All About Worship » Mandy Thompson

Episode 73, Interview with Stuart Townend – Show Notes

AllAboutWorship — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:24:42 +0000

On this episode, we feature an interview with one of today’s most renown hymn writers, Stuart Townend. Stuart has written songs like “How Deep The Father’s Love”, “In Christ Alone”, “The Power of the Cross”, and many others.

Be sure to tune in towards the end of the podcast for a special promo code from our sponsor, RightsFlow, which gives you $5 off LimeLight in September.

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Special thanks to:

Stuart Townend – for taking the time to be on the show

RightsFlow – for sponsoring this podcast; follow them on Twitter & let them know how much you appreciate them sponsoring our podcast.

The ABC’s of Creative Worship Planning

AllAboutWorship — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:40:07 +0000

(article written by Mandy Thompson)

1) Allocation: The creative muse is needy and brattish and fickle, but we can cooperate. We can set ourselves up for maximum creativity. If you’ve got these three resources in place, you are well on your way to creative worship planning.

Priority: Remember that you are preparing for the gathering of the Body of Christ, in His name, and for His glory. This worship service is the most important meeting you will prepare for–and planning it requires top energy and focus.

Forethought: If possible, know ahead of time what the general theme of the service will be. You’ll be surprised at the ideas that bubble to the surface before the actual planning meeting even begins.

Time: Be sure to set aside time at a peak creative moment, providing enough time to avoid feeling rushed through the process. Be awake. Be unhurried. This is very easy to accomplish, but also very easy to let slip away.

2) Boxation: Ok. Maybe it’s not a word, but it fits my goal of having rhyming ABCs for this article, so I’m going to get creative and use it. Plus, this perfectly illustrates my point.

We’ve all heard “think outside the box,” but others (like Disney) say “think inside the box.” Define the goal–the “win”–and go for it. Work towards this goal and within such parameters as it requires. Maybe “boxation” is better described as aiming for a target. When we know what we’re aiming for, we are more comfortable with creative methods of hitting this target. We permit crazy ideas because we know that, while unconventional, they are very much “in the box.”

At my church, we’ve spent the greater part of the past 12 months increasing participation during our worship services. Our “box” was to foster participation through Biblical, vibrant, and varied worship expressions for people of different personalities and backgrounds.

For example, a few weeks ago we emphasized confession during our service. We offered a number of ways our worshippers could confess after the sermon, including encouraging them to talk to the person next to them. Also, we placed microphones near our communion stations and invited everyone receiving communion to recite “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This rhythmic prayer, voice by voice, was a powerful moment of participation. It was different, and it took some serious rearranging of our worship space, but it was worth it.

3) Collaboration: Two heads are better than one, right?

Most creatives like to work alone. But our best ideas come with two or more brains forming them. When it comes to creativity, team work really does work. It draws in ideas from a number of personalities and experiences. It alleviates the pressure of one person carrying the creative load. And when the ideas dry up, and they will, someone else is there who’s caffeinated enough to move the creative process along.

Warning: Be on the lookout for team-fatigue. When the whole group gets tired and in a rut, it’s time to bring in new team members. Get a fresh batch of creatives in there with you. Sometimes it only takes one new team member. They come with enthusiasm. And with new eyes. And with new ideas. And suddenly the creative process is rolling.

We have a saying at my church, and we’ve said it so often that our congregation laughs when they hear it: “This Sunday, we’re going to do something a little different.” Attendees know that each Sunday has its own tone. They know that no two Sundays are alike. And they know that these experiences have been carefully crafted to bring them closer to God. They expect it.

And even though our planning takes significant energy and time, the payoff is worth it.

No related posts.

5 Easy Ways to Locate Song Ideas

AllAboutWorship — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:16:47 +0000

1) Take a walk, but be sure to take pen and paper with you. Maybe you don’t have to take a walk, per se. But it’s beneficial to make an effort to get out or pull away for a minute. We have to run from the distractions of technology before we’re able to hear what’s churning in our own souls. While you’re out walking, dig deep, but stay random. Let your mind wander. Listen for bits of inspiration. Questions. Phrases. Prayers. Write ‘em down.

2) Watch a movie, with pen & paper. If you listen closely, you’ll find great phrases & questions & existential experiences in the scripts of contemporary movies. Many make subtle (and direct) mentions of faith as it applies to the human experience. Listen with open ears and you’ll be surprised what ideas come your way.

3) Listen to other great songs. This one is pretty well-known, yet often neglected. Didn’t someone famous once say “art begets art?” They knew what they were talking about. Listen to the kinds of songs you want to write. Study them. Analyze them. Find out what makes them tick, and then creatively incorporate those tricks into your own writing.

4) Find a co-writing partner. Or, better said: Find a co-writing partner with ideas. They can bring their ideas to the table and you can help expand them. Easy enough!

5) Read Scripture, while looking for phrases and concepts and imagery to spark your mind. Like listening to other songs, this is not a new strategy, either. And, if you use “The Message,” you’ve probably already noticed that a lot of new worship songs have phrases and even entire verses that come out of Peterson’s paraphrase. It was written with modern language, but still holds true to the concept and poetic form of the original text. In short, there are lyrics just waiting to be written around portions of “The Message.”

These tips aren’t magic. In fact, you’ve probably experienced the unintentional benefits of a few of these activities already. Let this list serve as a reminder, and use these strategies intentionally. If you find yourself facing a bit of writer’s block, one of these methods can serve as a tool to chip away at that block and get the ideas flowing again.

-by Mandy Thompson

The First 5 Steps of Writing a Song

The First 5 Steps of Writing a Song

AllAboutWorship — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:54:27 +0000

1) Collect ideas. These could be melodies, an ideas, images, or phrases. Find ways to pull them together like an idea bank that you can go through whenever you’ve got the itch to write. If an idea is worth keeping and writing, use it.

2) Take that idea and write all you can, without editing or critiquing. Just let the phrases and notes flow. This will usually become the first verse and potential chorus of the song. A few lines are enough to get a general understanding of where the song is going.

3) Collect a word bank. When your brain runs out of words, go find some more. There are a few variations on this step, but the general idea is to create a collection of thematically-related words to pull from. Use key words that fit the main idea of the song, and create lists off those words. The lists will include synonyms, related words, imagery, phrases, and rhymes. Use this word bank to improve the lyrics you’ve already written, as well as complete the remaining sections.

4) Tweak the chorus. By now, you should be able to summarize the main idea in one sentence or phrase. Be sure that the chorus clearly reflects this concept.

5) Build the second verse. There are two simple approaches to the writing the second verse. One strategy is to re-phrase what the first verse says. Use different words, but basically state the same thing. Another strategy is to say the next thing, taking the message of the first verse even farther. This works if the song refers to chronological events, experiences, or a progressive question/answer.

Congratulations! You’ve got a couple of verses and a chorus. And a strong central message of the song. Not only have you progressed a long way into the songwriting process, you may be looking at a complete song!

by Mandy Thompson

The Possibilities, Practicals & Pitfalls of Co-Writing! (Upcoming Webinar)

TSC Episode 3: Andrew Peterson – Show Notes

AllAboutWorship — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 22:06:31 +0000

Wisdom Moon and Mandy Thompson are back for the third episode of The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast!

On this episode, we…

discuss how we’ve been doing with the Songwriting Challenge
feature a song by Caroline Cobb – “Woman on the Roof” – submitted to the Songwriting Challenge for February 2011
discuss songwriting with our featured guest – Andrew Peterson
feature “Dancing in the Minefields” by Andrew Peterson

QUICK LINKS

We would love to hear from you! Email us at share(at)thesongwriterscafe.com or leave us a message on our comment line: 913.735.4229

A special thanks to Andrew Peterson for stopping by our show.

Intro bumper music is provided by Jared Anderson from “Closer to You” on his album - People of Troy.

Episode 62: Interview with Jaime Jamgochian

AllAboutWorship — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:52:26 +0000

This is episode 62 and we feature worship leader/songwriter/Centricity Music artist, Jaime Jamgochian. She is interviewed by Mandy Thompson about songwriting, ministry, and much more. We also feature her song “Hear My Worship”.

Also, on this show we:

-discuss Gungor’s song “Beautiful Things” and songs for Easter.

-share some listener feedback, including a question a listener posed: What does worship look like in 10 years?

-share about a new feature of our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com that makes it easy to find a replacement when a volunteer declines their scheduled day. Use promo code “podcast” and receive a 45 day free-trial.

-discuss our upcoming worship retreat taking place May 19-21. Plus Members of our site receive $50 off registration.

-share about an upcoming webinar for songwriters, presented by Chris Vacher, founder of WorshipRises in Canada. He will be sharing about how to host songwriting events. March 8th, 8pm CST.

-talk about the launch of WorshipDevotional.com.

QUICK LINKS

Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs

Jaime Jamgochian

Jaime’s latest album on iTunes

Jaime on Twitter and Facebook

Songwriting Webinar w/ Chris Vacher

WorshipDevotional.com

The Songwriter’s Cafe

WorshipPlanning.com

All About Worship Retreat

All About Worship Plus Membership

Factor7 Agency

Connect with us:

Facebook.com/allaboutworship

Twitter.com/allaboutworship

Comment Line: 913.735.4229

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Episode 61: Interview with Brian Doerksen

Video Interview w/ Brian Doerksen (with GIVEAWAY!)

AllAboutWorship — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:34:32 +0000

Mandy Thompson recently had a chance to interview Brian Doerksen for the All About Worship Podcast. Here is the video version. Go here for the audio/podcast version of it, along with show notes.

After watching the interview, answer the last question that Mandy asks Brian for yourself and leave it as a comment on this post…for your chance to win Brian’s Level Ground CD-Rom Digital Songbook. Deadline: Thursday, Feb 24th @ 2pm CST. (US residents only. Must be at least 18 years old.) Winner will be randomly chosen.