4D Leadership Conference gathered leaders from across South Australia and the Northern Territory, representing a wide range of churches, backgrounds, and generations.
While the theme of the conference was Discipleship Matters, two common threads weaved throughout the day.
The first, a strong sense of the importance of intergenerational discipleship emerged.
This was illustrated again and again, from keynote Jason Elsmore sharing about his daughter overcoming health issues and coming to know Christ, to Darryl Bishop and Rachael Foster hosting an elective in a unique father-daughter pairing. Sam Thomson inspired Next Gen leaders by sharing his unique perspective as a Youth Pastor with over 45 years experience, reminding us that age does not have to be a barrier when ministering to the younger generation.
Always a highlight, the GODx speakers delivered inspiring, practical, relatable, quick takes on discipleship in our society today. Samuel Beames, aged 9, spoke about his favourite heroes of the faith who have given him and incredible and infectious passion for sharing the gospel. Tony Ling shared the pains and gains involved in successful succession planning at Victor Harbor Baptist. Andrew McDonough debuted a brand-new Lost Sheep story and gifted attendees with one of his books. Tash Pillay challenged churches to think about how they are supporting raising parents as well as children.
Finally, Leona Stewart shared some of her own experiences of God from travels around the world, highlighting the second key thread that was noticed throughout the day; the importance of listening to voices from around the world.
Dr Seble Daniel, in particular, reminded us of the valuable lessons we can learn from African and Asian voices. This global perspective expanded our understanding of discipleship and challenged us to broaden our horizons.
4D Leadership Conference 2023 encouraged intergenerational collaboration, highlighted the significance of diverse voices, and fostered a sense of unity among leaders. It reminded us that discipleship truly matters and that we have much to learn and offer one another.
