SING! Conference Recap

At the beginning of September, I got the opportunity to attend the SING! Conference in Nashville, TN.  This conference was hosted by Keith and Kristyn Getty, a husband and wife songwriting team originally from Ireland. This was a conference focused on congregational singing and its impact on fulfilling the great commission throughout the world.

I have not been to a ‘worship’ conference in a long time and I had never been to Nashville, TN before so I was very excited and grateful for this opportunity and really wanted to make the most of it.

Conference Takeaways

One of the appeals of this conference for me as your worship pastor was that Keith and Kristyn Getty are contemporary songwriters but also have a rich history and style of writing modern hymns.  They seem to bridge both the “modern Contemporary Christian Music” world and the “traditional hymn” world with respect, excellence, and theological acumen.  So, without much structure, I am just going to reflect on some of the most meaningful experiences and ideas I took from this conference. 

The Inspiration of Congregational Singing

Honestly, inspiration and getting re-energized in ministry was probably the most significant takeaway from my experience.  I was not feeling drained or discouraged going in, but it was so refreshing to get to participate in extended times of singing and worship without also being responsibilities for those services.  

The conference was hosted in a large arena in downtown Nashville and often the singing of the gathered conference-goers overwhelmed the sound coming from the speakers.  The leaders of the conference took many opportunities to reinforce the power and importance of this congregational singing as they would literally conduct this arena full of people in the singing of an acapella hymn.  At one point, Keith Getty stood up from the piano at the conclusion of a song and he simply said, “that was sounding so good lets do it again with just our voices”.  Then he pulled a conductor’s baton from his jacket and conducted the several thousand of us in the arena in a final chorus of the song.

I became more and more convinced that one of the best evangelistic tools we have, and testimonies we can provide, is the meaningful and passionate sung praises of God’s people. 

Music as a discipleship tool, particularly for the young generation

One theme that intentionally came around throughout the course of the entire conference was that music is a particularly powerful tool for discipleship especially for those younger in life or faith.  There were several discussions about the use of songs for family devotions.  If sitting around reading your Bible is not engaging your kids, perhaps you need to find a good song to sing. 

Kristyn Getty, a mother of 4 daughters, said that their family needed to learn that while faith is definitely "caught” by kids, there are definitely moments where faith needs to be “taught”.  Meaning, find a hymn or Christian song that your kids really enjoy singing and then teach to them the power and meaning of the words.

They even provide a family “Hymn of the Month” page that people can utilize. https://www.gettymusic.com/hymnofthemonth

God’s appeal to the lost comes primarily through us.

John Piper gave a very moving reflection on John 4 (my favorite chapter in the Bible!)  He emphasized that in John 4 Jesus “must” go through Samaria.  The “must” was not because it was faster or required of Him for some reason.  He “must” because that is where the woman at the well would be.  And after the transformational experience at the well, this Samaritan woman returns to her town and shares Jesus’s invitation to all of them. 

In the original language the “must” from John 4, is the same “must” that Jesus says in John 10:16

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.
They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

John Piper’s point was this:  

The sheep will hear the voice of the shepherd through our voice.   

What an honor and humbling responsibility to be the voice of the shepherd to those sheep who must be brought into the flock!

Music to soften a hardened heart

An English pastor named Rico Tice said, “Music (good music!) lowers the guard of spiritually resistant people to freshly hear the gospel.”  I think this is true of both music from the platform AND music from the collective voice of the singing congregation.

I want our Worship Team, and Choir, and song leaders to be skilled and well-rehearsed because a moving and aesthetically pleasing expression of music has a way of sneaking past the emotional and spiritual defenses of a hardened heart.  I want our congregation to sing loudly, honestly, and vibrantly, because it has the power to convince an unbeliever that “God is really among you!” as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14:25.  

I said this in my newsletter article from last month (that I wrote before getting to this conference) that I thought beauty is the most convincing argument for a Creator.  Pastor Tice just hammered that conviction home for me.  The beauty of a singing congregation might be the best evangelistic tool that we have in our arsenal. 

Stories from Nashville

While in Nashville I took the opportunity to reconnect with a great friend of mine, Spencer Ford.  We went to the School of Music at UNI together and stood in each other’s weddings but have not seen each other in a few years.  Spencer lives and works in the music industry in Nashville touring with groups like Chris Tomlin, We the Kingdom, and Cory Asbury.  He took me to a restaurant called “Burger UP” where I had what is allegedly the best burger in Nashville. 

After one of the late-night closing session of the conference I walked down Broadway, which is a historic block in Nashville home to some of the original “Honky Tonk” music bars.  I specifically went to check out a place called “Robert’s Western World” and saw a country band play some burnin’ country swing music and a guitar player that would play circles around me!

Finally, after the conference had dismissed and before I had to get to the airport, I went to Carter’s Vintage Guitar shop.  This little shop is known throughout the guitar-world because they have early versions of the most iconic acoustic and electric guitars.  They do not let just anyone wander off the street and pick up a $100,00 guitar though.  So I just gawked at the Martin’s from the 1930s, the Les Pauls and Telecasters from the 1950s and 60s.  I did get a chance to play through a dream guitar and amplifier that I’ll never spend the money on, though!

I had a wonderful and inspiring experience at this conference and am so grateful I got the opportunity to attend.