A Worshipful Heart

Things I've Learned From Being in Ministry....

Being in ministry is alot like being a parent. As much as you might teach others, you always seem to learn more yourself! Here are some things I've learned from serving in vocational ministry.....

1) I've learned to be patient - nothing ever seems to come together or is resolved at the speed I'd prefer, but eventually most things work out if I will wade through them patiently and allow God to work as well. I like things to be resolved and handled quickly but the truth is that we might learn more from the process than we would from a "quick fix".

2) The first thing I must do is love. It is also the hardest thing to do on many days. I've learned that love does not always come naturally and it is not always my first response. To love with humility is hard.

3) On some days the most important thing might be to simply remain faithful to what God has called me to do. There are days that I can measure success by this one fact: I did not choose to quit.

4) Number 2 and 3 are very difficult.

5) As I lead more and more people, I have less and less personal options about what I do and how I can respond. I have to keep my mouth shut more. I can share less with fewer people. I cannot do anything at all just because I'd like to. I have to consider others. Many others. What I do now affects more people. I cannot forget this.

6) People can be unkind. Yes, even Christians and other pastors. I should not be surprised by this. I will even see it in myself from time to time!

7) Broken people (including me!) go to church. Surprise! Therefore, ministry is messy.

8) We all need healing. Love and grace help bring healing. They are both time consuming and costly to give!

9) It is more important to know how to "Be" with God, to "become" more like Him, than it is to just know how to "do" for God. Both are important, but doing must flow out of being.

10) I must choose to believe the best about others. This is what I want for myself. Yet I fail at this everyday. Why do we rush to assume the worst intentions about others?

11) A heart speaks to a heart. Knowledge is nice but caring servanthood is better.

12) The most important lessons are learned in the crucible of the most difficult times. How I wish this were not so! I've learned to try to gain some wisdom from these times and lean into God.

13) It's not all about me. I am not irreplacable! God can and will use someone else.

14) I need God more than I need my job.

15) Being in vocational ministry is a privilege. It's an honor I never fail to thank God for.

16) My own walk with God will influence and impact those I lead more deeply than my talent, ability, success and knowledge.

17) Ministry is warfare. I must remember who the real enemy is and remember he is crouching at my door, ready to devour me, and those I love and serve.

18) Sometimes there are no clear cut answers - I spend alot of time praying and seeking God about how to move through difficult situations. To be in ministry is to be dependant on God.

I've been so changed by being in ministry. It's taught me some great lessons and some very hard lessons as well.

So, what have you learned?

A Fond Farewell

Today was a bittersweet day at The Brook. You see, today marked the end of the the "interim" period we've experienced at our church - the 21 long months we have been without a senior pastor. And while we greatly rejoice in this period ending, it was sad to say good-bye to our interim pastor and good friend Richard Buckley. We focused our "teaching time" in our services today on saying good-bye well. We took the time to share with Richard some of the things we really appreciated about his care and leadership and he got the chance to share with our church family a challenge about the days ahead of us as we begin a new chapter and welcome a new pastor next Sunday, Brian Mayfield.

I was privileged to be one of the ones to share today and I focused on the  good gift of God that Richard has been to The Brook and to us personally as well. I actually met Richard for the first time just hours after our planting pastor resigned. I would have never imagined how God would intertwine our lives. When I first met Richard I was exhausted, hurting, discouraged, and in deep pain. My heart was filled with tons of questions. I wasn't sure I could stay in ministry at the rate things were going. Quite honestly, I was miserable. I believe that the same could be said for many of the faithful attendees of The Brook.

As I look back on our time with Richard I see that he gave us several gifts:

1) First of all, he brought us the gift of perspective. When Richard came to The Brook it felt like a dark time to me. Hurtful things had been said and done in the past year and a half. I was deeply wounded and had begun to really doubt my ability to lead worship and to wonder if God could use me any more as a minister. I wondered if I should just quit. My guess is that there were many others who had this same question ringing in their hearts. Then along comes Richard - and he brought a breath of fresh air! He was excited about our worship services! He could see all the special, wonderful things that mark the community of faith known as The Brook. He had fun with our creative style. He learned from us and we learned from him. We enjoyed working together. He helped us see the TRUTH about who we were - a family of faith, now shaped in some unique ways, called to reach our area for Christ with compassion and love. Through his eyes were able to see more of who we are in Christ! This gift of perspective brought energy and hope for the days ahead.

2) Secondly, he brought us the gift of compassion and understanding. As I mentioned before, we were - without a doubt - a wounded church. Richard patiently listened to our pain, let us cry, gave us wise counsel and helped us heal. Richard has experienced and been shaped by his own deep pain and out of that he was able to offer us compassion and tender care. This gift of compassion and understanding brought much needed healing.

3) Thirdly, Richard gave us the gift of guidance. When you are deeply discouraged it can be hard to know which direction you should move in. I likened this time to feeling like a car stuck in the mud - spinning our wheels and flinging mud but getting no where at all. Richard gave us gentle guidance through some really hard and difficult decisions and circumstances. His wisdom was a great gift we needed.

Lastly, the greatest gift Richard offered to us was his friendship and caring. We are forever marked by the good gift of God to us in this friend and brother in Christ!

So here is what we did today:

1. Awesome is the Lord Most High

2. For All You've Done

3. Hosanna

4. Made Me Glad

Time of Sharing and Thanksgiving - David Smith (a member of our Mgmt Team), Jan Owen (me), Josh Britt (our Student Pastor)

Richard Shares

5. One Pure and Holy Passion

Offering and Announcements

Time of Greeting Richard

**This post is a part of Sunday Setlists over at FredMcKinnon.Com. Go check it out!**

So, how was your Sunday?

Walking Boldly Into a Dream

I have some exciting developments happening in my life right now. A few weeks ago I wrote about a dream I have. I am happy to report that some doors are opening that will allow me to take some steps to walk boldy into this dream.

I've long dreamed of training and mentoring indigenous worship leaders in developing countries - to encourage, to assist, to support. I didn't have any help at all when I first began to lead worship and it was lonely. I had no budget, not many resources, and no company at all (at least here in Huntsville, Alabama) as a chick worship leader!

I am so happy to report that some things are starting to happen!

 - I am working on setting up a meeting to talk to church leadership at Shalom Baptist in Guatemala City this June when I go there with The Brook. This would be an "information gathering/planning" meeting to plan and prepare and dream for the future. We would plan a date, etc for a worship conference/workshop in the future. This is a conference I would hope to include other team members and leaders in!

 - My BIGGEST and most concrete news is that I have a tentative date set for a training trip to The Dominican Republic with G.O. Ministries. I would leave at the end of October do two three day training workshop on the different sides of the island, working with worship leaders first in Santiago and then in a Haitian community in a rural area. I'd get the opportunity to attend church on the weekend as well! This will not only be a first for me, it will be a first in many ways for this ministry and these worship leaders as well. They've never had any training aimed at their worship leaders. They have also never had a female trainer in the field there in the DR. (although about 80% of their worship leaders are female) I feel a great responsibility to do a really great job as I step out in this area!

I have alot to accomplish now that this is becoming a reality. I'd appreciate your prayers so much!

 - I need to develop a training curriculum to use with these worship leaders that is easily understood and easily translatable, as well as interactive and usable in their context. I am seeking help with this so that I can provide a solid foundation for these leaders. I have to turn this in for translation by August. I need to be able to carve out time for this.

 - I have to develop a prayer team that will pray for me and these leaders. There are many things to pray for! Let me know via comments or email if you'd like to be on this prayer list.

 - I need to learn Spanish and also worship songs in Spanish. I also need to learn cultural norms and be prepared for the differences I am sure to encounter.

 - I need to learn to teach with a translator's assistance - and need a GREAT translator with a deep Biblical understanding of worship! I will have 8 hours of teaching/interaction a day! That's a huge amount of teaching to do via a translator!

 - I need the support and interest of the pastors these leaders serve with so that these leaders will be encouraged to grow and learn.

 - I need to stay healthy and strong! This will be physically demanding as well.

 - And of course I will need monetary donations to make this a reality. I am NOT being paid to do any of this! I am paying my own way, buying my own supplies and producing my own materials and curriculum to take with me. I hope to pull together a team of others that are passionate about seeing the nations worship God that might be willing to help underwrite these trips.

So tonight I thank God that I sense that the beginning of spring is dawning - not just in our physical seasons, but in my own life as well. I am thankful to see a dream awakening into reality. I am thankful for all God has done and is doing in my life. Praise God from whom all blessings flow indeed!

**For all you worship leaders out there! What are the "basics" you really think a worship leader shouldn't lead without knowing?**

Inspirational Leadership

I found this article today and wanted to share!

5 Attributes of Inspirational Leaders

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

The Sahara plays tricks on the eyes of its travelers. As the desert sun beats down on the sand, heat waves rise from the ground. Light bends as it passes through the superheated air, painting illusory pictures on the horizon. To thirsty travelers moving through the Sahara, it often appears as if an oasis looms in the distance. However, as the voyagers journey on, the oasis proves to be nothing more than a mirage.

Unfortunately, the ranks of leadership are inhabited by a host of mirages: people who look impressive from a distance, but end up being disappointments. After being fooled by a few mirages, followers become jaded about leadership. That seems as true now as it ever has been. Our trust in leaders has been shaken as politicians have reneged on promises, CEOs have squandered money entrusted to their firms, and managers have advanced self-interests above all else.

To restore society's confidence with those in power, leaders have to be able to inspire. I'm not talking about inspiring someone to buy into the corporate vision statement, to meet quarterly sales goals, or to work more efficiently. These aren't bad things, but right now, people are looking for a leader attuned to their personal needs. They want leaders who will encourage them, believe in their potential, and help them grow.

5 Attributes of an Inspirational Leader

ATTITUDE OF SERVICE

To be an inspirational leader, you must adopt an attitude of service toward those you lead. This requires laying aside selfish interests to add value to another person. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." When you serve, you awaken something magnetic inside of you. People are drawn to follow you because they know you'll find ways to make them better.

AFFIRMATION

To inspire means to have a positive view of others. If we're not careful, we become fault-finders, magnifying the flaws in everyone around us. Instead, leaders should emulate gold prospectors - always on the lookout for potential gold mines. When they find traces of ore, prospectors assume there's a rich vein to unearth, and they start digging. In the same fashion, leaders ought to search for the best traits within a person and commit to uncovering them.

One of the best applications of this idea is expressed in what I call the 101 percent principle: Find the one thing that you believe is a person's greatest asset, and then give 100 percent encouragement in that area. Focusing on a person's strengths inspires them by promoting confidence, growth, and success.

ATTENTIVENESS

Great inspirers know the desires of those they lead. As much as people respect the knowledge and ability of their leaders, these are secondary concerns for them. They don't care how much their leaders know until they know how much their leaders care. When leaders attend to the deeply felt needs of their team, the determination and commitment of each team member skyrockets.

AVAILABILITY

Leaders inspire by intentionally investing time in the people they lead. They make themselves available. People cannot be nurtured from a distance or by infrequent spurts of attention. They need a leader to spend time with them - planned time, not just a conversation in passing.

In our fast-paced and demanding world, time is a leader's most precious commodity. While it feels costly to give up, nothing communicates that you value a person more than the gift of your time. In addition, investing time to develop others has a way of reaping dividends. As Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."

AUTHENTICITY

To inspire, leaders have to be genuine. More than anything else, followers want to believe in and trust their leaders. However, when leaders break promises or fail to honor commitments, they reveal themselves as being inauthentic, and they lose credibility. Trust rests upon a foundation of authenticity. To gain trust, a leader must consistently align words and deeds, while showing a degree of transparency.

Summary

Inspirational leadership can be confused with momentary charisma. I prefer to think about inspiring as more of a process than an event. More than a brilliant speech, it's cultivating habits of brilliance that manifest themselves daily. By modeling the five attributes of an inspiring leader, I trust that you'll win the respect of those you lead and earn the right to influence their lives.

I'd love to hear about the leaders in your life that have inspired you!

Who are they? What did they do that was inspiring to you?

Should Christians (or Pastors) Attend or View "R-Rated" Movies?

The biggest movie that has come out lately is, without a doubt, "Slum Dog Millionaire". And yes, it is rated R. I've seen tons of Twitter chatter from Christians that I both trust and respect talking about what a fantastic movie this is and what a great message it has. According to my research there is no nudity or sex, but it is a hard movie that shows some difficult circumstances and domestic violence.

After all of my research I would love to see this movie. But I am torn.

Here is my admission (and I don't intend for this to sound in any way self-righteous): I have only seen one R-rated movie in the theatre in my entire adult life and that was "The Passion of the Christ"! I've rented a few to watch at home such as: "Schindler's List" and "Glory". Any others I've seen were tv versions that had been a bit cleaned up. In fact I watched "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" a dozen times without knowing that certain "famous" scenes even existed!

Part of this is a conviction of mine that I don't want to fill my mind with things that are ungodly. I don't want to see sex scenes, etc. For this reason I will avoid certain movies. Part of this has been that I felt a responsibility as a believer and even more so as a minister to set an example and I would hate for someone to see me going into an R-rated movie and have their faith somehow weakened as a result. Yet some R-rated movies are so worthy of viewing. For example, I would say that all adults SHOULD SEE "Schindler's List" in their lifetime. And of course "The Passion of the Christ" is one that I took my son to see before he was 17! I understand that the question is not always clear-cut.

So here is my question for the day.

Should Christians attend or even view R-Rated movies?

Note that I'm not asking for anyone's permission to go see "Slum Dog", I just want to open up a discussion about this sometimes confusing issue!

What do you think?

Why I Bought an iPhone....

I know you are dying to know why I gave in and got a phone with email and the works. Well, honestly I felt like my life was being driven by finding internet service, plugging in my laptop, etc. just to make sure I had not missed any messages for work. Since I work with mostly volunteers email is our main source of communication and I had been thinking for a while that a phone with internet would be helpful. Whenever someone emails me they need a quick answer much of the time.

So that might explain why I got a new phone but not why I zeroed in on the iPhone in particular. I tried several, did alot of research and asked everyone I knew what they advised. I must say that the iPhone has a huge fan base and it was recommended to me over and over to me as "the phone that will change your life"! I didn't quite believe this but I went around and tried probably 4 or 5 different phones just checking to see which one seemed easiest to use.

Hands down, the iPhone was the easiest to navigate and work with. I love that I can check twitter and facebook and my blog as well. The apps - what few I've downloaded - seem really great and it seems really easy to use!

I'm thrilled that this might indeed change the way I live. Usually I come in the door, plug in my laptop and work almost all night long once I get on it. Now I think I'll feel more freedom to simply leave my laptop put away unless I have a specific task to do, such as writing or blogging.

Maybe I'll get more done now?? I hope so!

Worship: The Fuel for Missions?

 I've long argued that our worship each week should "send us". After my visit to Honduras this past week I am even more convinced that an encounter with God in worship should compel us to go forth and live out the reality of that encounter to the world around us. Worship should change our hearts and tenderize us to the very heart  and longings of God.

Is God our comforter in times of trouble? We should bring comfort to those in need of it. Is God our peace? We should long to be peacemakers. Has God met us in our desperate need? Has He provided for us? So should we care for those in need. Is God holy? We too should live holy lives, giving a right accounting of who God indeed is. Has God loved us?

We should love others.

As we draw close to God in worship, we must ask ourselves some questions:

Do I love what God loves? Do I hate what God hates? Is my heart broken for what breaks the heart of God? Do I rejoice over the things that bring Him joy? Do I care that people around me are lost without Christ? Am I concerned that my own brothers and sisters in Christ are starving to death, imprisoned and oppressed in many areas of the world? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" then what are we going to do about it? Are my priorities lining up with His purposes? How does my worship (declaring the truth of who God is) compel me to live that truth out to the world around me? Am I content to simply "enjoy" worship and never walk it out in truth?

These are questions I am camping out with in my quiet times lately. I want the reality of my life to line up with the words I sing to God in worship. I want to be constantly growing more and more like Him in compassion and love. I want to STOP being apathetic towards the world around me and to WAKE UP to the purposes and work of God in this world. I want to see "His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." And I want to be a part of that.

As a worship minister my deepest desire is that when we worship on Sunday morning at The Brook we might encounter God in a vivid and powerful way. And as we do so, I pray that that life changing experience with God would compel us and propel us to walk out the door and "bring the kingdom" (to quote Brian Mayfield) to those we live and work with every day.

God, give me a heart of compassion for the world around me that so desperately needs to experience your love. Take off my blinders and help me to simply care enough to do something about it. Here I am Lord, send me.

The Next Chapter

Today was an extremely easy day for me! Sheila Pierce, one of my team leaders, led rehearsal this week while I was in Honduras and led worship this morning for both services at The Brook.

Sheila and the rest of my team did an amazing job today! I am so thrilled that my team can do such a marvelous job without any help from me! Go Wholehearted Worship Team!

I love seeing them use their gifts and talents and setting them free to minister as God has called them to do. From the sound and lights to the band and vocals, everyone did a great job. Kudos to Sheila for leading so well.

Today our Student Minister Josh Britt taught on "The Next Chapter" and used the text of Exodus 17-18.  Here are a few key points from the day.....

1) Sometimes God takes us on the "scenic route" so we won't turn back.

2) We quickly forget the works of God in our life, how He has provided for our needs, and how He has rescued us. It's easier to focus on the negative and what we don't like instead of the works of God.

3) If we want victory we need one another to go forward and not dwell in the past. We need one another's help to go forward.

4) God has taken the training wheels off of our church in the last three years. God has said it's time to grow up and do what God has called us to do! (This is my interpretation!)

5) With a new pastor our challenge will be to follow well and hold up his arms and pray.

Here's the worship set we did:

1) Your Grace is Enough

2) Better is One Day

3) I Stand Amazed

4) I Adore You (new song we found via "Jesus Culture" written by Phil Wickham)

Sermon

5) All the Way My Savior Leads Me/Tis So Sweet (Done with just two vocalists and piano)

**This post is a part of Sunday Setlist at www.FredMcKinnon.Com.**

Joy Amid Poverty

Wow! What a week! It will take me awhile to unpack and process all that I saw and experienced this week in Honduras. I met one of my sponsored children, I met many brothers and sisters in Christ that are hard at work in less than perfect circumstances, I met families that are living in extreme poverty in conditions I cannot imagine living in, and I saw what an incredible difference Compassion International is making in the lives of children and their families in Honduras. Compassion serves 42,000 children in that country and makes an eternal difference in their lives. And when the life of one child is changed, a family is changed and when families are changed, neighborhoods are changed, and when neighborhoods are changed, nations are changed! In the last quarter of 2008 more than 48,000 children came to know Christ in Compassion projects alone!

As I walked through poverty stricken and even dangerous neighborhoods, I had to wonder what it would be like to live in these circumstances. As I visited with mothers who raised many children without running water or electricity or enough food and many times, without a husband to help, I couldn't help but wonder if I could have been as welcoming in the same situations. Yet, they greeted us with smiles, with joy, and with open arms.

Here is a video of my visit to the first Compassion project, where we were greeted in one classroom by hugs, laughter, and this sweet little song and dance. Watch all the way through to see the joy of these children as they enjoyed a day at the Compassion mission.

Joy in Honduras from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

Hola Friends!

Buenos Noches! I am on my way to turn in for the night and just had to share what a wonderful time I had today. It was a remarkable day of HOPE, HOPE, HOPE. 

We started the day by going to see one of Compassion Honduras' newest projects. One of my favorite things about Compassion is that they work within the local church, so each project is "owned" and staffed by a local church. The project we visited today has 250 children in their program. I can't post pictures easily now (I dont have my computer with me) but I can't wait to post them when I return. This church had humble facilities yet worked with 250 children each week to provide a solid meal and teaching, medical care, etc. After a presentation from the staff we split up into groups to tour the facility and to meet some of the children. We were greeted by friendly "Hola"s and "Dios te bendaga" (God Bless You). I particularly enjoyed the dancing and singing done in Ms. Scarlett's class. I can't wait to share that video as well. 

After this we went to provide a meal for a project family and to help them cook it, which is much easier than it sounds. We hiked up a path used as a sanitation ditch and went to a very humble and poverty stricken home where we washed and chopped and prepared vegetables for a soup which would be a FEAST for this family. We did this on a one eye gas burner out in the "yard". Pictures will show that this is a phrase used with a bit of irony. The mother there had 3 children and is expecting in May. It was an honor to be invited into her home and to help her family out in this - to us - small way. 

Later today we also played with the children and helped feed them a meal, which was thrilling for me - to get to see a Compassion kitchen in action....I thought of all those meals MY OWN sponsored children have received and it made me cry.

Before I go I want to share the two most moving moments for me...

We had a "girl's chat" as we were cooking with the mother we were helping and the project volunteer that accompanied us. They are both pregnant and we chatted about the typical mom stuff (all via translator of course) like women tend to do. During this conversation I learned that our helper's first child had died. I told her how sorry I was and we sort of just moved on. Later we offered the family a gift of food supplies and we prayed with the mother, offering hugs and care. And then she cried. That touched me perhaps more than anything else could. To spend time with this mother, just like me in so many ways, yet in such different circumstances helped me to remember that us mothers are the same the world over. We love our children, we want to provide, we want to give our best for our children. And we love to talk about our kids and to share stories. So when we left and I kissed her cheek and whispered "God Bless" I felt humbled....humbled to have shared a moment providing some hope for another mother in another country that might have needed it. It's a moment I will carry in my heart always.

The second moment happened as we said good bye at the end of the day. I looked at the staff there and saw that they are in ministry just like me. They physically have less perhaps but they have a mighty spirit and a great passion - in some ways they are richer than I will ever be. And they love what they do and it is obvious God is using it. As we said our good-byes I went to hug our "helper" for the day (remember she is pregnant and had lost a child?) and she began to cry and kissed me on both cheeks. (a custom that I really like) As we wished God's blessings on one another, I felt moved to pray for her child. So with the help of the translator I placed my hand on her pregnant belly and prayed. It was a stunning moment for me - to pray with my sister in Christ, in ministry.........

So what did I learn the most today. It is a surprising "aha" and is not really about the children. It was the incredibly wonderful "picture" of the reality that the Body of Christ is beautifully diverse and is WORLD WIDE. Today I got another taste of heaven.....of the reality of what it will be like to worship together one day - every tribe, every tongue, every nation.

What a day that will be.