On today's podcast, we're sitting down with some powerful women in the faith - Krissy Nordhoff and Amanda Blankenship.  We're talking about an important subject for church leaders in general, but especially Worship Leaders, the motivation of ministry.  Enjoy!

The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey).

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Today Dustin and James talk about all those pesky little distractions during worship. Is flag waving, pottery and painting true expressions of worship? I mean…really? Can someone be too loud during our praise and worship sets? Are these really distractions to us? Take a listen and let’s find out.

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The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship in partnership with WeAreWorship.

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theworshippodcast.com
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Fear. In my experience, and from what I’ve seen in other people’s lives, fear is a decision maker. For many of us it has made too many decisions. It has ruled our lives, our thought processes, and our actions. There are obviously different types of fears; rational and irrational, healthy and unhealthy. It’s the fear of things that haven’t happened yet that keep many people up at night. And that is not the kind of life Jesus promised. 

We’ve all heard the sermons about how God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, right? He gave us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, but why do we so easily forget this? As a worship leader/music director I’ve found that one of my biggest fears has been a fear of failure. A fear of looking stupid or not living up to the hype. It’s in these struggles with that kind of fear that I realized that I was trying to lean on so much of my strengths, that I wasn’t leaning on God as much. I was trying to figure out everything on my own. I was leaning on my own understanding…and in that, I realized that slowly a fear of failure had crept in. It wasn’t God’s fault. It was my own. This isn’t the only fear people deal with.

Many others deal with a fear of the unknown. Whether it’s moving to a new city, a new job, and new anything…people can get caught up in the whirlwind that is the unknown. The unknown affects a lot of people. In my life I have encountered many different types of people. I’ve met people who are very strategic. Everything is carefully planned out and the outcomes are able to almost be a sure thing. Fear can creep in if things don’t go as planned. Then there are people like me who prefer the spontaneous. The people who don’t have to have every detail of their life planned out. Typically this is a sign of a creative type person…and that’s me. However, fear can also creep in if we feel confined. Say we have to get a regular job. The fear of never reaching our full potential can cripple our creativity.

The common denominator is that when fear sets in, for most people, it changes their actions. They start to rely more on their own ways than to press into what God has. For me, prayer has been my lifeline during seasons of the unknown. To be in a season where you’re not sure what the next move needs to be can be scary, but I’ve learned to trust God. I’ve seen His hand move so many times in my life that I’m not afraid anymore to take a step of faith even if I’m not exactly sure what the next step is. 

Can you imagine what God would do through you if you stopped letting fear control your actions? Now, this isn’t a free pass to just go do something crazy. The Bible gives us clarity in that we must lean on His understanding. To trust in Him and to seek His righteousness. All I’m trying to get at is, fear of a lion is a healthy fear. Fear of not being good enough isn’t. It’s those fears that will keep many people from the destinies that God has called them into. It’s time to dream again, let those lungs breathe again. Stop allowing the voice of fear to be louder than the voice of God. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.  2 Timothy 1:7

Anyone who has been serving in the local church long enough knows that ministry is a 24/7 - 365 gig. There is no off-season. There are no slow months. And there definitely is no such thing as part-time. In fact, those times of the year when everyone else is enjoying extra time with family and friends, church leadership is usually pulling overtime like it’s a lifeline.

As I type these words, we are waist deep in the Christmas season. Trees are up and decorated. Garland is strung on anything that will sit still. Sales are in full bloom. On the church front children’s Christmas programs are wrapping up, Christmas Eve service times are being blasted all over social media, and worship leaders all over the world are trying to figure out the perfect set lists. 

That all sounds so simple, doesn’t it? 

If only that were the case. But for most people in church leadership, the Christmas season is anything but simple. I don’t know about you, but this year in particular seems uncharacteristically heavy. It feels like every time I turn around, I learn about someone else in my little corner of the world who is walking through something tragic . . . a death, job loss, divorce, a diagnosis, and the list goes on. Sure, there are plenty of wonderful things happening in the midst, but the fight every single day is to not let those wonderful things get overshadowed by the not-so-wonderful. And I have a feeling that until Jesus comes, that fight is going to get tougher every year. 

So as worship leaders, what role do we play in helping both our worship team members and the people we serve navigate a season that at times can feel more joyless than joyful? Unfortunately there is no secret formula, but I do have a few tips that might resonate with some of you who are entering into Christmas surrounded by people who are suffering, or even walking a tough road yourself.

1. Acknowledge the hurt.

A precious friend of mine lost her 2 1/2 year old little boy unexpectedly right before Thanksgiving this year. Not terribly long after his death, she posted a quote that basically said not to avoid mentioning him out of fear of somehow reminding her that he was gone. She hasn’t forgotten, and never will. Instead what you’re reminding her of is that he lived. The people around us who are hurting don’t wake up some days having forgotten what is going on. They don’t walk through the doors of our churches and suddenly feel all better. So what good does it do for us to tip toe and pretend like nothing is going on, whether face to face or from the stage? When the Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep, it doesn’t say anything about holidays being exceptions or saving it for certain settings. The church operates at her best when she comes around those hurting especially at times like these. So call it for what it is - painful - and you might be amazed at the new level of freedom that is felt in the room.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15

1. Give a reason to celebrate.

When everything is on the table and there is a rich sense of acceptance for everyone regardless of their mental, emotional, or spiritual state, the door to authentic celebration tends to open a little easier. It may not look the same as the person sitting next to them, but reminding them of the truths of who God is, what He’s done, and what He’s still doing will always prove fruitful - even if it’s just one more layer of doubt being broken off. At their lowest points, those who are hurting need to be reminded that there are still things in their lives to find joy in. Then once they are tapping into that joy that only comes from the Lord, they begin to experience a renewed strength they might not have thought was possible.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. - Nehemiah 8:10

1. Root it all in HOPE.

The most important piece to the puzzle of loving well those who are hurting is to keep everything established and fixed on HOPE. Nothing you say or do is going to make things all better for them or take their pain away, but the HOPE of Christ can and will move the needle. If a hurting person leaves your presence or your church service knowing and believing that things will not always feel this way and that Jesus is able to replace their suffering with victory, their pain with joy, and their grief with peace, then you’ve done your job well. So keep HOPE as your North Star. Center it all around the fact that a baby was born to change everything, that our current sufferings are not in vain, that He wastes nothing. 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Whether it’s someone on your team walking through the most painful time of his or her life or a family in your congregation experiencing a tragedy, you have been given the opportunity to breathe life back into a place where death has begun settling in. Pray for open eyes to see the hurt around you. Ask the Lord to open doors for you to speak into those lives. Make the most of those chances and watch the Holy Spirit do what He does best. 

Ok. It’s Christmas. It’s the weird time of year where everyone seems so jolly, kids are all well-behaved and the money flows like we are all Bill Gates. It can also be a stressful time of year for parents, teachers, leaders and especially Santa. It becomes super easy to complain and tell everyone how BAD things are...BUT! We can make this the best time of year for people everywhere! This truly is a magical season (and let’s all be reminded of WHY...hint: it’s Jesus), so lets make it so. Help spread the good cheer, so to speak.

So, here are James’ 5 simple ways NOT to be a scrooge (or insert appropriate adjective here) this year.

BE FRIENDLY.

Oh boy, I literally just felt you roll your eyes. Seriously though, this can be overlooked in so many ways. For instance; when was the last time you texted a friend for no reason but to say “I’m thinking about you and praying for your family this season!”. Ok, some of you do that, but what about to people that aren’t really your friends? Take a moment and scroll through your contacts list and see who you can reach out to just as a friendly person to say your thinking about them. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll make more friends and you’ll be giving someone a much needed boost during the day.

BUY STUFF.

Ok, this one is mainly for me. I LOVE presents. Who doesn’t? But, we all know someone around who might need something. Might be clothes, shoes, a jacket...or food. Maybe a neighbor you’ve seen who just moved in, or a friend you know would love a candle for their home. These little things add up and can express value to those around you.

GET TOGETHER.

C'mon people! Have people over to your house! ‘Tis the season for big meals! Hey, and if your house isn’t big enough, then meet at someone else's’! Getting together regularly strengthens friendships and keeps you out of isolation in a season when it's easy to hide away. Force yourself to be with other people on a regular basis.

LAUGH.

For the benefits of this, see my article on “Medicinal Laughter”. Trust me, laughing is good for you. For those of you that aren't funny (I know who you are), practice some jokes! Yes, practice. And practice bad jokes too. It sounds weird but even a poorly told joke, around good people, can lighten up the room and show you are willing to go the extra mile so those around you can laugh and have a good time.  For those of you that are funny, unleash the crazy.

NO COMPLAINING.

This is tough in today's society and culture. Complaining is almost a given. From politics to sports, family to work, we can cover the whole gamut. Make a conscious effort to try focusing on positives in regular conversations. Write down 5 good things that are happening in the world, or at work, or in your family and focus on those things in conversation. Not only will people respond favorably toward you, you’ll feel better too.

There you go. Some good starters for the season, and you might as well carry them through to the new year too. We can have enough battles to face ourselves over Christmas, we might as well not be a battle to someone else. Kapish? ...Kaposh.

Remember, all in all, that we are called to love people and love God. So be a good example of that moving forward!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Christmas, a time for reflection and awe for the upcoming…PRESENTS!! Wait, what? Just kidding, its for Jesus. Right? Join James and Dustin as we talk about the stresses of the Christmas season and how best to overcome it.

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The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship in partnership with WeAreWorship.

Subscribe to the podcast:
theworshippodcast.com
linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

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I heard a sermon the other day that was challenging. You know the ones that speak right to you? Ugh, I hate when they do that. The pastor started saying (paraphrased), “Trying to change the big things in your life ultimately fails. It’s very hard to do and it doesn’t work as well as changing the small or insignificant things. You see, small things/ideas/habits that you can effectively change will build up overtime to become one big massive change. We don’t usually see it until we look back throughout our lives and see how much has altered. So today, based on that, I decided to give some practical small things we can alter today that hopefully over time will become life changing.

1. Prayer.

Ooooh... this is a goody. Naturally, every pastor/leader/teacher/parent/theologian wants you to pray more. But when talking with friends and peers, it actually seems everyone does! So why don’t we? Well, to some, prayer can be daunting. What do I say? Is God really listening? All this takes is a small change. For example, commit to praying for 5 mins alone everyday. Doesn’t matter when, just that you can commit to the 5 minutes. Then after a while, go for 10 minutes. Then go from there. If you want to cultivate that prayer life, start small.

2. Reading

The Bible, John Grisham, or Marie Kondo, I don’t care (well the Bible is something you should read, just sayin’). Start small. Maybe a few verses a day, or a chapter. Build that up over time and don’t allow the excuse of “I have no time” to rule you! I did this many years ago. I committed to read my bible daily, which at that point was a miracle. After one month I was hooked. God began speaking clearly through his word and honestly, life got better. Try it. But start small.

3. Food.

Well, here I go hitting a nerve. Mainly in my right heart valve. Losing weight is hard to do. Working out? Hard to do. Unless.... you start…. small. You’re getting it. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Find a buddy to walk with, or when you go out, only order from the kids meal. Having a community that has your best interests at heart makes this easier, so take the small step and get people together to be active, and stay accountable. Start small and grow from there. I mean, not grow as in waistline... you know what I mean.

4. HAVE SOME STINKING FUN

I recently started posting random out of context bible verses on my Instagram (@njgalbraith) just as a way to have fun and let others enjoy the process. I’ve received many messages saying this is the highlight of their day! It didn’t take much for me to put it out there (or for you to go watch them) but the small step I took to try and give people some laughs is paying off. Who knows where it will end up, but I started small and am letting God grow it with me. You may have something just like that. That thing that makes people laugh or have fun. Do something small (like send a mass meme text to friends?) and see where the fun takes you!

So start putting these into practice today. Like, right now. NOW. And apply this to anything you have in your life that you want to succeed in. Businesses, relationships, church, anything! Start small, and see where God leads you.

Managing creatives can be a tough job, throw in the element of youthfulness and it can be downright chaotic! So, how should we managing those wanting to be all they can for God without all the wild and crazy, or is the wild and crazy a good thing?

So many questions! Take a listen as James and Dustin tackle this important but needed topic.

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The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship in partnership with WeAreWorship.

Subscribe to the podcast:
theworshippodcast.com
linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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