It wasn’t easy for Elton John to get producers to keep all the scenes in his new fantasy-biopic, “Rocketman.” He was determined that the Paramount film not gloss over his sexuality or past drug use. Despite his efforts, Russia’s version appears to be missing about five minutes-worth of footage. .

Also, we meet the American singer who teaches Italian kids how to sing like Beyoncé; plus the story of how Lucia Lucas became the first transgender person to sing a lead part in a standard operatic work in the US; why Lincoln, Nebraska is a great place to hear traditional Yazidi music; and Filipina-American musician Ruby Ibarra tells her family story with rap.

(Elton John (R) and David Furnish attend the "Rocketman" UK Premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London, United Kingdom. Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

"SNL" returned for the fifth episode of its 50th season on Nov. 2 with host John Mulaney, musical guest Chappell Roan, and a guest appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris.

The post ‘SNL’ recap: Best moments from John Mulaney hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ appeared first on Boston.com.

"SNL" returned for the sixth episode of its 50th season on Nov. 9 with host Bill Burr playing into his Boston-area roots.

The post ‘SNL’ recap: Best moments from Bill Burr hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ appeared first on Boston.com.

Dear Pastor, 

You encourage me.
You also challenge me to my very core.

You’re always looking to help me improve.
Though, sometimes I act like that’s not necessary or possible.

I don’t always feel like you get me.
But then again, sometimes I think you do more than I understand

You’ve honored me by letting me lead your people.
You give me an opportunity to use God’s gifts in me.
I don’t always take that as seriously as I should, but I am thankful. 

I’ve sung off key and messed up many a song,
But you haven’t given up on me.

You haven’t fired me,
Haven’t replaced me with a machine,
Even though you’ve probably thought about it.

You’re my boss and my pastor, which at times is challenging.
But this is something that God has called us to do together.
I’m not saying that it’s easy, but I believe that it’s worth it. 

No matter what has been behind us, or what lies ahead,
I want to take a moment and say that I am thankful for you. 

I appreciate you Pastor!
Your worship leader

When I started my ministry career 18 years ago, I never thought I would ever type the title of this entry: Thoughts from a Pastoral Team Strategist. I definitely wasn’t desiring to fill that role on a pastoral team. I wanted to see my dreams fulfilled in much different ways. I am still convinced that Jesus has called me to something completely different than strategist. I am a worship pastor/worship leader/singer/songwriter/artist. Jesus and I are still arguing about this. Turns out He is just as stubborn as the Son of God should be.

I started falling into the role of systems/strategy guy on pastoral teams because it was a very obvious need on the staffs I was part of. Turns out that a lot of pastors lean towards hiring very talented people with specialized, but limited, skill sets. Administration isn’t sexy…and is hard to put on a visible platform. Many church staffs find themselves comprised of really talented speakers, Bible scholars, personalities, musicians, media gurus and kids' creative types. There is a huge gap in a lot of churches and that gap isn't in the visionary/dreamer category. 

Administration isn’t sexy…and is hard to put on a visible platform.

The global church is packed full of people that have the vision and the dream but is lacking on willing people called to set aside their personal dreams to help another pastor make a bigger impact. This is where I come in. I’m sure I have the capacity to be a visionary on some things, but I know I am called to serve my lead pastor. I am called to help him be the healthiest pastor possible and to create environments in which his vision can come to life. I am called to bring a strategy to his vision. I am called to be one of his No. 2’s. I am not called to push my agenda or make the next coolest worship recording that would distract our church from the bigger picture. (Even though we do and will make cool recordings, my heart is to resource the church with stories of what God is doing at my church.) 

Being a pastoral team strategist has been an interesting and stretching journey. I have navigated this role for a while now. But only for the last 4 years have I been given the authority to go with the burden. I serve my lead pastor as one of his executive pastors. I am loving this role and, to my surprise, it feels like a good fit. I connect really well with other leaders in this field. I feel fulfilled, for the most part, helping our ministries align with values, culture and best practices. When the team wins, I win. I have grown in my ability to love our pastoral team and respect them. I wasn’t expecting this when I said yes to the position, but when you pray for your team every day, you see people differently. God has been rewiring me from the inside out and that has its joys and pains (more on that later).

When the team wins, I win.

I feel the onus of giving 150% of myself to this role because I think it is the difference maker in a successful organization. There is a delicate balance between vision and strategy. I have made some notes along the way that may help you if you ever find yourself in a systems/strategy rut. I have numerous influences in my life when it comes to organizational leadership and vision/strategy; ( you probably do too)—Rick Lorimer (my pastor), Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Chris Sonksen, Dan Reiland, Jim Collins and Henry Cloud. (Just ask me if you’d like a specific resource recommendation.) I am sure most of my musings are not original but maybe my commentary has a different spin on it. Just a few things to chew on:

 Vision without strategy is just a good idea.

• This is a personal conviction of mine. I believe God is speaking all the time and that He has anointed and appointed our lead pastors as the CVO’s (chief visionary officer) of our organizations. I have been a part of small and large, Christian and non-Christian organizations that never fell short of having incredible ideas. The problem is, sometimes you can become so enamored about a really great idea that you don’t think about practicality. You can easily forget about the capacity of the team. You can find yourself being so excited, with good intentions, but you accidentally “out punt your coverage.” Some leaders won’t agree with me on this point, but I don’t think it is the lead pastor’s job to carry this burden. I believe the role of the executive pastor is to have an open relationship with the lead pastor to help process his or her vision. Is this vision for now or later? Is it obtainable/ sustainable? Does this complicate anything? Can we pay for it and how? What do we need to change to make this vision happen? Do we say yes to this or do we keep praying? Not every vision or burden is meant to be developed. Just like a songwriter, a visionary must never stop dreaming. For every good song I’ve written, there are ten others I threw away and no one will ever hear them. (Maybe that song was just for Jesus.) It is my job to make sure my lead pastor has the freedom to keep dreaming.

Vision made public invites accountability.

• I remember when I felt God tell me to share that in 2011 we were going to make a worship recording. We didn’t have the talent or experience. I had no idea how this was gong to happen. I closed my eyes and vision cast this in front of our worship department. I was scared to death, but knew I needed accountability if this was going to happen. Strategy came later, but this was an essential move to make sure that I would take the risk and make a bold move. Strategy or no strategy, if you share your vision publicly, people will expect something from you. Use that public share momentum to develop strategy and to shepherd buy-in. You don’t need a strategy in place to share a vision; you just need to be committed to develop one. It is so easy for charismatic (likeable) personalities to get distracted by accusations of manipulation when they don’t have a strategy. But when people hear a great vision, they should ask questions, like, “How can I get involved?”  “What’s next?”  “What are you asking me to do?” Don’t miss an opportunity to develop onramps to your vision because you haven’t identified a next step. People often allow themselves to feel “satisfied” by just feeling excited or inspired. Our job as pastors is to equip people to do kingdom work. Vision cast to inspire God’s people but commit to developing a strategy, and then empower them to be part of the mission as well.

 Strategy or no strategy, if you share your vision publicly, people will expect something from you.

 Never allow lack of strategy to kill the vision.

• I believe that God is in the dream and the devil is in the details. Commit to developing a strategy but don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come right away. Keep working at it and inviting the right people into the conversation. Some of the best, most impacting visions are accompanied by resistance. When it comes to your vision, there is nothing the devil loves more than to discourage you and steal your confidence. If he succeeds at this, then he stops you from dreaming.  

Some of the best, most impacting visions are accompanied by resistance.

One of my favorite quotes from John Maxwell is: “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only out for a walk.”  Strategy is simply a vehicle to allow people to follow your God-given vision.  A simple tweak in your leadership conviction could be the difference between walking alone or leading an army.  

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.

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!

Practical time. Yep, this will be short and sweet but it changed the way I view people and how I now develop teams that can actively work together no matter their background, age or race. How? Here’s how:

John 13:34 - A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Whaaaat? It’s that simple? Oh yeah. That simple. Let me explain.

When I first started playing on worship teams, I was all about the production, the glitz, and the glamour. Now, I’m not saying any of that is bad, because it all can be quite good, if the motives are right. My biggest problem was that I didn’t care about anyone else on that stage, or in the congregation. My focus was on myself. That sounds vain and narcissistic for sure, and it was, but I soon learned that without knowing the people around me, the people that the above scripture was commanding me to love, I would never change.

Fortunately, I had a pastor in my life who knew the power of community and the power of this scripture.  As a worship team we were already spending a lot of time together (four services a week plus a practice night), yet we didn’t really know much about each other. Weird right? You can spend hours and hours with others and not know them at all. How much do you really know about your team? At times we can become so involved with our personal lives, we forget about those around us. THAT is not Kingdom.

The change started out easy for our team. Every once in a while instead of our practice nights, we would all go out for coffee. It was a simple gesture but it was super effective. We began to talk to each other, find out about job situations and families, likes and dislikes. Then, wouldn’t you know it? We began to like each other, prefer each other, LOVE each other. Now, it didn’t happen overnight. Not even in a month. But little by little we saw our lives begin to intertwine together. We had dinners, birthdays and special events together. And the more we began to care for each other, the more powerful our services became. Our worship began to come alive! God began to pour Himself out through our congregation and our community.

I know there is power in loving one another and it’s proven itself over and over in my life, in any circumstance. Maybe it’s something we always hear, but never consider? Perhaps making this lesson a season in your worship team could turn the tides for whatever breakthrough you are needing today.

The wonderful thing is, once it begins showing itself through your worship team it will naturally begin to reach into your congregations and communities.

Let love be the power that unifies your team today.

After our wonderful seven year run, The Brody File show is ending. Watch our last show full of memories, interviews and a few surprises. Thank you for watching throughout the years. Lots of new exciting plans on the way!

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It was early in the morning on July 15th, 2020 when Ailyn Tan was awakened by her husband, Jim, who was making strange noises. Ailyn recalls, “So, I nudged him, and I said, ‘Hey, you didn't wear your CPAP.’ And there was still no response.” That’s when Ailyn, a critical care nurse for 26 years, pulled open the curtains to check on him. She says, “He was mildly purple. His eyes were open, darted to the upper left-hand side, and he was foaming in the mouth. And so, I gave him a quick slap on his...

PROBLEM-SOLVING Dr. Don Colbert is known for helping people live healthy lifestyles. As a medical doctor who has treated over 50,000 patients, he says the answers to people's ailments are almost always linked to what they eat. Growing up, Colbert’s father began showing signs of dementia in his mid 50s. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his 60s and it progressed into severe Alzheimer’s. He lived in a nursing home for over 10 years before he died at 80.  His mother, who worked in a bank full-...

By the time I got to the chorus, my voice was completely gone. Suddenly, I was painfully aware of the lights, and the countless faces staring up at me. And how the song kept going even though when I opened my mouth to sing—barely a whisper came out.  I panicked. I’m not ashamed to admit it. On a team of people, and in front of the entire church, I felt completely alone. Isolated in my embarrassment. Drowning in my confusion. Almost as if a wave had exploded through the front doors of the...

As a college student in the early ’90s, Erik Santiago thought his construction degree would lead him to work for a general contractor.

InfernoShield is a new non-combustible insulated glazing panel designed to provide superior protection from fire when installed in window, glazing and curtainwall systems. InfernoShield panels create a highly decorative and durable surface with exceptional fire performance properties.

Specified Technologies announced that its SpecSeal LC Endothermic Firestop Sealant is now being offered in three colors: deep red, gray and white. Customers have been asking for both the white and gray for gypsum wallboard and concrete block spaces.

Chaney Enterprises, a ready-mix concrete, aggregates, custom blends, and related construction supplies provider, announced its customer, Eastern Bay Management Corporation completed the first multi-story, multi-use commercial insulated concrete form (ICF) building on the Eastern Shore in Maryland.

Westlake Royal Building Products announced that it has acquired Palight Trimboard from its long-standing partner Palram Americas. Through the acquisition of Palight Trimboard product lines, Westlake Royal will expand its portfolio of brands offered under Westlake Royal Trim & Mouldings Solutions, which provides the finishing touch for the interior and exterior of a home.

Plastic Components now offers individual brochures for its PVC Trims and Accessories product lines, which include stucco/plaster, stone veneer, drywall, Direct Applied Systems, Exterior Insulated Finish Systems and fiber cement board trims.

Charities need stability and clarity from next week’s announcement – more ambitious interventions can wait

On July 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Portland Cement Association, which represents America’s cement manufacturers, will receive more than $2.4 million to lead a project that will improve both the quantity and quality of industry Environmental Product Declarations.

The QuickSpan Locking Drywall Grid System from Certainteed Gypsum is an innovative ceiling grid system that provides the industry’s longest unsupported spans for flat drywall. It’s engineered and designed for quick, easy installation of spans for drywall ceilings in hallways and corridors.

JB Insulation & Drywall LLC of Oakland, New Jersey, recently met W&C at this year’s ICAA Annual Convention & Trade Show. Its owner, Jonathan Belanus, took time to speak with the magazine on how business is, the market and more.

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Washington — OSHA has released new compliance assistance resources for limiting worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

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Nearly a third of charity chief executives have experienced discrimination or barriers during their career in the sector, Acevo says

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The Gypsum Association announced that ASTM International has recognized GA director of codes, standards and research Michael Schmeida, MSc, LEED AP, with an ASTM Award of Merit and the title of Fellow.

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Washington – OSHA has withdrawn from review its final rule addressing slip, trip and fall hazards – potentially creating further delay in the rule’s promulgation after more than two decades in development.

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