Volunteer for Duty Churches call for volunteers all the time – a need for host homes for the DiscipleNow, or more adults to chaperone the Kid’s ministry event, or just someone to serve potatoes in the Church Supper line. It goes on and on. But, often worship ministry leaders take the position that we are […]
Ministry Altitude Sickness – By Mike Harland
I “enjoyed” my first experience with altitude sickness on my first visit to Colorado. Being a native Mississippian, I had never been exposed to the altitudes of the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver. Within a few hours of arrival, I had a headache and felt like I was going to pass out with a few […]
Fighting the Urge to Flee – By Mike Harland
Unfortunately, it’s the kind of conversation that seems to happen from time to time. A church leader will just need someone to talk to and as God allows it, the conversation will unfold like this… It begins with a description of a truly difficult situation in which the leader feels the urge to flee – […]
WorshipLife Podcast #42 – Personal Ministry Leadership in a Digital Age
http://media.blubrry.com/worshiplife_with_mike_harland/p/ministrysites.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/worshiplife/EP52_WORSHIPLIFE.mp3Podcast (worshiplife-comfeedworshiplifewithmikeharland): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS Today’s WorshipLife Podcast features Mike Harland and Brian Brown talking about challenges ministering to people when, in this day and age, technology is pushing us further apart. “You have to keep the intentionality of relational ministry and leadership at the forefront of what you’re […]
The Secret Sauce of Communication – By Mike Harland
I have a friend whose oldest son serves as a Navy Seal. Early in his career as a Seal, he told his dad, “I’m going for additional training to become a Communications Specialist.” His father inquired, “Why?” And the warrior son replied, “Because there is a Communications Specialist on every mission. I’ll get […]
When Status Quo is the Best Thing to Do – By Mike Harland
Churches that are searching for leadership in their music and worship ministry can feel a great deal of pressure to make a decision. After all, Sunday comes around every week. Phones calls are made, references are checked, videos are shared and viewed, and church leaders feel a self-imposed urgency to fill the role. Not so […]
The Bottle Pen at Roger’s Supermarket – By Mike Harland
Saturdays were crazy at Roger’s Supermarket. And back then, many customers brought in their empty soft drink glass bottles for a nickel refund. We would store them in the bottle pen, sorted by brand until each individual company came to claim them. Someone – usually a part-time, sack-boy like me — met the customers, received […]
Gaining, Training and Retaining Volunteers in Music Ministry, Part 4: Appreciating Volunteers – By Dale Bleam
For a period of seven years, I was extremely proud to be a firefighter at our local volunteer fire department. Most people are aware of the incredible risks, hazards, and life threatening circumstances firefighters face every day. Yet, we had 60 men actively serving along with a lengthy waiting list. We had more volunteers than […]
Gaining, Training and Retaining Volunteers in Music Ministry, Part 3: Training Encourages Volunteers – By Dale Bleam
For a period of seven years, I was extremely proud to be a firefighter at our local volunteer fire department. Most people are aware of the incredible risks, hazards, and life threatening circumstances firefighters face every day. Yet, we had 60 men actively serving along with a lengthy waiting list. We had more volunteers than […]
Gaining, Training and Retaining Volunteers in Music Ministry, Part 2: Clear and Impactful Vision – By Dale Bleam
For a period of seven years, I was extremely proud to be a firefighter at our local volunteer fire department. Most people are aware of the incredible risks, hazards, and life threatening circumstances firefighters face every day. Yet, we had 60 men actively serving along with a lengthy waiting list. We had more volunteers than […]