A Heart For One

Ministry leader embraces his calling to make Christianity cool

 

David Hickman doesn't want young people to think that Christianity is lame. He's so passionate about this that the former standout baseball player at Montreat College passed on a chance to play with the Kansas City Royals' minor league system to pursue ministry full time.

Hickman's heart for reaching singles and young adults with the Gospel grew while pursuing his master's of divinity. After seeing the negative perception this demographic held toward Christianity on a local level, he met with some of the area's prominent faith leaders and convinced them to unite around one purpose: creating an outlet for twenty- and thirty-somethings to connect with God and each other.

"I have always had a passion to see local churches working together instead of against one another," says Hickman, thirty.

A seasonal worship and teaching series called CharlotteONE was launched in May 2006 and has steadily built momentum through partnerships and strong word of mouth. A weekly event draws 500-plus people and features a live DJ, Christian rock band, and sermons that are specific to the challenges of the people it's trying to reach. More than twenty area churches support CharlotteONE financially and through participation on its board of directors. Hickman serves as executive director.

"The most satisfying aspect of my job is seeing young adults who previously wanted nothing to do with Christianity come to a CharlotteONE event and experience God in a way that radically changed their lives."

For Hickman, that's worth a home run.

Wanna Go?

CharlotteONE’s spring season meets 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at First United Methodist Church in uptown until April 29. For more information, visit
www.charlotteone.org.