SYNC ’12, the second annual church leadership event at Charleston Southern University, was held March 22-23 at the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel on the campus.
At the SYNC ’12 leadership conference, from left: Will Browning, Reggie McNeal, Rick Brewer and Jason Hodges.Jason Hodges, youth minister from Taylors First Baptist Church, began the conference by teaching on strength-based leadership using the concepts outlined in a book of the same name by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, as well as drawing from his own experience.
Reggie McNeal, a missional leadership specialist and former member of the South Carolina Baptist Convention staff, talked about the future of the church in general and made participants more aware of what God is doing in other parts of the world. He defined the missional movement as the people of God partnering with God in his redemptive message in the world.
“We need to be about ‘being’ church, rather than ‘doing’ church better,” McNeal said.
Doug Paul, from 3 Dimension Ministries, based in Pawleys Island, led a session outlining how missional communities are launched. Paul used the analogy of an earthquake to discuss how the world is changing.
“The church is operating in a world made up of a new landscape without a map,” Paul said, “but we do have a compass that points us to true north, and that compass is Jesus.”
Robert and April Knight, from Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, led a session dealing with worship and the creative arts. They talked about the importance of developing the heart of a worship leader – even in middle school students – in order to begin to create a “culture of worship.”
Will Browning, pastor of Journey Church in Summerville and a North American Mission Board church planter, shared from his real-life experiences, saying that “churches don’t change culture; transformed missionaries [and] individuals change culture.”
Butch Howard, CEO for Addie Solutions, led a session dealing with 12 Timeless Principles of Leadership and told participants that in today’s world ” ‘Busyness’ can be the devil’s workshop [and] can keep us from relationships.”
David Edwards, a nationally known speaker and author of 13 books, was on campus for several days and spoke to students multiple times. He also led a session challenging attendees to live a life that works. “A life that works always has a future dream,” he said.
Rick Brewer, vice president for student affairs at CSU, said the SYNC ’12 conference provided the “quality programming and inspiration we had hoped to achieve. Each presenter challenged and encouraged participants to stretch their vision for the future, in terms of the kingdom and the local church.”
Brewer said planning is already underway for SYNC ’13, to be held April 18-19 of next year.