What is Your Emergency Plan?

Jason Hatley With the passing of Hurricane Irene the last few days it seems that everywhere I turn I hear people saying, “You need to have a plan.”

I agree . . . after 10 years of living in NYC and now living in South Florida, my family and I are big believers in having an emergency plan. 🙂

And that started me thinking . . . The best way to ride out the storms of life (and ministry) is to have a plan for how to deal with them BEFORE they come.

Chances are you are in a storm right now. I dare say that many worship leaders are in the midst of a hurricane of their own.

You may feel stuck, overwhelmed, under-equipped, outpaced, uninspired, or just plain dead on your feet.

  • If you’re in a season of starting something new chances are your passion is higher than your ability right now as you are learning how to build a healthy team and healthy systems.
  • If you’re in a season of growth you may be riding the wave as you watch God do great things in your church while at the same time trying not to drown beneath it all.
  • If you’re in a season of stagnation you may be wondering how to regain some of the passion you once had for ministry and kick-start your team once again.
  • If you’re in a season of decline you are probably asking “How did we get here and how can we turn it around . . . and fast?”

Wherever you are in the ministry cycle the key to thriving in the midst of the storm is to develop your plan.
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Take the 7-Point Worship Team Check-up

Jason HatleyWhen is the last time you went to the doctor for a check-up?I went to the doctor for a physical not too long ago. It had been almost 2 years since I had a gone for a check-up. Well overdue I’d say.And it got me thinking . . . Going to the doctor for a check-up is a unique experience. Every other time you go to the doctor it’s for one specific thing that’s wrong.Maybe it’s a broken bone or a cold, but when you go to the doctor for one of these reasons the only area they look at is … well the area that’s sick.However, when you go for a check-up, the doctor examines all the areas of your body. Height, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, echocardiogram . . . the works.And here is what the doctor is looking for:
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Overcoming Your Pressure Points

Jason HatleyWhat are your Pressure Points?

“Pressure Points” is a phrase I use in my Worship Pastor Tele-Coaching Networks to describe any area of your ministry that is putting extra pressure on you right now.

It could be the pressure of adding a new service, dealing with a difficult team member, needing to add new volunteers to your team, implementing a new system in your team, or a rift in your relationship with your pastor.

(If you have all five of the above I would say you have more than a Pressure Point . . . you have a Pressure Cooker in the works).

Pressure Points can be new initiatives, current challenges, or old problems that won’t go away.

We will always have Pressure Points in ministry. And some are better than others. Let me explain.

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4 Steps to an Actively Engaged Pastor / Worship Pastor Relationship, Part 2

Jason Hatley

Last week we talked about the first two steps in how to create an Actively Engaged Pastor/Worship Pastor relationship, and today I will give you the final two (and possibly most important) steps.

Step #3 – Over-communicate: I’m not sure if that’s a word, but I’m absolutely positive that it is a principle for radically improving the Pastor/ Worship Pastor relationship.

The biggest obstacle to an Actively Engaged Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship is the absence of solid communication. Not meeting regularly, not communicating details, withholding valuable information, too few “hallway” conversations, and sometimes even fear keep the best intentioned pastors and worship pastors from making the leap to the next level.

Communication is key. Let me re-state that . . . Over-Communication is key!

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Four Steps to an Actively Engaged Pastor / Worship Pastor Relationship

Jason Hatley

For the last 3 weeks we have been talking about the importance of a thriving Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship in the area of worship planning. From laying the foundation in Part 1 when we defined worship planning, to Part 2 and identifying the 6 roadblocks to a healthy relationship, to last week’s leadership lesson on how to get on the same page . . . it’s been a great series so far!

Hopefully by now you have started the conversation with your pastor and are beginning to work together more closely to plan your worship services. Now it’s time to dive into how to create an Actively Engaged Pastor/Worship Pastor planning relationship.

There are 4 Steps to Active Engagement. We will cover the first two today.

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