4 Steps to an Actively Engaged Pastor / Worship Pastor Relationship, Part 2
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!
More than simply sharing facts, over-communication goes above and beyond to ensure that all the information that needs to be communicated is, in fact, communicated.
- Change to the Worship Order for Sunday . . . I need to call the Pastor / Worship Pastor right now.
- Creative idea for the service 3 weeks from now . . . I’ll sketch that out and talk to my Pastor about including it.
- Question about how the message will transition into the commitment song at the end . . . I’m not going to assume, I’m going to ask.
- Did I tell the Pastor about __________? I’m going to tell him (possibly again) just to make sure he knows.
Pat MacMillan hit the point perfectly in his book The Performance Factor when he wrote, “The biggest problem with communication is the assumption that it has taken place.”
The Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship is one where we can’t afford to assume. We all know what happens when you assume.
Step #4 – Create Systems: The first three steps we have discussed are vital to establishing an Actively Engaged relationship, but Step #4 is what will allow the relationship to stay strong, focused and effective over the long haul.
As you have read these posts over the past few weeks perhaps you’ve been inspired to go to work on this relationship (I hope you have :-). So you have some new passion and you start working on the relationship and seeing results. But here’s the problem you will eventually face.
Over time passion wanes, new initiatives retreat back to old habits and a few months from now you may find yourself back in the same place.
That’s why any sustainable change in the Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship has to be accompanied by sustainable systems. Systems that will stand long after the excitement of trying a new thing has vanished.
At The Journey we have a very detailed worship planning system that includes a one-year preaching calendar, a series of regular meetings that keep us focused on the future, static deadlines for Sunday that everyone must meet each week, and a process for evaluating and improving services each and every week . . . just to name a few. (See Planning Worship Services for Life Transformation to learn more about these systems).
We have run this system for years and it has never failed us. I can say with full integrity that we have never once approached a Sunday and said, “We really don’t have a good plan for the service this week so, let’s just do what we did last week.”
The system has kept us weeks, months, even a full year planned in advance. And here’s what it has done for my relationship with Nelson (my Lead Pastor). It has kept us praying, planning, and preparing TOGETHER. It has kept our services fresh, life-transforming, God-honoring, and fun . . . even after having done thousands of services using this system over the last 7 years.
As we wrap up this series on the Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship today, let me ask you an important question:
How are you applying what you’re learning?
You see, that last thing I want is for you just to receive information. Too many times we hear or read something and think it’s a great idea, but the idea never takes shape and becomes part of our ministry. I don’t want that for you.
My desire is to help you go from information to implementation.
I want to help you take these principles and develop a plan to actually implement them in your church so that you can see the type of personal, spiritual and ministry growth that I have experienced.
I have a feeling you would like that too.
The best way I’ve found to do that is through a personal coaching relationship. Every year I personally coach a select group of 20-25 worship leaders and for 12 months we work through how to implement proven systems to help you overcome the major challenges in ministry that we face. Challenges like:
– Personal Growth and Leadership Development
– The Pastor / Worship Pastor Relationship
– Systems for planning God-honoring, life-transformational worship services
– How to double your worship team and lead them at the next level
– And many others.
It’s a fast-paced and fun learning environment with a great group of growing leaders. It’s not right for everyone, so you will have to decide, but if you are interested in learning how you can join the next network starting on Friday, October 14 the complete details are in the PS below. There is a deadline for application coming up soon that you don’t want to miss, so keep reading!
Your partner in ministry,
PS – Keep reading to learn more about how you can secure one of the remaining spots in my new Coaching Network.
Apply by August 31, 2011 and receive not only priority consideration, but also $772.00 in bonuses! See below.
WHEN YOU GROW, YOUR TEAM WILL GROW
Here’s a powerful question for you: What could you do over the next year that would dramatically impact the development of your worship ministry and your personal growth as a leader more than this network?
Imagine for a moment, what if …
- Your worship team could double over the next year and so could your personal effectiveness?
- You could consistently get everything done at the office, manage your staff and volunteers well, see consistent growth in excellence and still get home on time for dinner and family fun each night?
- You could develop personal leadership growth habits that help you lead yourself and your team at an optimum level?
- You could achieve greater clarity and a stronger working relationship with your pastor?
- You were able to work with your pastor to plan your services months in advance, and create more impactful services than ever before, while reducing the stress of Sunday?
What would your life and church look like one year from now if your worship team and effectiveness grew by 50%? I can’t promise these results but I can say that they are typical of results I’ve seen in the nearly 200 worship pastors who have completed my coaching process over the last 5 years.
I’m not teaching you theory or stuff that I’ve only read about. I’m coaching you as a fellow worship pastor and practitioner who is in the trenches day after day leading a growing worship ministry. In addition, the coaching process that I will lead you through is a proven process that has been effective with nearly 200 churches who have been through this coaching process, and hundreds more who have taken part in my one-day seminars.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the attachment and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
COACHING WILL HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH MORE
Instead of you flying to our office in New York City for an ‘in person’ coaching network, you will participate in this coaching network via your telephone and your computer.
Think about it, you will experience the same network experience that others have experienced while SAVING THOUSANDS of dollars in travel costs and SAVING DOZENS OF HOURS on cross-country flights.
YOU GET FREE RESOURCES (UNLIKE OTHER NETWORKS)
The short answer . . . I will share every worship ministry and personal development principle I know and give you every resource I’ve developed to help you implement each principle.
Don’t worry, it will not be overwhelming . . . everything will be delivered in a manageable bits over the course of the year.
All that said, here’s the ‘official list’ of all that you receive:
- Monthly hands-on coaching from me.
- A proven coaching process that leads to growth and health.
- Over $1419.00 in FREE resources from Worship Leader Insights.
- Unlimited email access to me and the WLI team.
- A monthly coaching environment where everyone is focused on a Kingdom agenda.
- MP3s of each session for your review. NOTE: Even if you miss the exact date, you can listen to the network at your leisure.
- Free attendance at all WLI training events during your network.
- Private “call-in” times with me to have your specific questions answered in more detail.
- NEW – a private weekend training event (in sunny South Florida) exclusively for Tele-Coaching members, complete with a behind-the-scenes look at The Journey on a Sunday morning ($1500 value)
- The opportunity to grow and take your church to the next level.
Plus much, much more . . .
As you can see, just the tangible benefits you will receive as part of this network will far out-weigh your monthly financial investment.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the attachment and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
And if you apply before August 31 and you are accepted, you will receive an additional $772.00 in Bonuses, including:
- The Successful Worship Leader Workshop($499.00 Value)
- Autographed copies of my new books, “Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services” and “Revolve: A New Way to See Worship” being published by Baker in October (a $23.95 value)
- A $100 VISA gift card from me for you and your spouse to use as you wish
- Free Dinner for you and your spouse with me and the WLI team on the night before the March 2011 live event in sunny south Florida ($150 Value)
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the attachment and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
I WILL INVEST IN YOU EACH MONTH FOR ONE YEAR
Each phone call is two hours long and we will meet monthly for one year. This is a big commitment but I want to make sure that we fully cover all 7 of the Worship Leader Challenges and I’ve outlined in my resources.
You will complete the network with a personal library worth of worship ministry leadership materials 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!
YOU WILL DISCOVER AND OVERCOME THE SEVEN CHALLENGES OF A WORSHIP LEADER
We will cover each of my Seven Challenges of a Worship Pastor plus issues related to personal development, time management and more. As a reminder, the seven challenges are:
* 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 your 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.
* The Provision Challenge – How to invest wisely the resources spent on the Sunday service for now and the future, especially in a troubled economy
* The Professionalism Challenge – How to create a culture of excellence that brings the very best out of you and your volunteers
* The Production Challenge – How to ensure that every Sunday service is successfully planned for and executed, with nothing left to chance
FINALLY, A COACHING NETWORK TO FIT YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE
Each tele-coaching call will be from 2:00pm – 4:00pm Eastern Time. Literally, you could call in to the network from anywhere in the world. Cool, huh?
All the calls are on Fridays, which I’ve found to be the best day for most worship pastors, but I also understand that you may have to adjust your schedule..
Remember, each call is only two hours so even if you have to step out of a meeting or call in from home, it will not consume your entire day. Here are the dates:
- October 14, 2011
- November 11, 2011
- December 9, 2011
- January 13, 2012
- February 10, 2012
- March 9, 2012
- April 13, 2012
- May 11, 2012
- June 15, 2012
- July 13, 2012
- August 17, 2012
- September 14, 2012
YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHURCH GROWTH LIBRARY
I strongly encourage you to make every date a priority but I also know that ministry is messy and uncertain so I will record every session and you will receive the complete MP3’s of each session within a day or two of meeting. If you attend, the MP3 is for your library and for your review. If you are unable to attend, you will still be able to gain the full experience.
AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY DEMANDS A GREAT GUARANTEE
As I mentioned earlier, this network is not for everyone but if you choose to apply and you are accepted, I would like to offer you a no-hassle, no questions asked guarantee.
Here it is: I’m so confident that you will find this Network beneficial that any time prior to the fourth monthly meeting (January 13, 2012) you can call my office and tell me that this network isn’t benefiting your church or your leadership ability and I will refund everything you have invested, including any long distance costs you might have incurred. Plus, you can keep any of the resources, MP3s or seminar materials that you have received to date.
In other words, I want to remove any fear you might have in joining this network. You can try it for four months with absolutely NO RISK!
YOUR RESULTS WILL EXCEED THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT OF THIS NETWORK
I have tried to keep the monthly investment in this network as low as possible. But remember, you are receiving thousands of dollars of resources, free passes to my seminars, email support and private consulting. At the same time, you are saving thousands of dollars in hotel, flight costs, rental car expenses, gas, etc.
That said, the monthly investment is $247 per month if your application is received by August 31 ($287 per month after August 31). Once you are accepted, your credit card will be charged for the first two months.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the attachment and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
I WILL PERSONALLY HELP YOU GROW EACH MONTH
In addition to the monthly call, you will be assigned to read or listen to one of my resources plus another book (generally, a business book with clear application to ministry). While the network will stretch you to grow, study and read, it will not be overwhelming. I’ll help you prioritize so you can get the most from the network.
At the same time, there will be opportunities for you to share your ideas and learnings from the network plus you’ll be able to submit prayer requests and ask questions to me and everyone else in the network.
OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED GREAT RESULTS – SO CAN YOU
While I certainly can’t guarantee that our network will in any way produce the same fruit as previous networks, I can share what I’ve seen God do in the past! I’ve seen:
* Worship Leaders who were stuck in their leadership, break through to new levels of personal effectiveness
* Worship Teams double in a year
* Worship Leaders become so effective that they never miss a day off again
* Pastors write me letters thanking me for helping their worship leader
I could keep going but let me allow some of my coaching alumni pastors to share their results:
“Join this network! We all need to be growing in our leadership and there’s no better way to grow than to get into a network. Jason does a great job of identifying seven universal challenges that we all face. Once you are fully aware of these challenges and are armed with the tools that Jason gives you in the network to overcome them, you will begin to soar in your effectiveness as a Worship Pastor.”
– Mike Martindale, Westside Community Church Beaverton, OR
“I did not know what to expect from this network, but all I know is that after the very first session, I was inspired, motivated and mostly importantly, humbled.”
– Jean Sandoval, New Life Church Meriden, CT
“This is an excellent network for learning some great skills in implementing systems in your church. You are worth it; your church is worth it.”
– Archie Jackson, South Bay Church San Jose, CA
“I felt encouraged to grow in my weaker areas of my ministry. I didn’t feel beaten down; instead I was given systems that could help me in areas I have always struggled with in the past. Even my team could tell the difference!”
– Lisa Johnson, Valley Brook Community Church Granby, CT
“It’s worth every penny!”
– Dave Swanson, Calvary Fellowship West Hartford, CT
Visit www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching for additional video testimonies from worship leaders just like you!
MY CALLING IS TO HELP YOU GROW
God has given me a unique opportunity to serve in a church that is not only passionate about reaching and discipling people, but also returning what we have learned back to the kingdom so that other churches can do the same in their cities and towns.
In the last 10 years of my ministry here, I have been able to build systems for developing a thriving worship ministry that have worked not only here, but in churches all over the country. The reason I am doing this network is because I want to see you succeed in fulfilling your mission in the local church, and I believe with all my heart that this network can give you tools, insights, and systems to do exactly that.
LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A SYSTEMS-BUILDING WORSHIP PASTOR
In 2002, Jason Hatley helped launch The Journey Church in New York City, directing the programming of their worship services. He served as the Pastor of Worship Arts and has 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.
Currently, Jason and his family live in Boca Raton, FL to serve as the Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey’s newest location in South Florida.
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 (2007-2009), The Purpose Drive Worship Conference (2003-2004), 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 WorshipLeaderInsights.com, the author of nearly a dozen resources on Worship Leadership, including the BRAND NEW BOOKS “Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services” (October 2011), and “Revolve: A New Way to See Worship” (October 2011).
YOUR NEXT STEP
Please complete the application and return it to my office ASAP. I am reviewing applications right now and will try to review your application and let you know within two weeks, but please bear with me. We are receiving greater response to this network than any other network I’ve offered.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the attachment and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
Let me know if you have any questions.
Jason Hatley
Pastor of Worship Arts
The Journey Church
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 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.