The Four Spiritual Laws

I believe wholeheartedly that the most major impetus of evangelism for the last forty years, The Four Spiritual Laws has left out this passage.  For the uninitiated, this is a simple tract that has been the basis of evangelism for many movements within Christianity.  It is, as follows:

1.  God loves you and has a perfect, wonderful plan for your life.
2. We are sinners, and thus we are separated from God, who is all holy.
3. That separation is bridged due to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.
4. Our response is to accept a “Personal Relationship” with Jesus and allow Him to be our “Personal Lord and Savior.”  [Prayer follows].

My contention is that this approach to evangelism is flawed, in that its first three laws are entirely Biblical and cross-denominational, but that last law–for all its benefits and fruits–is sorely lacking.   There is no challenge for commitment.  There is no call to daily take up ones cross and follow Christ.  There is no distinction for denominations with a Sacramental theology.  The Rich Young Ruler would be most happy with such an arrangement, because there is no demands for him to sell all that he has, and follow Christ.

The Greatest Commandment

Now, I’m not being entirely fair here; it is entirely possible that within the realms of this prayer is, implicitly a call to follow Christ daily, and, the challenges of picking up one’s cross can be unique for each person (hence, the fourth verse of the song).  But I want an explicit, clear directive on what it means to respond to the Gospel call.

If only there was some Scripture-based response to this Gospel call.  It would be great if there exists, somewhere, an abbreviated, summarization of what our response ought to be in light of Laws 1 through 3.  Something that will reconcile Sacramental theology, with Pentecostal theology, with Social works theology, with Bible-based theology.

There is.  It’s the Greatest Commandment.

I go into greater detail in my podcast.   But in the meantime, here is the song.  Enjoy!

Somethin’ Bout That Love (Parody of “Somethin’ Bout A Truck” by Kip Moore)

Somethin bout that Love, that comes from y’HEART
Forget all else, just do your part
If you’ve never loved God, now’s the time to start.
Somethin bout that love, that comes from y’heart

Somethin’ bout the Priest, raising the Host
With all that reverence, that demands the most
We get to receive Christ, and you feed your SOUL.
Somethin’ bout the Priest, raising the Host

Somethin’ bout the Word, exercise your MIND.
Sermons from the Church, and devotional times,
You gotta know your faith, Who did what, where, why
Somethin’ bout the Word, exercise your mind.

And there’s somethin’ bout those times, when He leads you more
He calls you to a faith, you’ve never tried before
You need STRENGTH to act, so to serve the Lord,
But there’s somethin’ bout those times, when He leads you more

And there’s somethin’ bout that love with your heart,
then you learn at the Sunday Mass, partaking of the Host, then you act,
Then you’ve given all to Him.
And there’s something ’bout the Spirit’s lead and the Body’s needs
and the Lord’s own mercy on those who believe in His Beloved Son —
Somethin’ bout that love.

Somethin’ bout them folks, you are called to serve.
Love’em AS YOUR SELF, tho it’s not deserved
Some of them lack hope, some of them have hurt
Somethin’ bout them folks, you are called to serve.

And there’s somethin’ bout that love with your heart,
then you learn at the Sunday Mass, partaking of the Host, then you act,
Then you’ve given all to Him.
And there’s something ’bout the Spirit’s lead and the Body’s needs
and the Lord’s own mercy on those who believe in His Beloved Son —
Somethin’ bout that love.
Love God for all He’s done, there’s somethin’ bout that love.

Copyright (c) 2017 Nick Alexander Music

It’s Not Too Late!

If today is before June 6, you can still order your copy of Jeff Goins’ most excellent Real Artists Don’t Starve, and obtain all the bonuses (worth $200.00).  Get your copy today!

The post [Video/Podcast] My Most Evangelistic Parody Song Yet first appeared on Nick Alexander.

Nick Alexander Podcast

In this episode, I share where I had been hiding over almost a year (*cough* creating my first online course *cough*), and the circumstances that led to my first new parody video in a long time.

The song and the video itself, I readily admit, is a little rough around the edges.  There are elements that I will gladly re-record, when things start slowing down.  But I got it out before Palm Sunday, and you are free to still share this song this week.   I am surprised it came together as fast as it did, during the strict time limitations I had before me, juggling the responsibilities and tasks I had on hand.

The song itself was a parody of “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes, which went to #1 at the end of 1979 and again in the beginning of 1980.  The song has had a long life in movie references afterwards, including Shrek, The Nice Guys, and most substantially, Guardians of the Galaxy.  I share how this song came to my attention, and how the idea came to me to graft it onto the Palm Sunday narrative.

Along those lines, I share that I had been busy crafting an online course; my course will be about blogging, and blogging in a manner so as to not burn out, and be most effective in what you do.  I expect that when the time is right, I will be making a big announcement about that, so be on the lookout for that.

And after all this, I pray all of us have a wonderful Holy Week and an exuberant Easter.

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The post The Story Behind “The Singing Hosanna Song” (Ep. 16) first appeared on Nick Alexander.

Many Catholics—both those in religious life and the laity—have a desire to evangelize.

They take it to heart the words of Pope Paul VI, that the Church exists to evangelize.

The problem is that most Catholics—myself included—are quite fearful of stepping outside our comfort zones, ruffling feathers, and making proclamations about the dangers of hell and the joys of discipleship. It’s even trickier as a Catholic, because while many religious denominations have a discipleship by way of “Just pray this prayer”, a Catholic approach involves readying for the Sacraments—especially those of reconciliation and Eucharist—in addition to openness to a lifelong vocation that God may have for the penitent.

I have crafted a document that lists twenty ways Catholics evangelize today. In doing so, I have thought long and hard of all the ways that Catholics have evangelized, especially in the last thirty years. I’ve added an example, the pros and cons, and personal thoughts about such an approach (which you are free to disagree with).

To get a copy of this document, sign up for it on this page.

In the meantime, here are five choice ways Catholics Evangelize Today:

5: “If Necessary, Use Words”

This most likely needs no introduction. It seems to be the base approach for most Catholic evangelists. For one thing, it’s a vivid reminder that our actions speak louder than words. On the other hand, there is no evidence St. Francis said such words.
This is often used by many Catholics as an excuse to not evangelize, and feel like they are.

Words are necessary most of the time. Act with love, absolutely. But do so with the mindset that we are to find actual avenues to share the faith with others that are much more substantive.

4: Invite Someone to Mass

A person who has spent considerable time in conversation, is ready to attend a Catholic Mass with you. Liturgies are easy to attend, and they are the summit of one’s worship experience. However, being the summit of worship is not easily understood by newbies. Sometimes the music can be sub-par, or the homilies are rote, or the prayers are too confusing. Furthermore, it may be likely that such a newbie may have to refrain from receiving Communion, which is a hard thing to disinvite one from. This isn’t to deter one from trying this approach, just know that these are the roadblocks one needs to recognize in advance before pursuing this.

If the person understands the Catholic teaching of Eucharist, they may be able to experience a new type of worship experience.

3: Social Media Evangelism

The goal of Social Media Evangelism is to use the elements of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., to post memes (evangelistic pictures) to share the Gospel message. Unfortunately, much of this involves some sharing gaudy religious pictures and pithy quotes, all with varying levels of effectiveness.
Using this approach can be fun. Unfortunately, much of it has devolved into simplistic declarations that convince nobody.
It’s also devolved into political tribes. To be effective, that which is shared must be substantive, engaging, and effective.

2: Podcasting

A podcast is a downloadable radio show that people can listen to at any time through their MP3 devices. (i.e. Fr. Roderick’s Podcasts on sqpn).

There are many great benefits to podcasting. It allows one to be as personal as one can be. It also allows one to be as detailed as one can be. And once podcast is created, it can stay online for as long as you want.

Podcasts are great for driving, exercising and doing mundane tasks. The only drawback is that it can be a little complicated to set up. It takes a little work to get the word out. In my personal opinion, this is the best approach for today. That said, there is a course one can use to get up and going (http://www.podcastingatoz.com), and one session is starting soon. (When you do sign up, use the coupon code “ALEXANDER” to get a discount).

1: Relationship Evangelism

Relationship Evangelism is the art of learning how to share your faith with people you know through the workplace, your school, and family relationships. It involves mastering conversations with those at work, school, and family.

This puts you in a position where you are forced to truly live a credible life. Your actions will speak louder than words, but the words will be ready to have an answer as to why the hope within you. This requires patience.

It does not usually afford opportunities to discuss a fullness of the Gospel, but usually snippets. Plus, if done wrong, it can cause distress in relationships with those you still must encounter on a regular basis.

People need to learn the art of looking for avenues to tend to another’s needs, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you. One would also learn the art of apologetics, to defend the faith, but to do so charitably and without rancor.

Conclusion

I find it best to use Relationship Evangelism, which, of all the approaches, I consider to be the most important. It builds on friendships, builds trust, allows for a careful back and forth on views, and being Christ for another. It takes those positive attributes of the “Use Words if Necessary” approach (Actions being better than words), but then… adds words. Such an individual prays for natural opportunities to share the faith, but not in a way that is intrusive nor manipulative. The fruits of such can be longest lasting.

That said, of all the options on this list, the one I’m most excited about is Podcasting. This is a great venue for a person to share their heart in a manner that allows others to see who they are, and talk at length about any subject matter he/she chooses. They are not dependent upon others to bring up those specific subjects that energizes their faith. ; it is like getting your own radio show, but with the added beneit of no time limitations, extended reach, and no sasking for money.

But while podcasting is great, its most significant drawback is that it can be a little bit complicated to set up. Yet even this is surmountable, through a helpful and experienced guide (i.e. Cliff Ravenscraft’s Podcasting A To Z (http://www.podcastingatoz.com) [and be sure to use ALEXANDER for the coupon code to get $500 off]).

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions for an additional document?
Please email me (nick@nickalexander.com) with the Subject “Top 20 Ways Addition”.

The post 015: Tell the Good News! Five Approaches for Catholics first appeared on Nick Alexander.

The post What I Love About the Tenebrae Service first appeared on Nick Alexander.

It will be my first parody video in six years.

When I created the first video, I had a team of professionals come and help me craft it.  But it also cost me more money than I had, and I was determined that if I was to do this, I should learn to create it myself.

For the next few years, between my day-job, my family life, and my keynoting gigs, I took methodical steps to ensure that I could start creating real content promoting my parody songs.

The wait is now over.  Or, it will be over come March 22, when I will officially release my new video for one of my original parody songs.

The time will come where I will start crafting these now on a regular basis.

I am thrilled to share this exciting news!

Listen to the podcast to hear my excitement!

The post My Latest Parody Video Is Nearly Here… first appeared on Nick Alexander.

A new book to help Catholic youth ministers reach the next generation.

Nick Alexander: Author

What a long journey this has been.

Ever since I had made intentions to write a book to be of help to those who work tirelessly in Catholic youth ministry, sometimes lacking support, sometimes lacking resources, sometimes just wanting a hug… I have been on a whirlwind of experiences.

But it has all come to fruition, and the result is a practical resource, that I hope would be of great help.

In it, I tackle 24 different major issues within modern Catholic youth ministry, that I hope would prove to be be extremely helpful for those in the trenches. In it, I share my thoughts about all sorts of issues, from the profound sacredness of Eucharistic Adoration to the sublime silliness of youth group games.

Drawing Upon Thirty Years of Experience

In writing this, I have drawn upon my fifteen years of experience as a youth group participant, then student leader, then worship leader and speaker, and then another fifteen years where I served as a visiting performer. In the initial fifteen years, I was mostly a youth group/young-adult group junkie, going to as many meetings as I could, taking in all the different ideas over the years. It was during that time that I also converted to Catholicism, due to the influence of the ministry of one of my college groups. In my second fifteen years, I have traveled all over the country, and even World Youth Day, where I had met many youth leaders and served their groups in many different capacities.

Free (Until December 31, 2014)

So now the book is out. And it is now free, for a short period of time. After December 31, I will take down this offer, and set it up at Amazon.

It is my hope that this book will be an invaluable resource, drawing upon my thirty years of close observance to what works, and what doesn’t work, when it comes to Catholic youth ministry. It is my hope that this resource will help inspire creative solutions to most of the youth minister’s problems today.

To secure your own free copy, be sure to fill out the form on the upper-right hand column of this page.

Don’t wait.  December 31 will be here before you know it.

Correction: I have been informed that the numbers for this conference were actually in line with previous years, and actually up since ten years ago.  Nice to know.  Mea culpa on the miscount.

The post 012: New eBook for Catholic Youth Ministers first appeared on Nick Alexander.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal has been around since 1967, and yet elements of charismata have been around since the time of Christ; but that said, these coalesced into major movements at the turn of last century.

In this episode, I share the history of the rise, and gradual fall, of this incredible movement.  Whether you are Catholic or not, charismatic or not, I believe wholeheartedly that there are lessons here to be learned for all people who wish to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and the greater desire for renewal on a broad scale.

Also, I recommend you check out John Flaherty’s scribd page, where he lists all of the documents he could muster listing some of the history, and some of the abuses, of those in covenant communities.  I do not agree with all of his conclusions, but I believe that his is a voice that cannot be ignored.

Further, if you wish to listen to some Pentecost-oriented worship music through the ages, please feel free to check out episode 44 of the Prayer Meeting Podcast.

Lastly, I have major book recommendations.  I cannot recommend these books highly enough; they will give you a much fuller perspective on the renewal than I ever could.  Note: these are affiliate links.

They Speak with Other Tongues

The Cross and the Switchblade

As by a New Pentecost: The Dramatic Beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

Days of Fire and Glory: The Rise and Fall of a Charismatic Community

Call to Holiness: Reflections on the Catholic Chrarismatic Renewal

If you have ideas about future podcast episodes, feel free to share them here.

If you want to subscribe to the Nick Alexander Podcast, click here.

The post 011: What Happened to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal? first appeared on Nick Alexander.

The purpose of episode 10 is to count down my top ten personal favorite parody songs I have written thus far.

When I began writing parody songs, I had done so as a lark, as a method to improve my own songwriting skills.  My biggest surprise was to see how widely accepted this became, and many embraced my personae as “The Catholic Weird Al.”  This episode goes back memory lane to discover my ten favorite songs from the three albums and side projects I had done.

My Top Ten Parody Songs cover…

• A twisted rock classic expressing my love for Gregorian Chant
• A punk rocker’s first experience participating in a liturgy
• A disco maven exhorting one to convert to Catholicism
• An anthem expressing one’s trepidations of sharing the faith
• A song that covers two-thousand years of church history
• A toe-tapper expressing the meaning behind those car fish decals
• An infectious dance classic about one of the most prominent creeds.
• The last funny thing you should hear before Lent begins.
• A singalong song exhorting chastity and chivalry before marriage
• The many personal devotions that exist for growing one’s holy walk.

The purpose of this episode is also to introduce to new listeners as to what my parody skills entail, and what they can do for you, whether as a teacher, a youth group leader, a parent, or a fan of parody songs.  But it is also to help promote a new resource that I have crafted, which is a free e-Book containing the list of all my parody songs; it also contains helps such as dance moves, skit ideas, and a click-thru link-filled page with the lyrics of “We Want to Stand United”, an extremely detailed song covering 2,000 years of church history.  The most important help are my indexes in the back, which may help you discover parodies by artist, by decade, or by topic.

If you sign up for the free eBook, you will also get placed on my mailing list.  The purpose of the mailing list is so that I can use it to keep you informed of my happenings, whether in regards to my podcasts, my articles, or my latest news. When I come up with a brand new parody song, you will be the first to hear it.  In fact, I have a brand new parody song that is nearing completion right now, and I will record a raw draft and provide a download quite soon. The new parody song will be twisting Katy Perry’s hit song “Roar.”

If you have ideas about future podcast episodes, feel free to share them here.

If you want to subscribe to the Nick Alexander Podcast, click here.

Do you have a favorite parody of mine?  Share it below!

The post 010: Nick Alexander’s Favorite Ten Parody Songs first appeared on Nick Alexander.

Do you know what worship songs that were discovered the most this past year? Christian Copyright Licensing Inc is the world’s largest provider of song lyric permissions for use in churches and small groups. It encompasses the vast majority of resources where worship leaders can discover new music and easily draft them into their own repertoires. They’re not perfect, I’ve written about my dissatisfaction with them before; nonetheless one thing I am entirely supportive of is their process of surveying the worship music landscape as to the songs in their (very large) roster being used the most. They survey a portion of their members twice a year so to properly pay royalties to the copyright owners of such songs; but then they go the extra mile and share lists of these most used songs with the public.

For years I have followed these lists.  My only source of dissatisfaction of these lists is that most of these songs are exactly the same, each passing year.  Only until quite recently has there been any major rumblings as to which songs are the most popular or not. Even so, from a worship leader’s standpoint, if you check these lists on a regular basis, you may find that there is very little that you did not know already.

My lists change all that.  Instead of focusing on what the most popular songs are, I focus instead on the most buzzworthy worship songs are in a particular time period. I look for those songs that were introduced to congregations the most within the time frame of April to September of 2013.  These are the songs that most worship leaders–encompassing every denomination, whether from arenas to intimate Bible Studies–these are the songs that a worship leader took a deep breath, said he was going to introduce such a song, and found to his delight that his circles wanted him to continue using this song in his circles.

I assume you know already what songs are most popular today.  I assume you are familiar with every song that had made the Top 25, the Top 100, or perhaps the Top 200, in the previous time frame. And In case you haven’t checked these lists in a while, I invite you to check out PMP011 and PMP035 here.  Most every song profiled in these lists have moved up the rankings in the CCLI survey; people have continued to add such songs onto their rosters. But after you become familiar with such songs, it’s time to discover those songs that you might want to use.  Or not.

Whether you are into praise and worship music genre or not, you can gain insight into the types of songs that have become popular over a short time frame.  You gain insight as to what Christians in general are hungry for, what themes are being reintroduced to them through song.  One such insight was the increase of themes of spiritual warfare; I was reminded of the writings of the classic devotional “The Spiritual Combat.”

And now, without further ado, (drum roll please)…

The Top 10 Most Buzzworthy Songs of 2013.

10. Give Me Faith by Elevation Worship

9. Victor’s Crown by Darlene Zschech

8. Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United

7. Open Up Our Eyes by Elevation Worship

6. You Are Good by Bethel Worship

5. This Is Amazing Grace by Jeremy Riddle/Phil Wickham

4. Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective Experiment

3. The Lord Our God by Kristian Stanfill/Passion

2. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United

1. Lord I Need You by Chris Tomlin, Matt Maher and Passion.

This podcast not only does a countdown and plays a snippet of each track, but it also demonstrates how a guitarist worship leader can play the song–keeping in mind that the vast majority of such songs need to accomodate normal singing voices, as well as finding the best musical tone to accompany the song.  To assist, I employ a number of hacks, including: tuning the guitar a full step down, and employing a range of capos, partial capos, and spider capos to the guitar neck. If you need to purchase any such capos, feel free to check out a page I set up here, where I will get a couple of pennies for each purchase.

Lastly, if you like this podcast, feel free to make a comment here.

If you have ideas about future podcast episodes, feel free to share them here.

If you want to subscribe to the Nick Alexander Podcast, click here.

The post 009: The Top Ten Buzzworthy Worship Songs of 2013 first appeared on Nick Alexander.

I shared about my recent trip to Greenville, South Carolina, to deliver a comedy performance for Family Honor’s 25th Anniversary Banquet.  You can read more about that here.

IMPORTANT NEWS: I also discussed that I am nearing completion of a powerful new resource for lovers of my parody songs.  Very soon you can have the complete lyrics of every parody song I’ve ever written, both recorded and not.  Also included are stories of every song, examples of skits that can be used for retreats/youth groups, etc., and my personal story as to how I got to writing parody songs.  It will be made available as a free PDF download, for subscribers to my website.

MOVIE OF THE MOMENT: On The Waterfront (1954).  This is a timeless portrait of a down-on-his-luck palooka who, with the help of a crusading priest, goes against the tide and opts to do the right thing.  Classic performances, great dialogue, and a message that still resonates today.  Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Here’s a great review from Steven D Greydanaus.

HOLY HYMN HYBRID:  I recommend the combining David Crowder’s “Doxology” (where he sings “Amen” multiple times) with the Old Hundredth melodies of “The Glory of These Forty Days.”

HOLINESS HACK: How do you best go about making changes to your Church’s music program as a congregant?  What is an approach that will be effective, but also treats every person involved with dignity and respect?  I share four steps.  A more detailed article about this is here.

MAIN EVENT:  I discuss what a Mastermind Group is, and how, if done right, can be used to improve music songwriting (as well as performance, liturgy, etc.).  I have written an article about such here.

I NEED YOUR HELP.  I am looking for your opinions on your favorite Lenten and Holy Week Traditional Hymns. Please click through and answer the single question survey.

PLEASE LEAVE AN HONEST REVIEW OF THIS PODCAST.  ALSO, LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW IF YOU LIKE.

Do you want to subscribe to the Nick Alexander Podcast?  Each episode will be jam-packed with powerful information that strives to help you in your journeys.  To subscribe, click here.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

Nick Alexander Podcast

The post 008: Songwriters Mastermind Group; What to Do if You Don’t Like the Music; and More! first appeared on Nick Alexander.