"He’s actually a good friend of mine and he plays all my doubles in all my other commercials."

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“My body has changed a little bit, but I weigh the same.”

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The Atletico Paranaense International U-17 tournament starts today

The tournament features
Atletico Paranaense U-17
India U-17
Uruguay U-17
Orlando City FC U-17

For thousands of younger Gen Xers and older Millennials who were raised in the church, much of our maturing as worshippers is marked by the poetic lyrics and fluid vocals of the duo known as Shane & Shane. I personally remember having Be Near on repeat during a difficult season of transition in my personal life. And I don’t know about you, but just about every guy in my high school youth group could be found working their double strum on acoustic guitar at any given moment.

But it wasn’t just their original songs that sunk deep into the hearts of their listeners. Barnard and Everett also have this uncanny ability to take songs recorded years earlier or made popular by big names such as Hillsong or Passion and make them fresh and accessible to our generation of worshippers. 

They are capitalizing on this significant gift through their latest ministry effort called The Worship Initiative (TWI). I recently got the chance to talk with Shane Barnard at length and hear more about their journey through ministry, how they juggle it all, and their hopes for the future. Hopefully you’ll find the perspective and insight he offered up as encouraging as I did.

When I asked him to share the story of how the vision of The Worship Initiative came to be, he jumped right into an impassioned explanation. They had been doing the touring, writing, and recording thing for years and gotten to experience worship from and with just about every kind of stage, venue, and demographic. As they got to know hundreds of worship leaders from everywhere you can think of, they began to see a gaping hole . . . that being the understanding of the true weight of the calling of the worship leader.

A scripture that they’d read hundreds of times and even used as a sort of mantra throughout their ministry also played an enormous role in their starting TWI. Colossians 3:16 says,

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

One day a word jumped off their pages in a way that opened their eyes afresh – THROUGH. These times of worship they were leading on a regular basis were not just a means to an end. They actually serve as one of the primary ways the Church conveys the message of Jesus to raise up a generation of Christ followers who can change the world. Yet somehow, this position has gotten watered down to nothing more than a song leader in most church settings. They suddenly felt a whole new level of responsibility.

So the two set out to discover a way to pour into worship leaders around the world, both spiritually and practically. They started by taking a more personal look at their own gifts and bents. Barnard says about Everett, “I can’t think of a better salesman or evangelist . . . He’s just loud, funny, always cutting up, and can win anybody over to do anything . . . and unleashing that in an overseer role and our relational PR person has been awesome to watch. I think God dumped the PR side and evangelist side of Shane so hard into him that I think we still have yet to see what God is going to do in that regard.” Whereas for Barnard, his skill in songwriting and producing contends with just about anyone you could name. Over the last 20 years of ministering together, they’ve learned to “embrace who God has made [them] and not be disappointed in that anymore but just know that this is how God has made [them].” They’ve worked incredibly hard to figure out how to balance all of the overlap between their personal and professional lives, which is inevitable when you’ve worked so closely together for that long. “You would think we would have some kind of system after 20 years, but we are getting better. I would say that a few words come to mind . . . simplifying, strategizing, doing things on purpose. These are the things that have kind of been a banner over our lives the last two or three years.”

For a long time, all the different aspects of their lives were spread out all over the DFW area of Texas. Their studio was far south, much of their steady worship leading opportunities were at a church in the heart of Dallas, and they were living a good jump from either of those. So they are in the process of bringing all of those components closer together so that doing life with the families, church community, and ministry partners is easier. Taking this step has made it easier to grow their efforts with The Worship Initiative more rapidly.

So what is The Worship Initiative and what does it look like for someone to participate or take advantage of these resources?

Basically, an individual can pay a yearly fee and access a list of over 150 (and constantly growing) worship songs that each have multiple tutorial videos and charts accompanying them. These videos break down how to play the songs in different keys, on different instruments, and with varying skill levels. A worship leader on staff at a church can also pay an annual group fee, based on the number of people, for his team to be able to access everything as well. There are also craft training videos for everything from the different instruments and vocals to tech/production and using the number system. If that’s not enough, the site has an entire section dedicated to heart training, where they break down all the different spiritual and practical components for worship leading with the likes of John Piper and Ben Stuart. There are even creative devotionals to accompany every song on the different TWI records. TheWorshipInitiative.com truly is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom for anyone looking to grow as a leader or team member, and there are still exciting things to come. Shane shared a bit about what’s ahead for TWI. “Our next phase of The Worship Initiative is to create what we’re calling learning paths. Some people love to be given a world of information to explore on their own. But most people would really love to be told what to do to get from point A to point B. We will take our existing content and add to it and give them a year long path to stick to and see measurable growth in both skill and leadership.”

Given the length of time and the platform they’ve had over these last two decades, I asked Shane how he feels his perspective of worship both personally and within the Church has evolved over the years.

“I think worship, and even the idea of worship, has come a long way, in a good way. I think we’ve seen a pretty good uptick on understanding the Romans 12:1 life of worship. I often think back to a time when I was leading worship in a basement or college dorm room for several years, and it was always the oddest songs ever.” He recalled singing, with hands lifted, Make It Right by Kenny Marks (and yes, I might’ve gotten a solid 30 second serenade over the phone . . . it’s fine!) and other obscure songs that really had no purpose or meaning to the one worshipping. Yet, what we see all throughout the Psalms is “this gut-wrenching, very honest, it is okay to pour out your heart to the one who cares for you mentality. . . and that language is okay.” He remembered hearing the words to Breathe for the first time, where it says “I’m desperate for you,” and thinking “is this okay to have this kind of language in front of people? But yes, it is okay even in a congregation or corporately to say ‘I am thirsty for You in a dry land where there is no water.’ In fact that can be really helpful to the person sitting next to you. That can be us ‘singing spiritual hymns and songs to one another’, just that opening up of the heart and the embracing of singing those honest songs and using them to allow ‘the message of Christ to dwell among us richly.’”

Learn more about The Worship Initiative, as well as Shane & Shane, at www.theworshipinitiative.com. Here at All About Worship, we believe in what these guys are doing and the ministry they are fostering. We can’t wait to partner with them in the future as God continues opening those doors.

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how doctors should balance traditional and alternative medicine, and they examine new research that explains why some people don’t experience COVID symptoms. Plus, they […]

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we examine the Islamic terrorist attack in San Bernardino and what's next in ISIS's war against America.

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we examine the Islamic terrorist attack in San Bernardino and what's next in ISIS's war against America.

Key questions to choose the right VoIP provider.

A wildland-urban interface area is, “that geographical area where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels.” Approximately a third of all housing units in the United States are located within an area that meets this definition.

Glass mat gypsum sheathing is common for commercial uses but rarer in residential construction

Tamlyn received the prestigious “Best Family-Owned Business” award from the Houston Business Journal.

Lucinda and Emily are joined by the outgoing chief of the RSPCA

Lucinda and Emily are joined by the outgoing chief of the RSPCA

The Florida Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association is holding its first annual Humanitarian Outreach Golf Tournament Fundraiser. The 2025 charity of choice is Tunnels to Towers. The tournament will take place on Jan. 29 at the Omni ChampionsGate National Course.

Research by the Directory of Social Change analyses governance reviews carried out by more than 1,100 users of its app

The Michel Bakhoum International Collaboration Award, founded in 2024, honors the memory of Prof. Michel Bakhoum, an ACI member and internationally known structural engineer, researcher and educator.

The fundraiser at the charity that uses music to work with vulnerable people talks to Third Sector

Washington – OSHA has released a bulletin with information on how to protect workers from carbon monoxide explosion hazards related to electric arc furnaces in the steelmaking industry.

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has approved two alternatives for complying with its rules on scissor lifts.

The External Pump is a single-button motorized sampling pump that gives any Gas Clip diffusion detector (single-gas and multi-gas) the ability to take remote samples from up to 75 feet away, drawing in air at 2 feet per second.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has determined that the annual training requirements outlined in its Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines rule supply “an experience sufficient to enable miners to apply their knowledge, other training and available written instruction to effectively use the refuge alternative in an emergency.”

Columnist Roy Pollack challenges professionals to test their knowledge in the latest 5 Minute Tech quiz.

Dahua Technology has received the Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15048) EAL 3+ certificate, along with ISO/IEC 27001 for Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27701 for Privacy Information Management System, and CSA STAR certifications. 

With the rapid spread of AI products and services, i-PRO said there has been a worldwide demand for companies to utilize AI responsibly.

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Itasca, IL — The Journal of Safety Research is offering free access – through February – to a special issue featuring select papers from the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has addressed all of the 100 corrective actions recommended in its 2012 internal review following the Upper Big Branch mine explosion in April 2010, the agency announced Jan. 13.

New York – A new set of guidelines has been published to help freelance journalists stay safe in dangerous areas of the world, including war zones.

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Many states require that an automated external defibrillator (AED) be onsite in all public buildings and doctors’ offices. How can an AED help keep my employees safe?

SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops and self-study workbooks. Take your career to the next level – get certified. (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST.)

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Washington — The Department of Transportation has issued a proposed rule that would revise industry drug testing protocol by adding oral fluid testing as an alternative to urine testing for commercial motor vehicle operators and workers in other safety-sensitive transportation positions.

Washington — The Department of Transportation has approved oral fluid drug testing as an alternative to urine testing for truck drivers and workers in other safety-sensitive transportation positions.

BMA International and its technology partner, Technowave International LLC, determined that the HID DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Reader met all their requirements.

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Does your workplace really need to be prepared for the possibility of a tornado? The answer is “Yes.” Tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time, OSHA states, adding that an average of 800 tornadoes are reported across the nation every year. So, what can employers do to help keep employees safe in the event of a tornado?

When is it appropriate to use the alternative protection measures outlined in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 in place of standard LOTO procedures?

SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops and self-study workbooks. Take your career to the next level – get certified! (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST.)

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SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops, self-study workbooks and software. Take your career to the next level – get certified (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST).

Click here for more information from SPAN International Training, LLC

Washington – The Department of Labor should consider alternatives to its proposal that would require federal contractors to provide paid sick leave to their workers, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy wrote in an April 6 letter.

Bologna, Italy – International scientific academy Collegium Ramazzini is emphasizing its position that all use of asbestos should be banned.

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SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops, self-study workbooks and software. Take your career to the next level – get certified (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST).

Click here for more information from SPAN International Training, LLC

SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops, self-study workbooks and software. Take your career to the next level – get certified (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST).

Click here for more information from Span International Training, LLC

Tornadoes can happen at any time of year but, depending on where you live, certain months see more activity. Are your workers prepared for a tornado warning?

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SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops and self-study workbooks. Take your career to the next level – get certified! (ASP, CSP, CHST, CHMM, OHST.)

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