EU BON has signed memoranda of understanding with almost thirty institutions and projects from across Europe and outside to state its desire for collaboration and exchange of expertise. Among the early partners in this list is the LTER-Europe group, focussed on the integration of scientific research  and ecosystem research approaches, including the human dimension.

Dr. Mark Frenzel who took part in the EU BON Third Stakeholder roundtable in December 2015, gives an overview of his impressions from the meeting as well as his ideas on the co-work between LTER-Europe and EU BON.

Credit: Florian Wetzel

Q: The LTER-Europe network looks at conceptualizing Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) as an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems. How is the network planning to achieve this?

A: This is / will be achieved mainly by funded project work. Actually the H2020 eLTER project is the most important backbone, an ESFRI eLTER initiative is running too. In terms of content there are several challenges which need to be addressed: (1) Harmonisation in terms of what and how is being measured at LTER sites, (2) collection and representation of metadata about sites, actors and data sets within the web tool DEIMS, (3) open access of data and DOI registration of data sets, (4) considering the human component as a major driver for changes in ecosystems by including socio-economy and socio-ecology in the LTER approach.      
 

Q: How would EU BON and its planned European biodiversity portal be beneficial to LTER-Europe and its aims in the next years?

A: Biodiversity is not the only, but an important focus within LTER. It depends on the services and benefits connected with this portal and its long-term perspective. The most important added value I would see in an elaborated framework-based agreement on the set of  "essential biodiversity variables" which will be a compromise between importance and feasibility. This selection process should be well tuned with the relevant players in this field.
 

Q: The LTER-Europe network includes several hundreds of sites that are collecting large amounts of data  – how can this data be used for improving our knowledge of biodiversity, particularly for policy-relevant questions?

A: The big advantage (and potential) of LTER-Europe sites is the coverage in terms of geography and bioms, the general shortcoming is in the heterogeneous reasons why these sites have been set up (e.g. for monitoring air pollution) and that there is no targeted funding (in terms of a specific research question) for all sites.

Not all sites are dealing with biodiversity data. First, suitable sites need to be selected according to metadata in DEIMS (https://data.lter-europe.net/deims/). Second, data sets according to fitting topics have to be compiled (perhaps no easy task, as datasets up to now are not exhaustively documented). Site managers of representative sites (depending on the question to be addressed) could be motivated to create a common standardised data sets (needs external funding depending on the resources necessary for the task or at least a very attractive research question) responding to e.g. policy needs. Moreover, the long-term knowledge of site coordinators about the development and the important drivers of change at their sites (e.g. by assessing ecosystem services) comprises valuable meta information about the context of data sets.

Data obtained from the sites could potentially help with policy-relevant questions like status of endangered species or status of ecosystem service relevant system parameters which could be extracted from LTER sites.
 

Q: According to you what are the next three most urgent step in order to achieve better understanding of ecosystem services and their benefits for policy, economics and society?

A: (1) reliable data and suitable scale of data, (2) understanding the effect of scale on ecosystem services, (3) make use of large networks to approach this issue, bring the results down to a scale understandable for the layman.
 

About LTER-Europe:

Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) is an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems. LTER contributes to the knowledge base informing policy and to the development of management options in response to the Grand Challenges under Global Change. From the beginning (around 2003) the design of LTER-Europe has focussed on the integration of natural sciences and ecosystem research approaches, including the human dimension. LTER-Europe was heavily involved in conceptualizing socio-ecological research (LTSER). As well as LTER Sites, LTER-Europe features LTSER Platforms, acting as test infrastructures for a new generation of ecosystem research across European environmental and socio-economic gradients.

One of the main outputs of EU BON will be the establishment of an European Biodiversity Portal based on data collected and compiled from a variety of sources including earth observations but also observations and monitoring data from (local) sites. One of the main points of this portal is to serve as a substantial building block of a global biodiversity portal planned by the Group of Earth Observations project GEO BON.

But how will this portal be useful to stakeholders on a more local level - for example for people involved in questions connected to biodiversity across European regions? What will be the real benefits of it for biodiversity monitoring and conservation? Just a couple of weeks after the Third EU BON Stakeholder Round Table in Granada, Spain, Mr Clint Alibrandi from REDIAM (Environment and Water Agency in Andalusia) gives us his views on these questions.

Picture:  Excursion to Sierra Nevada.; Credit: Katrin Vohland

Q: REDIAM shares a mission with EU BON in its attempt to collect, standardize and distribute available biodiversity data. What will be the expected benefits and challenges in the process of making this type of datasets available for society and environmental policy?

A: Among the responsibilities of the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia are promoting Social Environmental Awareness, Managing a vast, diverse and very complex territory, Control and Mitigate any threats posed to the fragile ecosystems present in our region as well as all the responsibilities derived from the management and planning of the existing natural resources.

Considering these facts, it is necessary to be able to account for the best environmental information available. Since the early 80’s the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia has been working on its Environmental Information System with the purpose of generating, compiling, standardizing and analyzing Environmental Information covering topics such as Climate, Water, Air Quality and Biodiversity by means of ICTs. This the REDIAM. The name comes from the Spanish Acronym "REd De Información AMbiental de Andalucía" which means the Environmental Information Network of Andalusia. It serves as a Unified Regional Environmental Information Registry.

From this effort, the information obtained by the REDIAM is made publicly available to be then employed in Decision Making processes and Management Planning on behalf of the Administrations, for Dissemination and Awareness as well as for Research purposes.

As such, it is of vital importance for the REDIAM to be able to account for updated and verifiable Information and Data Sources and this is what we consider to be the most important benefit on behalf of EU BON, as it will offer the possibility to have a higher level reference covering a larger perspective, allowing stakeholders, be it either from a local, regional or national level, to consult or work with data, tools and have reference to relevant policies concerning Biodiversity on the European scale in order to be able to better transpose them to a more local context.

Yet the greatest challenge we believe that EU BON might come to face is the fact that the different contexts that exist over the whole European territory make it very difficult to tailor tools and information formats which can cover the different priorities or needs that exist in the diverse makeup of stakeholders that exist from a local, regional and national perspective. The same can most probably apply to the feedback, queries or requests made to EU BON on behalf of the stakeholder and user community. It is never easy to reach a common base level and from the regional perspective, REDIAM has faced the same type of situations.

Q: What type of stakeholders do you hope to engage through your network - who is using your data and for what purposes?

A: The stakeholders which are currently engaged with the REDIAM consist in Universities, Research Centres, Public Bodies, Local Administrations, Private Companies just to name a few examples. There are over 150 organizations which are partners of the REDIAM, they provide relevant Environmental Information to the REDIAM and are responsible for updating the information.

And as can be expected,the information provided is as diverse as the makeup of stakeholders that are part of the REDIAM, with the following formats being made available: Cartography, Satellites Images, Databases, Reports, Statistics, Applications, Management Plans and Programmes, Orthophotos, Indicators, Studies.

Additionally the REDIAM offers the user community different alternatives in order to access the previously indicated information. The REDIAM Channel is a web portal with a Catalogue and Information Search System, OGC Services, Query and Viewer tools, Downloader. The user community is able to access its information and services. This community consists in Citizens, Universities, Public Administrations and Companies from the Public and Private Sector.

Q: Where do you see the cross section between REDIAM’s work and EU BON - what are the products from EU BON and other European projects that would be helpful for the work that you are doing?

A: The REDIAM has great interest in the following issues and we believe that EU BON would be up to the task of providing solutions and/or guidelines on how to be able to proceed to solve them:

• The elaboration of a common tool for the description and localization of species throughout the European Territory. This can prove a very useful service for Environmental Impact Assessments by providing a more complete view on different species distribution on determined area.
• Defining a standardized list of species which contains the taxonomically correct name for each one of them. EU BON could serve as a base reference to set guidelines for standardizing the taxonomical classification of species.
• Support and guidance in defining specific biodiversity indicators as proposed by EUROSTAT, a methodological and assessment guide of some sort.

Q: In your opinion what are the three greatest benefits of a European level biodiversity portal?

A: 1) Offering an opportunity of Standardizing and Harmonizing Biodiversity related information. We all speak the same "language" when referring to Biodiversity, but it is necessary that we all be able to follow the same "rules" as well. This is the first and most important pillar we believe that a European level Biodiversity portal can bring into play.

2) It would allow for and facilitate a widespread exchange of information amongst stakeholders throughout the whole European Territory.

3) And finally, it would allow a common analysis on a European level which would provide a general assessment on how different efforts and policies are effective, value which is the real status of Biodiversity and/or specific species independently from the limit of administrative or country borders.

About REDIAM:

The Environmental Information Network REDIAM has onboard experts from the Regional Ministry of Environment in Andalusia and its Water and Environmental Agency. With a team expertise ranging from local to regional and European level and from technical know-how to regional and thematic assessment, the main aim of the network is to integrate all spatially-referenced biodiversity data produced in Andalusia. Raw data are used to generate knowledge and improve its distribution, making it accessible and comprehensible for the general public.

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

It makes perfect sense to all who know Sarah Reeves that she is where she is and doing what she is doing. But the journey it took to get her here has not been an easy or uneventful one. I got the chance to visit with Sarah about her recent single release, Nowhere, and God’s ongoing story in her life.

Having been raised in the church and music industry by her record producer father and mother, a nurse, at the age of 15 Sarah encountered the presence of God in a way she never had before. She knew at that moment that He was calling her into a life of music and ministry. She dove head first into leading worship within her local church and by 18 was signed to a label and touring the country leading worship. After some time, she met and married her husband, Philip Kothlow, and decided for a season to step out of music and sort of discover herself and “live some real life . . . away from music”. She took a job working as a preschool teacher and Philip was an electrician at the time. A couple of years into marriage, she found herself in a place she never thought she’d be.

“About three years ago . . . I remember us just reaching this point in our marriage where we were facing wall after wall, and struggle after struggle. We came to this place where we found ourselves on the verge of divorce and we knew at that point we had to make a drastic change. We were both working full-time jobs . . . and we decided to step away from those. We went away and really just kind of started over. Focused on each other. Focused on God and putting Him at the center of our marriage. We learned how to be married and fell in love all over again. During that time . . . I started putting out YouTube covers and slowly God started to open up doors again into music. Things were really starting to happen. He had redeemed our marriage and now he was redeeming my artistry again. What I thought was over was just beginning.”

Today, Philip is Sarah’s manager and together they are storming back with a fresh perspective on music and a renewed passion for worship.  Nowhere dropped April 7th in anticipation of her full album release with Word Records in the fall.

When talking about the direction of this new project Sarah said, “God has given me this specific sound . . . but there’s always been this inner battle between being a worship leader and being an artist. There’s this style that I love but I felt the pressure to always keep it straight down the middle if I wanted to be a worship leader. About a year and a half ago, a friend sent me a track . . . and I wrote this song to it that I just loved and something in me came alive in that moment. Through that song I found so much clarity as if God said, ‘Sarah, I’ve given you this sound and you don’t have to choose . . . I’ve given you this gift for you to merge the two together.’

The production is very electronic and pop and hopefully will push the limits of worship leaders to write and produce outside of the box.”

When it comes to songwriting, Sarah always tries to “write songs that come from a place of things (she’s) walked through or that would encourage other people.” Her hope is to stretch stylistically and for people to not put the stereotypical worship mindset on this project, but rather to think bigger and more creatively.

A lot of her musical style and depth of worship comes from influences such as Jeff Deyo (former lead singer of Sonic Flood who, funnily enough, introduced Sarah to her now husband), Bethel Music, Glades, Ellie Goulding, and Coldplay. Personally, some of the people who have helped shape and mold her into the person she is today are her mother, who has been a huge prayer warrior, her husband, who knows how to encourage and challenge her to be a better person and artist, and her pastors Henry and Alex Seeley from The Belonging, a church that meets in Nashville.

Given the journey that it’s taken to get where she is today, we asked Sarah what words of encouragement she would give to those coming up as artists and worship leaders now who might be growing weary of the grind.

“One thing that I’ve learned came from a message that Alex Seeley preached a while back called Surrender To The Process, and it’s just been something that I’ve clung to and have had to learn how to do. I had to let my dreams die and had to come to a place where I had completely surrendered my heart, my dreams, my career, everything that I wanted . . . and once I came to that point, He finally was enough for me. I think when we get to that point, it just doesn’t matter . . . our craft, our music, everything that we can see . . . it’s amazing. And if it happens, awesome, but if it doesn’t happen, it’s okay. Our purpose is eternity and to build the Kingdom of God with whatever He’s given us in the moment. Be faithful in those little things and surrender to whatever process He wants to take you through.”

Make sure to check out Sarah’s single, Nowhere, available anywhere music is sold. And make sure to keep an eye out for other singles she will release as her full project date this fall gets closer.

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.

If you aren’t yet familiar with her, the name to be looking out for in the coming year without a doubt is Dara Maclean. With two studio records behind her, the Lord is paving a fresh path for her ministry that hearts everywhere are sure to resonate with.
 
She’s been singing and doing music and ministry since she was seven years old. In her words, “it was not good sounding by any means. I remember at seven, I ran into my dad’s office and I had a walls of Jericho type song, and he applauded me because he’s a really good dad, but I’m sure it was really rough. But I felt called to the industry from a very young age and that has been everything for me.”

Having grown up in the church, she experienced first-hand that church really can be what you need regarding your maturing as a believer, a worshiper, and a leader. In her community she had “the opportunity to really fail forward in the sense of what not to do as a worship leader or youth leader. That was school for me in a lot of ways. God just knows how He uniquely creates us. I had to learn by doing and was forced into situations where experience didn’t get me there, but only the Lord could do it.”
 
“My parents looked at me and did NOT say, ‘You can be anything when you grow up.’ They said ‘there’s a specific calling on your life, and until you learn to hear from the Lord yourself, we’re going to help you.’ It has never been a question as I’ve pursued that calling.”
 
Some of Dara’s musical influences include Crystal Lewis, Martha Munizzi, CeCe Winans, and Brian & Jenn Johnson. These influences combined with her own experience in the recording industry served as the inspiration behind her and her husband’s heart to be a safe place for creatives to grow and learn and get tools to pursue their passions without having to step outside of the church.
 
Right now Dara is in the process of writing for a live worship record. It’s something that she is taking her time with in order to make it the very best it can possibly be. “For me personally I had to get off of the pump-out-a-record-every-two-years train. I could never take away from what the Lord had done on my journey, but I just had to stop and say ‘this project is worth it, I want more, I want another level, and that just takes time.’” Also around that same time, Dara married her husband Donnie Petty, so her life focus began shifting dramatically.
 
Leading up to the live recording, they have been and will continue to release one single at a time as a build up to the full project. Blameless was released in the fall of 2016 and then her latest song, Ashes, hit the scene just in time for Easter this year.

Along with being a songwriter and recording artist, Dara and her husband serve at a church in Fort Worth, TX. When it comes to balancing a music career and pastoring in the local church context, Dara says that it’s not something she did very well for a long time. “I became very overwhelmed. In the past I’ve been an all-or-nothing person and the Lord has helped me tremendously. I had to learn to not be a perfectionist when I didn’t need to be, and to stop carrying the weight of things I didn’t need to carry. I was putting all of that pressure on myself, so the balance began to come when I sort of ‘got over myself.’ God is perfectly faithful and fit and He has qualified us for what He has called us to do. Not by might and not by power, but by the Spirit. When working in the first two only, you grow weary in well-doing.”
 
The story behind her most recent release, Ashes, is a very personal one. Dara takes songwriting very seriously and carries the full weight and responsibility of her name being attached to anything. So when she walks into a co-write, nine times out of ten she already has a theme in mind, if not a full set of bones for an idea. But this particular session with Travis Ryan (We Believe) happened to be the last of a week straight of two co-writes per day. “I walked in and Travis had this concept of Ashes, and we knew immediately ‘God You just have just given us a gift.’ We definitely should not be focusing on this just for Easter, because victory of death, what a revelation! There are definitely areas of my life that have died . . . full on valley of dry bones. Jesus did not die so that things in me would remain dead. He longs to show off in the marriage that is dying. For those who struggle with self-harm issues, fill in the blank . . . we need Jesus. The goal is to prophetically proclaim this over people because I’ve needed it myself. The reality is, there is stuff in our past that needs to remain dead. But shame and condemnation is trying to keep dead that which God said ‘I gave that to you as a gift of life’. I believe those things, through the power of revelation, can be resurrected and that will lead people to the Lord. That’s huge!”
 
One thing is for sure; this sister has a gifting and a message from the Lord that will not easily go unheard. And the soul in her voice only solidifies the power behind the words she is singing. So if you haven’t already, check out her music today.
You can get Ashes here and keep up with what Dara is up to here.

If you’ve been attending a church with a contemporary bent for any length of time, then you’ve likely sung songs on a regular basis written by a gentleman named Jesse Reeves. Jesse has co-written on some of the most widely known worship songs of our generation such as How Great It Our God, Lord I Need You, and Our God - just to name a few. 

Growing up in the Bible Memory Association, Jesse’s spiritual life consisted mostly of rules and regulations, until September 23, 1990 when he met Jesus at the ages of 15 and his life was changed forever. A rancher’s son, his love for playing music left his father stumped, but he continued following his passion and played with a band all the way through college. Then in 1997, Jesse met a country boy from Grand Saline, TX named Chris Tomlin who asked him if he’d like to lead worship, to which Jesse responded in all sincerity that he didn’t know what that was. At this point in the contemporary worship movement, the term “worship leader” hadn’t really caught on. There were music ministers, and that definitely was not the route Jesse wanted to go. But the two had lunch and the rest was history. 

I, myself, was raised in the church as the daughter of a Baptist youth minister (or student pastor as they’re called these days), and I was finishing up my high school years in youth group right about the time all of this was taking place. In fact, much of the soundtrack to the season in my life when God called me to ministry and began shaping and forming my passion for leading worship was penned and recorded by these two Texas boys. So to find myself today sitting in an 8,000 sq. ft. mountain lodge at a writing camp with the likes of Jesse Reeves is a full-circle, what-even-is-my-life moment to say the least. 

Nevertheless, you better believe I took full advantage of the opportunity to sit down with Jesse and talk about his heart for worship, the worship leader, and this next generation that God is raising up. I asked him first about the role that worship has had in his life growing up and how it has evolved throughout his time in ministry. 

“If you’re talking about the expression of worship through music, growing up it was just hymns and they didn’t mean anything to me. But now looking back, I have a huge appreciation for my childhood and learning those songs, because I learned what it means to teach theology through lyrics. It’s a lost art and so I’m very passionate about trying to revive some of that. And I’ve done this long enough to see that everything is on a pendulum. When I first started playing, everything sounded like U2, and then everything sounded like Coldplay, and then everything sounded like Mumford & Sons, and now it’s probably like Chainsmokers. And I just always come back to the question of ‘If the Spirit of the living God lives inside of us, why aren’t we creating things that are original and better than what the world is doing, instead of trying to chase what they’re doing?’ I do understand the context of being relevant and playing stuff that’s going to resonate with people, but I always want to come back to what the Spirit of the living God wants to hear, not what we want to play.”

Over his 20+ years in the worship leading world, Jesse has stood on every platform and stage imaginable and in front of every crowd size imaginable. I would venture to guess that making that mental shift from event to event and church to church had to require some form of finesse and adaptability. So I asked him what it looked like for him to make that adjustment, especially as it relates to transitioning out of touring and back into the local church setting.

“I would say that I’ve worked my way all the way to the bottom, and I think it’s kind of where I want to be. I didn’t always want to be there and it wasn’t an easy journey. I have been to the mountain top of Christian music and definitely want to honor that, but I very specifically was called out of that. It was through a sermon that I heard from Tommy Nelson. He was preaching on the anointing of David as king. If you go back and read 1 Samuel 16, they are looking to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel shows up and they have this parade of all of Jesse’s sons . . . this is Eliab, this is Abinadab, this is Shammah . . . they went through seven sons, to which Samuel’s response was that none of these are the king, do you have any others?  Jesse says that yes, he has one other son but that he was in the field tending the sheep. Now when I was listening to this sermon, I was on a run training for a marathon, so I was a good 15 miles from my house. Tommy Nelson said one statement and it was this. “What God is looking for in a man is a man that more concerned about the sheep than the parade.” And I don’t know why, but that’s when the Holy Spirit wrecked me and I literally started weeping. I was still running, but now I’m running with my hands in the air and I’m saying “Jesus, I’m listening.” On a public path by the way. People are passing me thinking that this guy has lost his mind. But that was a moment in my life when Jesus started trying to get my attention. Hear me say this, there is nothing wrong with the parade. God sent Samuel to the parade. There’s a time and a place for the parade. But our generation lives for the parade and there’s not enough people who care about the sheep. I feel like that’s my mission in life going forward, to simply care for sheep. The parade will take care of itself. So to bring it back around to the question, yes I’ve been in megachurches to now I have a house church of about 20 people that meets in my home and it’s awesome. And right now, my favorite worship leader on the planet is the girl who leads worship in my house, because she has an anointing on her, and to get 20 people to sing in a living room is actually way harder than getting 10,000 people to sing because it’s awkward, but it’s beautifully awkward. And she has an authority on her that she can pull this out of people and turn people’s eyes on Jesus in such a way that you forget there’s only 20 people in the room. That’s something I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Reeves has a strong passion for pouring into worship leaders and songwriters and has done so in different ways over the past several years since settling back down with his family in Austin, TX. We discussed the fact that it seems like every generation of worship leaders has something that really marks them. For our particular generation, we were a part of that group that sort of stepped in right as that transition from traditional to blended to contemporary was really gaining its momentum, and so maturing as a worship leader looked very different from what it does now. I asked Jesse what he thinks the “mark” is for this current generation of worship leaders taking up roles in the church and coming into their own as leaders, and what it might look like for them to reach their full potential. 

“While I don’t want to make a blanket statement about it, I do feel like we have a generation of people who looked at my generation and saw what we did and thought, “That’s really cool, I want to do that.” And so we have a large percent of churches with people filling the platform that wanted to do that because it was cool, instead of because they have a calling on their life from God. So honestly I think what’s marking this generation is that, but I’m also not a doomsday-er. I don’t think all is lost. I think what God is calling people to right now, and you can see it across the nation, God is calling people out who are authentic. And that is who is rising to the top. I read a book called The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch and he says that this next generation wants three things . . . they want authenticity, they want community, and they want social justice. And if they don’t find those things in the church, they’re just not going to go. My generation will go to church just to check a box. Not this next generation. I think what is going to have to mark this generation is for true worship leaders to figure out how to reach them because they’re not going to come to us. Which means we’re going to have to lead worship not with just songs. We’re going to have to lead worship with our actions. So maybe God is raising up a new generation of worship leaders that has very little to do with music. Look at Romans 12:1.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

That’s our definition. That definition doesn’t say anything about music, it doesn’t say anything about songs. We’ve had a whole generation that defines worship by our songs. God defines our worship by the degree to which we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. So what I pray is that the next generation will lead the charge in that. That’s something I would be willing to follow.”

As you can imagine, there’s not a whole lot to say after that, except this . . . where are you pouring out? Where are you investing your resources and energy? Is it into the parade or is it into the sheep? This is probably a question that we as worship leaders need to ask and re-ask ourselves on a regular basis. Like Jesse said, neither is right or wrong and there is a time and place for both. But it is always worth checking in periodically to make sure we are spending ourselves where He wants us spending ourselves. The alternatively will leave us simply exhausted. 

In this special episode, the Safety+Health team previews the 2023 NSC Spring Safety Conference & Expo – set for May 17-19 in Indianapolis – and interviews keynote speaker Brandon Schroeder.

Watch or listen to David Feder, Executive Editor-Technical, interview Erhan Yildiz, PhD, director of the hydrocolloid consulting group SKC, LLC. Dr. Yildiz provides an overview on trends in gums used in making today’s food and beverage products.

David Feder, Executive Editor-Technical for Prepared Foods media, takes a look at the trends in pasta and all things noodles, with Ann Contos, Senior Product Development Manager and Yury Krasilovsky, Executive Chef, Foodservice R&D for Barilla America, Inc., makers of pastas, pestos, and sauces since 1877.

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The post Free Talk Group Motivational Interviewing (MI) for Teens was curated by information for practice.

Brady chats with NYT columnist and Dartmouth political scientist Brendan Nyhan about this week's avalanche of political ads. Then, two seasoned primary watchers weigh in on the celebrities (and non-celebrities) candidates call upon in the primary's waning weeks. Finally, a public radio host who's interviewed hundreds of primary candidates shares her strategy to get them to open up. #FITN #2016 #Politics

A spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff's Office said Kelly would not be released from jail until he pays the full child-support debt. His next hearing was scheduled for March 13.

Elizabeth Harper, a relics expert, at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena; Credit: John Rabe

"Reach a certain moment in your life, and you discover that your days are spent as much with the dead as they are with the living." – Paul Auster

This has been one of my favorite quotes for a long time. To me it means that when you get older and your friends, relatives, and heroes start dying, you have a choice. You can either stop thinking about them because they're dead, giving up, as it were, the pleasure of their company; or you can keep them in your life. To me, that's not denial; it's being realistic.

So, it makes sense that I felt a kindred spirit with Elizabeth Harper, who keeps the website All the Saints You Should Know, when we met at a beautiful mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena to talk about the history of cemeteries, relics, castrated Italian avuncular mummies, and the best spots in Los Angeles to commune healthily with death.

Elizabeth will be part of the team when Atlas Obscura leads tours of The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Saturday, July 1. It's billed as "A celebration of life, death, architecture, and the patron saint of Los Angeles."

Here are some highlights of my mausoleum conversation with Elizabeth Harper:

At first glance, she says, all of the tombs are very similar.

And that was one of the things, when we started making modern cemeteries, outside the city lines, they wanted them to be regular and not so expressive and macabre. But people leave little things behind. On a lot of these (crypts), you can see a little emblem of something that was important to them. If they were a Mason or if they served in the Army. I like the (cremains) urns that are shaped like books. I have a friend who is a librarian and she was very taken with the idea of being in a book.

Napoleon instituted the Edict of Saint-Cloud, which mandated that cemeteries must be outside city limits (for health reasons) and must be toned-down (for no good reason).

People did not like the edict. There's a very famous poem called Sepulchers by Ugo Foscolo that was written in protest, that said, essentially, looking upon the graves of strong men strengthens the mind and the spirit.

From Slate: Photographing the Real Bodies of Incorrupt Saints, by Elizabeth Harper

Elizabeth often writes about cemeteries and tombs and sometimes posts photos of bodies, which causes a "certain segment" to assume she has no experience with death, or she wouldn't presume to do such a thing.

What I want to put out there is that we have this pervasive idea that we grieve and move on, and this moving on is very important, and I think there are multiple ways to incorporate the idea of death in your life, to get used to the idea, without forgetting, that's more of a way of memorializing. When I take these pictures, I'm very aware that these are real people, and I think of myself, what I will be one day, and people I love, who are already there.

Make sure to listen to our entire interview in the audio player to hear Elizabeth's 3 top spots in Los Angeles to consider the place of death in our lives, and to hear about poor old Uncle Vincent, a neutered naked mummy in a small town in Italy who has a large fan base.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

When John L. Anderson, president emeritus and distinguished professor of chemical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was first elected to the National Academy of Engineering almost 30 years ago, he remembers being deeply honored and excited about how the recognition would help his career.

We recently were able to talk to Anthony Spinato, president of Spinato's Fine Foods, Tempe, AZ, about their new broccoli pizza crust and other frozen pizza aspects. 

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery recently was able to talk to Marc Kuo, CEO and co-founder, Routific, about SMBs and non-traditional delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Snacking healthier is getting easier nowadays with graze, a subscription box that also sells its products in stores. 

Munk Pack, winner of the 2017 ‘Best Health School Snacks’ contest, discusses natural, healthy, vegan snacks.

An interview with DSM about immunity, boosting the health appeal of baked goods, and Omega-3s.

In my years in the workforce, I’ve had jobs with amazing bosses and managers. On the flip side, I’ve also had terrible managers who made me question whether or not I wanted to stay in that organization.

Crow writes meticulously researched, entertaining novels of romance, history, adventure and mystery in an engaging you-are-there style that allows readers to live the history. Reviewers have compared her work with PD James, Dan Brown and Barbara Pym.

LGBTQ+ Podcast DB Honeybutter features gay pastor, The Reverend Steve Pieters, on surviving AIDS, being portrayed in the new Jessica Chastain movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye, fairy wands and hope.

Richard Runyon, a retired FDA senior analyst, is rolling out the first in his six-part interview series, in addition to continuing work on his official website and making plans for an audiovisual web series all before the end of the year.

Marc Berman hosts South Jersey's premiere weekly radio talk show featuring interviews with the biggest names in the world of entertainment. The show also opens the door for unsigned, indie and emerging artists.

Hwang Pil-su stated, "For a company to grow, excellent products, capital, and talented employees are essential. However, many employees experience psychological barriers that prevent them from fully utilizing their abilities in the workplace."

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Nam-Hoon Kang emphasized, "Hydrogen energy is the most efficient means of achieving carbon neutrality, and Korea is pursuing diverse collaborations with domestic and international companies to expand infrastructure."

Hydrogen-powered cars.

CEO Minji Kang said, "Issues that could be resolved in 10 minutes in Korea would take 4 to 5 times longer when collaborating with multinational team members, highlighting the need for a tool that could revolutionize multilingual document management."

"Together with Gwangju Design Biennale, you can enjoy the value and pleasure of design, while also savoring the unique style and flavor of Gwangju"…

We would like to present an opportunity to interview "The First John", Jose Torres, prior to the national movie release.

There's a lot of advice out there on how to get job interviews right, whether you're the one trying to get hired or the one evaluating the candidates. But the dos and don'ts aren't always applicable to every person. In fact, author Anna Papalia thinks we're better served by understanding and leveraging our own natural interviewing style. Having spent years as a corporate recruiter, organizational consultant, and coach to students and professions, she's conducted thousands of real and mock interviews and noticed that people tend to fall into one of four categories: charmer, examiner, challenger, or harmonizer.  She outlines the strengths and weaknesses of each and explains how this framework can help us get better from both sides of the desks. Papalia wrote the book "Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing."

The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration will interview applicants for a vacant judicial position Sept. 10 at its main office in Albuquerque. Judge Leonard Padilla The WCA in May started accepting…

Once again Laura Wilson joins the round table to talk to the guys about vocational rehabilitation, IMR, Home Ownership, the Gig Economy and other issues of interest to employees, employers,…

In this webinar, attendees will learn how Motivational Interviewing can be used to improve communication with injured worker patients. MI involves practical, empathetic, and short-term processes that take into consideration…

Go behind the scenes with Björn Ottosson, the Swedish engineer who created Oklab color space, and discover how he developed a simple yet effective model with good hue uniformity while also handling lightness and saturation well — and is “okay” to use.

Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 2:00pm
Location: LSA Building
Organized By: LSA Opportunity Hub

Interview jitters? The LSA Opportunity Hub is here to help. Participate in a mock interview with an employer representative to build up the confidence you need to nail your next interview! This is your chance to practice your interviewing skills and get real-time feedback from employers, ahead of the recruiting season. Hub coaches will also be on standby to provide drop-in coaching that can further fine-tune your interview preparation. Emerge from this session with the skills you need to rock any interview!

You should attend this Employer Connection if you are:



An LSA student in any year



An LSA student looking for extra interview practice and preparing for recruiting season



Eager to demystify and excel in behavioral and technical interviews



Eager to connect with employers and tap into their industry knowledge



What you’ll gain by attending:

Gain practical experience to confidently navigate the interview process



Get insights on how to effectively communicate your experiences and skills in a high-pressure interview setting



Use this opportunity to share your résumé with the respective recruiting teams



Make valuable connections with employers looking to hire LSA students



Companies will attend both virtually and in-person. Both will be held in the LSA 1st Floor interview rooms with virtual employers cast onto the screens. When signing up for a schedule slot, rooms containing virtual employers will be noted. Confirmed employers include:

TBD

The LSA Opportunity Hub aims to deliver inclusive and accessible experiences and welcomes all LSA students to participate. This event is on the first floor of a wheelchair accessible building which includes wheelchair-accessible restrooms on the first floor, a gender-inclusive and accessible restroom on the first floor, places to sit or stand during the event, and accessible parking options nearby on Maynard Street. Ramps are located at the East entrance (from State St.) and the Northwest entrance (from Maynard). Power doors are located at the Northwest entrance. To request other accommodations please contact LSA Hub Events at lsa.hubevents@umich.edu or 734-764-4920 so we can make arrangements.

RSVP NOW to reserve your spot as capacity is limited.

Forest Hills Northern High School Project NEXT and STEM Academy seniors came together today to meet with industry professionals and local business leaders for mock interviews, gaining valuable experience in selling their skills and experience to prospective employers!

The post Mock Interviews for a Bright Future appeared first on Forest Hills Public Schools.

Most companies today have something to say about their company culture and how it makes them unique with regard to what they do and how they treat their employees. And that's a good thing: Today's employees are not motivated solely by money, and behaving as if they are will rarely lead to good long-term recruiting results. When candidates are considering prospective employers, they have a ...

In this episode we talk with Doug Schmidt. Doug is a professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University and a well-respected authority in the fields of middleware, patterns and model-driven development. In this interview we talk about these topics in the context of distributed, realtime embedded (DRE) systems.

Eric Evans is the author of the well known Domain-Driven Design book. In his day job he works as a consultant and coach for his own company, Domain Language. In this interview, Eric talks about the essential building blocks of domain-driven design as well as about a set of best practices on how to address complex projects. In a third part, he elaborates on the relationship of domain-driven design and MDSD/MDA.

In this Episode we have the pleasure of talking with Gregor Kiczales. Gregor is one of the fathers of aspect-oriented programming (AOP). Today he is a professor of computer science at the University of British Columbia. Back in his days at Xerox Parc, he and a number of other people worked on the early forms of AOP as well as on some of its forerunners, such as meta object protocols. In this interview, we talk about a number of interesting topics, such as the history of AOP, the relationship of AO to interceptors, the industry acceptance of AOP, early aspects (i.e. using AO in development phased before implementation) as well as adoption strategies for AOP.