FredMcKinnon.Com

PRESS RELEASE: TheWorshipCommunity.Com Announces FaceBook Integration
February 9, 2009 – St. Simons Island, GA

TheWorshipCommunity.Com, (TWC) a popular online portal for those involved in worship ministry, has completed testing and integration between their online discussion forums and FaceBook.Com, the popular social networking site.

“The last thing people need these days is to remember another login to another site. Integration of the FaceBook Connect technology on TheWorshipCommunity.Com gives our users the ability to login with their FaceBook credentials and post TheWorshipCommunity.Com related materials back to their FaceBook Profile” says Fred McKinnon, Founder of TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

With the integration, new visitors to TheWorshipCommunity.Com’s community forums can immediately login and engage in discussions with others in areas of music, worship, leadership, arts, prayer, technology, and other subjects. When a member creates ….

(view the official Press Release for the full story)

FredMcKinnon.Com friends – will you do me a big ole’ favor?

Go to the Press Release at TWC, and submit it to StumbleUpon.Com, Digg.Com, FaceBook, MySpace, and other networking sites.  Help us spread the news.  I really appreciate it!

Will you help spread the word?  Let me know – leave a comment, then head over to the TWC Press Release.

It’s FRIDAY!!!!!!  Time for “FreePlay Friday” – the day I just catchup and talk about whatever I feel like.  I invite your comments as well.  I’m listing 10 random things today – how about jumping in and giving me at least 3 in the comments … I enjoy reading about your life, as do others!

1.  It’s HALLOWEEN!  What does that mean to you?  I grew up trick-or-treating.  I went through a phase in church life where I considered the origins of the holiday, and opted out of doing anything that celebrated it.  Now, with 4 kids, we’ve done both the church carnivals, but we kinda started trick-or-treating again, too.  We typically let our kids dress up as heroes or “good characters”.  This morning I quoted the Scripture about how we aren’t supposed to imitate evil.

Have we backslidden?

2.  I’m off this morning to Glynn County Tax Commissioner in hopes to appeal my ridiculous tax bill for a lot my brother and I own.  (Anyone want to buy a nice little lot in Sea Palms North Cottages?).  Wish me luck.

3.  My buddy Joel Klamert has a humongous giveaway contest on his site right now.  You want a chance at some cool stuff, check it out!

4.  I’m still enjoying the use of Twitter.  If you aren’t on Twitter, check it out and “follow me”.  My favorite “tweet” that I sent yesterday to the Twitter world simply said:

“Dear God, I’m still praying for two tickets to GA-FL for my son and me.  You’re running out of time.  Love, Fred”.

I got several replies, but none from God, that I’m aware of.  Today, it would say “you are REALLY running out of time”.  Seriously, don’t think I’m being sacreligious.  I am really praying that somehow, God could provide those two tickets.

5.  Speaking of Twitter – I’ve switched to “TweetDeck” over the last couple of days and I’m really starting to like it.

5.  Soccer season is almost over.   Our first game on Jekyll Island tomorrow is at … hold your breath … 8:00 AM.  That’s sinful.  That means we have to get up at 6:30 AM on Saturday.  I’m not happy about that.  If we win at 8:00, we have to play at 11:00.  If we win then, we have to play next week.  Otherwise, we’re done.

6.  For the record – I don’t like this early voting nonsense.  What if things change over the last few weeks, and you change your mind?  Too late for you.  For me, I’m waiting until Nov 2.

7.  Want to read an incredible story?  Checkout the 3-part life story of Brent’s wife, Tam.  Brent and Tam have become friends here in “blog world” and I’m happy that I’ll get to meet them and spend the week together in Nashville in February.  This is an amazing story – read it here.

8.  I blogged a “True/False” blog a couple of days ago that has really blown up.  I’ve you haven’t taken part, jump in on the question here.

9.  Robert Pooley is a pastor friend of mine that lives in Gulf Breeze, FL.  He pastors Coast Community Church.  I led worship there once, it was awesome.  We pray and fast together each year in January, except last year.  He was one of the dudes that got me started on blogging.  But … he grossed me out last night with this Twitter exchange:

from myself to @lesliebrooke: yeah I noticed! I’m on stage with ur hubbie @jaysellers
(context – Brooke replied to a tweet I’d sent trying to “track” myself, which is disabled on Twitter.  I was sending the message from the stage at SSCC, while waiting on rehearsal to get started.  Brooke (lesliebrooke) was at work, and was missing her husband, Jay (jaysellers).  Jay was playing electric guitar and was on stage with me.)

from Brooke to me:  @fmckinnon aww, I miss him! Blow him a kiss from me
(context:  Brooke, what are you thinking, I’m NOT going to blow a kiss to your husband for you)

from Robert Pooley to myself, Jay, and all followers:  If @fmckinnon blows a kiss to @jaysellers … someone send me a copy… I will get good use out of that for years.

Nice way to catch me off-guard, on-stage, during rehearsal Senor Pooley.  Game on.  (grin)!

10.  TheWorshipCommunity.Com – I have to plug this all the time.  If you’re not subscribed via email, RSS, and/or Twitter, you are missing out on some incredible content.  We did our first ever “ReVue” this week, a review of the new Hillsong London’s worship album, “Hail to the King”, written by four different worship leaders.  Have you ever checked out a single album review, written by FOUR different people from FOUR different areas?  It’s a cool concept, and it’s been getting hit like crazy.  Check it out.

Hey Everybody,

This is a rare “multi-post” day for me.  

Anyone that reads this blog knows all about TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  It’s growing so fast, it’s hard to keep up.  If you don’t have it on your RSS blog roll, please add it today!

We are still in need of both CD/Resource Reviewers and Contributors.  

For those interested in submitting CD/Resource Reviews or contributing articles, see this page:
http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/reviewers-needed/

For those interested in submitting articles and content, please do contact us.  The preference is to get articles that are written exclusively for TWC – meaning, we’d rather have new, fresh content instead of just re-publishing stuff you’ve already put on your blog.  Granted, we also realize that there are thousands of people checking out the stuff on TWC that may not read your blog (or even know about it, for that matter).

So, we’re open to both … though, exclusive material stands the best chance for being Featured on the site and syndicated to millions of viewers via our partnership with the Worship Channel at ChristianPost.Com.

Wanna help?  Get involved with us!
Fred

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted you to know that the Apostle Paul has some great insights on all the bickering that goes back and forth about worship styles.

OK, well not really … but blogger and TheWorshipCommunity.Com member, Brad Loser (and that’s Loser with a long o, as in loh-ser!)  has written what he believes it would sound like in an ongoing, heated thread called “Musical Styles to One Style” over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  Check out that thread over at TWC.

“Beloved – why are you so concerned with meaningless quarrels over musical styles. Is God not infinite? What musical style is there that can, by itself, capture the profound and complete mystery of the Divine? Brothers, do not be mislead into the deceptive thinking that some would have you believe about musical styles. For they say, “This style is better and reaches more people”, and, “I prefer this style because it’s what I’m used to.” No, you gather in the name of the Lord at the foot of the cross celebrating the gospel in which we ALL find forgiveness and redemption. Set aside your petty differences and let the world see the power of the gospel as it unifies and cleanses His bride.”

Thanks, Brad.  We needed to hear that!

Hey Everybody -

Today I’d like to discuss songwriting in the church.  Bobby Gilles of Sojourn Music has been writing an incredible series on Developing Songwriting over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  I’d encourage anyone who is interested to check those articles out:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

I’m ashamed to admit that it’s been a few years since I was writing songs.  I’ve written some songs that I’ve been blessed to see used throughout the world in churches.  I could throw out a laundry list of excuses of why I’m not writing or recording any more these days, but when the dust settles – it’s still just a long list of excuses and choices that I’m making to do certain things instead of other things.

I believe there are many new songs to be written.  There are some incredible songwriters out there who bless us immensely with their material. Then there are the thousands of songs that are undiscovered by the mainstream worshiping community, or worse – that aren’t written at all.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  My site, HighestPraise.Com, was once a forerunner in publishing and promoting original worship material online.  It’s been around for nearly 15 years in one “form” or another.  It’s been pretty static lately.  But the sleeping giant is restless and I’m working on some ideas that will revive the site, the purpose, and it will be an incredible opportunity for those of you who are writing corporate worship material.  So stay tuned.

In the meantime, I’d like to hear about your songwriting.  Do you do it?  What’s your take on using original material in the local church.  What inspires you to write?  What distracts you from writing?

Let’s discuss!