Episode 56: Interview with Kathryn Scott

On this episode, Mandy Thompson interviews Irish worship leader/songwriter, Kathryn Scott. Kathryn has been an influential worship leader and songwriter of songs like “Hungry”, “At the Foot of the Cross”, and many others. We also get to hear Ben’s amazing embarrassing moment of 2010 when he attempts to thank one of our closest friends.

Listener Feedback

• We received a note from Mike S. about our recent interview with Meredith Andrews.  Sorry Mike…no high heels.
• We also received an email from Angie Brenning. We all here at All About Worship agree…Wisdom has the hippiest name EVAH! Thanks Angie for letting us know how Meredith’s interview impacted you!

Toolbox

• Worship Stream. Wisdom Talks to Nate and Joey from Worship Stream.  This great tool helps churches with affordable solutions to provide online streaming to their church body.  If you’re thinking about ways to easily stream your services online, be sure and check out this great resource.

Sponsor Love

• WorshipPlanning.com – Our friends at WP are offering YOU, our faithful listeners, an extra free month of administrative goodness. Instead of the regular 30 day free trial, you can get an additional 30 days FREE.. Sign up now using this special code: AAWHOLIDAY10.

Quick Links

• WorshipRetreat.org – Have you registered yet? DO IT…RIGHT NOW! We’d love to have you join us in Overland Park, KS this coming May.
• All About Worship Plus – If you’ve not enrolled in our AAWPlus side, check it out. We have a special interview with Kathryn available exclusively to our subscribers on songwriting.
• HungryWorshipper.com – Visit Kathryn’s official website..
• Kathryn on Twitter – Follow Kathryn on Twitter.
• “We Still Believe” Album on iTunes – Check out Kathryn’s latest release. Awesome live worship!

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom, Ben and Mandy
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Kathryn for being a part of the show! Thanks also to our friends at Integrity Music for permission to provide our listeners a glimpse of Kathryn’s album with “We Still Believe”. Thanks once again to our friends at WorshipPlanning.com and WorshipStream.

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Click below to listen and/or download this episode.

Episode 55: Interview with Al Gordon

On this episode we interview British worship leader/songwriter, Al Gordon. Al leads Worship Central along with his friend, Tim Hughes. We also interview Media Shout during the Worship Leader Toolbox segment.

You’ll also hear a couple of comments from our listeners. We also announce some really exciting news: All About Worship Awards, All About Worship Plus, and more.

Listener Feedback

• We received a note from Thaddeus from Mason City, IA. Check out their new church Rhythm Church. Check out Thadeus’ nifty Star Wars shirt here. Thanks Thadeus for the note!
• We also received an email from Ian in the UK. Thank you so much for the encouragement Ian! So glad you found us online!

Toolbox

• Media Shout. Wisdom catches up with Nate and Joey from Media Shout.  This amazing visual tool has been a fantastic tool for so many ministries around the world.  You’ll hear how this great company came to be and where they’re headed in the future.
• Be sure to follow them on Twitter.

Sponsor Love

• WorshipPlanning.com – Our friends at WP are offering YOU, our faithful listeners, an extra free month of administrative goodness. Instead of the regular 30 day free trial, you can get an additional 30 days FREE.. Sign up now using this special code: AAWHOLIDAY10.

Quick Links

• WorshipRetreat.org – Have you registered yet? DO IT…RIGHT NOW! We’d love to have you join us in Overland Park, KS this coming May.
• WorshipCentral.org – Check out this fantastic online resource for worship leads.
• Al’s Blog – Check out some great worship insights from Al.
• Al on Twitter – Keep up with Al Gordon on Twitter.
• Al on iTunes – Check out Al’s ep “Future Sound”.
• Be sure to scroll down and check out “Worship the Lord” by Al Gordon. One of the faves of Ben’s church.

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom, Ben and Mandy
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Al for being a part of the show! Thanks once again to our friends at WorshipPlanning.com and MediaShout.com

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Click below to listen and/or download this episode.

Episode 55: Al Gordon

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Episode 54: Interview with Keith Getty

This week on the All About Worship Podcast, Wisdom and Ben take a moment to semi-celebrate two years of podcasting partnership between the two. Wisdom remembers his favorite moment with Ben on the podcast. Our UH-MAZING field correspondent, Mandy Thompson,  talks to worship leader, songwriter Keith Getty, co-author of “In Christ Alone” about the songwriting process and more. Stay tuned for their song “By Faith” on the show. We also hear your feedback and share some worship leading tools. Stay tuned for a brief sleeping aid recording with Ben and Wisdom after the listener feedback.

Listener Feedback

• On the AAW hotline is a voicemail from Ben in Germany sharing his answer to our question about how worship is led in his church in Berlin. Thanks Ben for taking time to call us! Sorry we woke you up!

Toolbox

• Ben shares one of his favorite tools as an acoustic guitar worship leader…the capo. If you’re tired of coveting the electric guitar player’s gear…just remember…you have the amazing capo. Ben talks about these capos: Keyser, Dunlop, Rolling, G7, PlanetWaves Duel Action, Keyser Cut, and Keyser Drop D Capo.

Sponsor Love

• WorshipPlanning.com – Check out WP101 on WorshipPlanning.com. A great way to get one on one training from Tom Metz and crew on how to use their site. Just another example of the heart and desire to help worship ministry leaders and team members from Worship Planning.
• “Avoiding Burnout” Webinar with Tommy Walker. WorshipPlanning.com is hosting this webinar and making it available to you FOR FREE. Wednesday, October 27. Learn more.

Quick Links

• WorshipRetreat.org – Early Bird Registration extended!!!!! Have you registered yet? DO IT…RIGHT NOW! We’d love to have you join us in Overland Park, KS this coming May.
• GettyMusic.com – Visit Keith and Kristyn’s site and catch up on some of their amazing music and resources.
• GettyMusic on Twitter – Follow the Getty’s.
• Getty’s Music – Visit their online store for their music.
• Awaken the Dawn on iTunes – You can listen to samples from the album & download it.

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom, Ben and Mandy
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Keith Getty for being a part of the show! Thanks once again to our friends at WorshipPlanning.com!

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Click below to listen and/or download this episode.
Episode 54: Keith Getty

Episode 53: Interview with Meredith Andrews

On this episode of the All About Worship Podcast, Wisdom and Ben sit down with Meredith Andrews to talk about ministry life, music, and her most embarrassing moment leading worship. Wisdom and Ben catch up with what’s happening in their worlds, we get to your messages, and announce a special giveaway. (Boy, we just can’t stop giving stuff away!)

Listener Feedback

• We hear from our friend Kim Bontrager by email. Thanks Kim for listening and taking time to share how the podcast is encouraging you! Stop by Kim’s blog.

Toolbox

• Wisdom asks about Ben’s office whiteboard.  An integral part of Ben’s planning (and a nice way for his assistant to remind him of deadlines!). We’d love to hear what tools you use for planning. Drop it in the comments or even better, post a picture of your planning tool on our Facebook page right here.

Sponsor Love

• WorshipPlanning.com – Tom Metz stops by the show to talk about their new features. Be sure and check out the new mp3 transposer feature available now to worship teams. You can now change mp3 file keys without having the vocalists sound like the chipmunks. You can also learn more about the new PDF Combiner where you can build a single PDF of all the PDF’s in your setlist. You can sync it with iBooks on your iPad to use as a digital music stand (even hands free!).
• Tommy Walker webinar – Mark your calendar for the upcoming webinar with Tommy Walker on avoiding Worship Leader Burnout, hosted by WorshipPlanning.com.

Quick Links

• WorshipRetreat.org – Register today!!!
• MeredithAndrews.com – Check out Meredith’s website.
• Meredith on Twitter – Follow Meredith.
• As Long as it Takes – Get Meredith’s latest release.
• Our Blog Feed – Subscribe to our blog feed.
• AAW on iTunes – Once again.. pleading for your feedback! Help us by leaving a note on our iTunes page.

Giveaway

• Leave us a comment (of at least two sentences) about this episode on this post for a chance to win some Meredith Andrews goodies. Five people will win a free CD AND t-shirt ($35 value). Deadline is Saturday, October 16th @ 9am CST.

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom and Ben.
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Meredith for being a part of the show! Thanks to Word Records and WorshipPlanning.com!

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Worship Leading Lesson #2: Failure is Essential to Success

Reaching back to a prior post where God was really teaching me some good lessons.  There are seasons in ministry life…and this was a time where I needed some good reminders.

Recently I attended a short conference for Worship Leaders and Pastors. It was something I needed personally and really came at an integral time for me.  The conversations there brought back to remembrance the cause I have been called to as a Worship Pastor.  There were great insights and reminders for me, one of them being the need to remember every leader must allow space and openness for failure.

Failing Forward
Since taking on the role of worship leader at our local church some seven – eight years ago, I’ve learned that some things will always be.  There will always be a desire to achieve perfection…and there will always be failure. Balancing these two certainties in ministry can be quite an act. There are a few principles that can help.

Each week there is a review of our weekly services between our Senior Pastor and myself.  We sit down and walk through the most recent worship service talking about anything from reviewing the time, the flow, the technical, the spiritual, the good, the bad, ugly and amazing.  We’ve been doing this for many years now and find it very helpful in our desire to continually improve the worship experience at Grace Church.  One of the factors we understand as being important, is the need to fail.

I’ve had conversations with fellow worship team members, fellow ministry leaders, fellow worship leaders and leaders in general about this topic.  It’s difficult to grasp the importance of allowing failure to happen during a weekend service. Some folks are of the belief that there should NEVER be a mistake made…and if there is one…heads must roll. Not exactly the best environment to thrive in. There are others who believe, “Hey…it’s just the church man….let it ride…it’s not a rock concert”.  This one is not helpful and will ensure disaster week in and week out.  While it’s true church is not a “rock concert”, the attitude of letting the same failure happen each week is not bringing your best before the Lord.  Really both attitudes can be cancerous to any team environment.

A principal that I’ve adopted and truly believe in, is the need to allow team members to “Fail Forward”. Taking a risk by letting a “green” musician step up and fill a gap, even if conventional wisdom might tell you to NEVER allow that person onstage is creating an attitude of “failing forward”.  Taking a risk by allowing a unique stage setting be implemented…even if it means the band will have to readjust how it sees the other band members is creating a culture of “failing forward”.  Or perhaps adding an element to a worship service that might seem out of the ordinary or completely unorthodox to what your church body is used to.  Whatever the case, I’ve learned that an environment of being open to failure is critical. If you don’t take those risks, you might be missing out on something amazing that could become an integral part of your worship time.  Allowing a younger/newer musician on the team to play that solo, or lead that song, gives them that one additional step in their ministry service journey which molds them into a more mature musician…and more importantly, a more mature Christ follower.

When you adopt an attitude of openness to failure, you begin to create an environment on your team that allows people to take risks without the fear of rejection.  I’ve tried hard to communicate to people on our Weekend Service Team (lighting, audio, video, band, stage etc) that it’s ok to fail…just make sure you’re learning from the failure. Make note of the environment surrounding the moment the failure happened.  Asking questions like these:

1. Where did the preperation breakdown happen?
2. What ways can I change the environment around me to influence a more positive experience?
3. What ways can I respond differently to the failure?

I’m sure we could each come up with our own list of questions…these are just a few.  Whatever your questions are, make sure you’re asking yourself something in order to ensure you and your team are “Failing Forward”. If we aren’t failing…we aren’t taking enough risks to improve ourselves and the ministries we lead.

For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
(Proverbs 24:16)

-Ben Abu Saada

Episode 52: Interview with Billy & Cindy Foote

On this episode, Wisdom is joined by Billy and Cindy Foote as they discuss worship leading, songwriting, and adoption. Billy Foote has written many congregational worship songs like: “You Are My King”, “Sing To The King”, and “You Are God Alone”. Ben and Wisdom also discuss Star Wars, bolts, Mexican food, and our upcoming retreat.

Listener Messages

• We received a voicemail from Ben all the way from Germany! Ben answers the question posed from long time listener, Matt Neff, back on episode 50.  Thanks Ben for being a part of the show!

Quick Links

• WorshipPlanning.com – Once again, be sure to check out this fantastic tool for worship leaders. Awesome for assigning volunteers, planning music, planning services and communicating with worship ministry volunteers. Don’t forget they provide their service for free to church plants for the first whole year.
• WorshipRetreat.org – Seriously…why are you waiting!!! Brenton Brown, Pocket Full of Rocks, Sarah Reeves and more! September 30 the early bird registration ends! GO NOW!!!
• BillyFoote.com – Check out Billy and Cindy’s official website.
• Billy & Cindy on Facebook – Check out their page.
• Billy on Facebook – Request to be Billy’s friend…expect a possible 6 month approval process.
• Cindy on Facebook - Request to be Cindy’s friend…approval process is much shorter.
• “All Praise to God” – Get the song played on the podcast from iTunes.
• Our Blog Feed – Subscribe to our blog feed and keep up with more resources & giveaways.
• AAW on iTunes – Ok…we need YOU. Please leave some feedback on our iTunes page!

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom and Ben.
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes. Feedburner. Or stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Billy and Cindy for being a part of the show! Thanks to Centricity Music and WorshipPlanning.com! Give ‘em love friends!

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Episode 51: Worship Leader & Pastor Relationship Roundtable

On this episode of the All About Worship Podcast, we gather some of our friends together to talk about one of the most important relationships in the local church. The Worship Leader and Pastor relationship can often make or break the success of worship services.  Listen in as we talk about this hugely important topic.

Roundtable Crew

Tim Howey. Sr Pastor of Grace Church in Overland Park, KS. Tim and Ben have been working in ministry together for ten years. Visit TimHowey.com to learn more about Tim.  He joins us live in the palatial All About Worship studio.  If you’re going to talk about a Sr. Pastor and Worship Leader relationship….why not ask a Sr. Pastor to join us? Tim also facilitated a breakout session at the All About Worship Retreat in 2010.

Troy Kennedy. Songwriter/Worship Pastor from Kansas City joins us.  Troy has taught classes on worship leading ministry in conferences around the nation including the recent National Worship Leader Conference 2009 & 2010 and also at the All About Worship Retreat 2010.  Log on to NewWorship.com to learn more about Troy.

Fred McKinnon. Songwriter/Worship Leader from St. Simmons Island, GA also joins the roundtable discussion.  With the “Sunday Setlists” and TheWorshipCommunity, Fred has become an influential member of the online worship community.  Visit FredMcKinnon.com and TheWorshipCommunity.com to learn more about Fred.

Quick Links

Crucial Conversations. The book Pastor Tim Howey uses with the staff at Grace Church.

WorshipRetreat.org. Be sure to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount for All About Worship Retreat 2011 by registering by September 30th (only a couple of weeks left). Artists/speakers will include Brenton Brown, Pocket Full of Rocks, Sarah Reeves, and others.

WorshipPlanning.com. Our amazing sponsor!

Tim on Twitter.

Troy on Twitter.

Fred on Twitter.

AllAboutWorship on Twitter.

Sponsor Love

Don’t forget to visit our friends at WorshipPlanning.com and sign up for a special 60 day free trial vs. the usual 30 day trial  to our listeners! Just use the code aawp10. Check out their new text notification feature. They are a fantastic resource for worship ministries!

Contact Us

• Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom and Ben.
• Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
• 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Listen

Check us out on iTunes. Feedburner. Or stop by our Archive page and listen in.

Thanks

A special thanks to Tim, Fred, and Troy! Big thanks WorshipPlanning.com for loving the worship leader by sponsoring the show.

And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Worship Leading Lesson #1: It’s Not Your Ministry

Some of the best lessons I’ve learned in life are through trying, failing, trying, failing, failing, trying and succeeding every once in awhile. I’m not foolish enough to think I’ve got it all figured out, but I do have some things that I hope can be an encouragement to anyone willing to read. These are a few random worship leading lessons God continues to teach me.

Dumping of Gear = Dumping of Pride

In January, 1993 I received Christ as my savior at the age of 18 years old.  Leading up to that moment I found myself getting steeped in music. I had begun playing in bars surrounding myself with influences that would ultimately lead to a lifestyle that could be harmful to my health. Thankfully, God interceded and completely changed my heart.

It didn’t happen overnight.  The salvation happened instantly…but the transformation of someone desiring to be a “rock star”, center of attention….to one who knew he was a child of God didn’t happen instantly.  It came over time.

Soon after I became a Christian, I realized my desires were shifting from pursuing music, to pursuing a relationship with God. I was convicted about where my affections were being drawn to and decided a radical change needed to happen.  I donated all of my electric guitar gear to my local church for a missions cause.  I believe in my walk with God, this was a huge moment of growth.

What I began to learn was nothing I did mattered if I didn’t give it all to the Lord.  That meant my money, my talents, my abilities, my desires….everything.  After a year of not being involved with music, I was invited to be a part of the worship ministry in my College and Career Class I was a part of at the time.  This is where I began cutting my teeth on what it meant to do music for a completely different cause.

It’s Not YOUR Ministry

I love being a part of ministry, especially being able to use the talent God has blessed me with. Every once in a while I need to be reminded that the ministry I’m a part of is not MINE…it’s God’s.  When I hear musicians use the term “my ministry”, it makes me cringe. It’s an indicator for me that communicates the heart of someone who is in it to bring their talent/skill to the team and may not give much care to the other team members or the church-wide vision.  Essentially every Christ follower needs to answer this one question:

Are you willing to give up what you love the most in order to let God make you a true worshiper?

In Psalm 51 we read the story of a repentant David who realizes it makes no difference what sacrifice he brings to the Lord, but that God is simply concerned with a broken heart.  For worship leaders and team members, you may feel that you’re bringing the very best of what you have in your skill to the Lord, but if you don’t have the heart of a true worshiper of God…it doesn’t matter.

Many times we wrap our identities up in the things we do. Whether a job, a ministry we’re a part of, a ministry we lead.  Eventually we begin to place our hope in our skills and in these roles we play. When those roles or that job is gone, we then become hopeless.  God wants our hope and strength to rest completely and solely on Jesus Christ.

So here’s a challenge to you worship leaders and team members.  Redirect your focus. It’s not about YOUR skill, it’s not about YOUR talent. Are you truly worshiping Christ with your talent? Or are you deceiving yourself thinking your sacrifice has been acceptable to the Lord when all along, you’ve been carrying bitterness and a heart that is tainted by an attitude that this is YOUR ministry not God’s?

¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:16-17 (NKJV)

-Ben Abu Saada

Choosing Worship Songs: Determine the Message

Previously during this little “mini-series” of posts, I’ve talked about the direction of the song and whether it’s horizontal or veritical.  We’ve also looked at the whole issue of musical styles in worship.  Another HUGELY important aspect of selecting worship songs, is considering the direction of the message your pastor is assembling.

What’s the Message?

Each Sunday I try and make sure to listen to the message, if I can’t focus on it each week due to other duties during the service, I try and download the audio file from our church website.  Take time to talk with your pastor about the state of the flock and listen closely to what the needs are for him and for your church.  The things you hear will help determine what message the church needs to sing about each week. As you serve as worship leader, you begin to learn that the role of a worship leader is to serve the church  by supporting the vision God has given the Sr. Pastor.

When I assemble the “worship set” on Sunday, I usually set the list of music before me, pray, then begin searching for the appropriate songs for the message that week.  Some Sunday’s require more songs about God’s grace, while other weeks may be a time to praise God for his faithfulness.  Is this Sunday a week needed for music that directly addresses the Lord?  Or is it a week to dwell and meditate on the truth of God and His nature?

So this is just another step in choosing worship songs.  Praying about the needs of your church and pastor are key in determining what songs need to be sung to support the message.  My next step is determine the flow of the service.  Gets a little more technical.  Hopefully this is not too boring.  I know it’s not thrilling, but hey, it’s just a snapshot of the whole worship assembly process.  If you have any ideas or thoughts, I’d love to hear them!

Originally posted on August 4, 2005 on Ben’s blog at BabuLife.blogs.com

Episode 49: Interview with John Mark McMillan

This week on the All About Worship Podcast, Ben and Wisdom talk about their recent experience at the National Worship Leader Conference, hear your feedback and talk with our field reporter, Mandy Thompson. You also hear Wisdom’s retaliation for Ben’s “ID10T” comment on the previous show. It’s true…one of Ben’s many dreams was to one day become a rapper. And on this episode, we quickly find out why that dream never came true.

Quick Links
WorshipPlanning.com – Please check out our AMAZING sponsors who make this little podcast possible. Tom Metz and crew have a fantastic resource available for all you worship leaders. Stop by and check try out WorshipPlanning.com today! Check out their new Twitter handle: @worshipsense

MandyThompson.com – Visit Mandy’s website.

Mandy on Twitter – Follow Mandy.

TheJohnMark.com – John Mark’s official website.

The Medicine – Get the John Mark’s new album on iTunes.

How He Loves Us – Link to the single on iTunes.

John Mark on Twitter – Follow John and keep up with what’s happening in his world.

All About Worship on iTunes – Visit us on iTunes and PLEASE leave some feedback! The smart folks at iTunes deleted our page by mistake recently along with all the listener reviews we had. We would greatly appreciate your leaving a review!

WorshipRetreat.org – The next All About Worship Retreat is on the calendar and space is limited to just 65 attendees! Early Bird Registration ends soon.

Giveaways

We are doing two big giveaways!

1. A FREE Registration to the Forge Conference. Sept 30 – Oct 2, 2010 in Ocean Grove, NJ.

2. A FREE Registration to National Worship Leader Conference East. Oct 5 – 7, 2010 in Lancaster, PA.

Just leave a comment on the shownotes for “Episode 48: Darrell Evans Q&A” to be entered to win. Deadline is Aug 18th.

3. Free music! Don’t forget, during the month of August, visit our blog once a week you’ll have a chance to win free CD’s!

Contact Us

Follow AAW – Follow our tweets for regular updates and news.

Like AAW – Join our growing number of friends on Facebook.

913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.

Thanks

We want to say a BIG thanks to WorshipPlanning.com for sponsoring this episode. Start your 30 day free trial today. Be sure and follow them on Twitter at @worshipsense right here or find them on Facebook.

Thank you to Integrity Music for letting us play a clip of “How He Loves”! And HUGE thanks to John Mark for sharing his heart and time with us on the show!

And as always….THANK YOU for listening!!!!

Listen

Check us out on iTunes. Feedburner. Or stop by our Archive page and listen in.

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