I love this picture…

because she’s happy

because it’s her favorite spot

because she has no idea how to play it and she doesn’t care

because she’s only 13 months old and loves music

because  it makes her happy

because it makes her daddy smile

because I can’t help but think about how much this picture is the antithesis of what you see on Sunday morning in most churches…

Why?

because we didn’t put in enough time learning the words, so we’re watching the screens for the next lyric

because even though we smile sometimes, it’s only to get those watching to smile

because we’ve got beef with the drummer

because our speakers aren’t big enough

because our lights aren’t bright enough

because more people go to the “other” church

because somewhere along the way we’ve lost the joy

or maybe because we’ve messed it all up and there’s no way we can look God in the face

LISTEN UP!

God cares more about your heart than your light show, desires your attention more than once or twice a week and loves YOU in spite of you.

It’s time to find the joy again,

let that joy that’s been buried deep down inside well up and explode this weekend!

it’s a novel thought, i know… real “out of the box” right? I’m proud of it, thought it up all by myself… you can thank me later. No seriously peep’s, if you’re the leader of a ministry, or in ministry, or are thinking about ministry, participate in ministry, lead anything in and for the Kingdom… then you must, I implore you, spend time with those you lead with. If you don’t… well let’s just say bad things can and may just happen. What could happen? Below is a list, how convenient!…… Ps – for the sake of this post we’ll use the words “ministry” and “team” interchangeably.

1. A ministry that (seemingly) rises and falls on the leader… will more than likely at some point fall because of that leader

2. If the leader of a team doesn’t truly value the members of the team, then that team will see it’s members and participants come and go on a regular basis. The team will be attractive on the front end, but beyond that there isn’t much there.

3. Team members and co-ministers need to be empowered; empowerment = ownership = co-laboring for Christ and His kingdom

4. Team members need value; if you don’t build into your team how can you expect them to build into others? (it’s possible you know, i’ve seen it happen)

5. Humility as a leader should be part of the center of all you do and who you are; the ministry leader who thinks he/she is all that well, usually… isn’t. (ouch)

This is just a short list and is intentional in that regard. I didn’t want to spend 5 minutes tearing us all down… I wanted to write this so you might read it so you can get to this part:

I came to NorthRidge what seems like yesterday but  in fact was almost 3 years ago. In the time that I’ve been here I have had the amazing opportunity to learn some pretty valuable lessons when it comes to ministry, the Kingdom, and leadership. One thing I’ve learned is the truth that time spent with those serving alongside you doing ministry is not the same as time spent with those serving alongside you away from the ministry. Both are important, both impact the Kingdom. I’ve found as a person in leadership my primary role is not that of a “doer” but rather an equip-er, a catalyst, a mentor. I can advertise auditions, find artists, put together bands, plan amazingly deep times of corporate worship, craft a clever announcement video or series promo piece; but if I don’t spend time pouring into those on my team… holding them accountable, praying with them, learning with them, teaching them, engaging them; then what am I doing beyond…well…doing? I’m not going to tell you how you should be leading your team, because I don’t want to say that this is the only way a good team works, but I can tell you this: an artist who plays in one of your bands that doesn’t get a heart-felt thank you on a regular basis will only stick around until things get boring for them, then they’re gone. A team member who isn’t held accountable by the team and its leadership will usually get to the point of burnout and/or moral failure much more quickly than someone who truly is part of a team that cares for one another.

Bottom line: spend time with those you do ministry with. Buy them coffee, go to movies, write with them, pray with them (not just before going on stage), go TO them. From personal experience I can tell you that my team of artists are better because of it, I’m a better friend and a better leader because of it, and our ministry is more effective because of it.

So I was just engaging with a post on Blaine Hogan’s Blog (a must read) on the topic of “whining and pouting” and when the ideas don’t come… I won’t post the complete thought here because you can read his post on it. So it got me thinking about “when the ideas don’t come” and how that can be viewed as the same as the lack of “fruit” in our lives. The “fruit” can be anything; if you’re a creative that works in and for a church it could be that the video, music, drama… any kind of art that you’ve been anointed to create isn’t being created like it used to be. If you’re the leader of a ministry it could be that you find yourself suddenly not having the impact you once had with those you’re leading and discipling.John 15:5 says 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

The times that I feel dry and useless for the Kingdom are the times when I spend the least amount of time with God. The times when I feel the least creative are the times when I’m not plugged into the ultimate Creator, The Creator of Creativity Himself. It’s funny because as I type this my Twitter feed displays the latest post from Carlos Whittaker which reads, “Do you employ God by asking Him to show up when you need some work done? Or does He own you? Think about it.” So let’s face it, we’re all busy, some of us too busy, and we find ourselves gradually outputting less fruit in our lives because we’re not inputting the very things of God. Maybe we can all just take a minute, or 5, or maybe even 10, to plug into The Creator today, to ask Him to forgive us for forgetting Him, and telling Him we’re getting back on the journey to devotion to Him…

Have you seen it? You know, THE look? It’s the way people dress to look a certain part, to fit into a certain mold, and be a part of a section of our culture. The scene kids have their look, the hip-hop crowd has their look, the jock, the cheerleader, even the young worship leader now a days has a certain LOOK. You’ve seen it, I know I have: usually it includes some of the following: tight dark jeans, a v-neck shirt, and a choice between some slip-on’s or the amazing converse all star shoe…

lately have you ever stopped to think about how much time you spend on certain things throughout your day? I’ve been convicted personally lately with the time on spend on a variety of things; sitting and doing nothing, surfing the interwebs, wasting time at work, figuring out what I’m coffee I’m going to order… you get the picture. Recently though I found myself in a place that I thought I would never would.

It was a Saturday night and I found myself spending a considerable amount of time standing in front of my bedroom closet debating the only thing one would internally debate with ones-self while staring at closet; “what am I going to wear”? I honestly probably spent 20-30 minutes trying to figure it out. The night before I was set to lead there I am struggling to find the right shirt to go with the right jeans that ultimately would go with the appropriate color of Converse All-Stars. So here’s my point: Is the time that I’m spending attempting to find the right “look” equal to the time I spend preparing for an encounter with our almighty, passionate, loving, creative God?

I wanted to share this experience with you because it was a huge wake up moment in the life of my ministry that caused me to re-evaluate where I intentionally use my time. Truth be told: we all could probably use some more time at the feet of the King, asking Him for His divine guidance as we prepare to step up on a platform and connect people to Him in song. So to all worship leaders out there; remember that it’s about more than V-Necks and a sweet pair of Converse.

So what about you? What do you need to spend less time on so you can focus on God?

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