10/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/16/2024 21:02
Kim Chaudoin | 10/16/2024
Lipscomb President Candice McQueen, Jordan Raynor and Rob Touchstone, director of the Center for Vocational Discovery.
Nearly 300 members of the Nashville community gathered at Lipscomb University's George Shinn Center on Oct. 10 for the inaugural Illuminate: Living with Purpose conference. Attendees explored how faith can shape their professional lives through keynote sessions, breakout discussions and special presentations.
Keynote speakers David Kinnaman, Jordan Raynor and Amy Sherman shared insights on how to integrate faith into everyday work. Their talks, alongside discipline-specific breakout sessions, challenged attendees to consider how their roles, from corporate executives to entry-level employees, could be infused with purpose and service.
In her welcome remarks, Lipscomb President Candice McQueen emphasized the conference's mission.
"Today, we are blessed to have such a diverse group of attendees, representing a variety of professions and industries, from CEOs to those just starting their careers," McQueen said. "Each of you brings a unique perspective, and we are excited to explore how we can illuminate our paths toward purpose together."
McQueen noted that Illuminate aligns with Lipscomb's Christ-centered mission. "At Lipscomb University, we believe that a career can be much more than a job - it can be a vocation," she said. "This conference is a space where we will delve into how we can bring meaning to our everyday work, no matter the field or stage of our careers."
Jordan Raynor delivered the opening keynote address.
Jordan Raynor, the first keynote speaker, is a bestselling author and leader in the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books, The Sacredness of Secular Work, Redeeming Your Time and The Creator in You, keynote speeches, podcasts and devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians around the world connect the Gospel to their work. He highlighted the sacred nature of everyday work, noting, "It's less about what you do professionally, but more about who you are while doing your work." Raynor emphasized that Christians can bring the sacred into any workplace simply by being faithful and productive in their roles.
Raynor takeaways
Amy Sherman focused on how to be Shalom-bringers to the workplace in her keynote address.
Amy Sherman, who directs the Center on Faith in Communities at the Sagamore Institute, was the second featured speaker. Sherman is the author of seven books and over 100 articles in a variety of periodicals including First Things, The Christian Century and Christianity Today. She introduced the concept of shalom in the workplace, encouraging attendees to love their neighbors through their work. "When you ask how you can be a shalom-bringer, you find joy in your work," Sherman said.
Sherman takeaways
What Shalom-bringers bring to the workplace:
Barna CEO David Kinnaman closed the conference with the final keynote message.
The final keynote came from David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group and bestselling author of Faith For Exiles, Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. Kinnaman addressed the challenges of leadership in today's fast-changing world. He encouraged attendees to take practical steps to put purpose at the center of their work and to mentor younger team members, helping them cope with anxiety and ambition.
Kinnaman takeaways
Another highlight of the Illuminate conference was the awarding of the university's inaugural Illuminate Award and the College of Business's Psalm 78:72 Scholarship.
Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam received the inaugural Illuminate Award, honoring individuals who exemplify living with purpose in secular professions by using their talents, time and resources to faithfully lead and serve others for the glory of God. The Illuminate Award honors a person who truly illuminates their part of the world by shining their light in a way that honors God. Haslam During his two terms as governor, Haslam led with vision and compassion, elevating Tennessee to new heights in education and economic achievement. Under his leadership, Tennessee students became the fastest-improving in academic achievement across the nation, and programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect made higher education more accessible than ever before. Read more about this year's Illuminate Award recipient.
The conference also honored two recipients of the Psalm 78:72 Scholarship: Kendal Matas, a senior finance major, and Mateo Villegas, a senior marketing major. The award recognizes students who demonstrate high character and leadership, both in and out of the classroom.
The Psalm 78:72 Scholarship to recognize students who exemplify "skill of the hand and integrity of the heart" … who demonstrate high character both in and out of the classroom. The Psalm 78:72 Scholarship celebrates the impact students are making in the College of Business community and the light they are to others. Read more about Matas and Villegas.
Two blocks on concurrent sessions were offered during the conference focusing on a variety of professional disciplines.
In addition to the keynote sessions, the conference featured other special elements. Two blocks of concurrent sessions were offered. These included:
A highlight of the Illuminate conference was a No Small Endeavor live performance featuring an interview with former Tennesse Gov. Bill Haslam.
Guests enjoyed a special presentation of No Small Endeavor during lunch hosted by Lipscomb's Lee Camp and featuring an interview with Haslam. In the interview, Haslam talked about how his faith has shaped his work. He said, "calling is where your talent and skills meet what the world needs" and provided advice for people who are new to a leadership position and are critical of those who have held the job and thinking they have all the answers - "The decisions are a lot harder than it looks."
The event was made possible by Signature Sponsor, Coca-Cola Consolidated; Leader Sponsor, John Bouchard & Sons Co.; Investor Sponsors, Benjamin F. Edwards, Nan Smith, the Newton Institute and C-12; and Partner Sponsors, Harrington Publishing, Convene, Luke and Brooke Roush, and Joe and Mary Slawek.
Illuminate: Living with Purpose is a part of the 2024-25 Presidential Signature Series and planning was led by the Center for Vocational Discovery and College of Business in collaboration with colleges across campus.
- Photos by Kristi Jones