Two Secrets to Finishing Strong in 2013

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

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. Now here we are with just a few months left in 2013.
This is the time of year when you and I need to do TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS:  Read more

The Top 3 Things Worship Leaders Need from their Pastor

Last week we started a quick 2-week series on the Pastor / Worship Leader Relationship by talking about what every Pastor needs from their Worship Leader.

This week we turn the tables and I want to talk to Pastors about what your Worship Leader needs from you. And if you’re a worship leader, feel free to print this out and “accidentally” leave a copy on your Pastor’s desk :-).

As I have always said, the most important relationship inside the church is the relationship between the Pastor and Worship Leader. But it’s also a relationship that can hold a lot of tension. That tension MOST LIKELY comes from one specific thing: Read more

The Top 3 Things Your Pastor Needs from You

As you have probably heard me say before, the most important relationship inside the church is the relationship between the Pastor and Worship Pastor.
There’s good reason for this . . . the pastor and worship pastor have the most influence on the worship service, you are the two most visible leaders in the church, and you both provide leadership to key people in the church.So the health of the Pastor / Worship Pastor relationship really speaks to the health of the worship service (and the church) itself.
That’s why, as a Worship Pastor, it’s important to diligently work on the relationship between you and your pastor. Beyond just “getting along” to “working together as a great team”.
In over a decade of ministry at The Journey Church, I’ve discovered that there are specific things that my pastor needs from me every week. And the same is true for you! Read more

The Most Important Words You’ll Say this Sunday

It’s 30 seconds to service start time.  The pre-service music is playing. You and your worship team take the stage. You’ve worked hard to prepare for this moment… selecting and memorizing music, leading rehearsal, arranging the slides in ProPresenter, and even one last time through the music at sound check this morning.

A final check to make sure you’re instrument is tuned. You give a thumbs up to your team to let them know you’re ready for a great opening worship song.  The lights come up and…

As a worship leader you pour your heart into preparing the music, but do you take time to think about what you will say before the music even begins? Read more

Three Ways to Overcome the Hard Days of Ministry

“On it’s best day, ministry is hard.”

That is the advice my Pastor shared with me when I first started in ministry, and it’s true.

God has called us to no easy task. It’s hard work on it’s best day. And I don’t even want to talk about it’s worst day!

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about ministry. That since it’s God’s work it’s always fulfilling, fascinating, and fun. But a year into ministry and you realize that while it is all of those things sometimes, it’s not all of those things all the time.

When you’re short on budget, short on volunteers, short on time, and short on enthusiasm, ministry can be anything but fun. Read more

How to Resolve Conflict on Your Worship Team… Fast!

Conflict happens!

(I know… tell me something I don’t know). And worship teams are not immune.

The truth is you can’t prevent conflict on your team (sorry – we’re all human and we all make mistakes).  But just because it can’t be avoided, doesn’t mean that we can’t minimize it’s effects on our team by dealing with it quickly.

There’s a ministry rule that I learned a long time ago, and that has saved me countless hours of heartache as a Worship Pastor.  The rule is simply this:  Run to conflict!

Whenever conflict arises we have two choices: Read more

What’s in Your Top 5?

I’m not talking about your Top 5 80’s love songs (though I do love power ballads). No – I have something a little more important in mind.

Here’s what I mean: If I were to ask you to write down on a sheet of paper the TOP 5 MOST CRUCIAL activities that you do as a leader in your church, could you name them?

This is a question we asked in a Journey staff meeting years ago and one that I oftentimes ask to the Worship Leaders in my coaching networks.

The question is simple on the surface, but powerfully clarifying when you take time to answer. Read more

Free Report

Overcoming the Seven Challenges of a Worship Pastor

Overcoming the Seven Challenges of a Worship Leader

Every worship pastor, regardless of church size, worship style, denomination, or demographic faces SEVEN MAJOR CHALLENGES that, without the systems to overcome them, can keep you from becoming all that God has called you to be as a worship pastor in your church.

Jason Hatley’s Overcoming the Seven Challenges of a Worship Pastor E-Book provides an overview to these challenges and will help you determine the current health of your worship ministry systems and the practical steps you can take to lead your worship ministry to greater health and effectiveness.

In this 20-page PDF E-Book, you will:

  • The 7 major challenges that every worship leader faces (and the vital role that healthy systems play in overcoming each challenge)
  • The #1 challenge that likely keeping you from overcoming all the others (*hint – It’s not what you think!)
  • How well designed systems save you stress, time, energy and money
  • The importance of developing a healthy Pastor / Worship Pastor Relationship
  • How you can honor God by striving for excellence in your worship planning
  • And much more!

Please send me my FREE Seven Challenges of a Worshp Pastor E-Book.

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Jason Hatley

Jason Hatley 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 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.

RevolveRevolve

3 Powerful (and Easy) Summer Reading Goals

I admit it. I have not always had a love of reading. But it didn’t take long as a young Worship Pastor at The Journey for me to recognize my need to read in order to survive in ministry, much less lead a thriving worship team.

I first started in ministry at age 23. I was fresh out of college. I had been a worship leader, but I had never been a Worship Pastor in the church before. I could stand onstage and lead worship, but I couldn’t write a task list, build teams, lead people . . . you get the picture.

It was at that point – aware of my personal and ministry shortcomings, and certain that I needed to make a change – that I developed a love for reading.

How about you? Have you been there?

This Summer you and I have a unique opportunity. While most of the world looks at summer and says, “I’m going to take it easy and just GLIDE through the summer,” you and I can choose a better course. We can choose to GROW this summer. Read more

3 Ways to Step-up Your Sunday Focus Time, Part 3

A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend a 3-Day story-writing seminar taught by legendary Hollywood screenwriter and professor Robert McKee.

During the 14-hour a day, 3-day seminar McKee said something that resonated with me then and still does today, especially when it comes to leading our Worship Teams. Read more