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While many file for unemployment, these companies are hiring thousands. Here's why.

“The hiring in some sectors and the layoffs in others is a clear reflection of the ‘feast or famine’ realities occurring with those industries serving consumers."

The post While many file for unemployment, these companies are hiring thousands. Here’s why. appeared first on Boston.com.







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My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour, featuring a stop at Fenway

The tour kicks off July 11 in Seattle, concluding on Sept. 13 in Tampa, Florida. It hits San Francisco; Los Angeles; Arlington, Texas; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Toronto; Chicago; and Boston.

The post My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour, featuring a stop at Fenway appeared first on Boston.com.







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Scoring points

The US-China trade war has been going on for almost two years now. Both countries have imposed hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tariffs on each other, and that number has only been growing. Right now, we may be entering a new, potentially dangerous, phase of the dispute: currency warfare.

Also, we’ll take a look at real life consequences that the US-China trade war is already having, both for small businesses and for Chinese-Americans who are now experiencing unwanted scrutiny; and we’ll also explore China’s so called social credit system, and why it’s been mostly misunderstood in the West.

(An aerial view of a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)







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The Powerful Act of Honoring Your Seniors

I recently took on a new position leading worship in a small church on the outskirts of Nashville. They are good people and there are a lot of great things happening in those church walls. However, they are feeling the same stress that many of our churches feel today, and that is staying relevant with our ever changing culture in music worship and not leaving our senior population in the background feeling marginalized.  Let’s be honest, if it were not for their lives, traditions and heritage we would not be in those walls today. So what is the answer for young worship leaders today trying to navigate this tug of war? One word. Love. You have to love your senior people.

I worked for 13 years in a health and wellness center spending much of my days working alongside senior adult participants. One of the most important things I learned in that job was that when an older adult begins to lose their independence, they often begin to lose hope. And when people lose hope, they often grasp onto anything that is known and trusted in their lives. Change is difficult and people naturally want what is familiar. But I also found as I validated their giftedness and encouraged them to reach out to the people around them, they were willing to rise to the challenge and hope would begin to return in their lives. 

My fellow worship leader friends, can I encourage you to validate your people? Honor your seniors with a genuine love and respect. You will be amazed at the things that you will learn from them!

My current worship leading position is part time and I don’t have the luxury of spending hours in the office for drop in appointments and lunch dates. So, this week I hosted a luncheon for around 50 seniors who attend our church so that I could get to know them a little bit and let them hear from my heart. I sent them an invitation stating that I wanted to meet with them and explain to them why they are the most important key to growth in our local church.  Let me say right off, we never once discussed music worship in the church. Maybe someday...but not this day.

Instead, I validated them with a message that I have shared before. Here’s the message.

“You are valuable.”

Isaiah 46:4 - "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.’

“This was a promise to the people of Israel.  But our God is the same God that spoke those words to His people. We are also His people. I believe today that God MADE you, he will SUSTAIN you EVEN TO YOUR OLD AGE.  Why would God do this? Why would He make this promise to us if our lives are no longer valuable here on earth? You may be retired from a job...but God has not retired you!”

I shared with them Hebrews 12:7 - “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” I went on to tell them this.    

“Your history and heritage in Jesus is unlike anyone else’s. No one else can effect the world around you like you can. The lessons you have been taught and the hardships you have faced have made you who you are. And hopefully, we have all learned to allow those life lessons draw us closer to Christ and to become more like Him.”

We then dove into this scripture:

Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I reminded them that “God still has work for you to do... work that He has prepared in advance for you! That’s exciting! He has specific assignments just for you!!!!”

I went on to explain “God Assignments” as a way of life to listen to the Spirit throughout your day and be willing to act on His assignments when He speaks. Perhaps it will be paying for someone’s gas or spending time with a teen in the church. I challenged them to be faithful to ask the Lord daily and be willing to share with each other what God is doing in their midst. I asked them to speak out their faith because a younger generation is starving and thirsty to know that God is real. Young people can see fake a mile away and they are not interested in just “doing church.” I reminded them that no one else in these walls can testify to the reality of God in their lives the way they could.

I left them with this challenge:

“Young people hunger to know God...but they can detect fake and they don’t like it. How can YOU help them to see the reality of God? You can offer them love and acceptance.  You can invest in them. You can offer God Talk. God talk is sharing what God is doing in your life TODAY... answered prayer, sharing hope, sharing the Joy of the Lord.

Let’s face it...when you and I are gone... when Jesus takes us home... the future of this church remains in the hands of those coming after us. And if we don’t foster right relationship, testimony and genuine love of God with the younger generation, this church will not grow...it will die.  It’s a heavy assignment. But I believe it is the assignment God is calling us to step into.”

We closed with this scripture and very few dry eyes in the room. The Spirit of God was near and there was a new sense of awareness that we are called with a purpose...even to our old age.

John 13:34-35

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When the Spirit leads and we have another luncheon (as they have already requested that we do this again!) we will begin to discuss the importance of letting change happen in our music so that the same message of God is delivered in a relevant way that younger generations can understand. But not this day...this day was all about love. 


Submitted by: Shelly Head
Worship Pastor at Gallatin Church of the Nazarene




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Spring 2017 Kingdom Songs Retreat Recap

April sixth through eighth of this year marked the beginning and bitter-sweet ending of yet another All About Worship “Kingdom Songs” retreat. Another group of talented writers passionately chasing their calling filed in and out of life-giving workshops with seasoned “pro-writers” like James Tealy (songwriting professor at Belmont University and writer of “Light of the World” recorded by Kari Jobe), co-writes with peers and pros like Krissy Nordhoff (writer of “Your Great Name” recorded by Natalie Grant) and Michael Farren (lead singer of Pocket Full of Rocks, writer of “Let It Rain” recorded by Michael W. Smith and number #1 Lauren Daigle cut “Trust In You”), worship sessions, Q&As, song critiques, and so many more activities featured in the packed schedule of education and encouragement.

Writers come from every corner of the country, the world even, to spend a weekend equipping themselves with tools and knowledge to cultivate their calling to write what the body of Christ needs to hear, to better capture the heart of God through song. The end of every conference is genuinely a bitter-sweet moment, traditionally marked with a prayer by the staff over the writers to strengthen, encourage, and protect them as they set out to pursue their gifts. The bitterness is found in having to say goodbye to newfound friends, fellow writers who share your struggles, your triumphs, your worries, and your unique joys. But the sweet is in knowing that right now, there are empowered songwriters with renewed confidence, sharpened skills, and rejuvenated spirits conquering fears and fighting for songs that will change this world and bring about the kingdom of God. The desire of All About Worship in putting on this event is fulfilled in writers taking what they gain from this conference and bringing new life into their homes and congregations (some even literally, congratulations Rezwana!). Dustin Smith (staff writer at Integrity Music, author of “Miracles” recorded by Jesus Culture) has been known to say on more than one occasion that, in writing songs for the Kingdom, we “put words on the lips of the most powerful force on earth - the church”, and as they settle back into their homes with new contacts, revitalized hearts, Skype co-writes brewing, and minds creating, they pick up their weapons and prepare to do just that.

“God is using music and praise to Him as weapons to tear down strongholds and I am in awe of how He goes about it all. His voice is ringing clear and the air is trembling with His spirit” – Rezwana Derbyshire, Kingdom Songs attendee.

To be able to continue an ancient practice of crafting songs to lift up to the one true God is an awesome, in the truest sense of an underappreciated word, responsibility and privilege. Kingdom Songs and the entire staff and crew are proud and humbled by the opportunity to come alongside songwriters, link arms with them, and walk out this journey together.

From the ancient psalmists, in every language, from edge to edge of this earth, the people of the most high God will praise His name. Because if we do not cry out, the rocks will




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Three Boring, Spiritually Unspiritual, Simple Ideas You Can’t Not Do to Grow Your Team, Part 1

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.




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Three Boring, Spiritually Unspiritual, Simple Ideas You Can’t Not Do to Grow Your Team, Part 2

Last month we explored the idea of developing a Leadership Pipeline for your worship ministry. (If you missed it, please check out their link here

 A “leadership pipeline” is an established development path for your leaders.  It shows “who’s responsible for who" and "who's responsible for what." It also helps clarify a communications path for burden and responsibility. Empowering leaders to lead requires clarity. Being clear is hard work. I’ve made the mistake of keeping my “plans” top secret. I mean, what if something or someone doesn't work out or someone tries to hijack my direction! Can I tell you this…Insecurities stink!  Can you relate?  Ugh. I’ve learned a few priceless lessons along the way, and one of them is this:  Pull the RIGHT people close and make your dreams/vision known. When you do this, you will create a culture that trusts communication from the leaders who carry a certain level of responsibility and burden.  The people that you have pulled close know the dreams and plans that God has given you.  They can share the weight of your dream with you and help you navigate potential problems.  Sometimes, lack of clarity happens because only one person is looking at the map.  Let your map be known…and let others drive.  

Empowering leaders to lead requires clarity

Here is a sample of the leadership pipeline we use as a whole at our church. 

If you have any questions regarding developing a "leadership pipeline," please contact me.  I have several resources to help you with this discussion and discovery.  This applies to your whole church and not solely the Worship Ministry. Now on to IDEA #2.

Idea #2. Make recruitment and assimilation a “normal” for everyone

Here is the heart behind this:

This past week at my church we hosted our monthly "OPEN."  “OPEN” is a time in which we “open up” our team devotional time, production time and pre-service experience to visiting churches and leaders.  

The visiting church this week was a church from a different stylistic approach but from our city.  They wanted to observe how we produced a "contemporary" worship service.  We met for coffee a few weeks ago, and I was excited that they said yes to my invitation to attend "OPEN."

During their time with us, I gave them a tour of our church and talked about our teams.  I spoke about some of our values.  I sensed that they wanted to talk about guitars and keyboards.  We ended up talking about the power of God’s presence and how He changes lives, always.  While standing backstage after rehearsal, I noticed that one of their leaders looked overwhelmed.  When I asked her what she was processing, she shared with me that she was amazed that all our teams were volunteers.  I responded to her that it’s amazing what people will do when they've been given the gift of second, third, fourth and fifth chances. It’s unrealistic and somewhat unfair to expect leaders to step forth without a testimony attached. The look of being overwhelmed shifted and was now accompanied by tears of awe and wonder.  Saved people save people.  

It’s unrealistic and somewhat unfair to expect leaders to step forth without a testimony attached.

She asked me a question: “How is it that so many people are involved?”  Here is what I have found.

Like attracts like. Visibility replicates.

"Like attracts like" implies that the things that we are most excited about attracts people that are passionate about the same things.  I love Apple computers and Chick-fil-A.  Wouldn't you know it, I happen to attract people that tend to like Apple computers and Chick-fil-A. God is doing something special at my church.  People are excited about being on our team.  They attract people to our teams.

“Visibility replicates” implies that whatever you make visible, whether that is a talent or behavior, is what will replicate in your culture.  If you make it a priority to foster a genuine culture of prayer in your ministry, there's a pretty good chance the people that want to be a part of it have a desire to grow or be involved with the same.  Likewise, if you put your worst guitar players on the platform in your biggest service every week, it tells every other bad guitar player in your church that they too are guaranteed a spot on your stage.  Visibility replicates.  

Here’s the practical behind this:

Having the right people on your team, to begin with, can be THE biggest hurdle. You know you have the RIGHT people on your team when they are EXCITED about what God is doing in your team, and YOU want to replicate them.  Here are a few ideas to help you develop an assimilation culture:

  1. Decentralize the “responsibility” of getting people into your ministry by empowering capable leaders you trust. Here’s how this works at my church. Coaches are responsible for recruiting and assimilating their teams.  (Guitar coach is responsible for building the guitar team). I meet with all the coaches monthly, and they give me an update on the things I need to know. They own this completely. These are the RIGHT people that have been vetted.  They are VISIBLE leaders who replicate.
  2. Make “being a bringer” your “new normal."  Whenever new ministry team members are on-ramped, ask them to bring someone with them! Language like “YOU DON’T HAVE TO COME ALONE!”, “WE WILL FIND A PLACE FOR YOU” really helps create consistency in an inviting team. This is where I’ve seen “Like attracts like” come alive. This is a core value that is communicated from day one, and it has become our “normal” over time.  

These might seem small, but they are significant. We DREAM DREAMS, but we LIVE MOMENTS.  These principles are what I would call moments.  "Moments" matter because they cause a chain reaction that affects forever. These two moments lead to a bigger dream of seeing our team members be “MINISTRY OWNERS." The practice of MINISTRY OWNERSHIP is a significant value.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV

"Ministry Ownership" tells a volunteer that they don't need a title to carry a burden.  They don't need a title to help pastor a team. We all have different roles and talents and spiritual gifts.  “Ministry Ownership” is a culture in which team members take responsibility to shepherd and build the ministry that they are a part of.  I’ve just noticed that in general, people who own houses are more aware of the condition of their homes than renters are.  

So, let me ask you, what dream are you dreaming today?  Are there smaller moments that are hijacking your bigger dream?  Take some time today and pray through this.  I believe that being involved in our teams has nothing to do with what God wants from us, but it's what He has for us. Jesus will be bringing the right people to your teams because God desires to use you and your leadership gifting to change the world . . . one willing person at a time.

Jesus, I pray for those that might read this blog.  I pray that this would be an encouragement to those feeling stuck today.  I feel stuck a lot, and I am thankful that you give me grace daily to start over.  I pray that you would continue to instill a spirit of bravery amongst my brothers and sisters. None of us have it all figured out, but you are still consistent and always for us. Amen.

Thank you for checking out these first two ideas. Next month we will dive into Idea #3! 


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





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Three Boring, Spiritually Unspiritual, Simple Ideas You Can’t Not Do to Grow Your Team, Part 3

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




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183 AAW: 'Leading Songs' vs. 'Pastoring People' with Michael Farren

Michael King and Michael Farren continue the discussion on the main focus areas for All About Worship - Power of His Presence, Power of His People, and the Power of a Sound.  King catches up with Farren in the middle of the KINGDOM SONGS BOOT CAMP and there are some amazing takeaways.

“Stop leading songs and start pastoring people” - Michael Farren.





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For a man to have real children is easy enough. For children to have a real father is another matter entirely. Growing up fatherless left gaps in me. It does for everyone. Whether your dad was steeped in addiction, an absentee, or just ill-equipped, here are 5 key lessons I’ve acquired over the years. They are helping me to father like the father I never had. I’m praying they’ll help you too! 1. Be a courageous leader. I am the son of an absentee, alcoholic, abandoning man full of excuses. I...




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Restoring Hope After Hurricane Helene

After Hurricane Helene devastated their North Carolina property, the Browns didn't know how they would move forward. That's when Operation Blessing arrived to help them begin to rebuild their lives.




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What is God Calling You to do During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic is causing the world to realize just how fragile life can be.  More than ever, people need to hear that God is good and offers us salvation through Jesus.  As Christians, we have a unique opportunity to glorify God as we serve our neighbors. Through the ages, amazing things have occurred during difficult times. The story of C.S. Lewis writing the classic book Mere Christianity is one of those.  In the book, C. S. Lewis at War - The Dramatic Story Behind Mere...




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Discovering America's Black DNA

DNA tests are uncovering family histories. In some cases they're also revealing mixed bloodlines and the buried history of slavery. For African Americans, this can be emotionally-charged. What do you do when you find out one of your direct ancestors was a slave owner? And does it open the door to new conversations about racial justice and social healing?

Original Air Date: March 10, 2018

Guests:

Alex GeeErin HoagAnnette Gordon-ReedAnita Foeman

Interviews In This Hour:

How Do You Know Ruben Gee?Searching for America's Racial History in a GraveyardUncovering America's Buried History: The Story of Thomas Jefferson and Sally HemingsChanging Our Conversation About Race Using Genetic Testing

Further Reading:

"Black Like Me" podcast




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Discovering God’s Purpose as Victim to Victor

“I had 911 on the phone, and fully expected to find a-a dead body there in the parking lot. Her body was broken and bruised and-and just not laying in a normal way, I thought there is no way that anyone would ever be able to get up and walk from something like this ever again. It was just the most traumatic thing I've ever seen in my life.”  On September 13, 2011, Eddie Wilson was returning to work after a walk on his lunch break, as he approached the building something caught his attention...




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Honoring God Through Food

I love food—all kinds of food, and I especially enjoy an array of colors on my plate. I was born and raised in Mexico, and I'm not alone in believing that Mexico has some of the world’s best cuisine. So, yes, food is important to me.  In the past, I never paid much attention to what food really did to my health. Instead, I just enjoyed the amazing satisfaction of trying new flavors and eating whatever I wanted—things like chocolate. I joke sometimes claiming myself to be a chocoholic. I love...




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DAP Reinvents Aerosol Spray Texture Applications with New Line Offering Professional Results

Wall and ceiling spray texture application has traditionally been a frustrating, inefficient and messy experience for professionals and DIYers alike. This year, DAP is reinventing wall and ceiling spray texture in formula, function and finish with the launch of a consistent and reliable product line that delivers a fast-drying, excellent texture match for maximum coverage and professional results.




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Simpson Strong-Tie Introduces AT-3G Hybrid, Acrylic Anchoring Adhesive

Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced AT-3G, a new, all-weather, hybrid, acrylic anchoring adhesive engineered to deliver a faster-curing, high-strength bond for cracked and uncracked concrete and post-installed rebar connections.




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NFPA, ESFI Underscore Electric Vehicle Safety During May’s National Electrical Safety Month

Electric vehicles and motorized micro-mobility devices (e-bikes and e-scooters) are more popular than ever, but the potential for fire-related hazards associated with the lithium-ion batteries that power these forms of transport is real and often underestimated.




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Rising Green Youth Hub Blog - Giving Haringey’s young people the chance to make real change

We are giving our young kids in the borough the chance to make a real change for their peers.




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Milwaukee Opens New Manufacturing Facility in Grenada, Mississippi

Milwaukee Tool has once again expanded its presence in the United States with the opening of its newest manufacturing facility, which is located in Grenada County, Mississippi.




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Preparing to Sell Your Company

Ten sound business practices in preparing your company for a sale.




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Exploring Megatrends Reshaping the E&C Industry

Industry change can come at any time, so it pays to be ready.




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Bringing Back American Lime Plaster

Lime plaster has a notable place in the history of art, architecture and design throughout the world, from the Egyptian pyramids to the Italian Renaissance frescos.




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GMS Expands Product Offerings in Florida and Announces Further Platform Expansion Activity

Florida acquisition expands complementary product offering in Southwest Florida; four new greenfield locations expand presence in key markets.




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L&W Names Sanchez Branch Manager in Colorado Springs

Fernando Sanchez expands his long career with L&W to become manager of the Colorado Springs, Colo., branch.




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Eco-Wall Coverings Hospitalized

 The Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe, La., strives to maintain a first-class medical facility, both in terms of patient case and overall appearance.  




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With New Milestones Brings Multifamily Experience

With a track record of 40-plus years in national multifamily leadership, the architecture firm, The Architectural Team, Inc., recently announced three key milestones for the firm's projects.




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Tributes paid to ‘fantastic and inspiring’ former chair of Charity Finance Group who has died aged 67

Ian Theodoreson, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in 2019, wrote that he ‘had lived a good life’ in a blog post posthumously published on 27 October




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Simpson Manufacturing Co. Rings the NYSE Closing Bell for 30 Years as a Public Firm

On Sept. 6, Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., the parent company of Simpson Strong-Tie, rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary as a publicly listed company.




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Exploring the Beauty of Stucco and EIFS

A breakdown of what it means to complete a beautiful job when working with EIFS and stucco cement.




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A Beautifully Variegated Outpouring

What does it take to have a stucco system that lasts the length of time? Consider the science.




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Peter Cardy: How can we cope with a tinkering chair?

Sector veteran Peter Cardy offers answers to your workplace dilemmas




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Volunteering charity appoints next chief

Amerjit Chohan will take up the top job at Helpforce in the new year




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FGIA Now Offering Pertinent FenestrationMasters 3.0 Courses à la Carte

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance is now offering two topics from the upcoming third edition of FenestrationMasters, its flagship education program, for individual purchase. The two à la carte modules cover the North American Fenestration Standard, including the NAFS Canadian Supplement and Fundamentals of Insulating Glass.




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Matthew Sherrington: Change and the curse of mission creep

You need to be clear and confident about what you do or the gulf between that and what people think you do can stretch to breaking point




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Outstanding Exterior Plastering Contractors

Walls & Ceilings’ annual round-up of some of the country’s most regarded EIFS/Stucco contractors.