FredMcKinnon.Com

Welcome back to this series called “What Regimen Training Taught Me as a Worship Leader”.

Part 1 is here.
Part 2 is here.

Part 3 – Change It Up

Routine.  It can be a good thing – for a while.  But changing up our fitness routines makes it more enjoyable and unpredictable.  We never know what the routine will be.  Some days we’re on the beach.  Some days we’re in the grass.  Some days we have “toys”.  (ie.  kettle bells, jump ropes, dumbbells, TRX suspension systems).  Other days – it’s just old-fashioned exercising.

Granted, when we plan a corporate worship experience, making it “enjoyable” shouldn’t necessarily be our first intention.  However, breaking up the routine can bring a freshness to the gathering and help give our minds a jolt out of the norm.

Why is this important?  When our routine is the same, Sunday after Sunday … it’s easy to just go through the motions.  You know … open up with a fast song, do announcements, do a few medium/slow songs, have a sermon, and close with the song that makes them come to the altar.  You can predict it so many times.  It’s not that this type of flow is wrong … but can we make our gathering more meaningful by changing things up?

Changing the routine can make us pay more attention to what is happening.  When we depart from our normal way of doing things it causes people to stop and take notice.  Try opening up with a more reflective, slow worship song to begin your services.  Put more songs together in a set, or break them apart with some readings or prayers.  Just don’t do the same motions – over and over.

Well, I hope you’re enjoying this series.  Please leave your comments below.  If you aren’t already subscribed to the blog, consider subscribing by email or RSS.

About the Picture:
This wasn’t your expected routine.  With these big bungie cords, we literally pulled one another across the parking lot.  As you can see, it was tough on both sides of the cord.  We left this routine excited because we did something different and new!

Hey Gang,

I’ve got a question for us to ponder and answer today.

HOW will you worship God today?
Can you think of one thing you’ve done today (it’s only 9:30 AM EST for me), or that you intend to do, that is an act of worship?

For me, I’m going to serve the homeless and hungry today at an inner city ministry called “Manna House” today. I don’t share that because I want kudos from anyone. But, as I was praying this morning I felt God say that He felt this was an act of worship to Him. That assumes I do it because I want to serve them, obey His Word … not because I want recognition, of course.

That’s just one example. How about you?

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

I’ve been sleeping better than ever since starting my exercise plan.  Until last night.  I couldn’t sleep.

Maybe it was the bendaryl I took after lunch that knocked me out – but I had no choice.
Maybe it was the weather front moving in.

My mind was racing.  All sorts of things.

• This idea I had for a retreat here on St. Simons Island for worshipers and creative artists …
• A book I’d like to write …
• A couple of “out of the box” ideas I have for worship on Sunday AM at SSCC …
• A video/training product on something I excel in that could help a lot of people  …
• The fact that I have to get some sleep because my outdoor regimen training wakeup call is at 5:15 AM …
• How to best communicate something we’re planning for this summer …
• A desire to book a short US-based tour to do some intimate “worship interludes” nights in churches?  (interested???)

So, I think I dozed off between 2:30 or 3:00, and was awake before 5:00.  I got up, wrote down ideas and said a few prayers.

Nothing seemed to work.

What do you do when you JUST CAN’T SLEEP?

To teach or unteach …

That’s what I’m wondering today.  I was speaking a while back with some folks about the desperate need we have to educate and teach our congregations on authentic worship.  For example, the seven words for “praise”, what they look like, and how we express them.  The specifics on physical demonstrations and expressions of worship, such as kneeling, raising hands, bowing, and corporate singing.

Then, I couldn’t help but think … if God created us to do these things, shouldn’t they be natural?  If, as the Chris Tomlin song declares “you and I were made to worship …”, is true – shouldn’t it be something we just “do”?

If so, maybe we need to spend more time “un-teaching” the religious junk we’ve learned in years of church.  But then again, seekers who were never exposed to “religion” and “church” don’t necessarily come in and freely express themselves in praise and worship to God.  Or do they?

So do we teach or unteach?  How would you do it?

I’d love this to be a big conversation – so bring it, OK?

(I’ve also created a thread for this on TheWorshipCommunity.Com, so checkout the conversation there as well)