FredMcKinnon.Com

What Worship Song Lyrics Really Bother You?

Fred McKinnon — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:17:00 +0000

Yesterday I blogged about how I changed a lyric in Jonathan Stockstill’s (Deluge) “Open Up the Sky”. I only changed one word but it was enough to make the song singable in corporate worship for me. Jonathan even sanctioned the change!

Today I’d like to as you …

“What worship song lyrics really bother you”?

Do me a favor – comment, and then share this link on Facebook, Retweet on Twitter, etc. Let’s get the community rolling here again!

Why I Changed the Lyrics to Deluge’s “Open Up the Sky”

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:02:01 +0000

The song “Open Up The Sky” (iTunes) by Jonathan Stockstill has been around a while now. I remember one of my best friends and mentors telling me about this song … I dunno … maybe 1-2 years ago. It was recorded on Deluge’s “Live From Bethany World Prayer Center” and released by Integrity Music.

I heard it a few times and was never blown away until I took part in leading it with Joel Klampert, Conner Byrd, Mike Mahoney, and some great friends at a mens’ retreat in New Hampshire earlier this year. It was during that retreat that the song hooked me.

I finally decided to introduce this song to our congregation here at SSCC and we started practicing away. Over and over, one lyric kept bothering me. I couldn’t shake it.

“We don’t want blessings, we want You”.

I believed that I understood the “essence” of what the writer, Jonathan Stockstill, was saying, but still … did it need further explanation? And was that truly the cry of MY heart?

The more I struggled with the lyric, the more I accepted that I couldn’t honestly sing it to God. The truth is, I *DO* want His blessings. I *NEED* his blessings. And wanting His blessings doesn’t automatically mean that I don’t also want the Giver of the Blessings.

I decided to change the lyric so that we sing this:

“Open up the sky. Fall down like rain. More than Your blessings, we want You”.

What’s that? The sound of the copyright police? No worries. I had an incredible email exchange with Jonathan and he was gracious enough to bless our new version with his approval. Even better, he offered his explanation of the lyric, which I’ll share with you below. His explanation is exactly what I’d anticipated and I totally ‘get’ what he is saying, and support it as well.

Here’s a portion of the exchange from Jonathan Stockstill:

… “What’s up man! I have no issue with you changing up the words.. I actually considered saying that line instead, but really wanted to say what I said. I was in a season that God was really pouring out blessing after blessing, but my walk with Him lacked intimacy. I felt like there were all these traces of God’s favor that manifested in blessings, but I didn’t feel close to him. I would have traded every blessing for a deeper walk with him. I wasn’t saying that I don’t appreciate the blessing or even want them for that matter.. I was simply saying “I am not pursuing you FOR blessings… It’s you that I want“. I can understand how that would be a tough line to sing, especially if you don’t know the heart behind it, but it is what I wanted to say, so I said it … “

———————

So there you have it … and a kazillion kudos to Jonathan Stockstill for being transparent and actually taking the time to reply. I appreciate your humility and the spirit you share with us!

So what about you … do you know this song? Ever struggled with that lyric? Other lyrics?

Praise Him In The Dance

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:12:14 +0000

When you say “praise Him in the dance” and think of incorporating “dance” as an act of praise … what comes to mind?

How about this? 1300+ people from a church in Budapest Hungary rehearsed this dance and came together and “danced” to celebrate Easter Sunday. What’s even cooler? They are organizing the same thing for Easter 2011 … worldwide. For more info, visit www.uptofaith.com

Worship Service Recaps from St. Simons Community Church

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:31:02 +0000

I’m not sure where to start. The last few weeks at my home church have been … well, incredible. We’ve made a conscious effort to slow it down, to hear God, and to allow God to do what He loves to do … change lives and minister to people.

It started 3 weeks ago when we prepared for a service where we’d offer people the opportunity to be baptized – right there, right then, no excuses. We baptized 126 people. It was amazing.

Then we shared testimonies and built faith.

Then we prayed for the sick and those in need of healing.

Yeah … at that “community church” – you know the one where they don’t allow the Holy Spirit to show up.

I’m sensing a flow, an anointing, an expectation … that I haven’t sensed in a while. I cannot explain it, other than to say .. I like it … a lot.

One of the big objectives that was given to me in taking this position over 3 years ago was to get more people involved in the music/worship ministry at SSCC. I think that’s definitely happened as we’ve experienced tremendous growth.

Perhaps the biggest joy I have is in stepping back and allowing others to lead. This Sunday was no exception when my friend Russ Hutto led his first full service at SSCC. Russ has led a song here and there and has played in the band plenty of times. I felt like the time was right and handed the keys to Russ and he did an amazing job.

Our songs:

“My Savior Lives”
“Beautiful One”
“Overcome”
“Holy and Anointed One”
“Doxology”
“Blessed Be Your Name”

After singing “Overcome” and moving into one of my favorites of all-time, “Holy and Anointed One”, it seemed that the Presence of God was so thick you could touch it. Something about singing “we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony” followed by singing the Name, “Jesus”.

Wow.

So, how was your worship services?

PS: Oh yeah, almost forgot – I’m sharing this recap as a part of the weekly “Sunday Setlists” event hosted at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

Two New Websites You Should Know About

Fred McKinnon — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:35:59 +0000

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?

Why You Need a Worship/Creative/Planning Team

Fred McKinnon — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:31:23 +0000

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!

What Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez Teach Us About a Team

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:02:13 +0000

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.

How Comcast Used Twitter to Save My Day

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:55:09 +0000

I’ve got a personal rule:
If you’re going to blast a company in public, you’d better be prepared to praise them.

A few weeks ago my internet speed at home took a drastic nosedive. My upload speed was non-existent and it was taking forever for sites to load. Dreading the automated phone tree and “Tier 1″ techs who, with all due respect, make me do everything I’ve already done … I made the call. As expected, I pushed all the buttons on the phone tree only to hold for 20 minutes and finally get redirected back to the “main menu” for no reason.

Long story short … the Tech says that my modem is so old, it’s not supported anymore … it’s “end of life”. His suggestion? Go down to the local Comcast office and swap it out for a new modem.

So I get up bright and early so I can be in Brunswick (about a 30-minute drive, one way) when the local Comcast office opens. And what do I discover?

“Oh, I’m sorry … we don’t have any modems here, they are all gone”.
“We will call you if we get any in”. (still haven’t received that phone call)
“And we don’t have a number you can call locally to make sure we have them in stock before driving over here”.

As you can imagine, I’m pretty ticked off. So I vent … publicly … via Twitter.

My tweet went something like this:
“Comcast, thanks for wasting the first hour of my day” #comcastfail

Let’s face it, folks. Sometimes, things just go wrong. I own a company, and I get the blunt of both positive and negative feedback EVERY SINGLE DAY on our Ebay, Amazon, and Buy.Com accounts. Negative feedback hurts … really. But … even if we screw up … even if we fall short … what really counts is this:

HOW DO WE RESPOND? HOW TO WE RESOLVE?

It’s no secret that companies have folks whose job it is to search Twitter and Facebook for references to their names and trademarks. So what happened next is pretty fascinating.

About an hour after my tweet I get this @reply on Comcast:
from @comcastMelissa: that’s terrible, how can we help?

In a bit of a sarcastic jab, I reply:
“I seriously doubt you can help, unless you want to OVERNIGHT a BRAND NEW MODEM to me since our local office has none”.

About 3o minutes later, I get this:
from @ComcastBill: hey, please follow me so I can get your account info and dm you.

I followed Bill’s instructions, and within an hour, I have a UPS tracking number for a BRAND NEW MODEM, being sent NEXT DAY AIR to my home.

Comcast may have been lacking in the local office and their phone support was a bit frustrating … but as for the team of Comcast folks who are utilizing social networking platforms to monitor their brand and provide customer service, all I can say is …. HOME RUN.

That’s how you keep a customer for life, Comcast. Great job. Thanks a million.
By the way – my internet is FLYING fast!

TONIGHT – Worship Leader/Pastor Roundtable Discussion

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:49:48 +0000

HEY -

We interrupt your afternoon with a quick announcement (yes, two blog posts in one day!) ….

TONIGHT, I will be joining several others in a live, online discussion, sponsored and hosted by the AllAboutWorship Podcast.

The topic? Senior Pastor and Worship Leader Relationships!

Check out the details, and join us tonight!

And They Were Baptized … #sundaysetlists

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:33:45 +0000

OK, so first … what is this #sundaysetlists thing in my blog post title?

It’s called a “hash tag” … a way to tag or identify a blog or twitter post so that people can know it’s subject, keywords, or you can even search twitter based on them.

“Sunday Setlists” is an event that started right here on FredMcKinnon.Com, but has since transferred over to TheWorshipCommunity.Com – where people post a recap of their worship services each week. Be sure and check out the other posts.

So, on to my recap of our worship service at SSCC for Sunday, August 15th.

Wow. I can’t express how incredible it was. We have never conducted a baptism during our worship services in the building … they have always been special gatherings, outside, at some place with a pool. We had our first baptism service yesterday, which was a complete surprise to most of those who attend our church. The bigger surprise; however, was that we were prepared to baptize anyone who wanted to be baptized … spontaneously.

We opened up with a couple of songs:

“I Have Found” (Kim Walker)
“Mighty to Save” (Hillsong)

Then, David (our pastor) taught on salvation and baptism. It was a shorter, 25-minute sermon. Then he basically challenged people to respond. We were ready with the excuses. We had stacks of brand new shorts and T-shirts of all sizes. We had undergarments. Personal Products. Hair dryers. Combs. Photographers. Videographers. There was really no reason to NOT respond …

And respond they did. Between the two services, countless people confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord, and +/- 126 people got baptized.

Young, old.
White, black.
American, Chinese.

I’m still blown away … we played instrumental music, sang a bit, worshiped the whole time, and simply let the music “ebb and flow” with the baptisms. Makes for some tired feet … a good 1-1/2 hours into the service and still seeing people lined up all the way down the wall of the church, waiting for their turn to publicly demonstrate their faith in Christ.

And that’s a recap for our church. How about yours?

Where Friendship, Ministry, and Business Merge

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:14 +0000

Hey Gang,

CONFESSION: this is one of those blog posts that is different, and I hesitated to even do this. But, I’m going to put this out there, for whoever is interested. This blog is usually visited by friends, family, and those who share similar ministry positions. So why mix up my business affairs with that? Well, because it’s a huge part of who I am.

As many of you know (anyone who has followed me via blog, facebook, or twitter for very long), I have a flourishing “e-business”. To summarize, my company (HPP Enterprises) pulls wholesale pricing from a handful of huge distributors and we resell over 125,000 products on the internet. About 95% of our sales volume is through Amazon.Com where we’re one of the highest ranked sellers. In addition, we sell on Buy.Com, Sears.Com, Ebay, and on several custom “niche sites”:

GetSkinsNow.Com (laptop, phone, MP3, electronic skins, cases, accessories)
HPPEnterprises.Com (consumer electronics – TVs, BluRay, Phones, Marine Electronics, MP3, Laptops, Accessories)
DiscountKidsGames.Com (computer games, video games, accessories)
McKinnonOutdoors.Com (outdoors, hunting/shooting products)

One of the things we are trying to do is create a special “E-Blast” about 3-4 times per month, featuring some of our deals, discount codes, etc.

That’s the purpose of this email. If you’d like to get on that mailing list and perhaps “become a customer” at some point … please do so. It would be totally cool to actually pass along these products and prices to people we know.

What do we sell? HAHA – just about anything. TVs. Home Accessories. (we just shipped a whole pallet of Lasco Fans to Amazon.Com). Video Games (50 of the in-demand “Wii Wipeout” on the way!). Laptops. Computers. Hard Drives. Hardware. Tents. Games. Software. Accessories. Hunting Products. DVD Players. and the list goes on and on.

When we are able to bulk buy a product or get special pricing .. we’ll send an E-Blast. If you’d like to be on that list, go for it. Just fill out the form below, then click the link in the confirmation email. And hey, spread the word!

No related posts.

Sunday Setlists – Worship Recap from SSCC

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:16:16 +0000

Hey Everybody!

Yesterday (Sunday, August 8th) was my first time back on the stage, leading worship at SSCC, in a couple of weeks. It was great to be back. We started a new series called “Small Steps, Big Faith” and our service didn’t have a “sermon” … just a flow of worship, testimonies, and communion. Well, we did “kind of” have an impromptu sermon during our 9:00 AM service when one of the pastors lost track of time in his 5-minute “setup” … which turned into 25 minutes!

Thankfully, a little “Campfire Meeting” backstage after that service helped us workout the timing kinks and we nailed the flow in the 11:00 AM service.

Walk In Song:
“Washed by the Water” (NeedtoBreathe)

“Glorious” (Paul Baloche)
“For All You’ve Done” (Hillsongs)
“Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone” (Hillsongs)

*Testimony: I shared a faith-building testimony about prayer.
*Testimony: One of our pastors, Steve, shared a faith-building story about how God called him into ministry.

“Great is Thy Faithfulness” (Traditional Hymn Version)
*The Lord’s Prayer (corporate prayer)

Communion:
“You Gave Your Life Away” (Baloche)
“Jesus Paid it All” (Northpoint Live Version)
“Christ is Risen” (Matt Maher)

From a technical standpoint, we used a cool backing lyrics video for “Christ is Risen”, which required us to play this song to a click. The animated lyrics and backgrounds were powerful and added a nice visual dynamic to the worship experience on that song.

We wrapped up our Sunday with a big, family “Beach Night” on St. Simons Island – it was a great day celebrating with other Believers here in the area!

This recap is a part of the “Sunday Setlists” event hosted by TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

This Is What I’ve Been Doing at 6:00 AM

Fred McKinnon — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:13:04 +0000

Well, off and on, that is … if you missed it on my Facebook page this morning … have a peak into our 6:00 AM “Regimen” training program. I missed about 2 months already this year due to injury and “lifestyle” issues …

As an extra treat, a fellow “TheWorshipCommunity.Com” member and “Sunday Setlists” contributor happened to be on St. Simons Island for vacation this week and joined me … HL McConnell from Lakeland, FL … we got to workout and later, relax and talk “worship ministry” over some coffee.

Here’s a sneak peak into the morning … come join us sometime! For more info on the “Regimen” program and other offerings from this trainer, go to TaylorMadeTrainingCenter.Com.

How This Apple Addict Fell In Love with the DroidX (Pt 1)

Fred McKinnon — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:34:09 +0000

Hi. My name is Fred McKinnon, and I’m an Apple-holic.

Since I was first introduced to Apple computers at Georgia Southern University in 1989 … it’s all I’ve used. We’ve got multiple Macs and iPods … but the one Apple product that we’ve stayed away from was the iPhone.

I’ve wanted an iPhone for a couple of years. The reality is, AT&T’s service in our area is less-than-reliable. In our home, it’s essentially nonexistent. That won’t work for us. So I didn’t just want an iPhone. I wanted a Verizon iPhone.

So earlier this month, I finally accepted the fact that maybe another phone could be as powerful as the coveted iPhone … at least, until an iPhone was available on Verizon’s network. (the latest rumor is that this will happen in January 2011 … emphasis on the word, “rumor”). So Joy and I both got ourselves the brand new “DroidX” from Motorola, sporting Google’s “Android” operating system.

In my business, Google is a constant companion.

Google Checkout
Google Base/Shopping
Google Analytics
Google Adsense
Google Adwords

Earlier this year, at the prompting of Travis Paulding, our Tech Director at SSCC, I migrated all of my email accounts to Google Apps. After utilizing the powerful Gmail engine in Google Apps to power my multiple domains and email accounts, I asked myself why I didn’t do that a long time ago when Tony Morgan was talking about it.

So the courtship begins. I have a Google-based phone, a business that networks with Google, and an “all-Apple” computer system, utilizing all the Apple apps like Mail, Address Book, and iCal.

And somehow, all of these have to not just get along … but be in love.

Well, a few weeks into my Google/Droid/Apple courtship, I am proud to say that “love is in the air”.
Stay tuned for Part 2 for details on the courtship, including my Apps, and how I brought my Google Phone into a beautiful union with my Mac Address Book, iCal, To-Dos, Email, Music, Photos, and Videos.

Part 2 … coming soon.

Inception – My Questions, Your Thoughts?

Fred McKinnon — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:13:03 +0000

* SPOILER ALERT *

When I started seeing the previews to “Inception” I didn’t think it was the type of movie I’d pay to see. Thanks to the buzz on social networking services like Twitter and Facebook, I changed my mind. It seems like every person that went was sounding off on what an awesome movie it was. I’d call it a “real mind bender”.

I was told countless times to pay attention to everything – to make sure I took care of everything (ie. bathroom, snacks, etc) before the movie so that I wouldn’t miss anything … and I listened to your advice.

So when the movie was over, I thought to myself “yeah, I think I’ve got it!”.

Then I came home … and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I didn’t miss something huge.

So here’s what I think … and here’s a few of my questions. If you saw the movie, please comment and share your thoughts. It will only take a moment.

My Thoughts:

On the ending … I *think* that their mission was successful. I *think* that they were awake, and in reality. I *think* the top would’ve toppled.

If I’m wrong, I clearly missed some things.

Questions:

1. Why did it START with that scene on the beach where he was captured, and taken into the old man? The same scene that happened towards the end.
2. Was the old man at the end the Asian guy (who got shot) who’d hired Leonardo anyway? (I say Asian, he looked kind of Asian to me!)
3. Why was Leonardo still young at the end (in the dream), but the Asian guy (if that’s who he was) so old (in the dream)? They were both in the same “dream” at the same “time” right … unless his dying after getting shot made his time move faster?
4. Why did the kids’ ages never change? I mean, I know that very little time happened (ie. 10 hours) in real-life-time during the main dream … but how long had his wife been dead. (assuming she really was dead).

So, overall, I believed the story line … I believed that everything must have worked, that Leonardo was able to get the Asian guy back, that they woke up on the plane, and that his phone call got Leonardo home to his kids, and that Leonardo and his wife had previously been in the long dream before the movie began, etc. That her jumping off the building was “real life” … that Leonardo was right.

DID I MISS SOMTHING BIG AND OBVIOUS?

WordPress App for Android

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:54:29 +0000

Nerd that I am, I thought It’d check to see if there was an app for wordpress on the android marketplace. See i got this new DroidX from Verizon and its an android phone.

Well, I am typing this post from within the app. Full blog on the DroidX and how we’re getting along is forthcoming.

Worship Confessional – SSCC, July 18

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:21:54 +0000

Wednesday Evening: 3 hours of rehearsal
Thursday Evening: 3 hours of rehearsal
Friday Evening: 1 hour of rehearsal, 2 hours of passionate worship for hundreds of people at “Night of Worship”, SSCC.

Sunday Morning?

Exhausted. Hoarse. But the benefit of using the same band and songs from “Night of Worship”? A simple sound check and rehearsal.

So, off we went, into another gathering of God’s people in this place we call “St. Simons Community Church”.

Walk-in: “You Save” (1st Service) and “Mighty to Save” (2nd service)
*this is the song that I co-wrote with Mandy Thomson. Wow, I’m overwhelmed by the incredible response to this song. It was kinda weird to do this as a “walk-in” song, so I made a decision to move it to “in” the service during the 2nd service.

Opener: “Alive Again” (Matt Maher)
Worship: “Blessed Be Your Name”, “Mighty To Save” (1st service), “You Save” (2nd service), and “How Deep the Father’s Love”.

Loved having Ms. Carol Parks play violin again. Her intro to “How Deep the Father’s Love” was beautiful, and of course, ‘You Save” isn’t complete w/o the violin!

Closer:
Well, Pastor David pulled a fast one on us, and stopped about 75% into his sermon and called me up …. he felt like it was time to stop and worship. So, we pulled an impromptu version of Kate Miner’s “Holy Spirit Come”, followed by “You Save” and “Open Up the Sky” by Jonathan Stockstill.

An incredible day of worship and ministry, capping off an incredible weekend!

Curious as to what other churches did? Checkout the weekly “Sunday Setlists” event over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com!

Farewell, Captain Phil Harris (Deadliest Catch and Jesus)

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:00:10 +0000

Wednesday, July 14 2010

Last night, millions of viewers said “farewell” to a guy named Captain Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie. Although he passed away in February 2010, the rest of us experienced his passing via the “reality TV show”, “Deadliest Catch“.

I’m not sure when I got hooked on this show … and I don’t quite understand why I will watch the same thing (cussing, smoking, throwing hooks, and pulling in crab pots) for hours upon hours. I’m intrigued by the personalities. Overwhelmed by the work. Energized by the risk. Captivated by the rewards.

Captain Phil was quite the case. Supposedly, he was the exact same kind of person “off the camera” as “on the camera” … the same guy before and after their “fame” from being on TV.

Captain Phil … he smoked like a train, cussed like a sailor (oh, wait, essentially, he was a sailor, or a fisherman, at least!) … fought with his crew, fought with his kids … yet, was clearly a compassionate, loving man. My wife and I were in tears as he loved his boys, showed them deep affection, and told them the four words that EVERY BOY WANTS TO HEAR FROM THEIR FATHERS:

“I’m Proud Of You”.

So … why this eulogy over a guy I never met? I’ll tell you – Captain Phil represents something very powerful to me. He represents the kind of guy that Jesus sought out to be His disciples.

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.19 And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:18-19, ESV, YouVersion.Com)

We hear all the stories of how Simon Peter must have been. We infer from the stories in the Bible that Peter was rough, tough .. I bet he had quite the mouth on him. I bet he could fight with the best of them, and could beat anybody in poker.

I bet when Simon Peter dropped his nets and followed Jesus … that his personality, and perhaps, even his habits, didn’t change overnight.

He wasn’t in a suit.
He wasn’t carrying His Bible in a leather case with a cross on it.
He wasn’t speaking King James.
He probably wasn’t clean shaven and polished.

He was ROUGH around the EDGES.

Jesus wanted Him. Jesus called Him. Of all the righteous, religious, uppity-fancy people walking the earth … and Jesus chose people like Simon Peter … like the tax collectors … the prostitutes … and yes, people like Captain Phil.

Did Captain Phil know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior? Well, I doubt any of us can answer that for sure. Before you fire off your comments about how a Christian would never use that language, just stop and consider what I’ve written above. Maybe you don’t smoke and cuss … but those are outward expressions of a sinful nature (and perhaps, just culture and physical addictions) … and I bet if you wrote down your less-visible “inward” sins … you’d back down …

All I can say is … I hope he did … ’cause I’d like to go fishing with him in heaven.

Farewell, Captain Phil Harris.

The Forge Conference – Don’t Miss It!

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:20:29 +0000

Introducing, “The Forge Conference” … something I’m very excited about. I’ll be there leading/teaching, along with tons of your favorite artists, worship leaders, bloggers, and friends.

This worship and ministry training conference is ABSOLUTELY the BEST BANG FOR THE MONEY out there when it comes to conferences!

I hope you’ll come join us in New Jersey Sept 30-October 2, 2010.

To help you … we’re doing a FREE REGISTRATION GIVEAWAY at TheWorshipCommunity.Com – so if you’d like to go, register in the contest!

Forge Pricing is $99 a person or $67 a person for teams of 6 or more
The Forge Conference
Sept 30th-Oct2nd
Ocean Grove NJ

About Conference:
The Forge Conference is a melding or forging of two visions God gave to:
Doug Gould, Joel Klampert, Adam Fagan Kela, and Jack Osteen.

Vision one is creating a worship and tech training conference that is small and reasonably priced for teams to come to as well as instilling into attendees the true heart of worship.

Vision two is creating a conference that is designed to make people in ministry get real and get deep. It is a conference that is more like a retreat and deals with the heart issues in ministry and teaches people in the trenches how to make Christ center within the context of relationships.

Those two visions put together creates a conference/retreat that serves the local small church and builds Christ’s church through an atmosphere of Unity in a way that has never been done before.

The Bottom Line is: Training, education, stretching, healing, relationship, unity

Speakers/Artists Include:

Brenton Brown, Joel Auge, Mckendree Augustas, Grant Norsworthy, Fred Mckinnon, Joel Klampert, Doug Gould, Sheri Gould, Brent and Tammy Hodge, Jack Osteen, Adam Fagan Kela, Jonathan Lee, Shannon Lewis, Travis Paulding and MUCH MORE!!

Worship Recap from SSCC (#sundaysetlists)

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:14:07 +0000

We enjoyed a great time of worship at SSCC yesterday. We were in Week 4 of our “Prevail” series on spiritual warfare. Pastor David taught about the “breastplate of righteousness” and challenged us in some big ways.

As far as the musical aspect of our time of worship, here’s a snapshot of what we did:

Walk-in:

“When We All Get to Heaven” – a fun arrangement I made where we open it up in the old, traditional style, acapella. Then, we rip into a funky version that is a blast to play, and after singing all 4 verses and the Chorus, we end the song with a campmeeting-style, double-time backbeat Chorus. Always gets the people excited.

Opening Song:

“No Other Name” – Todd Fields/Northpoint Live arrangement. This is always a great go-to song for a shorter, 3-minute opener that rightly brings attention to the Name of Jesus.

Middle Set:

After a short teaching (ie. 1 minute) on the word “hosanna” and what it means, we sang back-to-back “Hosanna” songs …

“Hosanna” (Paul Baloche/Brenton Brown)
“Hosanna” (Hillsong)

Then, the band left the stage and I moved to the grand piano where we did an intimate, reflective arrangement of “Sanctuary” (Lord Prepare Me) with piano, vocal, and acoustic guitar.

After the sermon we closed with the old Vineyard song, “Take My Life” (aka “Holiness”) by Scott Underwood.

Loved leading this week. You can watch our services live or “on demand” at www.sscclive.com.

This recap is a part of the “Sunday Setlists” event hosted weekly by TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

What Are You Reading?

Fred McKinnon — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:40:54 +0000

So …

What are you reading these days? Anything?

What books are challenging you.
Are you a “book-in-the-hand” off the shelf person, or an e-book person (ie. Kindle, iPad)

Chime in below by leaving your comment!

Creative FuZion – Everlasting God Scripture Reading

I Think I Shall Write A Song … and this is WILD!

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:06:54 +0000

A few weeks ago I debuted the first song I’ve written in … well, 6+ years. It was such an incredible feeling to do that. Since doing this, the floodgates have opened, and I’ve got a handful of songs from folks who want to co-write. And I can’t wait.

One of the guys on our worship team recently wrote a song that has just been signed by Tim McGraw. That’s a big deal. I was on the phone with him a few hours ago and … without really thinking about it … I said, “Tim, you and I are going to write some songs together”. [proofread alert - just to clarify, I was on the phone with Tim, who wrote the song, not Tim, as in Tim McGraw, his (McGraw) number isn't in my cell ... yet]

Yesterday, I received a random IM from my friend McKendree Augustas (with Sonic Flood, though, an incredible writer, producer, artist in his own right!) that said “hey man, when are we gonna get together and write” …

Then a few minutes ago …. I saw this post by Sarah Williams McMillan (husband of John Mark McMillan, author of “How He Loves” and plenty of other awesome tunes!) …

So, here’s where it gets wild. I saw this post, and felt compelled to respond to it … and just as I was about to start typing, I got this “IM” from another person:

OK … so, do you think it’s time to acknowledge that God is speaking?

The Problem with Chick-Fil-A’s Peach Milkshakes

Fred McKinnon — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:06:36 +0000

So there’s this problem I have. It’s a recurring struggle that visits every Summer. My infatuation with the Chick-Fil-A Peach Shake. I don’t even want to know the calorie count. All I know … it’s a taste of heaven on earth.

Like his youngest son (me), my Dad is a man who appreciates something like a good shake. So I’ve been telling him for quite a while that he had to experience this. In our hometown of McRae, GA there is no Chick-Fil-A anywhere around.

Mom and Dad are on vacation in FL this week, so I kicked off this “texting” exchange with my Dad. Thought you’d enjoy it, too:

Me: Have u found a chickfila yet to get a peach shake?

Dad: Oh yes! It was awesome! Good thing a Chic Fila isn’t close to McRae.

Me: I’m in the drive thru now.

Dad: Hate to remind you, but remember Romans 12:1.

Me: Nothing renews me better!

Dad: That’s verse 2. Verse 1 exhorts us to submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy & acceptable …

Me: That’s not in my Bible.

Dad: Think I’ll tear that page out of mine. Too late, though. I’ve already messed up on that one this week.

Me: Well, as Adam said, “its that woman you gave me” – Joy gave me a Chick-Fil-A gift card in a shake cup for Father’s Day.

Dad: I like that reasoning.

———————-

So there you have it. It was Joy’s fault.

Margin – Do You Have It?

Fred McKinnon — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:11:41 +0000

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

If You Could Ask God for ANYTHING …

Fred McKinnon — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Today in our Staff Meeting, our new Family Pastor, Mark Fritchman, asked this question:

“If you could ask God for ANYTHING, and you knew that He would answer, what would it be” …

So, what’s your answer?