The first ever Worship Summit gathered church musicians of all ages and styles at White Oak Conference Center Aug. 22-23. Participants came from across South Carolina and beyond to receive practical training and be inspired to come closer to God.
Mike GlennSpanning the spectrum of church music, the conference offered training tracks for music directors, praise team leaders, pianists and organists, children and student choir leaders, handbell leaders and technical operators.
The summit also unveiled the new LifeWay worship project and hymnal in three classes and in the worship times. How-to classes for the worship project presented Internet resources, accompaniment variations, media formats, and worship-planning tools. Songs from the hymnal were featured in worship throughout the conference.
One of the main goals of the summit was to unite churches of different forms and styles, gathering people of all music genres for the common goal of lifting up Christ and worshiping God.
“We are here primarily to connect with our Father and worship him,” said Mark Powers, director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention worship and music office, in the opening session.
All participants attended classes in their specific music ministry areas as well as several large group worship moments. Mike Glenn, pastor at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., served as event pastor for the Summit.
“Sadly, Southern Baptists don’t have a good theology of worship. We know evangelism, but we do not have a good theology of worship,” Glenn said.
Glenn encouraged participants to look to Jesus for rest in the weary times. “You think by hanging around church all the time or around God’s people that it is the same thing as spending time with God.”
“Burn-out is not cured by sleep, but by worship. You are ministers of worship, yet you will be the last people in your church to truly worship,” Glenn said.
A guided prayer time, led by Mike Harland, director of LifeWay worship group, allowed participants time to pray specifically for each other, their families, and people in their churches.
Attendees also participated in a closing service that combined the South Carolina Singing Churchmen, the Rock Hill First Baptist choir and orchestra, and the Spartanburg Community Church praise band.
“I began to envision this event as soon as I came to the convention,” said Powers. “We assembled a strong faculty to teach practical worship skills, but our main purpose was to give worship leaders themselves the opportunity to worship and pray and be renewed. Our agenda was to fulfill the words of Christ, ‘If I be lifted up, I will draw all to me.’ Our agenda is not to promote particular styles, but to lead and equip our churches to lift up Christ.”