We put on a Show And Saved the Day!

I remember watching a Carol Burnett Show sketch that spoofed the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals. You know the ones.

Hey, let’s put on a show!

The routine: a bunch of kids decide to do a show in an abandoned barn, and, miraculously, elaborate costumes and props appear. The show is a success, the day is saved, happily ever after for everyone.

I am a member of the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and, like most conferences, we found ourselves at a loss as to how to hold our event this year in the midst of a pandemic. In April, members came to a unanimous decision.

Hey, let’s put on an online conference!

Now, I’m not Mickey Rooney, and Judy Garland was nowhere to be found. However, a group of determined writer servants set their minds to making such an event work.

Our coordinator Hallee Bridgeman and her tech-expert husband Gregg arranged the video conferencing details, and the rest of the committee followed. Much time and energy were devoted to scheduling, promotion, faculty confirmations, and more.

Everything fell into place, but, as the event neared, I got nervous, which is unlike me. I have attended numerous writers conferences and have taught at KCWC for years, but I had never done anything like this online.

I was scheduled to teach three classes (one a repeat), and, the night before, I was a wreck. What if my style wouldn’t translate to online teaching? What if my highly-interactive new attendee class went over like a lead balloon? What if my home internet went out?

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The classes went off with very few glitches. The technology, for the most part, worked. As for interaction? God did a supernatural thing, y’all.

Through the “chat” feature and other means, 400 attendees from nearly 40 states and 6 countries (France! Australia!) connected, networked, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Though different, my classes were fun and interactive; getting out of my comfortable zone was a good thing. I was also able to attend some great classes myself and to listen to inspiring keynote addresses without having to jump up and run somewhere to take care of conference details. I even baked a batch of brownies while attending a class!

An overwhelming majority of the attendees have raved about the setup of the conference and the encouraging instruction, as well as celebrated the fact that they had some human interaction after months in isolation.

And guess what? MY HOME INTERNET DID GO OUT! With less than a minute left in one of my classes, I was answering a question when my service “hiccupped.” Only me, right?  I did what any tech person would do: I unplugged the “internet thingie” and then plugged it back in. Voila! It came back!

So we put on a “show,” and, by all indications, it was a success. God knew what we needed when we needed it and showed up in a big way.

Let’s put on another show! Who’s with me?

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate–all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.