Welcome to WorshipMythbusters.com, this is Podcast Episode 14, May 2012.

I’m Rich Kirkpatrick, your host. Worship Mythbusters is about debunking damaging thinking that gets in the way of our worship.Employing the socratic method, we challenge popular notions that may be more myth than truth.

Today’s show features a special interview with a very good friend. Worship Leader Rick Muchow spent over 24 years as the worship pastor at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California under the leadership of Rick Warren. He is a songwriter, author, and an incredible family man. We talk about all those things and more. First, our essay.

ESSAY: Transitions

 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

One myth for us in worship leadership is perhaps our ignorance to change that includes change that effects us personally. We can move the style of our worship team to be current, changing everything from the songs to the instrumentation to the personnel of our team. We may even be the ones to bring in others younger than ourselves to facilitate that change. But, one day we are in the equation. We are the change. Or, the one to transition.

While I have witnessed and participated in the retirement parties of senior pastors, I have yet to know a worship leader who has had that role for an entire career. So, I have not attended such a party for a worship leader.  In our society, the market and economy has changed such that no one should have the expectation of a solid career doing one thing and one role their entire vocational life.

A former ministry co-worker is married to an engineer who for many years was successful. Now, he has a growing coffee company. My wife, who has been in education for many years has had the interruption of child rearing and moves that were related to my job as a full time worship pastor. Much of what I have read recently points to volatility. Already once on this show I stated the statistic of how worship leaders have gone from a 40% full time employment rate to a 25% rate. This means 75% of you work part time. And, those that work full time in worship ministry are likely to be in a combined ministry roles. Times have changed. And, more change is on its way.

Transition means change, but it also means opportunity. I have a regular online meeting with a few guys in similar situations or season of life. Community helps. Knowing your story is not unique, helps. But, I also want to speak to those starting out or who are in the middle of those busy years. Transition seems to be happening at a faster rate. I am concerned that many are not thinking about it. You are simply too busy! You are so good at your ministry that perhaps you cannot imagine what happens on the other side.

Worship leader. As you change your church culture, move them forward as a servant leader you should always prepare that you moving out could be on the table. In fact, one day it will be.

For those in the middle zone of transition. Some exciting things are yet ahead. Dream big. See God in it all. And, never grow bitter. Your best days are yet ahead. The finish line is surely worth it.

SHOW NOTES/LINKS:

Some links to Rick Muchow’s items mentioned in the podcast.

• The Worship Answer Book now digital: Amazon Kindle, iBook, Nook
• Rick’s twitter
• Rick’s Facebook
• Rick’s music site: encouragingmusic.com (Page with the 3 new songs & newsletter form)

Worship Leader Media is putting on a webinar that I am excited to teach. There are only 50 spots, so get yours while they last. Here is a practical topic that I think will help worship leaders as they work through launch, growth, and maintenance of their teams.

There are six roles or hats that take place in leading the 52 weekend services in worship. Learning what these roles are and staffing them well is the key to growing a team and preventing burnout and frustration. Leading worship is more than just a platform-driven event. There are people to recruit, schedules to keep, projects to manage, and communication to focus. On top of all the “tasks” there is the primary need for spiritual direction of all the people who make up a worship team. Learning how to leverage which of the six you should keep and which you should delegate can be the difference maker in sustaining and growing a team that can weather change.

In a smaller setting, people will surely wear more than one hat and most likely will be all volunteers. As a ministry grows, paid staff comes in to wear the hats that require more time or specialization. Here are the six hats:

• Worship Leader: This individual’s role is the upfront face, and intuitively gifted individual who can engage a congregation.
• Music Director: The details of music are important, so direction of rehearsal, preparation of charts and direction of the “sound” of the worship team.
• Tech Director: This is audio, video, lighting and setup logistics both in detail and vision.
• Service Producer: During the service, the details and flow are managed. (The larger the setting, the more this is needed.)
• Programming Director/Admin: Project manager of the content and details for execution and/or person who keeps the details, scheduling and project in check.
• Pastor/Executive Producer: Theology, the definition of the “win” for a weekend and organizational mission alignment as well as the shepherding issues on a team. This is both spiritual direction as well as organizationally driven.

The webinar would walk through how these all work together and encourage worship leaders to find which they are best to keep and which they are best to delegate and recruit others to take. Knowing these roles makes us “administer the gifts with grace” factoring in people’s shape and how that applies to leading worship.

This live webinar is FREE and limited to 50 attendees.

April 19, 11:00 to 12:00 pm.

Please note that the starting time listed is PST (California time)

REGISTER HERE

Host: Rich Kirkpatrick: RKWeblog.com, Twitter/@rkweblog

Special Guests:

• Dan Johnson: Worship/Christian Ed. Pastor, St. Lois, MO
  ifcayouth.org, southcountybiblechurch.com, Twitter/@fletcherkane
• Matthew Reed: Worship Artist/Songwriter, Nashville, TN
  matthewreedmusic.com, Twitter/@mattreed

Imagine you feel a calling. You feel your calling to be a worship leaders. However, there is no such “calling” or specific office or spiritual gift to be found in the bible. Of course, there is the Levites, but we are not in the OT and doing sacrifices any longer, are we? Someone very smart and influential in the world of worship leaders said this to me. “Worship Leader is simply a role created by the pastor to serve his needs.” Yep, it is not a calling, but a role.

Of course, some are called to preach, to shepherd to be evangelists. We find if not office, precedent in Ephesians 4 for those and other roles being biblical callings. So, you can preach, but perhaps your role is selling shoes. You, are called to preach. The principle is this: your vocation does not necessarily match your calling.

If worship leaders are not filling a calling and simply a role, then what is our calling? Many would say, “I am a lead worshipper.” This means I live our my worship for God and take others with me. Correct. In fact, that is everyone’s calling who calls them self a follower of Christ. So what is it?

The idea I have actually comes from both the OT and the Ephesians 4 passage I mentioned. Prophets in the New Testament sense and artisans in the OT sense. The prophet who tells the story, asks the question and stirs people to act is who I think we are. In Exodus it says God gave gifts of arts and crafts for the purpose of worship. Artists for the purpose of worship is our calling. This means creating art. This means we are actually called to be craftsmen who make buildings, systems, technology and music to help God’s people express their worship.

So, a songwriter who never gets in front of a church but writes for her church might actually be a worship leader while not filling the “role” we call worship leader today.

The tension is that pastors ask worship leaders to fill a role, sometimes that role has nothing to do with worship. And, worship leaders feel ethically their call is something a bit different. The zone of tension confusions and causes conflict.

Is there a dilemma? Does the role of worship leader actually differ at times from what a spiritual calling is?

One of the most important reasons to blog is the community aspect of it. Those of us who work as volunteer and staff leaders in churches, as I have over the years, have places to go to discuss, learn and grow. This week I am featured in three blog posts on copyrightcommunity.com where I write a bit about copyrights from the perspective of church leaders.

The last day and hours are ticking to help make the “Drink The Divine EP” happen! This project will give back to a charity (Doma International), but your support makes that possible.

Links:

• Dunn & Wilt artist site
• “Hope For Everyone” song found here
• Drink the Divine Worship Project

Show notes: 

This is Episode 12, December 2011

Welcome to WorshipMythbuster.com Podcast, I am Rich Kirkpatrick your host.

Worship Mythbusters is about debunking damaging thinking that gets in the way of our worship. Employing the socratic method, this podcast explores popular notions that may be more myth than truth.

Can you believe it! This is the 12th month of this podcast which means a year has gone by before my eyes. The dialog has been important and I am humbled and grateful to facilitate this forum. Remember, this is your conversation.

One brief commercial before we get going. As a “creative” I know that part of my purpose is to create. As a follower of Jesus, this creating flows from things that matter, such as our worship and a particular cause. This winter I am recording a four-song worship project titled “Drink the Divine” and need your help. The proceeds will be given to Doma International once I can fund the actual recording. The desire is that the very process of creating this would be meaningful, which is where I invite those who believe as I do to participate. If you do not have money, that is fine. Just put $1 as a way of saying you are praying for this and believe in the cause. If you can do more or simply desire to put the word out with me, that would be great! Go to DrinkTheDivine.com and watch the video to learn more. There is no use having a platform like this if it only produces talk. Help me make a difference in the lives of the “least of these”. OK, that is all for that.

Welcome to another conversation this episode of WMB. First of all, Merry Christmas! Some of us love Christmas, some of us are more like Scrooge. Now, materialism and being forced to be at office parties with co-workers that are awkward or painful memories of loss all seem to make a fun soup for some this time of year. One of the myths of Advent–or the time of year we celebrate the coming of Christ to earth–is that it is all happy and merry.

My guests today explore this idea and debunk the myth the saccharine Christmas we are sold at Macy’s with the hope the Incarnation brings. Jesus, the Light of the World, came in the midst of darkness. On the backdrop of Machiavellian plots and infanticide, we retell the Advent story of Jesus being born of the heroic young girl Mary, heaven appearing to dirty and lower class shepherds and Jesus, the King of Kings invading the chamber of a barn.

Dunn & Wilt are with us today on WMB as part of our special Christmas show. I met  them on the Jersey Shore, well not the show but the place, in Ocean Grove NJ at the ForgeConference. The room of worship leaders were astounded at their Christmas worship service which was a well-crafted ancient yet modern liturgy. So, I had to share these guys with you. Besides artists, these gentlemen are experienced worship leaders and we hope to discuss some worship mythbusting things with them as we hear their story.

INTERVIEW (No transcript available at this time).

Yes, I am recording a 4-song worship EP titled “Drink the Divine” and you can go to DrinktheDivine.com to learn more! This project has been long in the works and includes four original songs. I could sure use your help! Thanks.

LINKS:

• Rita Springer & CD “The Play List”
• Rich Kirkpatrick Single “Wonder of Worship”
• Mentorship Article from RKWeblog.com ”Mentors Are Priceless”

Episode 11 is packed full with powerful content, from an inspiring interview with the authentic worship leader and songwriter Rita Springer to a very personal tribute one of my mentors on this week of Thanksgiving. By the way, sorry for my Canadian friends who already had Thanksgiving and turkey–at least in North America we share some similar traditions, although in East San Jose growing up it seemed tamales or raviolis were as common as cranberry sauce. Let’s get right to the show and start with a tribute to a mentor of mine before we get to hear from Rita Springer, a mentor of worship leaders in her own right.

Mentors are important, and Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, so here is a post I wrote on my blog RKWeblog.com over five years ago:

Brad Hansen is someone I have known since I was 19-years-old.  When I got back from a year at music school, I dressed funny and was a bit detached from church life.  Brad met with me, heard my songs and encouraged me to be a part of his ministry.  I did not know what he was doing, but he would let me and others lead parts of songs and gave opportunities to share my original music in front of the whole church–a pretty big church at that.  I wore funny shoes and had funky 1980s hair that was kind of like a member of the band Flock of Seagulls.  With all of my quirks, I was given a place as a volunteer and had the blessing as a young adult to be a part of such a great ministry.

As time passed, I ended up actually being on Brad’s staff team while in school.  I learned so much from Brad and the team he assembled.  For one, Brad is an encourager.  I loved that.  Soon I was getting married and starting my life in ministry.  Not too long after, I remember that Brad encouraged me while being the interim music minister after he had left the church we were both served.  I was so young, yet somehow he believed in me even when others were not as enthusiastic.

Many years have passed.  During this time I have had a friend who cheered my walk, family and ministry that reached across states and time zones.  His example and success in ministry inspires me.  He is one of those persons who I look to for the benchmark of what it is to be a good worship pastor. 

That was five years ago. Even since then, a lot has happened in my life. Just this week, Brad told me about me about a snapshot that often comes to his mind. It is a memory of my wife and I holding hands as newlyweds as we began our journey in life and ministry together.

So, I say let’s be thankful and be like a Brad. A former intern of mine said he wants me to be a part of his life 20 years from now. Imagine that! What we do to pass on to others makes is significant. I remember a guy named Monty who 20 years ago spent an hour with me sharing his organizational skills in running a worship ministry who now runs an amazing ministry search firm called Slingshot. Also, a hamburger with a guy named Rick to here my questions about leading worship is still remembered today–he works for another famous Rick. I remember being introduced to the authentic chile verde burritos in Pleasanton by an older guy who listened well. I think of the past 10 consecutive attending the re:create think tank  with man named Randy Elrod who inspired me to create for God’s glory and connected me to so many amazing fellow creative leaders.

So many stories and snapshots fill my memory and inspire me of people I have loved being with, from interns to volunteers to staff people I hired. Am I a Brad? I want to be. I am thankful that I still have enough time to try to be one. Pass on what you know. Listen and encourage. Be a friend to someone newer on their journey. Happy Thanksgiving.

Now for an interview with Integrity worship artist Rita Springer, a mentor in her own right, who released “The Playlist”. I love this record. In fact, I am doing a giveaway with Integrity Music. If you leave a comment on the WMB site and let me know you want a copy, you will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of her new CD.

Here is Rita Springer, songwriter, worship leader and mentor of women who lead worship. There are more titles I could give her, but let’s listen to a bit of her story.

INTERVIEW

Yes, I did say she inspires! Now, the postscript for this show needs only a short description. I just released a single titled “Wonder of Worship” which one has said is “like a manifesto” on worship. Feel free to check it out on iTunes or Spotify, etc.

 And remember, enter the drawing by leaving a comment on the podcast post at worshipmythbusters.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Copyrights can be a confusing thing, but complying is really something we should be above board about, right! Copyright Solver offers help for so many issues. If you cannot afford an administrative person at your church to handle copyright compliance for your events, video syncs and other creative communications then you are gonna love this company. And, they are celebrating 10 years with an iPad giveaway! Here are some tidbits from their press release. Click the image above or links below for more information about their services or giveaway.

Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS) is celebrating 10 years of providing services and licensing solutions designed to make copyrights simple for the Christian community. CCS was launched as Church Copyright Administration (CCA) in October, 2001 and began by providing copyright administration services for Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church.

CCS serves churches and ministries by providing simple and accessible online education, administration and licensing solutions at their CopyrightSolver and CopyrightCommunity websites.

“We want to say thank you to our community of loyal customers this month by giving away prizes including an iPad 2,” says CCS president/founder Susan Fontaine Godwin. “We’re also excited to unveil our redesigned site with new resource features like videos, fact sheets, free church idea kits, company highlights, and much more.”

…

You can enter the Copyright Solver 10 year anniversary iPad 2 giveaway by going to their website giveaway page. They are also giving away five $25 Starbucks gift cards and ten journals.

 

I am grateful to the editors at Worship Leader Magazine for choosing RKWeblog as a “Best of the Best 2011″ Blog with four other bloggers. (StephenBrewster.me, LarryTardy.com, DavidSantistevan.com and LoopCommunity.com/blog). Here is what they said about RKWeblog and Worship Mythbusters:

Rich Kirkpatrick is a worship leader and a tech steward. Versed in social networking, music, and leading, this is a perfect place for Web savvy WLs to plug in. Rich’s podcast, Worship Mythbusters is worth a stop on your next walk through the Web, as well.

Check out the other bloggers. I recommend them as well! With so many leaders and worthy sites, it is humbling to be mentioned. Thanks to my readers for participating in the conversation here and at RKweblog!