoll Lay Missioners, developed and directed retreats for the Sisters of Bon Secours and was an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Towson University. His writing has appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, US Catholic, Busted Halo, Amendo, Sojourners, Grotto Network and more, and he is a frequent contributor to Give Us This Day and IgnatianSpirituality.com, as well as Dork Side of the Force where he writes about Star Wars. When he’s not writing at the intersection of culture, peace and spirituality, he dabbles in speculative fiction and has been published by Black Hare Press, Medusa Tales Magazine, Erato Magazine and more.
His first book, Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story Deepening Your Faith, has earned him numerous awards, including the 2023 Illumination Book Award Gold Medal in Christian Living; two 2023 Catholic Media Book Awards, including First Place for Pastoral Ministry for Youth and Young Adults, and Honorable Mention for Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith; and, recognition as a 2023 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite. He won the 2022 Catholic Press First-Place Award in the “Best External Newsletter” for his weekly email reflections and second place in the “Best Initiative or Campaign Package” category for his “Ignatian Guide to Lent.” He was also awarded the 2021 Catholic Press First-Place Award for “Best Freestanding Online Video in Catechesis” and Honorable Mention for “Best External Newsletter.” He was the 2018 co-recipient of the Moira O’Donnell Emerging Leader Award, presented by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. He was a panelist for the Global Peace Foundation’s 2018 International Young Leaders Assembly at the World Bank, entitled “Moral and Innovative Leadership for Peace and Development.” And he was the 2011 Loyola Medal recipient at Fairfield University.
He has a BA in creative writing and international studies from Fairfield University and an MA in international media from American University. He also has a graduate-level certificate from Creighton University’s program in the Ignatian Tradition. He is a one-time hedgehog owner and a life-long Star Wars fan. Eric lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife, two young daughters and their cat, Sebastian.
WELL SAID SPEAKER SERIES – THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
“Sacred Stories, Modern Myth – Connecting Your Spirituality within Pop Culture”
Stories can be an escape. Novels, movies, plays and comics take us beyond our ordinary lives and into something epic. But what if instead of providing an escape, the stories of pop culture helped us expand our imagination? What if we looked to modern myth to expand our understanding of our own story? What if we could discover the epic already present in the ordinary-but-sacred stories of our lives? At this year’s Well-Said Event, we’ll do exactly that, exploring how our own spiritual selves can be better understood in the light of stories of pop culture.
We are grateful for the sponsors who have joined us with generous support for this year’s event:
“Happy Days” Sponsors
Mabeth & Dan Hudson
Judy & Russell Wright
“Let it Be” Sponsors
Sara Eisenberg
Doug McGinnis
Pamela McGinnis
Bob & Terri Smith
The Well Said Speaker Series is a fundraiser to support the
mission-based work of Well for the Journey.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 2024; Meet and Greet Reception begins at 6:00 pm. All ticket holders are welcome and encouraged to attend the reception. Please join us when you are able. Main program will begin at 7:30 pm.
LOCATION: Grace United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall (Charles St. & Northern Pkwy.) 5407 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21210 (Free parking and event entrance is around back.)
EVENT TIMELINE:
| 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm | Pre-event Meet & Greet Reception with Eric (Eric will sign his brand new book My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars from 6:30-6:50 pm for those who have ordered his book and brought it with them to the event. Light hors d’oeuvres and non-alcohol beverages will be served. Raffle tickets will be sold. |
| 7:30 pm – 8:15 pm | Sacred Stories, Modern Myth: Connecting Your Spirituality within Pop Culture |
| 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm | Participant Q & A |
| 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm | Group Activity |
| 9:00 pm | Program Concludes |
TICKETS:
$55 Individual Ticket or a Pair for $100: Includes pre-event reception, meet & greet with Eric, and full program (6:00 pm – 9 pm EDT) Purchase ticket(s) here.
Can’t Attend? Please consider making a donation in the amount of a ticket ($55) or of any amount which you are able. You can donate directly on the ticket purchase link.
SPONSORSHIP ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
The Well Said Speakers Series is hosted to support the outreach and mission of Well for the Journey. Consider becoming an event sponsor to catalyze our impact in Baltimore and beyond.
$2500 “Galaxy Far Far Away” Sponsor
• Pre-event reception title sponsor
• 10 tickets to the Well Said Speaker Series event featuring Eric Clayton
• Reserved seating in the first rows of the event hall
• Name mentioned from the stage, logo on event signage, event program, and on event website page with hyperlink
• A signed copy of Eric Clayton’s new release book: My Life as a Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars
• Acknowledgment as a sponsor in The Well’s “For Your Journey” weekly e-newsletter distributed to 1,850 community members, four times in 2024.
$1000 “Pac-Man” Sponsor
• 6 tickets to the Well Said Speaker Series event featuring Eric Clayton
• Reserved seating in the first rows of the event hall
• Name mentioned from the stage, logo on event signage, event program, and on event website page with hyperlink
• Acknowledgment in The Well’s “For Your Journey” weekly e-newsletter distributed to 1,850 community members, two times in 2024
$500 “Happy Days” Sponsor
• 4 tickets to the event fundraiser
• Name in the event program and on the event website page
$250 “Let it Be” Sponsor
• 2 tickets to the event fundraiser
• Name in the event program and on the event website page
$100 “Google It” Sponsor
• 1 Ticket to the event fundraiser
• Name in the event program
Eric Clayton’s brand new book My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars is now available for purchase at Amazon and at many local bookseller locations (call your favorite one to place your order!) He will sign his book at the pre-event reception for those who bring their book to the “Well Said” event.
In My Life with the Jedi, award-winning author Eric A. Clayton intertwines lessons learned from the Star Wars universe with profound spiritual truths, inviting readers on a journey that touches on the epic and the everyday. Dive into an interior galaxy where the mysteries of the Force meet the depths of Ignatian spirituality. Discover how hope—that ever-present virtue of Jedi and Rebels alike—leads to profound decision-making, renewed relationships, and a purpose-driven life.
Ideal for ardent Star Wars aficionados seeking deeper connections, spiritual pilgrims on a quest for enlightenment, and Christians craving a fresh perspective, My Life with the Jedi promises to be a beacon of wisdom in galaxies both near and far, far away.
