Lessons for Leading a Growing Worship Team, Part 1

Every week I receive emails from worship leaders, but I was blown away by this one. Take a look:

“We just had our 2nd round of auditions this past Sunday. Trembling with excitement and fear in response to what’s happening here… Through our most recent auditions process “Journey style”… we have added about 40 new team members. I have been feeling the extra work load of the growth we experienced. Now, I am close to feeling like a deer in the headlights… This boy needs a new set of skills!!! (not to mention, a vacation 🙂 So looking forward to seeing what God is going to do next!”

Have you ever been there before? Overwhelmed by God’s blessing on your ministry and not quite sure of what to do next? Read more

Planning Your Spring Auditions

“I have all the people I need on my worship team.”Jason Hatley

Have you ever heard someone say this before? Or worse . . . have you ever said it yourself?

It’s hard for me to find any Biblical evidence to support a statement that so clearly says, “Lord, we don’t want you to send any more talented people to our church. And if you do, then they won’t have a place to use their gifts.”

Ridiculous right? I don’t know ANY worship leader who would actually SAY those words. But everytime I meet a worship leader lacking the passion to do the work of cooperating with God to grow his or her team . . . who would rather keep it the way it is because it’s easier to manage that way . . . I can’t help but wonder, “Do they realize this is effectively what they are saying?”

If you’ve been around Worship Leader Insights for any amount of time, you know I have HUGE passion to mobilize people in our church for ministry on our Worship Arts Team. Not because it gives me a big ego boost, but because I know that when they start serving on our team, all kinds of great spiritual steps follow.

That’s why I believe (and teach) a very simple, but profound principle of serving . . . Ministry is a Pathway to Discipleship.

It is impossible to know what it means to become like Christ until you know what it means to serve like Christ.

I have found time and again that the people serving on our Worship Arts Team are likely to make other significant spiritual steps too like joining a small group, developing spiritual habits, tithing, and so on.

Don’t get me wrong — serving alone doesn’t make these things happen magically. But if a person is not serving, then it’s impossible for them to fully develop their walk with God and experience His best.

So for you and I, if we are serious about not only the growth of our ministries, but also the overall spiritual health of our churches, we must do the work of invovling people in ministry. And it begins with us!

Remember – healthy things grow (my dad is a farmer so I know this well)! So decide today that you will not sit idly by to see if by chance some interested volunteer might pass your way. Decide to actively cooperate with God to diligently build your team. And here are 3 things to get you started:

#1 – Pray and ask God to give you a passion to grow your team. Simply stated . . . Our teams will grow to the extent that we passionately pray and work for their growth.

#2 – Ask, “What can I DO THIS WEEK to involve new people on our team?” Remember Proverbs 21:31 – “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” God has promised to bring the victory. . . we just have to do part and get the horse ready! Can you train a new volunteer on Sunday? Make phone calls? Put a flyer in your church program / bulletin? Email your team and ask them to invite their friends to join? Make a list of 10 ideas and get to work!

#3 – Plan a BIG DAY of auditions. At The Journey, we do two big auditions days every year. These auditions are responsible for the quick, steady and healthy growth of our Worship Arts Team . . . as well as the Worship Arts Team’s of hundreds of worship leaders all over the country who have adopted our auditions system and are seeing the same results we have had. Because of these auditions, their teams have . . .

  • Doubled in volunteers in one day before (it doesn’t happen every time, but it happens more times than you might believe)
  • Given volunteers a break BEFORE they burned out
  • Created a CONSTANT flow of new volunteers into the team
  • Established a healthy “Seasons” approach to their team that promotes not only growth, but overall health
  • And much more!

A healthy and growing Worship Team doesn’t have to be a mystery. With a prayerful passion for growth, a bent toward action, and the right system, you can lead your team to involve more people in ministry and make a lasting difference.

Your partner in ministry,

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PS – Did you know that NOW is the perfect time to start planning your Spring audition day? Our auditions are just a month away here at The Journey and we’re already making preparations for God to expand our ministry again… and you can do the same.

Just think . . . your Worship Arts Team could grow by 50%, 75%, even 100% by Easter.

PS – Did you know that NOW is the perfect time to start planning your Spring audition day? Our auditions are just a month away here at The Journey and we’re already making preparations for God to expand our ministry again… and you can do the same.

Just think . . . your Worship Arts Team could grow by 50%, 75%, even 100% by Easter.

You gain full access to the EXACT strategy that we use at The Journey that has produced 10 years of exponential growth and health on our team.

It’s available in “How to Double Your Worship Team in a Day” resource.

In this 3-hour workshop, I will teach you the nuts-and-bolts principles of:

  • How to exponentially grow the number of people serving on your worship team and ensure that you’re never short on volunteers again!
  • How to create a thriving auditions strategy that honors God and empowers volunteers to serve in their area of greatest gifting.
  • 5 foundations of an Effective Audition Strategy that you MUST have in order to maximize your team.
  • How to develop seasons for your team so that current members are never “burned out” and new members are always joining.
  • How to plan, promote, execute and follow-up on a BIG day of auditions
  • How to capture over 40% of your audition sign-ups through a 30 minute pre-audition reception.
  • How to lead an actual audition, including what to say and do during the audition.
  • Actual scripts for how to follow-up with those who have auditioned.
  • How to say “No” to someone who auditions in a way that connects them to another area of your worship ministry.
  • How to deepen the commitment of your worship team to Christ, the church and the team through an easy to navigate leadership development process.
  • And much more!

You also receive more than 65 additional resource files, including:

  • a 45-page fill-in-the-blank printable notebook
  • Audition applications for Band, Dance, Design, Drama, Media/Production, Vocal and Creative Writing teams
  • Actual audition follow-up phone call scripts used at The Journey, including how to say “No” to someone who auditions in a way that connects them to another area of your worship ministry
  • Actual emails used to promote auditions to the entire church database, welcome new team members and more
  • Editable Photoshop files for flyers, information cards, and PowerPoint slides
  • Orientation notebook and BONUS 2-hour mp3 of Jason teaching Orientation to new team members.

Plus much more!

And as always . . . this resource comes with our 365 Day No-Hassle money back guarantee.  If you give it an honest try and the principles of this resource don’t help you grow your Worship Arts Team, simply return it for a complete refund.
 

Secure your 3-CD set here:
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Download your copy here and save $30.00:
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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.

 

Find a Godly Mentor

 

Jason Hatley“I hear voices.”

No – I’m not going crazy (though my wife may disagree). That’s the hook of a well-known country song on the radio these days. The song is about a guy who recognizes that he’s the man he is today because of those who spoke into his life and molded him along the way. To this day, he still hears their voices and words of wisdom.

Do you hear voices like that in your life?

I hear the voices of several people in my life . . . both family as well as ministry mentors. One such mentor is a Worship Leader in a large church that invested in me my first few years as a Worship Pastor at The Journey. In the early days of The Journey when I was still trying to figure out a TON about ministry, he even invited my wife and I to fly down and spend a few days with him and his team pouring into me his years of ministry wisdom.

I thank God for voices like his.

We’ve been in this series called “3 Actions of a Growing Worship Leader” over the last few weeks and today we conclude that by looking at one of THE MOST IMPORTANT actions . . .

ACTION #3 – Growing Worship Leaders Invite Godly Mentors to Personally Help Them Grow

You know . . . it didn’t take me long in ministry to realize that I didn’t know it all. That if I was going to reach my full potential as a pastor, worship leader and child of God, I needed some important “voices” in my life.

I needed someone who had been where I was. Who had struggled through some of the challenges that I was facing. And who had succeeded through them.

I bet you would agree.

Over the last 10 years, I have sought to learn from the Godly and successful worship leaders that God has brought into my life. Through phone calls, one-on-one meetings, resources and more, I have tried to remain teachable, never knowing just what God might have in store for me.

As a worship leader who is committed to becoming all that God has created and called you to be, let me encourage you to make sure that you have a Godly mentor in your life.

Here’s what it will do for you:

#1 – Godly mentors can help you avoid failures. Failure isn’t a bad thing necesarily, as long as you learn from it. If you’re like me, you have some failures in your past that you will NEVER forget the lessons of.

Why? Because failure is painful – both to you and to those who are affected by it. Godly mentors can help you learn the lessons that failure brings, while removing the sting of the shortfall.

#2 – Godly mentors can help you avoid frustration. Ministry on it’s best day is hard . . . let’s not even talk about the worst days 🙂

For many worship leaders, ministry is only made harder by the frustrations of not being able to overcome a challenge that they are currently facing. Whether it’s a volunteer, worship planning, pastor relationship or time management issue, the challenges we face day-after-day can turn your passion for ministry into frustration.

A Godly mentor can help you avoid frustration by sharing with you their secrets to overcoming those same issues. They’ve “been there, done that” and have a wealth of experience for you to learn from.

#3 – Godly mentors save you life’s most valuable commodity . . . Time! I was wiring and hanging a light in my house just a few weeks ago. While I ‘mentally’ understood what needed to happen to accomplish the task, I’ll be honest . . . it took me 3 hours to do it! In fact, nearing the end of the project, I was stumped and swallowed my pride to go next door to ask my neighbor (a building contractor) for help. He walked in, identified my problem in seconds and in a matter of minutes helped me fix the problem I had spent the greater part of an hour trying to solve. Have you been there?

Ministry can be like that, too. If you’re willing to ask, a Godly mentor can help you back-up, gain a new perspective, set a new course and overcome a challenge that may have had you stumped for days, weeks, or months!

As the old saying goes – there are two ways to learn: From your own mistakes, or the mistakes of others. Both are effective. But one saves you the sting of failure, frustration and wasted time.

As I close, let me ask you this . . .

Who is YOUR mentor right now?

If you don’t have a person in your life that you are learning from, I would personally like to come alongside and coach you!

I’ll shoot straight with you . . . I don’t have it all figured out. I’m learning everyday. But there are some important ministry strategies that, for whatever reason, God has allowed me to learn that I KNOW can help you and your worship ministry.

I know this because I have seen it FIRST-HAND in the lives of nearly 200 worship leaders that I have had the priviledge to coach over the last 6 years.

Systems for . . .

  • How to maximize your own personal leadership abilities
  • How to create a thriving, cohesive working relationship with your pastor
  • How to maximize the number of volunteers on your worship team
  • How to create an environment where everyone on your team is growing in their love for Christ, the church, and each other
  • How to remove the frustrations of week-to-week planning and plan your worship services months in advance

And I’d like to do this for 90 days absolutely risk free as a part of my new Worship Leader Tele-Coaching network.

That’s right – you can join my next Tele-Coaching Network beginning on Friday, March 16 and try it out for 90 days. If at any time prior to the 4th session of our coaching network you decide I’m not the right person to mentor you where you are right now, you can leave the network and I’ll give you back every nickel you invested in it.

To learn more about the network keep reading below. Or to apply simply visit www.WorshipLeaderInsights.com/Coaching.

Your partner in ministry,

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PS – Here’s some more information about the upcoming network which begins in just 6 weeks.

If you apply for the network and are accepted by by February 15, you will save $300 on the total network investment, take home over $373.00 in BONUS Resources (including signed copies of my two books), AND my “Revolve: Changing the Way You See Worship” teaching series – a $99.00 value). That’s over $700 in Savings and Bonuses just for applying soon!

Just go to www.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching to apply online. It takes only takes about 10 minutes to apply, but I MUST have your application ASAP in order for you to receive the over $733.00 in Savings and Bonuses!

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, 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, 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 90-minutes 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 11:00am – 12:30pm 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 90 minutes 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:

  •     March 16, 2012
  •     April 13, 2012
  •     May 11, 2012
  •     June 15, 2012
  •     July 13, 2012
  •     August 17, 2012
  •     September 14, 2012
  •     October, 12, 2012
  •     November 9, 2012
  •     December 14, 2012
  •     January 11, 2013
  •     February 8, 2013

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 (June 15, 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 $267 per month if your application is received by February 15($297 per month after February 15). Once you are accepted, your credit card will be charged for the first two months.

You’ll find that is about the same as taking 3 key team members to one of the major worship conferences this year (registration, travel, hotel, meals).

HOWEVER, with the Tele-Coaching network…

  • You get 12-months of hands on personal training with systems that ACTUALLY work in churches of all shapes and sizes
  •  You walk away with $1419.00 of FREE Resources (try doing that at the resource table for your next Worshp Conference)
  •  The training doesn’t end after 3 days… in addtion to the 12-monthly session, you get audio MP3′s of each session, meaning you walk away with a library of over 24 hours of nuts-and-bolts practical systems to build a health and growing worship ministry and share with the key leaders in your church.
  • Personalized Q&A call-in session to have all of your questions answered about what we disucss in each session
  • Plus much more!

** If you are ready to apply now, 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 ministry leadership or 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 and Revolve: A New Way to See Worship.

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, click here to read more and apply online:

https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching

Let me know if you have any questions . . .  just email jason@worshipleaderinsights.com.

Jason Hatley

Pastor of Worship Arts

The Journey Church

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.

 

Three Actions of a Growing Worship Leader, Part 2

Jason Hatley

Who’s in your circle?

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. . . Read more

The Top 3 Worship Leader Goals for 2012

As the New Year has begun have you started writing your goals for 2012? I hope so!

You see – I believe that God is honored when we take time to set goals for oursevles, our families and our ministries. Clear, God-honoring goals will help you and I both make a greater Kingdom impact in 2012.

In fact, I believe that the pastors and worship leaders who are making the greatest impact are the ones who are clear about what God has called them to, and are continuing to dream new dreams for Him.

So what dreams do you have for this New Year? What do you hope to see God do in you and through you?

Read more

Learn from the Best (and Worst) of 2011

Last week I shared with you about a powerful year-end evaluation process that can help you wrap up 2011 and prepare you for all that God has in store in 2012.

Effectively evaluating this year before you start the next can help ensure that none of the lessons of 2011 are lost, and none of the mistakes are repeated in 2012. Like any good worship service this year is not over until it’s been properly evaluated and debriefed.

Take it from me . . . I’ve tried it both ways.

In the early days of ministry, I approached the end of the year without thinking about how I could learn from it, and tried to seamlessly go on to the next year without missing a beat.

The problem was Read more

Three Questions to Help You Wrap Up 2011

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,

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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) that you receive when you’re accepted:

  • 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 (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 exclusive Tele-Coaching 2012 live event in sunny south Florida ($150 Value)

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, 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, 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 90-minutes 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 11:00am – 12:30pm 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:

  •     March 16, 2012
  •     April 13, 2012
  •     May 11, 2012
  •     June 15, 2012
  •     July 13, 2012
  •     August 17, 2012
  •     September 14, 2012
  •     October, 12, 2012
  •     November 9, 2012
  •     December 14, 2012
  •     January 11, 2013
  •     February 8, 2013

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 (June 15, 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 December 31 ($297 per month after December 31). Once you are accepted, your credit card will be charged for the first two months.

You’ll find that is about the same as taking 3 key team members to one of the major worship conferences this year (registration, travel, hotel, meals).

HOWEVER, with the Tele-Coaching network…

  • You get 12-months of hands on personal training with systems that ACTUALLY work in churches of all shapes and sizes
  •  You walk away with $1419.00 of FREE Resources (try doing that at the resource table for your next Worshp Conference)
  •  The training doesn’t end after 3 days… in addtion to the 12-monthly session, you get audio MP3′s of each session, meaning you walk away with a library of over 24 hours of nuts-and-bolts practical systems to build a health and growing worship ministry and share with the key leaders in your church.
  • Personalized Q&A call-in session to have all of your questions answered about what we disucss in each session
  • Plus much more!

** If you are ready to apply now, 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 and Revolve: A New Way to See Worship.

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, click here to read more and apply online:

https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching

Let me know if you have any questions . . .  just email jason@worshipleaderinsights.com.

Jason Hatley

Pastor of Worship Arts

The Journey Church

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.

 

Three Ways to Make Christmas Meaningful for YOU this Year

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 . . .

Read more

How to Thank Your Worship Team Volunteers this Christmas

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.

Read more

Two Secrets to Finishing 2011 Strong

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.

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 2011.

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

Read more