From a headless horseman to DunKings to Barbie.

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One is in Massachusetts.

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A new ranking by HomeToGo highlights affordable skiing slopes in New England.

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According to city officials, 87,351 visited on Oct. 31 alone.

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It is "one of the most picture-perfect places to go for Christmas."

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What's more, guests who book an overnight stay can score lift tickets for free.

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The woman said a group of young men insulted her appearance, gloated about Trump's victory, and prevented her from driving away.

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A Tufts professor reportedly said they would no longer send students to Moulton's office for internships, but the university refuted the report.

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Stefanik, 40, who serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has long been one of Trump's most loyal allies in the House, and was among those discussed as a potential vice presidential choice.

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Homan was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border and Trump’s pledge to launch the largest deportation operation in the country's history.

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Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.

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“Either you stand with the powerful oligarchy of our country, or you stand with the working class. You can’t represent both.”

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Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 and has staked out a position as a foreign policy hawk, taking hard lines on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba in particular.

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<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="5"><b>Pune FC decry format change by AIFF for under-15 event</b></font><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="5"><b><br></b></font></div><div><span name="advenueINTEXT" id="advenueINTEXT" style="text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="storydiv" id="storydiv" style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); line-height: 17px; float: left; margin-right: 20px; "><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">MUMBAI: The <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pune-FC&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Pune FC</a> Under-15 squad would not figure in this year's <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Manchester-United-Premier-Cup&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Manchester United Premier Cup</a> (MUPC) following a change in its format by the All India Football Federation. <br><br>The AIFF has restricted the tournament to one club per state. <br><br>"In a shocking development, the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/All-India-Football-Federation&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">All India Football Federation</a> (AIFF) and the sponsors of the tournament - leading sports apparel manufacturer <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Nike&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Nike</a> - decided to restrict the tournament to one club per state," a media release from Pune FC said, adding that the club to represent Maharashtra was chosen by a draw of lots in which <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Premier-International-Football-Academy&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Premier International Football Academy</a> of Mumbai got lucky. <br><br>"In the past editions of this one-of-a-kind tournament, all <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/I-League&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">I-League</a> clubs received invitations in lieu of the tournament, national body and sponsors objective of promoting grassroot talent (particularly Under-15s) of I-League clubs," said the club which added the change in format was not communicated to the I-League clubs by AIFF. <br><br>"The change was not informed to clubs. At least we (Pune FC) did not receive any intimation and came to know about the change late Thursday evening. It's very disappointing on the part of the National body," said Pune FC's Head Operations, Chirag Tanna. <br><br>This year's MUPC is to be held at Jamshedpur in the last week of this month. <br><br>"As if changing the format is not enough, the selection process for Maharashtra by the state body<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Western-India-Football-Association&quot; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Western India Football Association</a> (WIFA) was conducted by a lucky draw! Premier International Football Academy (PIFA), Mumbai got lucky and will represent the state as per the 'one-club-per-state' format," the club said, adding it had used the tournament to promote Pune city players in the last four years of MUFC. <br><br>"The tournament provided players their first touch of professionalism. Moreover, it attracted a lot many to the game with the hope of performing and showcasing talent on a national-level platform early," Tanna said. <br><br>"I can only imagine how disappointed the players feel. They have been training regularly since July 2011 and these whimsical decisions taken will only hurt the popularity of the sport," he added.</div><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; "><br></div><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">________________________________________________________________</div><div class="Normal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; "><font face="'Arial Black'">What bull****. Yet another reason why youth football will never do well. We can say "Oh we have these FIFA Academies" but what about at Indian club youth level. This tournament should be for any team that meets a criteria. No matter how many teams from each state.</font></div><div style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; "><br></div></div></span></div>

Warning, bubble bursting, thoroughly raw post commencing now...read no further if you by some chance hold us Farrens in some undeserved place of sainthood. (Which if you do, this should help adjust that a bit).

My truly amazing daughter Madison and I got into a spectacular fight this last Saturday. And If you know the Farrens at all, you know that we are a very passionate clan...we love big, and we fight big. And to be fair, this test of wills did not ensue over some small frivolous matter. No, this “ruin a whole day miserable” episode was wrapped around the intricacies and responsibilities of adulthood, or more to my very loudly made point, the lack thereof. 

The reality is I could not be more proud of Madison, who is 21 this July, and lives almost an hour away about to start her Senior year of college. She's a bonafide rockstar in my book, but even still, some things just need to be said right?!

Of course as with any epic fight, it escalated quickly, and lasted longer than it should have. I was right, (yep, still sticking to my guns on that) but my delivery was less than desirable. There may or may not have been some slamming of fist on tables, and through a litany of now regretted words I finally had the last word…but at a heavy emotional cost to us both.

But here is the real kicker, of all the weekends for this to happen, it just so happens that this was the weekend Madison and I were scheduled to lead worship together the following Sunday morning...oh the maddening mystery of Divine timing. 

We did not speak the rest of the day after this episode, and due to a party we were both attending that evening she ended up spending the night and riding with me to church. It was a somber start of a morning to say the least. 

As we were walking across the parking lot into the church, I asked Madison why we would still show up to lead worship even after having such a crappy weekend, and she replied quickly, "Because He is still worthy of our worship". Well said daughter, well said.

But as we continued into the building, her response got me thinking about something in a completely different way. Even after all my years of leading worship, knowing full well that it has nothing to do with my worth or perfection, I will admit to still wrestling the question of hypocrisy every time I step onto the stage in a broken or messy state of being. 

But it's not just a worship pastor problem. I would make a very unscientific yet experienced observation that roughly half of all attendees walk into church on any given Sunday feeling more or less hypocritical. But prompted by the Holy Spirit, just before the second service started I actually read for maybe the first time the actual Webster's definition of a hypocrite. Here goes...Hypocrite: "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs". And just like that, for the first time I truly got it. 

Week after week I stand and declare that God is great and worthy of all of my adoration and praise. Sunday after Sunday, I passionately exhort almost 600 other people to join me in that refrain. And showing up and continuing to sing about His greatness even after a really rough weekend is the one thing keeping me from being a hypocrite...because for me to keep silent or stay away would most certainly classify me by the definition of "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs". If He was worthy of praise last Sunday, He's still worthy of it this Sunday, in spite of me. His love and affection for me has never wavered, and so neither should my response to it. My belief in who He is remains the same. Declaring the greatness of our God in our times of greatest brokenness and mess does not make us hypocrites...it makes us believers!

Harsh as it may sound, for the first time ever I now see that there are way more hypocrites at home on Sunday than are sitting in the pews. And I'd rather stand with my hands raised next to messy, broken, yet hope filled people, than become a hypocrite. I refuse to let the enemy blackmail me with his lies and accusations...if we have placed our belief in the goodness and kindness of the one true God, let's stop behaving in a way that disagrees with that belief.

Show up. And not just on Sunday, but every day. Make the enemy eat his words. Take back your God given righteousness. Stand on your brokenness and lift an even louder praise...no longer bridled by guilt or shame...we are hypocrites no more!

Interview w/ Paul Bloche by Steven Reed

The ministry of Paul Baloche has literally touched the lives of millions of people around the globe. His 1997 song, “Open The Eyes of My Heart” is still in the CCLI top 100. We caught up with Paul over the phone this week to ask him about life, keys to longevity in ministry, and about his new album that just released on October 7th. With the bustling sounds of a New York street in the background, one of the most influential worship leaders humbly imparted some incredibly massive wisdom for any worship leader to follow. How to stay fresh, hear the voice of God, how to reach millennials, where the best worship songs come from and much more. Read the interview here and get ready to take some notes. 

All About Worship: Paul thanks for taking the time to talk to us today.

Your ministry has had such a massive platform over so many decades that some people consider you the ‘Godfather of Modern Worship’ and yet others may just now be learning about you.

When you meet people for the first time how do you describe what you do?

Paul: I try to help others worship through songs and training resources. Really, I just want to help others worship. That’s the simple answer. I leave it up to them if they want to Google my name and see the rest.

It also depends if they are a stranger or a believer. If my Jewish neighbor were to ask me, “Hey Paul, what do you do?” To keep the conversation alive I would maybe say, “I’m a musician. That I play guitar and write songs”, cause you if you tell someone right off the bat that, “I do Christian music” it shuts it down right away.

All About Worship:  For those of us who have such a rich history in worshiping God to the songs you’ve written, what is your response to the gratitude people express? 

Paul: I think people are very kind and I’m always super encouraged in my spirit, not for my ego but in my spirit. I’m especially encouraged when people comment about the training resources that I made years ago by faith, as it almost seemed presumptuous to make them. I thought, “Who am I to make a guitar video? You know, Phil Keaggy should be making this,” but it was just a desire to pass on some things I’ve learned.

It’s really gratifying to meet people, who are in their 20’s whose dad had a set of my VHS videos, back before YouTube and all. To have them say something like, “I grew up learning guitar and worship from watching your videos and now I’m a worship pastor at such a church in such a city.” That just blows me away

Then there is another group of folks that have been touched by a certain song and again, usually, they are very kind. They will share some personal story about some sort of difficult time in their life when maybe one of the songs really helped them to process and get through. That again is humbling and super encouraging.

But for myself, I feel disconnected at this point. Not trying to be Mr. Humble here, but it’s a true feeling. I had a part in delivering those songs, almost like a mid-wife or something. I kind of helped birth the song but eventually the song grows up and becomes and adult and gets translated into 10 different languages. It becomes objective and I can appreciate it like, “Hey good for you little song, way to go!”

All About Worship: What does God have you doing in the season of life?

Paul: God has me continuing to be a husband of what will be 30 years next year, a dad, and recently a granddad. Just had a little grandson, so that’s on my mind. I want to stay healthy physically and spiritually. Live a healthy life to be available to my immediate family and have the energy to serve in ministry until God taps me on the shoulder and says that I’m done.

New York become home for us last year. After 26 years in the same church, same neighborhood, we moved to New York really because our kids grew up and then moved to here and to Philadelphia. Seeing the empty bedrooms and having the feeling like 25 years is maybe a good time, while the church is healthy and after the 2nd generation of worship leaders had been trained, to hand it over. We tested the waters a bit and thought, “let’s go down the road.”

You know Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your steps.” We’d all love a parchment to fall out the sky with the will of God written on it. Usually, it’s a bit more difficult. I find taking little steps towards the leaning of your heart, while acknowledging the Lord daily, and if you don’t feel any resistance or breaks then you should keep moving in that direction.

It’s almost like your computer when you’ve got all these windows and tabs open and it’s getting kind of crazy. You think, “I need to close things down and reboot.” That’s kind of what we did. Rebooted. Here we are. Plugged into a local church. Not working there or on staff but I attend and worship. Then occasionally I’ll look up and see they need a bass player and I jump in. It’s been fun. I’ve led a couple times when the main person is out of town. Just recently I’ve become a staff member of a church in Chicago where I lead 8-10 times a year and are a part of their team, the projects, and get to speak into the life of their ministry.

All About Worship: You’ve led worship around the world, recorded many albums, written many songs, and helped so many people with your training. Is there any one of those that is more your passion than the others?

Paul: I do love the training, equipping, and the encouraging of leaders, especially next generation leaders. So it’s Pastoral. I always feel like more of a pastor anyway.  It’s not like I’m an amazing singer anyway. I’m good enough to lead worship and I’m really glad I get to do a project. Those are all wonderful. 

All About Worship: Has that changed over time?

Paul: It’s almost like the process of breathing. There is an inhale and an exhale. It feels like the leading worship, the prayer, the preparation, and the leading is like an inhale. Then your lungs expel the air and then out comes new songs, training, and ministry. You kind of can’t have the one without the other. You can’t exhale all the time. I can’t see myself not leading worship because to me it’s where the best songs begin. You’re not trying to write a clever song but you’re just worshiping God and then, in the midst of worship, out of your mouth comes a line that sounds sincere. You say, “Hey that’s worth spending some time with and seeing if a song might arise.”

All About Worship: Would you say there is a key to your relevance and longevity of ministry?

Paul: Adapt or die: musically and spiritually! Just having your natural and spiritual ear to the wind to discern when things are changing. I would say that in the last 5 years I’m just paying attention to the 20 some-things, for one because my kids are that age. I’m looking for the things most of them resonate with and the things they have rejected in terms of their expression of worship. 20 some-things don’t have much patience for entertainment. They are not really looking to be entertained, in general. Though there will always be a percentage of people who are. They are looking for something authentic and transparent even if it doesn’t all look pretty and shinny. They would rather have the honesty. So I’m challenged by that and am trying to grow. Even in my spiritual life I want to continue to grow and adapt and not be stuck.

I’m having an open mind to the idea that what may have been effective in ministry before may not be as effective now. What might be a bit outdated could be worth being updated. I’m not saying that you got to be a 25 year old kid again and make a fool of yourself, but I’m saying just be open and pay attention. 

All About Worship: Your new album drops on October 7th. What is the focus of this project?

Paul: The focus has never really changed for me. I’m a local church guy, that all I know. I never had an agent and never had a manager. I’ve always seen myself as a local church guy and not an artist. Not that there’s anything wrong with being an artist. There are true artist out there, but I’m a worship pastor that gets to do a worship album every year and half. The focus is always to help others worship. I want to write songs that when people read the lyric, when they hear the song, and feel the experience it helps them engage emotionally and spiritually in every way.  I would say that sounds generic and yet it’s not. It’s always been the focus. It’s sounds too simple but that’ the bull’s-eye.

All About Worship: What’s you’re favorite song on this project and why?

Paul: That’s hard. It’s like saying whose your favorite child? That sounds like, “Oh come on now Paul,” but it’s still really fresh. These 12 songs have received a lot of time, attention, and care over the last 9 months, it’s still so early. In each one of them there are things about it that I look at and say, “Yep, that’s why you made the team.”  If the album is like a football team you intentionally make them different because you don’t want 12 quarterbacks. You need some running backs and some blockers and someone to play defense. So I think on an album, I like to shoot for the variety.  We need some outer court songs. I find those challenging to write. An up-tempo happy song that‘s not cheesy. I feel like “Psalm 92” and “Found In You” are two songs you could start your service with.

You can’t have an entire album of intense songs, but there are a couple of songs that are deeper. “I Will Worship You” and “Your Mercy” are more confessional, more about acknowledging the reality of life. Most of us have the season where we’ve lost our way or turned our eyes and got distracted but God, Your mercy.

All About Worship: We asked some people to submit questions via social media and so here are a few questions:

@sarahahopkins asked: What is the most important lesson you have learned in ministering to others through music?

Paul: The most important lesson is appreciating the mystery of how powerful music is in the context of God’s spirit. I’m always surprised because, as a musician you’re around it so much that, we can forget how much of an effect it has on people. I’ve found myself diminishing that. Then I’m just amazed when you hear from people about how they are impacted by the song you’ve written or the songs you’ve led. Like someone coming up in tears to the worship pastor and saying how much it means to them.

@jeffdlivsey asked: What are some “North Stars” or “Guiding Principles” you have?

Paul: So heavy, but I like being put on the spot here. Wow! It’s sounds so cliché but you got to start with the word of God. In terms of a “North Star” it is becoming steeped in the scriptures. Doing Col 3:16, “letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” I know in my 20’s I did a lot of studying and memorization. We were also writing a lot of scripture memory songs at the time. There are so many scriptures that I can’t forget. I’ve read them and sang them so many times that as soon as I hear the first two words I know them. It needs to be said because it can be overlooked. We’re looking for the next book from the next leader and that’s all good but we really need to be reading a Psalm, a Proverb, and something out of the New Testament every day. Then you can work the Old Testament stories and the Pentateuch. Try to memorize passages. I used to use 3x5 cards. Sermon on the mount, Mathew 5-7, is so rich. Get it off the page and into your heart, off the page and into your mind. If you read through the NIV then next year do another version. Be a student of the word. Listen to the Bible on tape. Not that they have those anymore. Ha that’s hilarious, cassette tape!

@KelsieR95 asked: Worship leaders have a fine line between leading worship and performing. How have you found the middle ground?

Paul: I think this answer has evolved over the years. It’s too easy to say, “Oh yeah we don’t want to be performing we just want to lead worship.” Which of course, but we can’t deny, whether we call it performing or not, there is a role to play. I liken it to a waiter or waitress. When they come to your table and they have a good attitude and they offer great service. Is he performing? He’s bringing the best version of himself because he has a role to play. Maybe he’s having a bad day but because of what his job is, he has to bring the best.

As worship leaders we have to comfortable. The performing aspect would include being able to stand on a platform with an instrument or microphone and relax in that role. It needs to be like driving a stick shift. To be able to put the clutch in and shift gears without even thinking about it. To get there, we can’t kid ourselves, you have to practice performance. In a mirror or videotape your services and see how you come across. Maybe you have some weird quirk or something is a little awkward. You can even ask some close friends about things that seem funny to them.

You practice your performance just like you’d practice your guitar so it’s become more realistic, more natural, and you don’t have to think about it anymore. Then you can be relaxed and be thinking about what’s going in the room. What do I sense from the Lord? What feels like the right thing to do? Do I pray or go onto the next song?

You’ll be a much better ministry when the practical is second nature. Well, that is, becoming second nature because frankly I still struggle. I have to play in two days and I get a little nervous. I need to practice so I don’t choke. It never goes away.

Check out more about Paul Baloche, his music, and training resources on his website http://www.paulbaloche.com

Have you heard the news? Christmas IS ON A SUNDAY this year! It doesn’t happen again till 2022 and then again in 2033,2039 and 2050. But like it or not, it’s a reality in the here and now. So what are you going to do about it?

The last time Christmas was on a Sunday was in 2011. Back then a LifeWay Research poll of 1,000 Protestant pastors, 91% were planning on having a service of some kind on Christmas Sunday morning. While 69% said they were also going to have a Christmas Eve service. Of the estimated 9%, who were not planning on having a service, some made national headlines when they decided to cancel.

You might have noticed the term, “service of some kind,” as many churches had modified their regular activities to allow for people to participate in both their family traditions and attend a church service. Many had elected to only do one “family service” (which offered no separate children’s programs) held later in the morning. This was to minimize the demands on volunteers but also to be together on a special day.

This was the approach that my church took in 2011. To say the least, I was a bit skeptical at first. Thinking that few would come and after all the work that goes into Christmas Eve I was not excited about showing up early the next morning. But I can honestly say it was one of the best Christmas’s. First of all, we left everything in place from the night before so we didn’t have to set anything up. Then, like I previously mentioned, the service was later in the day, which allowed for Christmas morning traditions, presents, and breakfast. So that after the wrapping paper had been torn to shreds we actually had something to do. The service lasted about an hour. The worship team did two Christmas songs, we had the kids do a few special songs to tracks, which all the parents and grandparents loved (also brought their family out to church) and didn’t require a bunch of prep or costumes. Our Pastor shared a short message of hope. Not to sound overly spiritual here but it really was a very spiritual moment to be in church on Christmas. After the service concluded we exchanged Christmas greetings with our church family and then headed home to play with new toys, eat again, and spend the day with family.

No matter what you choose to do this Christmas, we just wanted to make you aware it was coming so you could plan. Also wanted to share some thoughts and experiences, but we really wanted to get the conversation started. What did your church do on Sunday Morning Christmas 2011? What worked and what didn’t?  What are you going to do this year?

Leave a comment below or hit us up on twitter.

I still pick out an Easter dress. While I am well past the age of ruffles and bows (mostly), it is a tradition that I just can’t bring myself to discard. It’s the last of these kinds of traditions from my childhood that survived into my adult life. And though my vehement grasp on my Easter clothing habits may seem a little silly, if you are in any way familiar with church, you are most likely well aware of the unspoken difference between Easter and every other Sunday of the year. Traditions vary, and memories are as individual as the people that possess them, but generally Easter is a day set aside for family, fun, and, at its core, taking a moment to really reflect on and celebrate the massive sacrifice that saved us. So yes, I remember the dresses and the overflowing Easter baskets, but more so I remember my mother sitting in the floor with us reading the story of the crucifixion, explaining the verses to us so that we could begin to really understand the gift we have been given. Easter Sunday is not just another Sunday, and that distinction can be felt across denominations, locations, demographics, and most any other factor, and if you are someone involved in church planning, it stands to reason that you have experienced the stark contrast between preparing for this particular Sunday as opposed to the rest. After all, on top of being a day that marks such an integral and sacred event to the Christian faith, churches can expect a doubling or even tripling in attendance by many visitors for whom this will be one of two church visits (including Christmas) over the entire year.

So how does that factor that in? Where do we find the balance between a new audience with an entirely different set of needs and the spiritual journey of the regular Sunday morning crowd? With such an emphasis placed on this day, questions and concerns arise from just about any staff of any church dedicated to making the most of this exceptionally unique opportunity. For insight on how to steward this chance, I spoke to Michael Farren, a Grammy nominated writer who spends almost every Sunday with the congregation he has been leading in worship for upwards of a decade.

AAW: Just to start, what are your overarching thoughts on Easter?

Michael: I love Easter, but the reality is, the power of Easter is there every Sunday, and every other day for that matter; it just so happens that culturally, Easter is a day where people actually slow down long enough to remember that something significant happened.

AAW: So how do you plan for Easter differently knowing that there is a cultural weight assigned to the day?

Michael: There’s no way around the fact that, again, culturally, people tend to go to church on Easter and Christmas in Western Civilization and in our context, America for sure. So, churches have just come to use it as an opportunity to introduce the gospel, or at the very least, remind people of the gospel when they walk in that one time a year. So, we do try our best to optimize the simple telling of what Easter is about and so, whether that’s songs or generally. Also, the message during our services on Easter, it’s very intentional that we present the gospel again because we know that there will be many, many there that haven’t been to church in a very long time.  If you haven’t been to church in a long time that can be for a lot of reasons, but more than likely its because you don’t have the connect with the God of resurrection

Me: What specific measures or actions do you take that differ from a regular Sunday when planning for Easter?

Michael: We’re going to make sure that all songs and all conversation that day reflect the simple gospel that people that particular day especially. We don’t run with other topics, we run with this is what happened on Easter, this is the power that was released on Easter, just knowing that there’s going to be a ton of people there that don’t know the message, or have forgotten the message or don’t know the power of the message and you don’t want to squander that opportunity to reach more people.

In the end, each church is different, but whether you meet in a school, a warehouse, a one hundred year old church, a barn; whether you are leading six people or six hundred; the gospel remains the same. The power of what we celebrate on Easter is unchanging. The God at the center of the story is unwavering. As daunting as the facts can be, as wildly unpredictable as the attendance is, as intimidating as it sometimes sounds, Easter truly is an unparalleled opportunity. One Sunday in April, churches everywhere get to open their doors to people who may not have set foot in a place like theirs for literally decades, people who might not even know why they wandered in, people who may even be hearing the story of their redemption for the first time. While the incredible significance of what we celebrate on Easter is present every day, it can’t be denied that this holiday carries a special weight. So, churches, as you dive into the process of planning for this day, I would encourage you to take a moment, step beyond the set lists, the bullet points, the logistics, and every other minute technical aspect of this visitor-heavy service, and just let it sink into your spirit how beyond amazing it is to not only have received this gift beyond measure, but to have the chance to give and re-give it to every starving heart that still needs to receive; and on Easter, they come right to you. 

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow worship leaders, pastors, and the like…

There is a looming presence beckoning our attention as we ease our way into the Spring season. For some, it comes as a friend, a welcome celebration of life, family, and chocolate-coated vermin.

For others, this presence bodes agony, tension, and the undeniable stench of livestock threatening carpeted aisles. (Yes. We see you Passion Play preachers and your hosanna palm donkey entrance. We love you most.)

That’s right. EASTER is around the corner, and we know you feel it in all its weight and glory.

As worship leaders, it is our job to pave the way, to set up hearts for reception and change. Easter is a time to take chances and make risky musical choices. It’s a time when many non-churchgoers feel compelled to tradition and embrace the Sunday morning as it was originally intended. Lives are changed in donkey entrances and 8-part harmonies. At least, that seems to be the pressure we place on ourselves.

We plan sets, structure messages, and build light cues months in advance, creating an atmosphere of complete and total intentionality.

However, sometimes, in the midst of all the Easter hustle, we lose the Easter heart.

During this hectic season, we tend to see things through worship service blinders. High expectations have been placed upon us, and our focus becomes living up to that standard. While there is nothing wrong with preparing and executing a pristine worship service, sometimes we miss what’s beyond our blinders’ view.

You see, Easter is a time of celebration. It’s a time of reflection and appreciation for Christ’s atonement. Easter is a recognition of Jesus’ love, grace, and freedom. Yet, so often in this season we find ourselves burdened, overstressed, and exhausted. When we are vulnerable in this way, we tend to lose perspective and turn all focus inward.

Because of this hustled heart, we risk dishonoring those who honor us through this process: our volunteers.

Without volunteers, Easter service would be an impossible feat. We all know this. The value they offer, the time they spend, the sacrifices they make all reflect the beauty of this holiday.

So in the midst of the hustle and bustle, how can we show them their worth? How can we take our eyes off our task list for a moment? How can we come beside them and gift them with encouragement? How can we create an environment that honors those who give their time for Kingdom work? Let’s dig in…

1| PLAN AHEAD

You’ve planned the light cue for the closing crescendo of “Arise My Love,” as well as every color coordination for choir members. Bless it. The Planning Center has been updated to a state of perfection, not a single detail misplaced. Well done! We rejoice in your details! Now, what do you plan on feeding the 20 band members, worship leaders, and 75 count children’s choir you promised could sing the special? Ah yes, details.

To honor our volunteers is to plan ahead. Make a list, be practical and anticipate the needs of the Easter Sunday. Will you need to provide food? Where will the volunteers’ green room be held? Have you properly and frequently communicated with all members of your team? Have you delegated tasks to team members who have giftings in areas you are weak? (THERE’S A TIP.) Are volunteers aware of rehearsal times in advance? Have you discussed Easter dress code?

These are simple questions, and we are sure you’ve already covered these details, however it is important to make sure you prepare the systems prior to the day so your focus can be on loving them well, and blessing your church.

Another way to plan ahead is prayer. This can seem like an obvious one, however with volunteers in mind, it is extremely overlooked. We pray over the setlist and day of harvest. But do we go through our list of volunteers one by one and call them out by name? Do we take the time to lift up each individual and pray over their role on Easter Sunday? Our job as worship leaders sometimes lies in intercession for our worship family. Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity to pray over those the Lord’s entrusted to you.

How about honoring your worship volunteers with a small gift of appreciation? This is an amazing and simple way of showing you care and see their involvement. Whether it be a handwritten note, or even a gift card to an ice cream shop, a small token can move mountains when it comes to honor. Begin thinking of things you can do to bless your team.

2| STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN

You’ve planned ahead, you have the details covered. You’ve delegated tasks and found thoughtful ways to show your volunteers you care. Now is the time to start stopping, looking, and listening.

As you walk through long nights of rehearsal and multiple email threads, it’s important to open your eyes to the family in front of you. Our view can get cloudy as the stress rises, so it’s vital to remain intentional as the process of Easter service begins.

If a volunteer has an idea, a thought, a recommendation, don’t dismiss it. Appreciate the feedback, stop and listen to the heart behind the conversation. Look around every once in awhile and find those that might reside on the outskirts, those that may be new to the team or simply not as plugged in. Keep your heart prepared for these moments. Be actively looking for places to serve your team and bless their experience in the midst of the hustle.

3| EMBRACE THE FAMILY

This one might be negated due to service timing and/or pastoral direction, but if possible, do your best to involve volunteer families in the Easter preparations. Create an event that honors those who give up their spouse, children, or sibling for the Kingdom that week.

Have an “after party celebration” for the team, a time to decompress and enjoy each other post-service. Allow the family to be present for rehearsals or enjoy a meal with the team between services. Remember, Easter is a family-centered holiday, so do your best to find ways to honor that time spent.

4| OFFER GRACE

So the soloist forgot her lyric, or the keys player spilled his morning brew all over the cherry red Rhodes. Mistakes, spills, nerves, there is no escaping these little inevitables. Things are going to happen, people are going to be people. Early mornings and long days provide a variety of personality disorders. Close quarters and high stakes tend to bring out the “bless their hearts” in all of us.

As a worship leader, our job is to take on these little moments of joy and move forward with an attitude of grace. Someone talks about you in a negative light? Grace. The mic batteries aren’t freshly changed? Grace. The food is cold because it was set out at the wrong time? GRACE.

Easter is literally the STORY of grace, so let’s take a cue from our blessed Savior and walk through this day in a spirit of love and laughter. Make the experience a joy for everyone you encounter.

5| REMEMBER THE WHY BEHIND THE WHAT

In the midst of the hustle, DO NOT LOSE THE HEART. Why are we breaking our necks for this one day? Why do we place so much pressure on this service? The why behind the what is simple. Salvation. Grace. Love. Truth. All of these things are emphasized during the Easter season, and the Gospel story is typically told in a way that refreshes and revives.

Worship leaders lead this charge of joy and celebration. We take that baton and run the race with passion and enthusiasm. Are we communicating this passion to our teams? Are we passing this baton, or are we attempting to run this “why” alone?

Take time prior, during, after the Easter service to bombard your team with the reason behind this season. Paint the picture, help them to catch that vision. Once they do, the details, the grace, the exhaustion, it all becomes understood. It all becomes a welcome part of the process, because no longer are songs simply being sung. Battles are being WON.

Volunteers are a blessing, a rare gift, a blessed star in the midst of what sometimes can feel like a long night. Take care of them. Love them. Show them grace and build them up in ways they never experience outside the church. Make this team a family. If it’s not one already, this could be the start.

Love HARD this Easter season, and remember Who you’ve been called to reflect. Be vulnerable, be real, show passion, bleed for this cause and these people. Make Easter a season of peace and honor. And always remember the heart behind the hustle.

For local churches around the globe, the countdown to one of the most widely attended weekends has begun! Set lists are being finalized, service flows are being negotiated, sermon outlines are being pored over, and eggs are being filled by the dozen. While families all over are making their Sunday afternoon plans and working out lunch menus, you are neck-deep in planning, rehearsing, and decision-making. Holiday weekends like Easter have and always will look a lot different for Church leadership than it does for those they serve. So how do you approach these seasons without giving the enemy a foothold to rob you of every ounce of joy and motivation?

I took the chance to pick the brain of someone who has been on the front lines of the worship war for several decades now. David Parker is the Worship & Creative Arts Pastor at 121 Community Church located in Grapevine, TX. Not only is David a dear friend of mine, but I also had the privilege of serving on his worship staff team for 12 years until our family moved to Tennessee at the end of last year. So I had a front row seat to watch this man in action on a weekly basis and, trust me, he is a wealth of wisdom when it comes to donning multiple hats while managing to keep his head above water. Here’s what he had to say about managing all the moving parts with grace and clarity.    

AAW: For the sake of context, tell us a little about your experience as a worship leader up 'til now. How long have you been leading and in what capacities?

DP: I’ve been leading worship since I was in sixth grade. I would lead worship for my Sunday School class every week before we went to Bible study. From there I continued to lead throughout high school for various events that churches would invite me to. Some friends and I started a band and played anywhere we could. We definitely weren’t very good! But through that experience I ended up being invited to lead a VBS at a great church in Houston. As a result, I interned at that church for two summers where I received incredible mentorship from some amazing people. When I left for college at Texas A&M I led worship at what used to be called the B.S.U. Area churches began inviting me to lead at student events. I traveled more and more throughout college doing more and more events. In 1993 I joined up with Al Denson and Celebration Ministries to travel throughout the country leading worship for student events. During that time God gave me the privilege to be a part of some amazing movements in Buffalo, NY, the early Student Life Camps, Hot Hearts Texas, Georgia Super WOW, Youth Evangelism Conferences and churches all over.  Around 2000 I began leading in a rotation of worship leaders at my home church, 121 Community Church. Over the next year or two God called me away from the road and I have been the Worship & Creative Arts Pastor at 121 ever since. All in all, I’ve been leading worship for about 34 years.

AAW: What would you say is the biggest difference between leading in the local Church versus traveling to lead at various events?

DP: I truly loved traveling while God had me in that role, but as I look back, He was preparing me to be a worship leader for the local church. When I was traveling, I loved the great relationships I was privileged to develop with wonderful people, but for me, I felt too much like I was on an island. It was difficult to stay connected to my local church. I found myself leading songs that I knew people would know while I was on the road. Conversely, in the local church, there have been more opportunities to grow in different directions musically and creatively. Additionally, I have an amazing team that works together to help lead people to truly encounter God in worship. To be a part of a team like ours is a constant source of refreshment and encouragement.

AAW: With Easter right around the corner, I’m sure your workload has amped up quite a bit. What are a few ways that you hang on to your own personal joy during seasons like this?

DP: This is a truly unique season for me. As we approach this Easter, we are also moving our entire church into a new building. Needless to say, this has been an exciting and exhausting time. I absolutely love Easter and the opportunity to share the Gospel with people who have never heard it. This is where I derive my personal joy even when the work is exhausting. The reward far outweighs the sacrifice!

AAW: We all know that the spouses and children of church staff members sacrifice a lot during these seasons as well. How do you maintain peace and cling to the message of Easter as a family during one of the busiest time of the year for you?

DP: One of the big things we do as a family is try to include everyone in the preparations for Easter and other special times that require a ton of my time. That way we get to celebrate together by serving together. Another practice I try to maintain is to make sure to make deposits back into my family when my time working at the church has taken more from me than normal in a given season.

AAW: Are there any specific habits or fail-safes you’ve set in place over the years that help you avoid falling prey to the traps the enemy undoubtedly places in front of you during the weeks leading up to Easter?

DP: I always approach Easter as prayerfully as I can, trust in my team and enjoy the journey. We always try to stay focused on what Easter is all about, not on what we can do. 

AAW: What are some do’s and don’ts you’ve learned over your years in ministry when it comes to preparing for Easter, guiding your family through it, and leading your church body into it?

DP: One of the biggest things I’ve learned is to not do too much “new” for an Easter service.  For us, Easters where we do what we do week in and week out, maybe with a few creative twists, have reaped great results and hearts focused on the right things. This helps balance out family time and the church body is able to truly dive into the worship service.

AAW: One of your strongest passions is creating unique atmospheres of worship, using every sense we’ve been given. You’re actually going to be facilitating a teaching time during our Dallas conference stop in May about this very subject. How did this passion develop and how have you fostered it over the years?

DP: I absolutely love the art of communicating things of God creatively. When I interned in Houston we designed some wonderful services for the student ministry that at the time were cutting edge. This just fueled my desire to create environments for people to encounter the Lord. When at Texas A&M I minored in Theatre Set Design. This helped give me the tools to see more advanced ideas actually come into fruition. At 121 we are blessed to have a pastor that gives us freedom to dream, try and even fail sometimes. It’s never about trying to do something bigger and better. It’s about doing the best thing to communicate whatever it is we are trying to communicate. I am always researching technologies and resources both from the church world and secular world to help communicate creatively.

AAW: Without giving away too much of what you’ll be covering at the conference, what’s one tip you’d give our readers when it comes to building these experiences regardless of size or budget?

DP: Never let money or a lack of ability stop you from dreaming big. Learn to make the impossible possible.  After all, if God is for you, who can be against you?

In case you missed it, David will be with us at our Dallas conference May 17-19. In fact, 121 Community Church is the host church. So if you join us, you’ll get to see some of David’s expertise firsthand. He’ll be passing on some of that wisdom during our time together, so if you haven’t registered for our Dallas stop yet, it’s not too late.

Thank you David for taking the time to share some of the lessons you’ve learned over the years. Our prayer here at AAW for all of you out there is that these next couple of weeks will be filled with moments to savor God’s faithfulness and relish in the good news we strive so hard to make known.

This is the first of a three-part series on team building. The ideas are simple, but the why behind the what is the secret sauce to growing a solid team. Like most people reading this, I’ve made mistakes. And those disasters have forged the conviction that we can’t be in ministry without being radically committed to loving Jesus and his church more, and on a daily basis.

Keep Jesus close, make sure that your family always takes the right priority (more on that in the future) and be willing to make your church better.  Notice I said better, not different. 

Better, Not Different

One of the biggest complaints I hear from worship pastors/leaders is that somehow, they have found themselves in a church that they really don’t like. 

They don’t feel appreciated by their lead pastors. 

They don’t like the weekend worship experience. 

They don’t like the people. 

At the end of the day, there is so much complaining that I am left scratching my head wondering if they even love Jesus.  If this is you, take some time to pray if you can make your lead pastors vision for your church come alive. If you aren’t in agreement, you may be in the wrong place.  Do yourself, your family and your people a favor and get connected with someone or something that is complimenting to your convictions and your philosophy.  God created you to be you, but we are servants before leading anything. Some of us carry the responsibility to make things different.  Most of us don’t.  Know your place.  Is it your burden to change things? …or is it your job to make things better.  Talk to your teams about this.  This is a fantastic “clarity” question that will free up your bandwidth.

Is it your burden to change things? …or is it your job to make things better.

OK, that is my soap box! ☺  As I give you these three helpful tips, it’s important for you to know that these are just tools.  You can’t fake or replace strong spiritual foundations of ministry leadership.  Love Jesus and use tools and resources to LOVE His PEOPLE better.  We try to change people or churches.  But what I’ve found is that when you develop people, things change. 

But what I’ve found is that when you develop people, things change. 

So, if it’s our job to make things better, what are some ideas that we can do to commit to improving? 

1. Develop a leadership pipeline

Developing a leadership pipeline is a helpful tool to bring clarity to “who’s responsible for who and who’s responsible for what”.  It’s really difficult for a worship pastor to carry the burden of a ministry on their shoulders alone…and they shouldn’t. I don’t have to tell you that the apostle Paul makes it clear that we are called to empower people to do the work of the Kingdom, not do it all on our own! (Ephesians 4:11-13) We also get a peek into Moses' anxiety in Numbers chapter 11, where he's at his wit’s end and well over his capacity. The Lord tells him to gather 70 of his most trusted and responsible people. Moses brings them to the "tent of meetings" and the Spirit of the Lord pours over them.

God helped Moses build his team. He will help you build yours.

A leadership pipeline helps you identify your 70 (or even 7 figuratively speaking). This is the pipeline our church utilizes.  

How this works:

In this chart, we document how responsibility falls within a team.

• An assistant is the first place in which we invite someone to be developed as a leader.
• A leader is the first level in which a person is responsible for a team.
• A coach is the first level in which a leader is overseeing other leaders.
• A director is responsible for directing a particular team.
• A pastor is responsible for care, culture and vision.

My favorite area to develop is our coaches. In worship ministry, I am so lucky to have some of the best coaches.

Here's how this role works:

Jordan Hicks is my guitar coach. He is responsible for developing all guitar leaders, recruitment and assimilating guitarists for all of our campuses, adult, youth and kids’ teams. He's responsible for all communication and administration for this group as well. Because Jordan is the leader I've poured into, he completely understands my values, our church’s values and culture, and our end goal. He's a volunteer, but he brings a priceless value of leadership and excellence to our church. Our worship leaders never should worry about who they are leading with. We are spoiled because of warriors like Jordan. He's just one example of Ephesians 4 coming to life in our ministry.

I grew up as a jazz musician—tenor sax. I loved John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. C’mon somebody!  I was in high school when I first played in combos with some older pro musicians in our city. We started playing a blues tune when one of the guys stopped me and said, “In the words of Miles Davis, man…you can’t play blues because you haven’t hurt enough yet.”  Apparently, I lacked any sense of emotive playing ability as a teenager. And I hadn’t hurt enough yet. 

If playing jazz and blues is an expression of pain and hurt that we’ve experienced, then singing worship music is an expression of the HOPE we know. We can’t and shouldn’t do this alone. Lean on your team. Empower them. 

I am excited to share with you the next two tips over the next few months. You’ll be able to find them right here at allaboutworship.com.  If you have questions about developing your leadership pipeline, you can email me at mike@worship.coach.

For free development resources, check out www.worship.coach.

I am a Father of four beautiful children. I remember the moment that each child took its first breath. I was right there waiting with expectation for this important moment of life. My last two children are twin girls. It was amazing to experience the incredible miracle of their first breaths one right after the other. It was almost overwhelming.

I often wonder what it was like for God after making creation. He made the sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, and the trees. All of this creation was on the simple power of His Word, but when He created man something was different. The rest of creation was created by the power of His words but man received His breath. The Bible says that “He breathed into . . .”

 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" Genesis 2:6-7 (NKJV) 

It is from the very breath of God that we actually get our life.  Understanding the linkage of how we were created opens my heart to receive the great love of God.

I can imagine the pure delight God must have felt as the breath of His life began to flow through man. To see His image, His delight, His passion in front of Him with His breath inside of mankind was to see His beloved creation move beyond a vision into reality.

In the New Testament, the disciples are in a place of wonder trying to figure out how they are going to continue the mission when Jesus leaves them. The answer comes when God sends the Holy Spirit to breathe upon them. In the Gospel of John Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit to the disciples in the same manner that God gave life to humankind. Scripture tells us that Jesus breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit.

"'Peace to you! As the Father sent me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'"  20:21-22 (NKJV) 

His very breath was breathed upon them and later in Acts was poured out through the Spirit of God. As believers we live as part of a greater Kingdom. There are realities that exist for us that seem contrary to the things we see. His breath is that which brings life.  

Now my children are a little older and aren’t at the first breath stage. Something else has changed. They have figured out the pantry and the refrigerator that belongs to me also belongs to them. For some crazy reason my kids think that because they are my children and they are living in my house that my food is theirs. They do not think twice to drink the milk or have some bread. They do not question whether they are entitled to it or not. They do not come to me and say, “Dad I wasn’t so good this morning so I don’t think I should be able to eat of your food today.” They could have been horrible earlier but they still come to me in freedom and boldness. Why? Because they know who they are and what is theirs. They know their first breath marked them as my children. The truth is I love giving to them. I love providing for them.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Luke 11:9 (NKJV?)

Jesus' instructions to “ask, seek, and knock” contain a combination which is intended to unlock the shackles of hopelessness. 

When you know who you are and what Kingdom you are a part of, you have no problem asking. It is not hard to worship when you know that the very breath you are worshiping from is His. It is not hard to seek and knock when you know that your Father delights to give you good things.

I once heard Pastor Jack Hayford say regarding the Holy Spirit, “Without me, you cannot. But without you, I will not.”  He chooses to use us. We will accomplish the impossible things and even menial things set before us because the breath of God is our source.

The starting place is to ask and then in doing that, to draw on the energy and power of the Holy Spirit to go beyond anything we can pray on our own.  We need the breath of God to live in the fullest and to walk in the supernatural element. The breath of the Almighty God is what empowers us to move from the natural to the supernatural.

It is the very breath of God that distinguishes us from the rest of creation. Ask, seek and you will find the promise of God. May the reality of the breath of God in you move you to purpose and lift you higher.

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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.

Over the last few months we’ve tackled the topic of TEAM BUILDING.  As much as I would love to feel as if we have this one nailed, we don’t.  TEAM BUILDING is a muscle that every leader needs to continue to develop.  It’s easy to let this one slip away from us! Just when we start to feel like we are getting on top of this, something changes.  A vital team member leaves.  A leader needs to take on the responsibility of a different area.  Your best guitar player gets hired as the worship pastor at another church.  These are all real-life situations that happen in even the best teams.  They will happen to yours as well.

In our “Month One” blog on team building we presented the IDEA of developing a Leadership Pipeline within your worship ministry.  This IDEA helped support that idea that building an EMPOWERED TEAM is a powerful Kingdom tool.  “Who’s responsible for who?” and “Who’s responsible for what?” are two of the most important questions that needs to be answered in any team environment.  When you lead a team with clarity and spread out the responsibility for others to own your team, you ignite growth opportunities that might have went unnoticed. 

In “Month Two” we presented the idea of “Making Recruitment and Assimilation a Normal for Everyone”.  So many times, I bump into Worship Leaders and Pastors that feel the very unfair burden of building ALONE.  With this IDEA, we present the notion that every team can build better and faster when the team members who are on the teams are your best recruiters.  Make this a normal practice.  At my church, we practice asking new team members to “bring one” with you.  We have found that by making this a standard practice at ground level, we never have to ask for participation from the 10,000-foot level.  Whatever is visible is what replicates.  Empower your best leaders to build.

So here we are. Month Three.

Idea #3. Clearly Identify and Communicate Simple On-Ramps.

I love my city.  I live in Lincoln, Ne.  Home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  I love the youthful spirit and progressive nature of our city.  I have even grown to love and cherish the special college football atmosphere that engulfs our city on game day.  It’s addictive to say the least.  But one thing that I am not a big fan of is traffic on game day.  There is one primary road that leads into Lincoln and over 90,000 fans make the trek to our city on game day.  There are probable more if you include tailgaters.  THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM: The roads infrastructure needs to be able to support the traffic flow to the desired destination.  If there are too many confusing pieces of communication, it would put our city into emergency mode and have catastrophic effects.  I mean, the world might come to an end if people missed a Cornhusker Football Game! (No, but seriously) ;)

Having clear and simple communication about “what to DO next” can make or break your teams culture. 

Every month I host a worship leaders round table in Omaha Ne.  At this round table, Worship leaders from multiple different denominations gather for friendship and peer coaching.  These leaders have become family and they are amazing.  We discuss a wide range of worship ministry issues.  One topic that comes up regularly is “attracting the right volunteers”.  If a leader starts to pour their heart out to me about how they can’t get enough volunteers, I always ask one question to start the conversation.  “Can you tell me about your on-ramp?” This might sound overly simplistic, but what I have found is that sometimes we make it more complicated than it needs to be or we haven’t identified the answer to the most important question at all.  Every leader on your team, in unity, needs to be able to answer this question with clarity and simplicity.

 THIS IS THE QUESTION

“Where do I go and What do I do?”

 Having clear and simple communication about “what to DO next” can make or break your teams culture. 

 Here are a few suggestions when it comes to identifying your onramp into your ministry:

       1.     KEEP IT SIMPLE-

Keep it simple in language and communication.  Your “on-ramp” shouldn’t be riddled with complex forms, interviews and assessments.  Not yet anyways.  Create an “on-ramp’ that just answers the question, “where do I go and what do I do?”.  Worry about next steps later.  But for now, getting a “willing one” to show up is your biggest win. Make it simple for them.

For example, I person asks about playing guitar on the worship team.  Any leader in your department should be able to have the same simple answer. ”I am so glad you are interested!  We host all our new volunteers on Monday Nights at 6:30pm!  Would you be my guest?!”

       2.     USE WHATS ALREADY WORKING AS YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD-

­What is already working in your church?  Do you have a rehearsal process that is spot on?  USE IT!  Is God’s presence so thick in your weekend worship services that lives are being transformed?  USE IT! I’ve made the mistake of overthinking and over programming.  I’ve launched the “extra” visitor’s night or the quarterly worship night with the intentions of attracting new people.  Sometimes those things work.  But the problem is that even though they may be effective, it takes a long time for those events to represent the culture and team that we want people to be attracted to. 

Identify what’s already working and utilize those moments to “on-ramp” your team.

        3.     KEEP IT CONSISTENT-

Nothing can steal the wind out of the sails of progress like a good dose of inconsistency.  If you “welcome” new team members on Monday nights, keep that consistent for a season.  If you “welcome” new people to your choir rehearsal and you celebrate leaders that brought them, don’t change that unless you are communicating change.  Consistency, on this point, allows us the opportunity to get buy in from our team! Consistency builds reliability. Consistency gives our leaders tools to build with.  (Side note:  We will be talking about “embracing change” and reinvention in the upcoming months.)

Consistency tells our teams that we aren’t building a kingdom that only serves us, but we are leading an army that can fight battles when we share the burden.

Identifying your “on-ramps” could be a simple strategy that could help you engage people better.  Below is a sample of an “on-ramps” document that I created for our kid’s ministry at our church.  This idea isn’t just for worship/creative teams, but for everyone.

It is essential that you clearly communicate the “WHERE/HOW” to START whenever you are building teams.  Keep your communication clear and simple.  Try utilizing opportunities that your church is already doing well to interact with potential volunteers.  Lastly, be consistent.  Everyone should know the answer to this question: “Where do I go and What do I do?”.

 Having clear and simple communication about “what to DO next” can make or break your teams culture. 

Jesus, I pray today for the burden and stress that our worship leaders and pastors feel daily. We pray that you would continue to grow our capacity to shepherd well.  Thank you for entrusting us with big things.  We are honored to pastor your people.

Please feel free to use this resource or any that you find at worship.coach. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions about these three helpful tips.  I am always glad to help. 

Michael King @michaelkingjr
free resources available at www.worship.coach

Our brand new host, Michael King, makes his introduction into the AllAboutWorship Community!  He's spoken at the conferences, but now you'll get to hang out a few times a month on the podcast!

On this episode, you'll hear from a familiar face, Dustin Smith.  You'll hear them chat about the new focus of AAW and some of the vision for the future.  We're majoring on the core values, the power of God's Presence, the power of His People, and the power of a Sound.

We want to continue the practical teaching, new music, artist interviews and worship teaching & coaching moments.  Come along as AAW takes off into a brand new season - it's gonna be great and we are excited to be on this journey with YOU!  We're back!!!! 

Stay connected with us

twitter.com/allaboutworship
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instagram.com/allaboutworship
podcast[at]allaboutworship.com

Today, we're excited to introduce you to someone on the front lines of worship every single week at a local church, just like you!  He's a worship leader, pastor, husband, father and a good friend of the ministry: Jordan Merritt.

Jordan is currently serving as Worship Pastor at Embrace Church in Sioux Falls, SD, one of the fastest-growing churches in the country.  In addition to leading worship, he is a gifted songwriter. He co-wrote the Newsboys single, “You Hold It All,” and he has written songs for multiple projects with artists including Newsboys, Selah, Travis Ryan, and others. Jordan’s desire is to see the Church equipped, refreshed, and reminded of God’s promises through worship.

Thank you to Jordan for taking the time to sit down with us!  We hope you are encouraged by a "fellow soldier in the fight", who is leading worship in a local church every week.  Be encouraged and be confident that God has put you on mission as a worshipper in your church ... to restore the honor of God, to restore the People of God and to bring His presence into your services each and every week. 

Have a great week!

“What is the Sound the of Heaven? Its the people of God. Us. It is our calling, in whatever arena, to be His light, His hands and feet to a lost world. These songs are a declaration of the desire to walk in the identity of Christ and be the audible and visible Sound of Heaven.” 

-- Brad + Rebekah

This is the mission statement from the newest album released by our friends, Brad & Rebekah Bichsel!!  We had the chance to sit down and talk with this awesome couple, who both lead worship together, and have such a great heart for the Church.  Take a moment and listen in!  Brad & Rebekah share some personal things that they are walking through, and how this album is really a declaration of faith. And speaking of that album, check it out:

Also, take some time and head over to their website at Brad + Rebekah Music.  Make sure to check out the "About" section and read up on their story.  There's even some images and stories behind a few of the songs on this album - many times we write songs out of real experiences.  This album, and their stories, are no exception, and you'll be impacted by it.  If you're looking to get the album ( YOU SHOULD! ), there's a few ways to do that:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Last but not least, Brad + Rebekah have even released multi tracks, chord charts & videos along with everything.  You can find that under the "Music" section of their website here.  We pray that these songs would minister powerfully both to you & to your church! 

We are excited for you to meet our guests on the AAW podcast, Clinton Allen & Ryan Williams from River Valley Worship! They both lead worship at their church in Minneapolis, MN.  

In today’s interview, we’re talking with Ryan & Clinton specifically about their story as worship leaders and as songwriters. They talk to us about their current roles in their local church as worship leaders and leading teams. They also have some great insights about how they approach writing new songs for their church - considering the people that will be singing those songs and even their senior pastor - It starts with relationship!  They share experiences from leading REAL people in REAL ministry week to week, so we really believe this will speak to many of you listening that are also leading worship week in & week out.  You have authority as a pastoral musician. 

Last but certainly not least - you can find out more about River Valley Worship's brand new album!  Head on over to rivervalleyworship.org and find ways to listen below:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play
• Watch on YouTube

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Be blessed, and be sure to check out their new album —- “MILLION LIFETIMES”! 

All About Worship talks with The Belonging Co. worship leader, Hope Darst about leading teams and showing true character through hard times.

She voices the story about writing the song “Peace Be Still”, as it evolved into one of the breakthrough worship songs of 2018.  Enjoy this week's sit down with Hope Darst!

The belonging Co worship leader Andrew Holt sits with us this week to talk about dealing with transition and celebration.

Andrew talks about his story and his transition into leading worship. Also, can we take celebration too far in church?  Some people may think we go too far ... how about you?  Listen in!

This is it ... a new beginning with the merging of two super-podcasts into one! The Worship Podcast is here, powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey). On today's pilot episode, all four hosts sit down to discuss the transition, as well as the resources and teaching they hope to provide to our listeners.  Listen in, and welcome to our brand new show!

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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James & Dustin had a chance to sit down with Jonathan Brown - President of Integrity Music - to discuss unity and division among the people of God, and among worshipers in the church.

JB (Jonathan Brown) and Dustin both had the chance to be part of a tour with WeAreWorship, where they visited multiple church leaders in multiple cities.  There were so many great things experienced and along with that, there were so many things learned.  At the end of the day, we want unity in the the people of God and especially among the leaders of God's Church, and we need to have inspired conversation on this topic. 

Enjoy!

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

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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There are very clear lines drawn for a Black person in White evangelical spaces that are not often addressed. Speaking openly about these realities can be hopeful, yet tricky and difficult; however, the call, for me, is very missional and fully aligns with the ministry of the disciples after Christs’ commissioning. I don't speak for all Black people who operate in these spaces, but I believe that my experiences and relationships, coupled with the research I've conducted in this area, allow me to bring a broad perspective to certain realities surrounding this subject matter.

(Note that when I refer to evangelical churches, I'm referring to predominantly white churches, thus the exclusion of the language, engagement with black churches and vernacular used within the Black church.)

I, like many of my Black friends, fall in love with the new language, liturgies and sermon content occupied by the evangelical church. In modern evangelical churches, there is great pride in the authority of Scripture, accurate hermeneutics and appropriate exegesis of Scripture. At times, there are historical facts and liturgies presented that are not always found in Black churches. When I began attending and working at my first evangelical church, this new language and preaching style became very attractive to me. I felt my love for this new experience grow as I continued to learn. Consequently, to my detriment, I grew further away from my own culture. I started to feel that everything I loved about church, while growing up in the Black church, was a lie. For a short season, I grew bitter, hurt and angry with the Black church because I felt they kept from me the truths and historical facts that I began learning in the evangelical church. My frustration with the specific lens through which the church communicated and the lifestyle that was promoted grew as well. Boy, was I wrong. As I gained more influence within the [evangelical] church and increased my knowledge and understanding of God, I started seeing the gaps in my church, and the church as a whole. I later enrolled in seminary and it changed my life. I will never forget watching a sermon by Dr. Tony Evans where he stated that he was one of only four Black’s to attend the Dallas Theological Seminary in the 1980’s, and that those four were some of the first to attend in DTS history. I found this information inexcusable and devastating, and it affirmed what I've known my entire life - Black churches were not holding anything back from me; they didn't have access to the same information as their white counterparts. This realization began shifting my view of my culture and my Black church experience. The idea of Black people not being able to attend “accredited” seminaries until the nineteen-eighties became a real issue and tension for me. It also brought a greater appreciation for the Black church and its ability to have such powerful services and accurate sermon content. This reflects the narrative of not only the church, but our dearest America. 

Many of us grew up being taught that America was built so that equality for all human beings could be attained. We have a certain historical view of Christianity; however, if we take a closer look at history, we'll learn that many of our brothers and sisters failed us in this regard. The tricky part that comes with this is diving deep into motives while highlighting the gaps within not only the country, but the evangelical church. The church, historically, segregated congregations based on preferences. To this day, churches continue to segregate, and have zero conviction about it. Many white evangelical churches adhere and fully affirm the work of Martin Luther and the Reformation while also ignoring the ramifications of this movement. While I believe Luther’s work was great and indeed needed during sixteenth century, I do, however, realize that many evangelicals overlook the other parts of Luther. We often think of Luther as the great catalyst of the Reformation, the re-discoverer of the doctrine of justification by faith and the one who stood up to a corrupt Roman Catholic Church, but we fail to acknowledge his overlook on the importance of reconciliation and the equality of all mankind. Condemnation, bondage and hierarchy were prevalent then and because it was not addressed during the Reformation period, it damaged, and continues to damage many people. The language of the Reformation and Luther's work is exclusively used in evangelical churches.

This highlights not only a historical tension, but the difficulties that come with it. There is no denying the good in Luther's work; however, it's made the journey of forward progression more challenging. The difficult challenge and frustration that I find hard for many of my white friends to grasp, is the need to repent for their beliefs and inattentional blindness acquired while growing up. Inattentional blindness, as Walter Bruggerman states, is known as perceptual blindness. It's due to a lack of attention that is not associated with any vision defects or deficits. In other words, it means missing or negating to perceive what is right in front of you. Working in white spaces and getting white people to see the oppression they cause, theologically, is quite difficult. Many evangelicals, if they're being honest, approach oppression as Black employers would call a 'misnomer.' They often negate the real pain and frustration that Black's endure because they choose to be colorblind and fail to see hierarchy and white supremacy as a great cause for concern. As a result, tensions arise at some point with Black’s who grew up in different denominations or church environments. Although, this may not always be the case for those who grew up in suburban white culture and those adopted into a white family. 

Despite having affirmation from peers, congregants and certain church leaders, I was viewed as a liability because of my theology prior to working in the evangelical church. All that I attained while growing up in the Black church would ultimately keep me from excelling higher within the evangelical church. By limiting my role in leadership while still allowing me a certain level of influence, they'd do just enough to keep my voice quiet. This would, however, keep the church from ultimately becoming diverse. I began asking my church hard questions in an attempt to understand why they wanted to be diverse. I came to learn that my perception was accurate in that the church didn't want diversity in leadership; they only wanted it in certain areas like entertainment (worship) and family ministry - departments that were merely limited to freedoms of expression and custodial services. While many white parishioners would deny that this is their intention, I would argue that it is and point them to the term 'inattentional blindness.' Many say that there are systems in place to protect the unity of the church and that if someone disagrees, they should “seek God’s call elsewhere,” meanwhile, making this situation very difficult for Black’s who operate in White evangelical spaces as they live with these realities and tensions. To say that the gospel is inclusive and that you want diversity while failing to accept the culture within the Black people that are hired negates their perspectives, giftings and who they are in Christ. 

I want to send a message to my evangelical friends: It's important to remember that sound hermeneutics, appropriate exegesis and historical content is very subjective. I'm afraid that many evangelical churches explicitly view the interpretation of these principles as absolutes. To view these principles dualistically or as absolutes is not only dangerous, but quite damaging. Churches that practice communion should be reminded of its meaning, power and purpose - to unite and remind us all of the work of Christ. It's purpose is ultimately to bring us together. Diversity should not be viewed as a threat, but as a gift from God. Moreover, there needs to be a clear understanding that God has not given us all the same gift(s). I believe that Black's do more than add value to diversity and that Black culture itself is indeed diverse. Black people and culture are embedded in every continent, and this is not only our nature -- it's our gift. As Black people, we are a strong race that knows how to persevere, and there are many things that can be learned from us. It's important that we, the church, reject the notion that black people are a threat, unable to be trusted in leadership; a lie that America taught us. I recently held a conversation at my house with a diverse group of friends who came together to talk about these very things. Many of them were surprised by the stories shared by Black people who felt discouraged and faced the same challenges I endured while working at a White church. That night, we all encouraged each other. We rebuked anger, frustration and hurt. We broke bread together to be reminded of our union. It's time for us all to seek the kingdom and stop building our city. It's time for us to stop feeling threatened by different perspectives and start embracing the gifts that are all essential to a healthy body. It's time to truly embrace our duty to love. 

On today's podcast: What do you believe? 

That's the question we discuss with Gabe Finocchio (The Royal Royal) as we dive into the, sometimes complex, worlds of doctrine & worship.  As worship leaders, we can easily neglect God's word & focus more on the songs themselves or our own church services.  Well today, we talk with Gabe about that journey between theology & our song.

We think what comes out could surprise you. Enjoy!

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

Subscribe to the podcast and find the show notes:
https://linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

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For most people who know me very well, it’s no surprise to learn that I graduated from college with a BA in Religion. What might come as a shock though is the fact that my minor was in Recreation. See, I’m not exactly what you would call the athletic or sporty type. You probably won’t catch me running much unless someone with a weapon is chasing me or one of my children has run out into the street. And while I can host a killer Super Bowl party, chances are, I have no idea who is playing because I just want to see the half-time show. It just so happened that a Recreation minor would get me done with school the fastest, so I went with it. With all that said, something has been brewing on my heart for some time now, and the image that pops into my mind every time I think about it is, of all things, sports related, and it revolves around the idea of benches and bleachers. 

We’ve all been there, probably more than once, and we’ll all be there again. Sidelined . . . pulled . . . a spectator at the game(s) we wish we were playing in. Sometimes it’s by choice and other times it’s by force, but either way, it’s an opportunity for real growth and understanding if handled well. I wish I could say I’ve always processed these seasons like a champ, but no can do. However, I have learned some solid lessons along the way. 

There are two kinds of spectators at a sporting event. There are those on the bench and those in the bleachers. The first group is made up of team members not currently playing on the field whether it’s because they’re just waiting their turn, recovering from an injury, too green to actually play, or made to sit out because of poor behavior. But, they are still team members. They have actual skin in the game, which means they bear part of the weight of the mantle of their team winning or losing. The latter is made up of those cheering on one of the competing teams. It’s family members, friends, mentors, and admirers supporting their loved ones. There are similarities between these two groups of people, but there are drastic differences that are worth exploring because they can be a game changer for you as you process through your seasons as a spectator. Once I realized the differences, a new level of peace settled into my heart that carried me through my own similar season.

A little backstory . . . Upon my family’s move to the Nashville area at the very end of 2016, I was met with my first spectator season in over 12 years. I went from leading worship on a weekly basis to not being behind a microphone for over 9 months. During that time, multiple opportunities presented themselves to embed myself into some different ministry opportunities. Each of them was different from one another, but each of them also would allow me to utilize my unique gifts well. I began exploring, networking, and building relationships while praying for clarity as to where the Lord wanted me to focus my energies and efforts. Over a few months, it started to become clearer and clearer where my gifts were more effective and where they were not. I had assumed that reaching this point would be followed by relief, but instead I was confronted with an unexpected confusion and disappointment because the places I was being met with the most resistance were the places I thought were the obvious matches. I began praying specifically for understanding and that’s when the Lord began showing me these visions of benches and bleachers. I was trying to force myself into a game that I wasn’t supposed to be playing. Instead, the Lord wanted me in the bleachers cheering on that particular ministry so that He could use me in another game that needed my specific giftings more. 

Once I wrapped my heart and mind around this idea, those feelings of rejection and failure began to disappear and a deeper level of comfort began to settle in. Soon after, doors began opening for me to serve elsewhere effectively and wholeheartedly, all while still being able to joyfully and authentically root for those other ministries to thrive. 

Can any of you relate? Perhaps you’re in the middle of a similar season now, where you’ve been pulled out of a game you were comfortable in. Maybe you’re transitioning from vocational worship ministry at a local church to a broader form of ministry. Maybe a ministry you were heavily invested in is moving in a different direction and you’re not sure where you fit into it all. Whatever it is, you’ve found yourself no longer playing an active role in it and you’re not sure where to go from here. 

This is where scriptures that we’ve been quoting since 1st grade become alive and active in a new way. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  - Proverbs 3:5-6

In times like this, we have to learn to press harder into the Father heart of God, trust that He has a perfect plan, and resist the urge to try and understand things from our temporal perspectives. Instead, refocus your prayers and searching on things such as….

1. Do you feel confident that this is still the game you’re supposed to be in, whether now or in the future?

2. If so, is there any reason that the Lord might have moved from the field to the bench? A secret sin? Burnout? A hurt that is keeping you from being effective? Perhaps just to rest?

3. If not, what could He possibly be moving you toward? Is there another ministry opportunity in your peripheral that you could invest in? Is there a new gift that He’s been fostering in you to use somewhere else?

This obviously is not an exhaustive list, rather just a place to start. Nevertheless, times of restlessness are rarely for no reason. Usually the Lord is at work, doing something that He’s not quite ready to reveal yet. The best thing we can do in those seasons is keep asking for His direction for the next step, resting in His peace as we continue moving forward, and believing for His best as we pursue His heart and will.

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).

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

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
The Worship Podcast on Facebook
The Worship Podcast on Instagram
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Today's podcast is a sit down with the hosts of All About Worship, Dustin Smith & James Galbraith, talking about the important of valuing people, over the titles or positions we hold.  God has asked us to be responsible - able to gauge a response - for the people we lead.  Enjoy!

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

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

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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In a world where people chase fads, originality is hard to come by. Whether it’s music, fashion, or even the words we say, people are always chasing things to remain relevant.

This is visible in churches. You can see it on our stages. Gone are the days of the huge wooden pulpits. They’ve been replaced by tall tables you’d see at a coffee shop. There is nothing wrong with this. I have no problem with it. It’s just a visual representation of what our culture is like.

Our clothing has changed. Worship leaders, both men and women, are wearing tighter and tighter clothes. It’s interesting because when I was growing up, men wore suits and ties. If you were on stage you had to look presentable. From my understating it came from an idea of dressing your best for the Lord. Again, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this either. There’s actually a lot of honor for God at the heart of it. However, with the motivation of trying to reach young people, we’ve changed our dress code to make them feel more comfortable. 

Slowly but surely, we’ve made church more about making people feel comfortable than to establish a heart in the people to honor God. It’s a fine line though. How do we remain relevant and still honor God without being legalistic? It’s pretty tough but there is a way, I believe.

We as worship leaders must look at what we’re chasing. For me, even in songwriting, I have to take a step back sometimes and look at what I’m chasing. Am I chasing God or the things he’s created? Chasing God or the gifts he’s given? Church leaders get burned out by chasing the wrong things. 

The bible says in Isaiah 40 NLT . . .

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings of eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 

 We get burned out by running after things we think people want us to be. What has God called you to be? To do? Are we giving God what He desires with our life? 

I’ll leave you with a scripture that has both inspired and convicted me. 

I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me?  - Amos 5:21

Let that sink in. When’s the last time you sang to him? Chase him and chase His righteousness. Everything else will come after that. You will run and not grow faint.

Alright friends . . . we’re about to get real personal here. It’s not something I am proud of, but it’s also something that I’m confident I’m not alone in. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that most of you who have been serving God faithfully for a long time, regardless of platform and capacity, have also had to battle this on a regular basis. I lovingly, and a little embarrassingly, refer to it as “humble entitlement.” It’s that thought or feeling that rises up from time to time where we question an apparent lack of blessing despite the fact that we have given of ourselves willingly for years. Look me in the eye (you know what I mean) and tell me these thoughts, or something like them, haven’t crossed your mind. 

“But God, I’ve sacrificed my life, my family’s life, everything to serve You, and yet I still can barely make ends meet.”

“How is it that I work so hard at living a holy life and am still in the same place I was 5 years ago, and yet this other person is getting to do amazing things even though I know that Godliness is the furthest thing from their mind?”

In our finite humanity, we get it into our minds that the “reward” for our service is somehow measurable and earthly. Then before we know it, the enemy has a foothold and bitterness begins to set in. I’m sure that every facet of ministry - be it pastoring, writing, student ministry, whatever - has their particular achievements to strive for or that unknowingly serve as their North Star. Maybe it’s the pastor of a mega-church that other pastors model their approaches after. Perhaps student ministers get a specific number in their minds that would mean they’ve “made it”. For us as worship leaders, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing our accomplishments to those of others (the skill level of our team members, how many streams our latest singles have gotten, how many “outside” events we’ve been invited to). Who knows what it is that sits tucked away in the recesses of our ministry brains that serves as our measuring stick for success? But we all have them, whether we want to admit it or not. I’m not so sure that it’s bad or wrong for us to have goals to strive for, so long as these goals don’t take precedence over the heart of ministry itself - to love God and His people. 

Romans 11:33-36 says . . .

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. 

In other words, He owes us nothing! Just recently I was in a co-write with a close friend and we wound up settling in on the idea that we as believers often try to stand on promises that the Lord never made. We put words in His mouth that He never spoke. We claim things that He never put forth for us. Sometimes it’s healthy to take a step back every now and then and remind ourselves of the promises that He has made . . . that He will never leave or forsake us, that He wants to give us a full life, that He will always provide a way out when tempted, etc . . . and prune out the ones we (or the enemy) have somehow convinced ourselves of . . . that if we strive hard enough we will reach that coveted platform, that the number of people in front of us somehow reflects our effectiveness, that our talents and skills determine our reach, etc . . .

Paul reminds us in Romans 9:15 of God’s words to Moses.

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

We have no say over who He chooses to use, in what capacities He places them, and to what level He raises them. It is not our job to worry about that. Our job is to fix our eyes on the task set before us, the ministries placed under our care, and the hearts entrusted to us. If we get the pouty lip every time someone else who may seem less qualified gets elevated, our attention is diverted at the expense of those we were called to serve. Imagine if the commander of a troop of soldiers found out that the leader of another troop got promoted ahead of him even though he’d been serving 10 years less than himself; and instead of staying focused on his assignment, he decided to take his toys and go home, leaving his entire troop leaderless and visionless.

We may never know the magnitude of our ministries this side of heaven, but one thing is for sure. The trajectory of the lives of the people we have been called to serve can and will be affected by our obedience or lack thereof. If we lead them out of an attitude of humble entitlement, we are leading out of a divided mind and heart. But if we can manage to keep our eyes focused on the race set before us, only God knows just how vast and limitless the reach of our ministries will stretch. 

On this episode of The Worship Podcast, Dustin & James talk funny stories from leading worship, break down what community really means in a team environment, and do we really know how to do it effectively?  Worship leaders have to care about people.   Not unlike .... well you'll just have to listen.  Enjoy!

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

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On this episode of The Worship Podcast, Dustin and James talk about their experience in revival movements, as well as lessons learned and things to consider for your worship experience.  What's the new sound?  Where is the sound of worship headed?  You might be surprised at their answer.

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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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Last weekend I went camping. Yep, tents, fires and axes. Now, I am FAR from a camping guy, but a certain ministry called Be Fierce was needing some worship and I filled the void.  Be fierce is a ministry that is, right now, dedicated for men. So I went and did what we all think men love...camp. It was three days of seventy-plus guys getting together and seeing what God would do among them. What happened next surprised me.

Now, you may ask, what does this have to do with worship? Or leading worship? Well, nothing really, except through that weekend I began to realize the power of brotherhood and how that can impact our families and communities.

You see there is power when we all get together and worship. The power of all. This is especially impacting when it is men functioning in this activity. Hmmm, in this day and age that may sound sexist, but Be Fierce has a mission and passion to see fathers turning back to their sons, and sons to their fathers. Also, for men to be handed the right tools to better take their honorable positions in their local churches. So, it’s not something that is sexist, but it is addressing the issue that has allowed men to sit back and watch their wives, sisters and daughters take positions that shouldn’t be theirs to have to take on.

The weekend was soon filled with voices raised and a fight in the spirit. I saw men come alive with the presence of God. It wasn’t through super hyped church services (only me and a guitar) or an overwhelmingly good sermon,  but through continued service to each other, shoulder to shoulder through activity and common union. There was brotherhood, and for many reasons that has been hard to come by. Be Fierce as a ministry had hit the nail on the head and saw a need for Fathers and sons alike to experience God, not through a good church service, but through each other - even if that was around a campfire or even in a tent. In this, they became stronger. They worshipped harder. They laughed louder and they helped disciple each other.

I can imagine the cave times with David and his soon-to-be mighty men looked similar. Men that talked and listened, worshiped and fought together through the best and worst times of their lives.

So, we shouldn’t neglect the need for men to stand strong together. Be Fierce encourages that, and they are seeing stronger families and churches because of it.

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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When Igor Sikorsky was 12, his parents told him that competent authorities had already proved human flight impossible.  He went on to build the first helicopter. In his American plant, he posted this sign:

According to recognized aero-technical tests, the bumblebee cannot fly because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to the total wing area.  The bumblebee does not know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway.

Have you ever had someone tell you that something you are trying to accomplish is impossible?  They name a dozen reasons why you won't be able to pull it off. Maybe you don't have the skills, or the tools, or the passion.  Maybe you are too small, too young, too prideful or too timid. Isn't it amazing how easily words slow us down in our progress towards the things we know God has called us to. It may be a friend, a family member, someone in leadership or even a stranger but no matter who it is the words seem to form like a wall in front of you and it tries to hinder forward movement.

David faced this type of opposition before he faced Goliath.  Here are the words his brother spoke to him when he inquired about fighting the giant.

But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”  - 1 Samuel 17:28

David’s own brother opposed him by calling him out in front of everyone. It could have been easy for David to be discouraged but scripture tells us that he continued to inquire about how to get into the fight.

Don't be surprised if some of your greatest opposition comes in the form of a brother or sister.  It may be flesh and blood or it may be a spiritual brother and sister but those closest to you may have the hardest time seeing the calling of God on your life.  Like Eliab, many brothers have revealed their own insecurities when they see their brother pursuing what God has called them to. Eliab said David just showed up to watch the battle but the truth was there was no battle to watch because Eliab refused to fight and he let Goliath rule the day.

David also encountered opposition from Saul.  The King was not so quick to send a boy out to fight Goliath until he heard of David’s accomplishments in the fields fighting a lion and a bear.  But even after hearing of those great feats Saul made David try on his armor. But if Saul’s armor was so great why didn't he go out and fight with it?  All it did was weigh David down and would have gotten in his way. Don't let people who are avoiding the fight tell you the best way to fight. If they knew the best way to fight they would already be standing in victory.  It's almost like an 800 hundred pound man trying to tell me the best way to diet. The proof is in the pudding...which he probably ate.

Everyone loves the story of David and Goliath but few people realize how much opposition David faced before taking on Goliath.  Just a reminder that sometimes on your way to fight the giant you may have to overcome opposition from some of those closest to you.  

Have you ever had a worship team member that just goes too far?  We have.  And one of them may be on this show!

Join Dustin, James and special guest, Erica, as we talk about how to best manage your worship teams in the most dire situations. Being a worship leader means working with people and people aren't always perfect! How do you handle those issues?  How do you keep things right on your team with God, but also care about the individuals?  We talk through hypotheticals, but for some of you listening, these circumstances might not be hypothetical.  Have a listen and see if you can relate.

We'd love to hear from some of our listeners about situations you've found yourselves in, and how you handled them with your team!

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

Subscribe to the podcast:
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linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

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