Hey Gang,

Today I joined the ranks of people who have setup their free “daily paper” at paper.li.

My edition is called “FredMcKinnon Follows” because the content featured in this daily periodical is automatically aggregated from a list of people, topics, and organizations that I follow on Twitter or Facebook.

That means the bulk of the content that is featured will be about worship, ministry, leadership, and technology.

These little “papers” are super cool.  To read an issue, go here.

So, there are TWO WAYS you can get the daily:

#1.  Signup via email on the FredMcKinnon Follows page (see the blue subscribe box in the top right corner)
#2.  Watch for the “tweet” on my twitter stream – I have it set to publish around 9:00 AM EST each day.

Now for the why – why do this?

#1.  I have been on the receiving side of having my content featured in someone else’s daily paper, and I appreciate that.  I want to do the same thing for someone else!
#2.  I think the content is valuable – or else, I wouldn’t be following them.  (except in cases where I auto-followed someone who is spamming trash)
#3.  It’s a great way to pull my world together in a daily form – not because my world is about me … but because it’s about YOU, and this is a good way to share it.

So … check it out!

Hey Gang,

For those who may already be following our blog and twitter updates (Blog:  www.RefugeSSI.Com | Twitter:  @refugessi) this may be old news.  But it’s still exciting news and I am thrilled to post it here.

We’ve just secured Ian Morgan Cron (web | twitter) as our primary speaker and “guide” for the Refuge retreat that we’re hosting here October 23-26.  Ian is a gifted speaker, spiritual advisor, he’s an ordained priest, worship leader, songwriter, and an accomplished author.  His brand new book, “Jesus, My Father, the CIA” was just featured by Barnes & Noble, noting Ian as one of their “Discover Great New Writers” program.

My first encounter with Ian was at the re:create conference in Franklin, TN a couple of years ago.  He was there as a spiritual guide and counselor and led us through some incredibly powerful times of worship.  His sensitive way of leading us through the Eucharist was amazing and inspiring.

Ian will be speaking in several of our sessions, along with others.  Since the “Refuge” retreat is designed to be small and intimate, it’s a huge treat to be able to spend some time with him.

Here’s a short video excerpt on prayer from a recent interview Ian did:  (more videos at IanCron.Com)

I assure you, this will be time well spent.  Do you need to unwind, recharge, pull away, and hear from God?  Of course you do!  Early-bird registration is only $99 (ending June 30th!).  Checkout the “Refuge” site and register today, and bring your spouse, your staff, friends.  It will be a powerful time of rest, renewal, and restoration.

Early Bird:  $99
Dates:  October 23 (Sunday night Meet & Greet) – Wednesday, October 26th

REGISTER TODAY!

Hey Folks,

For the next few days, I’m gonna run a little series here on the blog called “Survey Says”.

I’ll ask a question … I may (or may not) share some of my own answers, but the real point is for you, the gang in the community here at FredMcKinnon.Com, to respond.

So today:

Blogs:  what are you reading these days?  What are your top 5 blogs?

I have to admin I struggle to keep up with the blogs in my blogroll – so I’ll just mention a couple of newer, noteworthy ones I’ve stumbled upon in the last few months:

DavidSantistevan.Com – great blog on worship leadership and church, and enjoy following him on Twitter as well @dsantistevan
GoinsWriter.Com – inspiring blog on creativity and writing by Jeff Goins.  I had the privilege of meeting Jeff at re:create this year.  Follow him on Twitter @JeffGoins
RandyElrod.Com – I try to catch every post, but I miss more than I catch.  Randy is a mentor, fellow dreamer, and inspiring guy.  He founded re:create. Follow him on Twitter @RandyElrod
MichaelHyatt.Com – Michael is an inspiring leader, speaker, publisher, and all-around-good-guy.  Met him at re:create as well.  Follow him @MichaelHyatt
TheWorshipCommunity.Com – both a blog and lively forums community, always good content … I’m biased, since I founded and publish the site, but seriously – if you’re into worship/tech/ministry leadership, this is a great resource.   I have to subscribe via RSS to both articles and forums to keep up.  On twitter @theworshipcomm

So what about you?  What’s your Top 5 blogs?

Well, words can’t express the “high” I’m feeling from an incredible day yesterday – both of our Sunday AM services were incredible and last night’s “Night of Worship” at SSCC was amazing.  More on that in a different, upcoming blog post.

This morning as I was praying about leadership … God spoke to me.  You know, that small voice on the inside … and oftentimes for me, I “see” the words or phrase in my mind’s eye …

I felt like God said “pray that you (and they) would lead by revelation and not reason”.

PRAY THAT YOU WILL LEAD BY REVELATION AND NOT REASON.

Did you get that?

Revelation gives vision … a cause, a purpose … our leadership is a RESPONSE to the revelation we get.
Reason … this is where we engage our natural minds to figure out the yes and no, the why and why not, the “this is impossible”.

Reason is good … God gave us the capacity to “reason” and use our intellect.  But when our leadership comes from our intellect only, I think we’re apt to miss out.

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that phrase means and how to walk it out – but I think I’m on to something.

What say you?

2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
(Lev. 19:2, ESV at YouVersion.Com)

I think almost every Christian you talk to will agree that God has called us to be “holy”.  I tend to immediately start thinking of “do’s and don’ts” … legalistic things … law.

But God is a God of grace, and we are not under law.  We agree there, but this is the thing we use to forget about holiness.

One Christian has no problem entertaining themselves with a movie where the “f-bomb” is dropped a dozen times, along with non-stop usage of the Lord’s Name in vain and sinful acts.  Another one feels this is sinful, and by engaging in that, they are not being holy.  It’s as if the standard is “whatever I deem the standard to be”.

So … what does “holiness” mean to you?  Let’s discuss in a non-judgmental, friendly way, shall we?

You see this guy …

It could be you … trying to get customer service.

Good luck.

Or … it could be how the person on the other end feels, who is trying to resolve your issues.

Today, I worked from 8:30 – 5:15 in Customer Service for my e-business, HPP Enterprises.  Nikki usually handles the bulk of our customer service and returns issues but she’s off having fun.

Let’s just say that I have a greater appreciation for what that poor girls deals with on a daily basis.  At one point, I spent 40 minutes on the phone with what seemed to be an elderly man who relentlessly insisted we never sent him a return label; while, reading back to the the exact emails and even the FILE NAME of the attached return label from his email box.

I have to stay away from this stuff.  It fuels a nasty attitude in me.  I’ve learned that you can expect certain responses from certain demographics, consistently, which creates a stereotyped form of “consumer racism” in my heart that is disgusting – to me, and to God.

So, for all you folks who tend to get frustrated and demand certain things from customer service, whether it be the online store you purchased from, your cell phone carrier, your insurance agency, your waitress, or “___ insert service provider here ____” … here’s how it feels from the OTHER SIDE:

1.  If you’re polite to me, I’ll be polite back to you.
2.  If you come across professional and spell words correctly, use proper capitalization and grammar, I’ll take you more seriously.
3.  If you start out by demeaning me and making demands, you’re already at the back of the line.
4.  Refer back to #1.
5.  Don’t demand.  Ask.  With courtesy.

Granted, I have gotten to the point where #1-5 didn’t work, I was completely exasperated, and lost it.  (Visions of the Circuit City logo float through my mind and a hideous scene I caused in the store … still have a hard time regretting it, though!).  But for the most part, be as gracious as possible.

Case 1:
We are allowed to charge a restocking fee if we choose.  Many of our suppliers charge it to us, so we can recoup that.

Person 1: this product is worthless.  I’m offended you wasted my time sending me such a worthless product.   I hope you’re happy you got your money.  I should file a lawsuit for consumer fraud.  We were not happy with this at all – i am returning it and I demand you send a return label and give me my money NOW.

Person 2: Thanks for getting the product here so quickly.  Unfortunately, we weren’t happy with the quality of the product.  I’m sure you are only the reseller and have no control over the quality of the product.  I just felt you should know how poorly this is made – maybe you could pass this along to your manufacturer or supplier.  Regardless, we’d like to return this if possible.  Any help you can give us on the restocking fee or return freight would be greatly appreciated.

Resolution:

Person 1: stick it to them.  They pay return postage.  And by golly, we’re deducting the 15% restocking fee.  They are going to leave a negative review anyway.

Person 2: thank the person for being so gracious.  While you’re at it, send them a prepaid label, and no matter what – waive that restocking fee.

Conclusion:

I suppose it’s common sense – but there’s this thing we call the “Golden Rule” – remember learning it as a kid?  “Treat others the way you’d like to be treated”.

Discussion:

Nothing profound here, but I’m curious – how does this relate to you?  Are you the demanding person, or the courteous one?  (Does anyone really confess to be the jerk?  I do.)  How can this apply outside of business customer service?  Leave some comments and discuss.

Welcome to the final post in my series on “What Regimen Training Taught Me as a Worship Leader”.  If’ you’ve missed the series, back up and see these other entries:

Part 1: What is Regimen
Part 2: R.A.N.
Part 3: Change It Up
Part 4:  Teach the Why

Part 5:  Encouragement Matters

In the last entry I talked about teaching.  The teaching is critical but it’s not enough.  You have to have encouragement.  In the trenches when the sweat is pouring, the body is resisting, and the mind is telling you there’s nothing left, it’s that encouraging word that pulls you through.

A good fitness trainer will challenge you in your routine, correct you when you’re wrong, and encourage you when you are doing it right. But how can we apply that to worship leading?

So far these teachings have primarily applied to how we (as leaders) interact with our congregations.  Today I want to focus on how we interact with our teams.  How often do you encourage them?

Keep in mind that the majority of us work with volunteers who have already been bossed around all day and have endured stress and anxiety at the work place.  The last thing they need as they volunteer in the band or tech team is to feel the same way.  Encourage your team.  Build them up.  When they play well, acknowledge it.  When they seem frustrated or overwhelmed with a part, encourage them.

Take this beyond words.  I’d encourage you to have a box of stationary in your desk so that you can mail a letter from time to time … you know, write it, stuff it in an envelope, place a stamp on it, and put it in that old thing called a mailbox.

Don’t let this stop with your band.  There is a tech team that makes everything work; yet, they are usually acknowledged only when something goes wrong.

Can this apply to our congregations as well?  Of course it can.  As you notice those who seem to really connect with the worship, make a point to encourage them.  Tell them that seeing them worship and engage encourages you and spurs you on as a leader.  In the same way, with sensitivity, you may approach someone who is obviously struggling.  Pull them aside and give them an encouraging word – tell them how glad you are they came and ask if there’s anything you can pray with them about.

I know this.  When I’m on my last pushup … and my body screams it can’t do another … all it takes is Eric or Matt standing over me saying “c’mon Fred, you can do it, one more” and I push it out.  You can too.

That’s a wrap for this series.  I hope it’s been helpful for you.  I’d love to see your comments, so chat it up!

About the Photo:
Another shot by Chris Moncus Photography, who was hired to take some pictures in Summer 2009 during some of our East Beach workouts.  This is a great group, many of whom are still attending the regimen workout classes on East Beach.  For more info on the “Regimen” training, visit Taylor Made Training.

Hey Gang,

In the vein of “Follow Friday” … I’d like to introduce you to a couple of new sites that I’d recommend:

www.churchleaders.com – a new site for, well, you guessed it … Church Leaders!  This site is already packed with incredible content and has a slick look and feel.  You never know, you just might find some worship articles from me in there soon!

www.patrickeades.com – This is a local guy .. the Executive Director of our local Care Net (aka Crisis Pregnancy Center).  But Patrick is new to blogging, but not new to ministry, leadership, and vision.  He’s a great friend, an incredible leader, and visionary.  His blog will be in your top blogs for leadership and family insights.  He and his family are very close to our hearts … Patrick will stir you with insights into leadership, the pro-life movement, family matters, and more.  Plus, the guy is hilarious.  I mean, really … who else has “The Sex Man” as his nickname?

Yesterday I blogged about two incredible football quarterbacks and how the strengths of their entire TEAM impact their performance.  No matter how talented the leader may be, the need for a solid team is obvious.

The same rings true in worship ministry, business development, and visioneering.

Today, a group of us from SSCC met at my favorite off-campus-office, WakeUp Coffee Company.  This is a group comprised of our main worship leaders and one of our church elders (who also participates and leads with our team).  I’ve dubbed this group of people the “Worship Synergy” team.

Synergy, in general, may be defined as two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently.
The term synergy comes from the ancient Greek word syn-ergos, συνεργός, meaning ‘working together’. [1] .
In the context of organizational behaviour is the view that a cohesive group is more than sum of its parts. Synergy is the ability of group to outperform even its best individual member.

Our purpose is to discuss:

• our philosophy of worship
• how we practically “walk out” our philosophy
• conflict resolution and prevention
• creative input, ideas, and feedback on crafting encounters where we worship in spirit and truth

It’s important to bring some diversity to this table.  You’ll get some perspective from a female that won’t even be considered by a male (and vice versa).  You’ll miss some great insights when you try to do this by yourself.  By creating a space where people have the liberty to express their ideas, creative input, and their concerns or grievances, you head off potential conflicts.

One thing that is often overlooked in a situation like this is the protection that comes from a unified team.  As the Worship Pastor, I no longer have to fear that people will hold me accountable for every situation.  If you have some conflict about song choice … you can say, “well, I appreciate your input, but I don’t make those decisions on my own – we have a group that prayerfully discusses and considers this”.  Maybe there is an element missing in your worship services that is recognized by every person of the team … you have a lot more leverage when you approach your leadership with a request.

Do you have anything like this in place?  Ideas?  Thoughts?
Let me hear back from you!

We’ve all heard it … time after time …

“There is no ‘I’ in the word T-E-A-M”.  This applies to life .. in church ministry, business, family, and yes … sports.  The story of these two quarterbacks says it all.  I caught a story in Monday’s USAToday about the Detroit Lions’ QB, Matthew Stafford.  Since he hails from the Promised Land, good ole’ UGA (University of Georgia – GO DAWGS) … I took interest in the article.

The article talked about both Matthew Stafford, and former USC Quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who was drafted to the Jets. Both of these QB’s had their rookie season in 2009 – Stafford with the Detroit Lions, and Sanchez with the New York Jets.

Now I’m not one to pick on a losing team … but the Detroit Lions have had a tough time lately.  Stafford goes to a team that is seriously struggling.  Sanchez goes to a team that is working well together and has exceptional talent.

Stafford’s Team – 2 wins all year … which is better than NO WINS the year before.
Sanchez’s Team – a trip to the AFC playoffs.

Can these guys take the credit?  See below:

Although their final numbers were similar, with Stafford throwing for 2,267 yards and 13 touchdowns with 20 interceptions, and Sanchez throwing for 2,444 yards and 12 touchdowns with 20 interceptions, the latter player received considerably more buzz.  (source:  USAToday)

Stafford:  2267 yards thrown
Sanchez:  2444 yards thrown

Stafford:  13 touchdowns
Sanchez:  12 touchdowns

Stafford:  20 interceptions
Sanchez:  20 interceptions

Do you see it?  There is no “i” in TEAM.  It wasn’t all about a star QB.  It was about a TEAM.

Whether you are a worship leader, a pastor, a business owner, or a star athlete …. in most situations, it’s not all about you.  It’s about the team you are surrounded with.  It’s about putting the “right people in the right seats on the bus”.

If you have all the talent in the world, but don’t have yourself aligned with the right team, your overall wins may be marginal.  Granted, everybody’s definition of a “win” is different, based on your situation.

But think about this … when was the last time you checked on your team.  When was the last time things were re-aligned.  When was the last time you took inventory of your gifts and where they are best “at play”.

Comments/Thoughts?  Let’em rip.

mar • gin

… an amount allowed or available beyond what is actually necessary: to allow a margin for error.

Hey Gang,

So the blog has been quiet lately.  There’s a reason for that … several, actually.

In April I published this post asking what God was speaking to you in 3 words or less.  Some of the responses were very insightful.  One of my 3 words was:

“margin”

I’ve always been the guy who stacks too much on his plate.  I leave with just enough time to get to my destination, I procrastinate, and I tend to cram more activity, work, ideas, and tasks into my life than I have room to accomplish.

Over the last year, I’ve found myself dealing with anger … a lot.  I will lose my temper quickly, the smallest things get under my skin and frustrate me.  I began to pray … a lot … and I kept hearing God asking me this rhetorical question … “Fred, why are you so angry”.

It feels kinda ridiculous for God to ask you a question, ya know.  Like, doesn’t He know the answer?  And to make matters worse, I’m desperately searching for the answer, so why not just tell me!?

The more I sought the answer to this question, the more I realized that “lack of margin” in my life was contributing to this.

So, as the definition above states, margin is “an amount allowed or available beyond what is actually necessary” ….

So here’s the questions for discussion:

1.  Do you feel that you have margin in your life?
2.  Yes?  How did you accomplish it?
3.  No?  Why – do you see a way out?

What’s your plan of action.  Time to bring this blog back to life folks, I look forward to your ongoing discussion.

For the Kingdom,

Fred

I hear it several times a week from friends, co-workers, and others …

“You must be on Facebook all day – how do you get any work done”?

So this blog post has been “brewing” in my toolbox for a couple of months now.
(my toolbox, and what’s in it – coming soon)

Here’s the deal.  If I were on Facebook all day, I would NEVER get my work done. If I didn’t get my work done, you’d notice.

So here’s how I seemingly stay connected throughout the day (and even throughout the night, or midair during flight!) to Facebook.  (go to my Facebook Profile)

1.  Twitter
Plain and simple.  I have “Tweetdeck” on my Mac, and incredible application that allows me to view multiple twitter accounts simultaneously, including my Facebook feed.  (which I have turned off, by the way).  When I take 30 seconds to post a quick update (ie. in planning meeting with other staff folks), I will usually select my @fmckinnon twitter account to post this in addition to the “facebook” tab.  This makes my update go to Facebook.  All without logging in or “playing around” on Facebook.  If I’m not using Tweetdeck, I can opt to include the hashtag #fb at the end of any pics or tweets I may send from my cell phone to also be included on Facebook.

2.  Adium
Adium is an Instant Messaging client that I use to connect with co-workers, friends, and family.  It allows me to have my AIM/AOL/iChat screenname account as well as my @yahoo, @msn, @google, and yes …. @facebook accounts online simultaneously.  So, if Adium is open (and it usually is) – this gives the appearance that I’m “online” at Facebook.

So if you’re one of those who sees me as “available” on Facebook all day, I’m probably not really there … it’s probably my Adium software telling Facebook that I’m online.  If you send a chat via Facebook, Adium will notify me.  Typically, I’ll answer if it’s work-related, or if I have time.  If I don’t I’m sometimes forced to just ignore the chat request.  (sorry!).  Or, I’ll often go off to a meeting and totally forget I left Adium turned on.

3.  Facebook Connect
Many 3rd party websites now use the “Facebook Connect” application.  For example, my blog uses “Facebook Connect” to allow people to leave comments via their Facebook login.  PlanningCenterOnline now interacts directly with Facebook.  TheWorshipCommunity.Com has a huge interaction with Facebook.  Any time I leave a blog comment, a reply to my own blog, or engage in a discussion on TheWorshipCommunity.Com (all of which usually are actions which would 100% fall under my “job description”) – it pings Facebook, and you see “Fred McKinnon has just replied to  ….” in your newsfeed.

4.  Automation

The beauty of technology and automation is another thing that gives the impression that I’m “online” all the time.  (well, I’m online a LOT, that’s for sure).  But here’s a few examples of how I’m “online” when I’m really not, thanks to the beauty of scheduled posts and automation.
* all of my blog posts are scheduled to “import” as “notes” and then later as “networked blogs” onto Facebook – with no action from me.
* many of my blogs are written and then “scheduled” to publish automatically as certain, designated times
* I use TweetAdder software daily.  In addition to allowing me to search and follow certain Twitter users based on keywords in their tweets and/or profile bio (ie. “worship pastor”), I can schedule “tweets” to post in the future.  It’s incredible software and well worth the small price if you are serious about leveraging Twitter to build your follow base, fight spam, manage followers, and schedule tweets.  (disclosure:  links to TweetAdder are my affiliate links)

5.  Communication
The reality here is that I’ve found myself “logging in” and actually clicking around in Facebook more than ever recently.  I’m seeing a pretty dramatic shift in communication preference, and to tell you the truth – I’m not sure what to do about it.

Over the last week, I’ve had a huge amount of “back and forth” emails between two worship artists who were in town this weekend for a concert, a new bass player from our church, a drummer who plays for us who has been sick, etc.  All of that interaction has been happening in my “Facebook” inbox.  So the trend I’m seeing is that I’m getting less direct emails, and more “Facebook” emails.

Summary:

So can Facebook be addicting?  You betcha!  Can people waste too much time there?  You betcha!  Have I let it happen to me from time to time ….?

YOU BETCHA.

I suppose this article could be viewed as a “defense” to those whose ongoing remarks seem to whisper “we don’t think you are getting your work done”.  And deep down, I guess that’s part of the intent.  But the truth is – all of these technologies that I mention are ways I’ve been able to broaden my ability to be accessible, to communicate, to lead, and influence others.  And if I’m living my life correctly, that influence should ultimately be something that honors the Lord and brings glory to Him.

Your Turn – what are your Facebook issues?  Please leave your comments below.

Maybe it’s the fact that I was up all night …

Maybe it’s the fact that I was already tired from a long weekend …

Maybe all of that fatigue and the drizzly, overcast skies outside are the cause of today’s topic …

But we’ve all faced it.  “The Dip”.  That place where our motivation dries up and all the “get up and go” that we had is gone.

Long gone.

I’m feeling that lately.

In my fitness goals … I’m in the dip.
In my health and eating habits … I’m in the dip.
In my creative elements – songwriting, recording, music … I’ve BEEN in the dip.  Maybe I’m on a cul-de-sac.

Seth Godin’s book, “The Dip” was a great read for me earlier this year – and I find myself recognizing “the dip” more easily now.  But pressing through it (or quitting, which isn’t always a bad thing) is another thing altogether.

So … are you in a dip?  How so?  And how do you press through?

Tell the world.

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask:  How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is gone,
do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t go so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race
Do take it slower.

Hear the music.
Before the song is over.

(a poem written by child psychologist David L. Weatherford, as quoted in “4-Hour Work Week”, Timothy Ferriss)

How would you like to be trained by some of the most gifted, innovative leaders on the planet?  I’m talking … people like:

• Anne Jackson
• Carl Cartee
• Carlos Whitakker
• Dino Rizzo
• Geoff Surratt
• Glen Packiam
• Jeff Deyo
• Jonathan Lee
• Mark Batterson
• Ross Parsley
• Sherri Gould
• Skye Jethani
• Steven Furtick
• Tony Morgan

(are you getting the idea yet?)

So, that’s exactly what you get when you become a subscriber to a new, web-based training ministry called “Innovative Ministry Leader” at www.innovativeministryleader.com.  I’m so excited about this resource I can hardly stand it.  The price is amazing – especially because the membership fee includes training for EVERYONE on your staff.  Training in worship, leadership, marketing, culture, and technology.  WHO DOESN’T NEED THAT?

This isn’t some cheesy PowerPoint narration either.  This is HIGH QUALITY VIDEO that you can watch LIVE, or access the archives to watch later.  This is COMMUNITY where you can chat and ask questions.

Today is the launch of the first webcast – a live interview/leadership lesson with Anne Jackson.  I can’t wait.

To sweeten the deal, the guys at IML are offering 8 books on Leadership from Zondervan to the first 150 registrants who signup.

Friends, worshipers, followers – this is a NO-BRAINER if you ask me.

NO:  this is NOT a paid sponsor ad.
NO:  I do not get any payment, affiliate credit, props, or credits for blogging this.
YES:  I’m excited about it, and that’s why I’m sharing this resource with you.

Check it out – www.innovativeministryleader.com.  Also, if you are a registered member of TheWorshipCommunity.Com, be sure and checkout a special 10% discount promo code, exclusively for our members.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Gang,

I’ve just published my first written contribution to the “OurCreativeCommunity.Com” site.  This is an incredible group of creative folks who are holding each other accountable and inspiring one another.

My post is called “It’s Worth It When You Finish”, and is inspired by some recent physical regimen training I’ve been doing.

So check it out, and spread the word.

(this FreePlay Friday logo designed by Russ Hutto)

Hey everybody,

IT’s FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

During my time of mentoring this week with Randy Elrod, this simple question kept coming up … and I realized, it’s not necessarily the easiest question to answer.

So I ask you,

“what gets you up in the morning”?

(and no, I don’t mean your alarm clock).

Passion – Drive – Purpose?

Hey Ya’ll,

I need your help.  We are developing a new ad/media packet for those interested in advertising on the network of websites for Highest Praise Productions.  These sites include FredMcKinnon.Com, HighestPraise.Com, and TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

It’s a simple survey that should take about 2- 3 minutes of your time and is about worship demographics and ministry.  Please complete the survey, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT involved in ministry.

We’ll be giving away $100 in iTunes Gift Cards by a random drawing of those who participate in the survey.

Take the Survey – and SPREAD THE WORD!
(comments closed – please take the survey!)

G’day everyone,

All the news about the song ‘Healer’ has stalled my series on CCLI Top Songs – I hope to resume it, maybe tonight.

In the meantime, I’m asking everyone that reads this blog to please click here to read my article, “When Vessels Break” over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  I published it as a Featured Article, and feel that there may be some Godly wisdom in the article.  Several Scriptures come to mind and I believe we can look to God’s Word for encouragement.  I speak to how we handle it when ministers such as Mike Guglielmucci and revivalist Todd Bentley are exposed for sin.

So for today – all you faithful, loyal “FredMcKinnon.Com” readers – please visit TheWorshipCommunity.Com for the article, and leave your comments there, OK?

Thanks,
Fred

Hello Everyone,

A couple of days ago I posted “Effective Leading” and asked for your comments on two words:
1 – communication
2- leadership

Your comments were incredible and continue to come in.

I’d like to further discuss these as we dive deeper into this discussion about Effective Leadership. These comments are inspired by the time we had in staff meeting and the notes I took from Pastor David’s discussion with us.

Communication:

This is critical. We cannot expect people to follow our leadership if we do not clearly communicate. It’s far easier to under-communicate than to over-communicate. Think about your role as a leader. What are the non-negotiable aspects of your ministry? These need to be communicated over and over to those who are following. As you define your mission and vision statement, find ways to continually communicate this.

As a church, we have asked ourselves these important questions:
1 – Who are we?
2 – Why do we do what we do?

Answering these questions gives some good direction in finding a vision statement to clearly communicate this to others.

Our response at SSCC:

Our mission is to help people discover God’s purpose for their lives as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We seek to create environments where people are encouraged and equipped to reach up, reach in, and reach out.

As leaders, it’s easy for us to focus on the “big communication” – like our church vision, our business model, our strategy, etc. Let’s not forget how critical basic communication is with those who serve with us.

As a Worship Leader:
1 – communicate your gratitude to your team OFTEN
2 – communicate your gratitude to your tech team OFTEN
3 – communicate your thoughts and vision for introducing a particular song, or flow
4 – communicate the vision behind actions.

For example, we’re encouraging our singers to make every effort to memorize their lyrics each week so that we can get rid of our music stands. Just giving them instruction without communicating vision is critical here. I have to explain to them WHY it’s important, and the BENEFIT that we’ll have in doing so – both on an individual basis and a corporate basis.

What are some examples of good (or bad) communication that you’re experiencing. Feel free to share your business, church, or personal mission statement that you are communicating as well. Let’s discuss.

For the Kingdom,

Fred

Hello Everyone,

We had a great staff meeting at SSCC yesterday and Pastor David (link to his outdated, inactive blog!) shared some of his thoughts regarding effective leadership.

It was good stuff, and I’d like to share my notes, but before I do .. I thought I’d give us a day for discussion.

David mentioned two important words for us to discuss, and what they mean:

1.  Communication
2.  Leadership

As it relates to your field of ministry, work, and relationships, what are your thoughts on each of these two traits?

Start the discussion.
Fred

Hey Everyone,

This is the promised “Part 2″ to the blog entry I shared yesterday about the Barna Group’s new stats on Marriage, Divorce, and Cohabitation. Marriages are perhaps one of the biggest targets these days. I believe that Satan himself knows that if he can destroy marriages, families, he will wreak havoc on us. I see this so often.

Joy and I will have been married for 10 years this August. My oldest brother (congrats Billy and Celese) just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. My neighbors across the street (congrats Darrel and Lynne) are about to celebrate 25 years as well. My parents will be celebrating 47 years of marriage this year, and Joy’s parents will celebrate 50 years. What a wonderful, rich heritage we have to celebrate.

I’m not ashamed to tell you this … Joy and I over the last couple of months started “marriage counseling”. Yep, you heard me right. We’re not the ones doing the counseling … we are GOING to counseling. Is our marriage on the rocks? Heck no. Are we at the end of our rope? Heck no! We’re MADLY in love with each other. Like any other marriage, we have our ups and downs … our arguments, our barriers that seem we just can’t agree to climb. So, we decided that for the good of our health, of our family, and of our marriage, it would be wise to lay down our pride and meet with our counselor at church.

I call it “PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE”.

At first Barby (our staff counselor at SSCC) asked if we needed to come in the evenings, etc., … outside of “church hours”. I said, “no way, I don’t mind strutting through the main staff hallway and telling everyone in there that we’re going to marriage counseling”. I hope that if nothing else, it will INSPIRE others to do the same.

One of the pastors that I love to follow on the ‘net is Pastor Steven Furtick from the phenomenal “Elevation Church” in Charlotte, NC. Steven proudly boasts and confesses from the pulpit, for all to hear .. that he meets regularly with a counselor. Not because he’s crazy, not because he’s in sin and addiction, not because his marriage is on the rocks … because he feels it is HEALTHY to meet with someone and sort through your feelings in a SAFE ENVIRONMENT. It’s healthy to get FRESH PERSPECTIVE and “NEW EYES AND EARS” on the subjects that we all wrestle with.

That being said, I hope to encourage all of you blog readers … don’t keep your issues bottled up on the inside. Talk to someone. Counsel with someone. Make it a matter of preventative maintenance. We get dirty in this world – our views and selfish ambitions (yes, we ALL have them) cause us to have twisted views of reality and truth … so why not schedule an appointment and meet with someone you can trust today.

How ’bout it ya’ll? Would you, or will you consider it?

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everyone,

Back to the series on leadership nuggets … you can catch the background behind this series and the first “nugget” in this post, and the 2nd nugget is discussed (or shall I say, “being discussed”) here.

In the discussion on #2, “Vision Casting”, there was a great segue comment by Jordan of Worshiptrench.Com about momentum. He wrote:

Yes, whenever momentum/attendance drops I can ALWAYS track it to a lack of casting vision and purpose. I have found even doing a study of the content of a new song and tying it to a theological perspective on our or purpose tends to ignite their leadership of the song that weekend. Sure there are times we need to do a fellowship to lift moral, but if worship leaders think that will overcome a lack of vision they are nuts.

… great call, Jordan, because the 3rd “nugget” deals specifically with momentum.

3. Sustaining momentum.

David said something that I had to think twice about. He said “it’s fairly easy to get momentum going … it’s sustaining momentum that is difficult”. At first, this didn’t sound right to me. I think about “the snowball” and how it’s hard to get it rolled up, and pushed down the hill – but once it starts going downhill – lookout. But at the same time, I can see the wisdom in this.

So many times, “momentum” can happen for reasons outside of our control. Or, an outside event or set of circumstances happens that creates momentum … such as our moving into a brand new, 74,000 ft2 facility. If you could’ve seen our grand opening services last weekend – you would have seen incredible momentum. But 3 months from now – when the “wow” of this new facility is wearing off, and we’re back to the grind … it won’t be so easy to ride that wave. We have to be intentional in sustaining momentum. Don’t take momentum for granted, as if once started, she’ll always be there.

Well, that’s a wrap on this mini-series.
1. Listen
2. Vision Casting
3. Momentum

Would love to get your input!

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everyone -

Leadership is critical when we’re in positions of influence and ministry. Whether it’s my role as the Worship Director of St. Simons Community Church, my role as the owner of my own businesses, or my role as a Christ-follower in the marketplace and in the public arenas of life … leadership is important.

One of the things I love about working @ SSCC is being part of a large staff with some incredible leadership. Pastor David Yarborough is only a couple of years older than I am … but he’s got a lot more grey. (haha). Seriously, just about anytime you hear someone introducing him, they always say something like “this man is wise far beyond his years”. That’s so true.

Over the last few days I’ve had the privilege of walking through some church-related issues w/ him and I’ve been blessed to just sit back and listen to wisdom and be built up in leadership. I couldn’t help but jot down a few notes on a legal pad as we just talked.

Let’s introduce them in a 3-part blog series and discuss in the comments section.

On Leadership:

1. People need to be heard. Listen.

A good leader will listen to those he or she is leading. Personally, I think that’s one of the big differences between a leader and a dictator. Personally again … I can’t help but confess it’s one of my greatest weaknesses. If Joy (my wife) were an online/blogger/reader … she’d comment with a hearty “amen” there. But, I’m becoming better in this area. I’m trying to become more intentional about listening. The people may not be saying the right things … but they still need to be heard. They need to know that THEIR OPINION MATTERS.

I also think good leadership creates an environment where listening is possible, but also creates boundaries … there are times when we need to sit back and listen to those we are leading. Then, there are times when those who are being led need to just trust their leadership, yield when necessary, and hold their questions for the appropriate time. Giving people the opportunity to “be heard” shouldn’t be a free-for-all …. so, leaders should be intentional on setting aside quality time to “listen”. Maybe a lunch 1-on-1 … or maybe a smaller group “forum” from key people who are involved with the ministry or business area you are leading … or even a simple phone call.

Evaluate yourself. Are you listening to those you lead? When was the last time you were intentional about creating a dedicated time, forum, or appointment to just allow those you are leading to “be heard”?

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 … in the meantime, let’s discuss “Listening Leadership” now … add your comment below!

PS: as a blogger/leader, I want to “listen” to those of you who read this blog … so I have a specific question, and I’d love for you to include your answer in the comments of this blog. I’m releasing this “Part 1″ on Friday. How are your weekend reading patterns? Would you prefer to have Parts 2-3 starting on Monday of next week – or to go throughout the weekend? “I’m listening ….”

For the Kingdom,
Fred