Collaboration … learning from others … connecting … surrounding yourself with a good team — those were some of the phrases repeated at Charleston Southern University’s SYNC ’13 conference April 18-19.
The annual conference — a dialogue on missional thinking — is a joint venture between Charleston Southern and the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Phil Wickham, singer, songwriter and worship leader in San Diego, told how, as a shy middle-schooler with a shaved head, glasses and carrying a Narnia book, his youth pastor reached out to him about leading worship. He said a couple of months later when he raised his head up from the chord charts, he looked around and realized kids were worshiping. “I realized I was doing something I loved,” said Wickham.
Wickham learned to play the guitar by hanging out with guys who were more talented than he was. He listened to the wisdom of others, especially to his dad, a worship leader. He encouraged church leaders and parents to give youth opportunities to serve.
Reggie McNeal, missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network, encouraged attendees to remember they are in the kingdom business, not the church business.
Mark Powers, director of worship and music for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, shared his approach to leading people the way Jesus did: meeting people at their point of need in order to build relationships that will lead to witnessing opportunities. “The greatest mission force in the world is sitting in our churches,” Powers said.
Pete Wilson, pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, cautioned church planters that they need leadership gifts in addition to pastoral gifts. “Figure out who you are and what God has called you to do,” said Wilson. “Learn from others. Beware of emulating others. You are you. Find a community you can love and fit into it.”
Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism and student ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, urged conference attendees to share the unchanging truth in a different way. “Whatever your vocation, you are a missionary. Christ asks us to be his body to move to the things that matter; be lovers of people.”
Other conference speakers included Doug Paul, director of content for 3DM; Sonny Holmes, pastor of Northwood Baptist Church; and Jon Davis, campus minister at CSU and pastor of Summit Church. — CSU