Thoughts on our 2024 verse: "Two people are better than one..."

Our verse for the 2024 Southern Christian Writers Conference is Ecclesiastes 4:9, which teaches us the importance of having others in your life to support and hold you up. As we considered a verse for this year's conference, we were led again and again to one of the primary purposes of the conference and the larger SCWC organization--to build community. We want to build a community of Christian writers who can rely upon one another

SCWC assistant Stephanie Rodda shares with us her thoughts about this verse.

Writing can be an extremely solitude endeavor. We may often find ourselves alone as we process our creative thoughts, weave our words, choose our subjects, research our articles, invent our characters and aspire to prove our points.  Time alone, set aside and designated for completing our writing goals, is not only necessary, it is a rare commodity, for most of us, to be guarded cautiously. 

With this in mind, we might be tempted to hesitate to consider committing to activities that would require spending time away from our determined course.  And, rightfully so. After all, writers write, right?

Well, yes, certainly they should and they do. But is that all they do? No, most assuredly not. A writer must do much more than write if they intend to be read, to improve, to continue. Let me explain. 

As we approach the Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC), whether for the first time or as a repeat attendee, we have some choices to make. Today, let’s consider one of them in earnest. Is attending the conference worth it?

Monetarily, that’s an easy answer. Dozens of workshops, inspiring keynotes, publishing opportunities, definitely money well spent and an investment wisely made. But what about the other costs? The cost of our attention, energy, focus and precious time? Is it worth it?

This year’s conference verse will help us decide.  Let’s look at it in a variety of translations. 

”Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.“
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

”Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.“
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

”Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively.“
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭GNT‬‬

”You are better having a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn.“
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

A powerful verse to consider and prayerfully apply to our decision making process. Earlier I mentioned that writers must do more than write if they hope to *be read, *to improve and *to continue.  

 One of the things we can do, besides the act of   actually writing is to gather together with like-   minded folks with similar aspirations, who   speak our language, share our struggles and   can often lighten our load while increasing our   actual productivity. 

 How does that work?  As Christians, we are   called to community.  As writers we are called   to communicate. As Christians we are called to share our faith. As Christian writers we can answer that call through the written word. 

Gathering together, inspiring each other, learning new techniques, praying together, sharing, laughing, comparing, critiquing, challenging, and encouraging one another is absolutely worth the cost. 

In closing, let’s read one more re-wording of our conference verse from ‘The Message’:

”It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough!“ Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I hope to see you at conference!
Stephanie Rodda

Stephanie Rodda is a freelance writer and book author, and one of our most inspirational leaders! She will present two sessions at this year's Southern Christian Writers Conference. She'll get SCWC newbies ready for the weekend with her "SCWC 101" session, and will later present a workshop titled "Writing Plans: Strategic, Intentional, and Prayerful."

Do you still need to sign up for the 2024 SCWC? The conference takes place this year on June 7-8 at Valley View Baptist Church in Leeds (Birmingham), Alabama. The conference includes three keynote presentations, 24 workshops on a variety of writing topics, one-on-ones with editors and publishers, share and critique times, networking opportunities, and much more. You can attend in-person and virtually. Register using our online form here >> SCWC REGISTRATION