Who’s in your circle?

This is Jason Hatley, Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church, and I’m not really talking about your Google+ account. This question cuts a little deeper than that

I’m talking about the 5 or so people that are the most influential people in your life. They are the people that are currently speaking into your life (good or bad) and are, in many ways, helping to shape who you are today.

Why does this matter?

Well let me rewind quickly to lay the foundation. . .

Last week we kicked off a 3-part series on the importance of your growth and leadership in the church. Remember the story of David’s annointing in 1 Samuel 16:13? As the oil was poured on to David’s head it ran down all over him signfying that ”as goes the King, so goes the Kingdom.”

The same can be said for Worship Leaders and worship ministries. And so we started down this path of discovering THREE ACTIONS of Growing Worship Leaders.

The first action (and what we talked about last week) is that growing Worship Leaders have a written plan for their Growth. They think about what areas of their life (spiritual, ministry, family, finances, health, etc.) they need to grow in and they make a plan for how they will do it.

A written plan is central to your growth as a Worship Leader. After all - Growing Worship Ministries are led by Growing Worship Leaders.

However, a written plan isn’t the only action of growing worship leaders.

The second action is just as important and it is this:

ACTION #2: Surround yourself with people who help you grow.

Jim Rohn has said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

That is – you and I are who we are today because of the influence we allow other people to have on us. Whether it’s a family member, friend, or co-worker we are greatly shaped by those who are closest to us.

This can be both good and bad.

After all, if you are surrounded by Godly men and women who are encouraging you to become all that God has called you to be, you will be challenged by them and more readily pursue that in your life.

However, if you surround yourself with people who speak negatively, don’t have God-sized dreams, aren’t learning / growing / reading, or aren’t sharpening you (Proverbs 27:17), well . . . you will most likely take on some of their traits and follow suit there as well.

This is a hard teaching, but important for us to understand. Becoming all that God has called you to be requires sacrifice. And sometimes the sacrifice we need to make is that of a relationship that is keeping us from growing. After all, “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor. 15:33)

The key is to maximize the time you spend with those who challenge you to grow. And, according to Proverbs 13:20, here’s what will happen . . .

“Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm.”

If you invest time with Godly leaders, you can become a Godly leader

So here are TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for you:

#1 - Who are the people in your life that are helping you grow as a pastor / worship leader / spouse / parent / child of God? How can you maximize your time with those people?

#2 - Who are the people in your life whom you find are keeping you from becoming all that God has called you to be? How can you minimize the time you invest in those relationships? What other relationships could you reallocate that time to?

BONUS QUESTION:

What if you had a group of Worship Leaders around you who were just as passionate about leading their worship ministries and personal lives with excellence as you are? What kind of positive impact would that have on your life and your ministry?

That’s exactly the type of enviornment that I work to create in the Worship Leader Tele-Coaching network. Fellow worship leaders who pray for you, whom you can build relationships with, and learn from. Keep reading below to learn more about to get involved, or visit www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching to learn more.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said, “Five years from now you’ll be the same person you are today except for the books you read and the people you meet.”

Decide today to invest in the most important and life-giving relationships in your life.

Your partner in ministry,

PS – Are you ready to join with other Worship Leaders and GROW YOURSELF AND YOUR MINISTRY this year?

I want to invite you to be a part of my NEW Tele-Coaching network for Worship Leaders beginning on March 16. And when you apply by February 15 and are accepted into the network, you will receive over $733.00 in savings and bonuses.

Learn more at www.WorshipLeaderInsights.com/Coaching

With the end of 2011 just days away, many pastors and worship leaders are already turning the calendar in their minds to 2012. Good idea, right?

Wrong!

Let me explain . . . There’s nothing wrong with looking ahead, but the problem is that many may be forgetting one of the most important year-end rituals — wrapping up this year before you move on to the next. That’s right . . . like any good worship service it’s not over until it’s been properly evaluated and debriefed.

One of the things that I do each year is a year-end evaluation. It’s an incredibly powerful process and I want to share part of it with you today.

You see there is a leadership principle that far too many people practice these days — the Principle of Reflection.

John Maxwell says that, “The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness.” That’s certainly true this time of year. We become so busy moving on that we neglect to take time to think, reflect, and evaluate how things went this year, and what can learn from that to make next year better.

So as we head down the homestretch of 2011, I want to share with you a few of the questions that I use to reflect on this year.

There are about 16 questions in all, and in my coaching networks this past week I shared almost every one and took each of the worship pastors in the network through this process of year-end review.

I don’t have time to do that here, so over the course of the next few weeks I’m going to share with you three of these questions to get you started.

But first, let me tell you why this is important to you specifically.

First of all, it will remind you of what God has done in my life this year. Like the Israelites, you and I need to be reminded of all that God has done for us so we can be grateful and remain faithful.

It will also give you a clear picture of where you are and how far you’ve come in the last year. How did you do at overcoming your biggest challenges this past year, and how is God growing you?

One of the great tragedies of life would be to reach the end of a year, look back and realize you are the same person today that you were a year ago. A year wasted, fighting the same battles, dealing with the same struggles. Like Sisyphus, the king from Greek mythology who was punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again, and to repeat this for eternity.

That’s not what you want, not what I want, and certainly not what God wants.

So, before this year is over, let’s see what we can learn from it. Here’s the first question . . .

#1 – What are my current responsibilities at the church at the end of this year? (Be as specific as possible)

At first glance, this may look like either an unimportant question, or one that you already know the answer to, but stick with me a minute here.

If you had 10 minutes right now, could you write down on paper everything that you do to serve your church and lead your ministry? Not “broad job titles” but specifics. Most of us haven’t thought about this since we were first hired and given a job description.

But if your ministry is anything like mine, your role has changed. In fact it’s constantly changing. Responsibilities you once had have been given to someone else. You have new responsibilities and projects to lead.

If you don’t take (at least) an annual account of exactly what you do . . . and I mean exactly . . . then you will never be able to:

• Raise up other leaders to take over your least important tasks so you can do what’s most crucial and only you can do.

• Know exactly what you’re responsible for.

• Be able to have accountability in your ministry, either between you and your pastor, or you and your volunteer leaders and staff.

The list I made when I did my year-end review last week was nearly 2 pages long. I bet yours is, too. So . . . just exactly what is it that you’re on staff at your church to do . . . and are you doing it?

Make a list and consider that question. By doing so you will start 2012 with more clarity and understanding of how to make the biggest contribution to the kingdom, and not just float through another year.

Next week we’ll cover the second question. Until then . . . you’ve got work to do

Your partner in ministry,

PS – You heard me mention above how I lead my coaching network through each aspect of this review earlier this week? That’s exactly the one-on-one coaching that I would love to give to you and your ministry in 2012.

My new coaching network begins in March, and it will fill up. So if you’re looking for an opportunity to take yourself and your worship ministry to the next level in 2012, I would ask you to prayerfully consider this network. Now is the perfect time to apply because the Super Early Bird deadline is coming up quick (December 31st).

Right now you can receive the Super Early Bird rate and additional bonus resources ($772.00 value) when you’re accepted.

Learn more at http://www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching

Jason Hatley here, Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church, with a quick (but very important) question for you . . .

How’s your Christmas season going?

No . . . I’m not talking about services or Christmas planning. I’m talking about you. How is YOUR Christmas season going?

For all of us in ministry Christmas can be a huge season of opportunity as God works through our churches to change lives in our communities. But don’t forget that God wants to work in your life this Christmas, too.

I shared an Oswald Chambers quote with my coaching network recently that has really been challenging me personally.

He wrote . . .

“Many today are spending and being spent in their work for Jesus Christ but they do not walk with him.”

I think the truth of that quote rings especially true this time of year. So let me ask you . . . what are you doing to experience Christ this Christmas?

Here are a couple quick ideas (things that I’m personally doing this year) that will hopefully be starting point for you . . .

#1 – Christmas Quiet Time - Each December I freshen up my personal Bible study and prayer with a Christmas focused quiet time. This is something I’ve done for years now, and thanks to online sites like www.YouVersion.com Christmas Bible studies are easier than ever to find. This year I’ve been doing a devotional on the Christmas story and how it interacts with my favorite Christmas carols as part of my quiet time. Not only am I studying the Christmas story, but I’m also getting new perspective on many of the songs that we are incorporating into our worship service.

#2 – Involve your family and friends - One of the best ways to experience Christmas personally this year is alongside your family and friends. At the Hatley house, my wife and I have been playing with our kids and their nativity set, allowing our 5-year old Abigail to tell the Christmas story as we play.

My wife has also created an advent calendar for our family (have I mentioned how awesome my wife is) and each day the kids get to uncover that day’s surprise. Some are fun family things like go to a Christmas pageant, and some are as simple as pieces of candy with special Christmas messages on them (guess which one is my favorite – ha!). Either way, experiencing Christmas with family and friends helps make the holidays more personal.

#3 – Pray for your unchurched friends - Want to take your Christmas experience to the next level this year? Pray for and invite your unchurched friends and neighbors to church this season. Christmas is a time when those around us are spiritually open and seeking to experience God. Pray for them and look for opportunities to share the true hope of Christmas with them. It may well be a Christmas that they (and you) never forget!

So this Christmas, while I know we’re all busy with the important work of ministry, don’t forget the personal experience of knowing and loving the baby in the manger that would become our Messiah on the cross, and our risen Lord on the third day!

Merry Christmas!

PS – Have you heard about my NEW Worship Leader Tele-coaching Network? The Super Early Bird deadline is coming up quick (December 31st).

Right now you can receive the Super Early Bird rate and additional bonus resources ($772.00 value) that you receive when you’re accepted.  Go to www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching to learn more and apply today!

Jason Hatley here – Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey and founder of WorshipLeaderInsights.com – with some holiday thoughts for you today.

Thanksgiving has come and gone (except for the leftover turkey of course), but “giving thanks” is always in season. Especially when it comes to thanking your worship arts team members.

I don’t have to tell you how valuable the members or your team are to your mission as a church. In fact, I’ve always said, “As goes your worship team, so go your worship services.”

And it’s true . . . imagine what services would be like one Sunday if all the members of your team decided to take a day off. It’s a recurring nightmare for me

The members of our worship arts teams give above and beyond all year long. By the time a member of your team practices, attends rehearsal, and serves on Sunday they could be giving 20+ hours a week to our churches. Incredible when you think about it!

This Christmas, you and I have a unique opportunity to tell the members of our team “Thank you for a great year of service to our church!”

So in the spirit of the season, here are 3 things that we do at The Journey to thank our volunteers this time of year . . . that you can do as well.

1 – SEND PERSONAL CHRISTMAS CARDS
It’s simple, but very sentimental. Nothing beats a personally signed Christmas Card this time of year. Write a brief personal note in each and it will be a “thank you” your team members display all season long.

2 – THROW A CHRISTMAS PARTY
One of my favorite ways to thank our Worship Arts Team is through an end-of-year Christmas Party. I use the party to recap some of the great things God did in our church and our team that year, to show some fun videos of worship elements our team performed, to invest in them personally and spiritually at Christmas, and to say “Thank you!” for serving.

And don’t forget – this party isn’t just to remember and say thanks, but also to cast vision for the New Year.

3 – PREPARE A SMALL GIFT FOR YOUR LEADERS
Finally, you can prepare a small gift for the leaders on your team. More than anyone else, your leaders have served at the highest level this year. Gifts don’t have to be expensive, just meaningful. One year I gave our team leaders a Christmas ornament from a local AIDS relief charity that our team had been supporting that year. By purchasing the ornaments I had made a donation to the charity in their names, and had shown them a small (but personal) sign of my thanks for them and their leadership on our team.

Don’t miss the opportunity to share a well-deserved “thank you” with your team this year. It’s a great way to acknowledge their service and inspire them to continue to serve in the New Year.

Your partner in ministry,

PS – Have you heard about my NEW Worship Leader Tele-coaching Network? The Super Early Bird deadline is coming up quick (December 31st).

Right now you can receive the Super Early Bird rate and additional bonus resources ($772.00 value) that you receive when you’re accepted.

Go to www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching to learn more and apply today!

You’re invited to join me next week for one of 4 free webinars I’m leading called “Planning Your 2012 Preaching Calendar.”

After coaching more than 1,000 pastors over the last few years, I’ve learned that one of the best tools for reducing your stress, maximizing creativity, honoring God and working with the natural patterns of your people is planning your preaching calendar months in advance.

With that in mind, I am committed to doing everything I can to help you plan out what you’re going to preach in 2011.

My bestselling “Planning a One Year Preaching Calendar” resource lays out the principles of how to plan your preaching a year in advance, but next week I want to go a step further!

That’s why next week I’m doing a series of FREE WEBINARS for pastors called “Planning Your 2012 Preaching Calendar,” where I will literally walk you (by phone and on your computer) through the 2011 calendar during the course of our 75 minutes together and help you plan what you’re going to preach over the next year.

You can register now at this link:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/preachingwebinar

This is NOT the same general training that I teach in the 1 hour preaching calendar CD resource…

Instead, I will help you APPLY the preaching calendar ”principles” to the unique makeup of the 2012 calendar.

In each of these webinars, I will walk you through:

* When, specifically, to plan your 2012 Big Days (and when not to plan them).
* The pitfalls and possibilities built into the 2012 calendar
* How to make the most of people’s natural seasonal patterns.
* The best times in 2012 for each of the 3 different types of sermon series (attraction, growth & balance).
* How to make Easter in 2012 more effective than ever at your church.
* Which days you can expect fewer people and how to best use those days.
* Plus much more!

I don’t remember being more excited about any of the webinars we’ve done than I am about these!

Church Leader Insights exists to help you “maximize your ministry” and this webinar is my virtual opportunity to sit down across the table from you (over the phone and on your computer) and walk you through this planning process.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
7:00pm – 8:15pm Eastern
6:00pm – 7:15pm Central
5:00pm – 6:15pm Mountain
4:00pm – 5:15pm Pacific

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/preachingwebinar

Thanks for your continued support of Church Leader Insights and I can’t wait to talk to you next week!

If you have any questions or prefer to register by phone, simply call             1-800-264-5129      .

Remember, all you need is a phone line for the long distance call and computer access to join me on one of these webinars. Oh, and did I mention that each one is FREE!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. Do you know any other pastors who would benefit from one of these webinars?
Please forward this invite to them — I’d love for them to join us!

Here’s the address to sign up again:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/preachingwebinar

Last November, my wife and I went to do a little shopping the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. When we walked into the store Bing Crosby’s White Christmas was blaring over the sound system.

Don’t get me wrong . . . I love the song, but 2 days before Thanksgiving strikes me as a bit too early. After all, I don’t want to skip over the Thanksgiving Day meal. Am I alone on that one?

I know why the department store did it. Because they sell more merchandise when Bing is crooning. But, for you and I, that’s not why we play Christmas music.

We do it to celebrate the birth of our Savior. And this time of year, a question I always get from worship leaders and pastors alike is, “How soon is too soon to start singing Christmas music in my church?”

As you might imagine . . . I have a little system for that here at The Journey

So, in the spirit of giving, here is my guide for introducing and selecting music for the Christmas Season:

#1 – INTRODUCE AT LEAST ONE CHRISTMAS SONG THE SUNDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.

As soon as Santa Claus makes his entrance at the Thanksgiving Day parade, people find themselves in the Christmas spirit.

But also from a church history perspective, that Sunday typically marks the first Sunday in Advent. That’s why the first Sunday after Thanksgiving is a perfect time to introduce Christmas music.

But, you don’t want to jump immediately to making ALL of your music Christmas music. In fact, you want to slowly add it to your service. That’s why I suggest that on this first Sunday, you just do one Christmas song, maybe two depending on how much music you include in your service. And remember rule #2 . . .

#2 – PLAN CREATIVELY FOR HOW YOU WILL WEAVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC INTO THE FLOW OF YOUR SERVICE.

A great way to keep Christmas music fresh each year is to ensure that the music fits into the flow of your existing worship service. If you just carve out 12 minutes at the beginning to sing Christmas songs, yes you will scratch the itch, but the power of the music can be lost. So consider these two options:

• Integrate Christmas songs with other worship songs you are singing. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t have to move exclusively to Christmas music at the beginning of December. Rather, weave a Christmas song or two into the fabric of your worship set, especially early in December.
  
  For example, you may sing 2 upbeat worship songs that don’t necessarily connect to the Christmas season, and then make a transition to a slower song. In the middle of that slower song, work in the refrain “O Come Let Us Adore Him”.
  
  By seamlessly adding in Christmas music, you help your congregation connect with the power of these songs in their every-day lives, and not just a specific time of year.

• Be on the look-out for new versions of the Christmas classics each year. You may love that upbeat, feel-good version of “Joy to the World”, but you may also want to find a new way to make that song meaningful this Christmas. Look for a slowed down, acoustic version.
  
  OR, do what I do . . . I may plan a couple different versions of the same Christmas song during the same season.  What was a celebration song last Sunday could become a quiet commitment song this Sunday. Your congregation will love this fresh approach and the song will be meaningful in new ways when you do this.

• Turn current worship songs into Christmas songs. Songs like “Here I am to Worship” (Tim Hughes), “O Praise Him” (David Crowder Band), and “Jesus Messiah” (Chris Tomlin) can double as Christmas songs when placed in the right set with more traditional Christmas songs, or set up by you as the pastor or worship leader.

By planning creatively, you can help people experience a fresh experience of Christmas without just drudging through the same ol’ renditions of Christmas carols.

#3 – AS YOU DRAW CLOSER TO CHRISTMAS, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHRISTMAS SONGS IN YOUR WORSHIP SET.

The second Sunday of December I would probably do a 50/50 split of Christmas music and current worship music. Then 75/25 the next week. By doing so, you are raising the anticipation of what’s to come – and that’s exactly what Advent is about.

Then the Sunday leading up to Christmas we would do all Christmas music PLUS look to incorporate other elements to keep it fresh. You can only sing “Silent Night” so many times before it starts to lose it’s appeal. So look for opportunities to add creative elements to your worship set.

Ask one of your team members to read a portion of the Christmas story in the middle of the worship set. Include a testimony, video, personal story about Christmas, or even dance in the Christmas worship set.

There are plenty of ideas (I outline even more in my new Planning Powerful Christmas Services Special Report – download it FREE here).

#4 – WRAP UP CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Ever notice how on Christmas Eve, no matter how long radio stations have been playing Christmas music, that’s still all you want to listen to? But for some reason on December 26, you’re ready to put it to rest until next year. The same is true for Christmas music in your church.

Again, depending on what day Christmas falls, you should plan to wrap up Christmas music by the following Sunday.

Here’s my rule of thumb:

• If Christmas falls between Thursday – Friday, we will sing some Christmas songs that Sunday.
• If Christmas is on Saturday or Sunday, it will be 100% Christmas songs!
• If Christmas falls between Monday – Wednesday, it can be a little strange to continue singing Christmas music several days after Christmas has past. After all, the Advent season does end on Christmas Day.

So, as you plan your music for Christmas think about how you can begin introducing these great seasonal songs into your worship services, AND how you can keep them fresh!

Your partner in ministry,



Download your Free Planning Powerful Christmas Services special report here.

I wrote this report after planning a decade of Christmas services with our team here at The Journey and having received so many questions about this topic in my coaching networks. I have captured some the most important lessons we’ve learned in the process and put them in this special report for you.

In this Special Report, you will discover:

• Three MUST KNOW Christmas planning principles
• How to involve your volunteer team in the Christmas planning process
• How to overcome the desire for “opulence” and strive for “excellence”
• The basic ingredients for powerful Christmas services . . . and how to add in additional creative elements
• The #1 mistake that many churches make that keep their Christmas services from being life-transformational (*Hint – it’s not what you think!)
• How to select music for the Christmas season
• When to schedule volunteers and/or hired musicians for your Christmas services
• And much more!

Christmas services can be some of the most memorable, and life-transforming services you do all year. But not if they are put together last minute, without a spark of creativity to capture the wonder of Christmas.

Whether you are preparing for the advent season, producing your own Christmas production, or need some ideas for your Christmas Eve service, don’t let another year go by just doing the same thing you did last year.

This special report can you help you get started in planning your Christmas services and ensure that this year’s Christmas services are all that they can be.

Download your Free Planning Powerful Christmas Services special report here.

And if the special report is helpful for you, be sure to forward this email, TWEET, or Facebook this link for some other worship leaders you know would enjoy this limited time free report.

www.worshipleaderinsights.com
www.jasonhatley.wordpress.com

Have you ever been to a Broadway show?

It’s Jason Hatley here, Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey.

Our Journey office in New York City is right in the heart of Times Square. Literally, whenever I walk down “the great white way” to go to our office I pass three of the big shows that are currently playing.

If you’ve been to a Broadway show you know the work, effort, creativity, and planning that go into a great show. Those shows don’t come together in a day, much less a week, a month, or even a year sometimes.

The show is written by a group of skilled writers. The music is composed by Broadway legends. When the show is finally written, the most talented singers, actors and dancers in New York show up for the casting call.

After months (even a year) of rehearsal and technical planning the show celebrates it’s opening night. And if it’s a great show, like Les’ Miserables, it will run night after night for the next 5, 10, even 15 years.

Now – contrast that to what you and I do every week.

In most churches, the worship order is written not months, but days before the service (sometimes hours – ha!). The best talent in New York City isn’t available when the volunteer positions are assigned. The budget of the church is nowhere near the deep pockets of the Broadway show. When the service is finished, you won’t be able to do the same one again next week. You will put it to rest and start all over again.

Seems a little unfair doesn’t it? Here’s the rub . . .

Most churches live in a world where they wake up on Monday and it occurs to them, “Hey, we have a worship service this Sunday! We should start planning.”

I call that the Week-to-Week Mindset. You know you have it when you just can’t see past this Sunday to plan for next Sunday, or the next month of Sundays.

It’s a terrible place to be in ministry, constantly battling to bring the service to life this week, feeling the frustration of not being able to relieve the stress and get ahead. It leads to burn-out, stale services, and missed opportunities.
If I may, I believe this is an area where the church NEEDS to learn from Broadway.

Now – I know that the worship services in our churches are not the same as Broadway shows. In fact, our services are more important. The decisions that people make to follow Christ in our churches every week far outweigh the entertainment value of a Broadway show.

But because of the importance of the work we do, we need strong systems for planning our services, just as our counterparts in show business do.

What would it look like if you had a preaching calendar that laid out what you would teach on each Sunday over the course of the next year? Think of the freedom that comes with that kind of prayer-soaked planning.

What would you be able to do to teach God’s word more effectively if you knew exactly the types of creative elements in a service 4-6 weeks from now? Would you find a great testimony? Find new media to use? Empower the creative people on your team to brainstorm ideas for how to make each Sunday life transformational?

Too many of us have a “what do we NEED to do” mentality of Sunday, as opposed to a “what COULD we do” mentality?

The first says, “As long as we have some songs and a sermon, we’ll be fine.”

The latter says, “What could we do with what God has given us to make this Sunday something special?”

To do that requires time, prayer and planning . . . it requires a desire to break the Week-to-Week mentality and get to work on not just this Sunday, but the next month or even year ahead.
Here are 3 things you can do to start breaking the Week-to-Week mentality:

#1 - Hold a 30-minute (or less) meeting with your Pastor this week to discuss this Sunday’s service.

#2 - Plan a time in the next 7 days to plan for the next 2-3 Sundays. Put it on your calendar. Prayerfully plan worship orders, song selection, creative elements, etc. Discuss it with your pastor.

#3 - Create a system that will allow you to plan your services weeks, months, even a year in advance.

A good system is the key to breaking the Week-to-Week Mentality.

In my new book, Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services, which I co-authored with my Lead Pastor Nelson Searcy, we teach you how to develop a worship planning system that will keep you planned in advance and relieve the stress of weekly thinking. We wrote this book to help you plan, implement and evaluate effective, life-changing worship services.

Engage is based on 8 years of planning and evaluating these systems at The Journey and in hundreds of churches around the country.

I encourage you to pick up a copy for yourself and anyone on your staff who is involved in the worship planning process.

The book just came out last week and is available in bookstores everywhere. But, the best (and cheapest) place to order yours is on Amazon.com:

Engage – Paperback Link                           Engage – Kindle Link

I am so proud of this new book and I believe it will be a great resource for your team, and can make a big difference in your Sunday service.

Your partner in ministry,

PS - Want to receive BOTH of my new books free? Would you also like to receive over $1,419 in personal and ministry growth resources absolutely free?

The members of my new Worship Pastor Tele-Coaching network will receive all of this, plus much more.

My new Tele-Coaching network begins in just 10 DAYS. If you’ve been waiting to apply now is the time. I need you to apply ASAP to ensure your application is received before the final cut-off date.

Learn more about all that you receive in the network and apply online at www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching.

www.worshipleaderinsights.com
www.jasonhatley.wordpress.com

TUESDAY MORNING INSIGHTS is Jason Hatley’s free weekly training resource specifically designed to provide you as a worship leader with proven principles, tips and practices to help you lead a healthy and thriving Worship Arts Team.

About Jason Hatley and Worship Leader Insights

In 2002, Jason Hatley helped launch The Journey Church in New York City, directing the programming of their worship services. He serves as the Pastor of Worship Arts and built from scratch The Journey’s worship arts team, a group of over 200 artists and technicians who develop and implement the creative and technical elements at weekly Sunday services.
The Journey has been recognized as one of Outreach Magazines fastest growing and most creative churches.

Jason has been a worship leader since 1996. He invests in Worship Pastors around the country through interactive coaching networks and worship planning resources. He has been a featured break-out speaker at the Willow Creek Arts Conference, The Purpose Drive Worship Conference, as well as seminars around the country. He has a B.M. in Sacred Music Performance from Appalachian State University.

Jason is the founder of Worship Leader Insights (www.worshipleaderinsights.com), and the author of Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services and Revolve: A New Way to See Worship as well as over a dozen worship leader personal and ministry growth resources .

Jason and his family currently live in Boca Raton, FL where he serves as the Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey’s newest campus in South Florida.

It turned Fall this week . . . not here in South Florida where it’s still blazing hot, but nonetheless Fall began on September 23 for almost everyone else in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is Jason Hatley, Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey and it’s hard to believe, but the changing of the season from summer to Fall reminds us that this year is 75% done.

Seems like just yesterday I was ringing in the New Year and asking God to do more in me and through me this year than ever before. I bet you were, too.  Now here we are with just a few months left in 2011.

This is the time of year when you and I need to do TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS:

#1 – Evaluate how the year has gone so far.

You know . . . the average person doesn’t take time to reflect on how their year has gone. They just keep their head down, keep working and hope it all works out in the end.

But you and I both know that if you do what the average person does, you’ll get average results. So in order to see extraordinary things happen in our lives and ministries, we have to do extra-ordinary things. One of those is taking an honest look at how things have gone so far.

My year has been marked by quite a few remarkable moments . . . not the least of which was my daughter accepting Christ and being baptized (see the picture below – I’m so proud)!

But there are still some things left on my “to get done” list for this year as well. Some goals that I haven’t quite reached. Some plans that haven’t quite materialized, but I have taken on some new challenges, grown a ton and I’m confident I’ll finish the year strong.

How about you?

How’s it going so far this year? Have you had some great celebrations of what God has done in your church this year? Have you met your goals? Do you have some things left undone?

Have you grown, overcome some nagging challenges, and are confident in your next 3 months of ministry?

Now is the time to make course corrections to ensure you finish the year strong.

Next . . .

#2 – Look ahead to the New Year

It may seem a little early to look ahead to next year . . . after all, football season just started and it’s not even Christmas yet, but let me share with you an important lesson that I’ve learned in ministry.

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you’ve always gotten.”

No, it’s not scripture, but I believe it’s true nonetheless. Let me explain.

Not only does the average person not evaluate where they’ve been, they don’t take the time to decide where they want to go next either. That’s a terrible place to be in ministry . . . doomed to repeat the same frustrations and mistakes over and over.

For you and I to grow in the next 12 months there are some things that we need to change, learn, read, pray through, step up to, and find the courage to face.

What are those things for you?

As you look forward to this point next year, do you want to be the worship leader who looks back on the last 12 months and realizes you’re still dealing with the same challenges?

Or do you want to be the worship leader who looks back and sees that you have:

• Taken your spiritual life, family and friendships to a new level?
• Become less stressed and more creative in your worship planning process?
• Increased the number of volunteers on your team by 50%, 75%, or even 100%?
• Doubled your effectiveness, getting more done and giving you more time for family, time off and advance planning?
• Challenged your team members to a deeper level of commitment to Christ, the church and their serving roles on Sunday?

I’ll take Option #2!

And I would like to help your worship pastor do the same through my new Worship Pastor Tele-Coaching network, which begins in just 18 days on Friday, October 14.

This is my last Tele-Coaching network for the year, and I would like to invite your worship pastor to be a part of this fun, practical, and ministry-shifting coaching opportunity.

In the coaching network we will take the 7 Challenges that I teach in my resources, webinars, blogs, and free report and over the course of a year I will walk your worship pastor through how to implement the most important elements of each of those systems including:

• The Personal Challenge – How to develop personal leadership growth habits that help you lead yourself and your team at an optimum level
• The Pastor Challenge – How to achieve clarity and a develop a strong working relationship with the Lead Pastor
• The Planning Challenge – How to plan your services months in advance, and create more impactful services than ever before.
• The People Challenge – How to double your Worship Team volunteers and strengthen their commitment to the church through a proven audition system that leads to growth and health.
• And much more!

In the network we take it step-by-step and I walk along side of your worship pastor for a year helping you implement these systems and helping you grow in your leadership.

And the best part is you can try it absolutely RISK-FREE through the end of 2011.

As with anything in life that has value, there is an investment to be part of the network. It’s $287 per month which (when you add it all up) is about what you will pay to send 3-4 of your key team members to a worship conference next year by the time you pay registration, flight, hotel, and food.

Here’s the difference…

• In the Coaching Network you get a 90-day 100% money-back guarantee. If at any point prior to the 4th session of the network you decide it’s not for you, I will refund every dime you invested, PLUS you can keep any of the resources I’ve given away up until then. I’ve never gotten my money back from a conference that I didn’t like or wasn’t able to attend.
• You get a FULL YEAR of hands on ministry training in the coaching network, not 3 days of crash course ideas with no path for implementation
• In the network you receive over $1400 in free ministry and personal growth resources FREE. Try walking out of the resource center at the next big conference with that and see what they say.
• In the network you receive an mp3 of every session, so even if you miss one, you have all of the content.

You will complete the network with a personal library of over 60 hours worth of worship ministry leadership resources and personal development insights.

I have a degree in Sacred Music, and I can guarantee you that what you will learn in this network is the ‘practical, will work tomorrow’ stuff they don’t teach in college or seminary!

I hope you will be a part of this new Tele-Coaching network, but you MUST APPLY SOON.

The network is nearly full and I don’t want your worship pastor to miss out on this opportunity.

To apply, simply go to www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching and complete the online application. Or you can download an application from there and email or fax it in.

It’s that simple!

Your partner in ministry,

PS – My new Tele-Coaching network begins in just over 2 weeks . . . now is the time to apply. I hope your worship pastor will be a part of the upcoming Network.

To learn more, view worship leader testimonies and apply today, visit www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching.

www.worshipleaderinsights.com
www.jasonhatley.wordpress.com

It’s Jason Hatley, Pastor of Worship Arts @ The Journey and I want to shoot straight with you . . . I don’t like it when someone tells me that I’m making a mistake.

Call it foolish pride I suppose. Can you relate?

After all, no one’s perfect and I know I make mistakes (just ask my wife and she’ll tell you all about it .

But, usually after I get over my bruised ego and damaged pride and I realize that the person telling me about a mistake I’m making really has my best interest at heart, my grumblings are replaced with gratitude. After all, I’ve been in ministry long enough to know that I don’t know it all and I need people to help along the way.

What if I told you that you are making a BIG mistake in your worship planning that was keeping you from:

•     Creating more powerful experiences in your weekly worship service
•     Relieving some unnecessary (and unhealthy) stress in your ministry and personal life
•     Involving more volunteers in the creative process for planning your services
•     Developing the kind of worship planning relationship that you would like to have with your pastor

Even if you didn’t like me telling you that, after the initial shock wore off would you be willing to sit down with me to talk about these issues and some strategic lessons I’ve learned in a decade of ministry to overcome them?

That’s exactly what I would like to do on the Top 3 Worship Planning Mistakes webinar coming up TOMORROW, September 21 at 2:00pm EDT.

Chances are I haven’t had the opportunity to attend your church, but after having coached nearly 200 churches, and taught and resourced thousands more in the last 5 years, I’ve found that there are 3 common mistakes in the worship planning process and that most churches are making at least one of them (if not all three).

Plus – I’ve made some of these same mistakes in the past, too (I told you I’m not perfect – ha!)

In this new 75-minute webinar, I want to help you not only identify these 3 mistakes, but I also want to give you some proven practices for how you can overcome them.

I know your time is valuable and I believe this webinar could be a HUGE help to your worship planning process. So what do you say . . . will you join me?

There are two dates to choose from (I want to give you every opportunity to be a part of this FREE training):

TOMORROW – Wednesday, September 21

•     2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
•     1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
•     12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
•     11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

We’re about 24-hours away from this one, so click here to register now -
Sign me up for Wednesday, September 21 at 2:00pm EDT 

OR . . .

NEXT WEEK – Tuesday, September 27
If you can’t arrange your schedule to join me tomorrow, then make plans to be a part of this webinar next Tuesday, September 27 (same time . . . 2pm EDT).

Sign me up for the Tuesday, September 27 webinar at 2:00pm EST

Here’s what I want to talk with you about in our time together:

•     How to identify the TOP 3 MISTAKES that are keeping you from planning the worship services you want to have in your church.
•     How to work together with your Pastor / Worship Leader to create powerful worship experiences every week.
•     How to break the week-to-week mindset and begin creating “WOW” moments in worship
•     The Paradigm Shift that will TRANSFORM how you plan worship services.
•     How to overcome procrastination and eliminate the stress of last minute planning!
•     And much more!

It’s easy to be involved . . .

#1 – Register for the webinar that works best for your schedule by clicking on one of the links below. It will take about 30 seconds to complete the registration form on my webiste.

#2 – You will receive a confirmation email from me with a link to where the webinar will be hosted.

#3 – All you will need for the webinar is a computer and a phone line. You will be on the webinar with a group of other Pastors and Worship Pastors from around the country. On this webinar, you will listen by phone as I teach, but you will also be able to see my notes on your computer screen. Pretty cool!

Oh . . . and by the way – The Top 3 Worship Planning Mistakes webinar is designed for both Worship Pastors and Sr. Pastors.

Space is limited so please, register today at the link below:

Sign me up for Wednesday, September 21 at 2:00pm EST 

Sign me up for Tuesday, September 27 at 2:00pm EST

I hope to see you there!

Your partner in ministry,

PS – My new Worship Pastor Tele-Coaching network begins in less than 30 days and I’ve heard from many of you that you missed out on the Early Bird Registration bonuses that expired last week.

Your worship leader could experience the same life change in the Worship Leader Coaching Network, too.   Find out how (and listen to other testimonies) online at http://www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching

“Man, this is organized!”

This is Jason Hatley, Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church and those are the words of a guest worship leader that I recently asked to lead at The Journey.  And Senior Pastor, before you tune out, let me assure you that today’s blog is for you, too so keep reading . . .

After joining us for load-in, set-up, our timed sound checks, focus time, and cue-to-cue he told me backstage that it was one of the most organized and efficient Sunday morning run-throughs he had experienced. And because the level of stress was low, everyone on the team was able to focus on their role as lead worshippers that morning.

I’ll be honest . . . it made me proud of our church. We have incredible volunteers who work hard and our system for staying on track and reducing the stress of Sunday had struck him as something out of the ordinary.

I tell you that to tell you this . . . Awhile back I had the opportunity to be a guest worship leader at a friend’s church. Unfortunately, I didn’t walk away with the same feeling. All the volunteers were great, the church was great. But that Sunday morning was stressful and you could see it on everyone’s face. The service went fine, but it took a lot of energy to pull all the last minute details together in the minutes before the service.  Have you been there before?  Was I leading at your church

It got me thinking . . . why the distinct difference in experiences? It wasn’t the hearts of the volunteers. They both had hearts of gold. It wasn’t the equipment.  Both churches had the equipment needed for excellent services.  It wasn’t even the Pastor or the Worship Pastor.

As I dug deeper into it the answer finally emerged. The difference wasn’t in what was happening on Sunday, but in what had happened long before we got to Sunday.

The difference was in how we saw the worship planning process.

Believe it or not, the experiences would have been much more alike if it hadn’t been for 3 BIG differences in the worship planning process.

Unfortunately, I see these 3 differences in many of the churches that I talk with and coach. These differences are really not differences of philosophy, but rather simple (but costly) mistakes that can be corrected quickly.

There’s more to it than what I can explain in this blog post, and that’s why I want to invite you and your Pastor / Worship Pastor to join me for a FREE webinar on Wednesday, September 21 OR Tuesday, September 27 where I will not only reveal these 3 mistakes, but also teach you how to avoid them in your worship planning process.

Here’s a sample of what I want to share with you:

• How to identify the TOP 3 OBSTACLES that are keeping you from planning the worship services you want to have in your church.
• How to work together with your Pastor / Worship Leader to create powerful worship experiences every week.
• How to break the week-to-week mindset and begin creating “WOW” moments in worship
• The Paradigm Shift that will TRANSFORM how you plan worship services.
• How to overcome procrastination and eliminate the stress of last minute planning!
• And much more!

In this new 75-minute webinar you will discover how to overcome the Top 3 Mistakes that are keeping you from making your worship services the very best they can be.

Here are the details:

TWO DATES TO CHOOSE FROM:

Wednesday, September 21 OR Tuesday, September 27
* 2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
* 1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
* 12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
* 11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

This new webinar is designed for both worship pastors and pastors.  Space is limited so please, register today at the link below:

Sign me up for Wednesday, September 21 at 2:00pm EST

Sign me up for Tuesday, September 27 at 2:00pm EST

The webinar is only about 75 minutes and you will walk away with some practical ideas for how to maximize your worship planning process this week. I hope to see you there.

Your partner in ministry,

PS – Today is the last day to take advantage of over $373.00 in free Early Bird Bonuses for my new Tele-Coaching Network.  To have your worship pastor apply for my new network, visit www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching today!