Podcasts / Devotionals
Game Theory: “How To Stay In The Game” | Podcast Ep. 216
For the Long Haul...
COMPANION ARTICLE
The Misconceptions of How to Stay in the Game
Branon Dempsey
2 Part Article Series Below
As a Worship Pastor or Leader, do you struggle trying to keep current with all of the changes happening around you? You're not alone. We all face tough questions that influence us to change. What if I’m no longer relevant? What if I can’t keep up? What if I cannot be more effective? What if I lose my job? Learn from these misconceptions below - how not to quit early, but to stay in the game - for the long haul.
You may find this coming soon article helpful, “Eight Simple Rules To Keep Them Engaged” In it, I will outline some guidelines to strengthen the logistical side of leading worship. The more I think about leading worship, it’s even more critical to strengthen our longevity for ministry.
Because I have devoted a lot to this topic, it’s broken down into two articles. The one you are reading The Misconceptions… and the other, The Conceptions of How to Stay In The Game.
Besides being a musician, I love sports. I’m not a guru of players and points, but I love watching the games. For example, in watching basketball, you will learn a few things about the longevity of shooters. Great players work hard at the fundamentals. On the court, they utilize space, technique, strategy and best of all, they learn how to focus on a few good things, not many at one time.
For those of us in ministry, we are often tasked to do too much at once. When we struggle to balance everything, we end up falling down on the court. The idea of ministry, sports, career —anything really, is not to survive just to outlast, but to thrive in order to succeed. See this Article by John MacArthur
Neglecting Your Health: Ok, why start with this one? Because if you deny your physical health, it will eventually erode your mental health and drain your spiritual well-being. In our Weekend Workshops, I always teach the fundamentals of having a long-life in ministry: rest, exercise and diet.
There is no need to work all hours of the day and night to succeed – you will simply end up bleeding. Psalm 127.2 reminds us: “It is useless to get up early and to stay up late, eating the food of exhausting labor— truly he gives sleep to those he loves.” If you can't get seven to eight hours per night of sleep, try taking a 20 minute power nap. What helps me is going to bed at 9 p.m. and waking up at 4.30 a.m. It's rough I know, but if you go slow and adjust your sleep time a week at a time, you'll find your sweet spot. Your sleep is the number one essential your body needs to function on a daily basis.
David also knew the value of working smarter, not harder.
Exercise is your next essential fruit. You need to have a physical outlet such as walking, running, going to the gym, or even a hobby or a sport. Do you skip breakfast so you can catch an early lunch or try to hold-out all day? The body needs to metabolize at least every two to three hours. When you skip for too long, everyday activities are affected by lack of focus. This leads a person to becoming “hangry”. A good way to keep your anxiety and stress in-check is to eat small healthy snacks and 3 main meals throughout the day.
Working Harder: I used to think if I just work more hours or if I take on new projects, then others will see that I’m indispensable. Over my time in ministry, I have found this not to be true. Sure, if you work more you might accomplish something, but where will this bring you in the end? Will you be running ragged, too distracted and tired to lead your own people? This in itself can lead a person to be unstable in their position. Your leaders will question your focus and decision making, no matter how much zeal you may have. Our friend Ron Edmonson has a great word to say about this for younger leaders.
“Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good; impatience will get you into trouble.” – Proverbs 19.2 GNT
Chasing Songs: There are a plethora of songs, but it doesn’t mean you need to try all of them. You need to stick to what works while learning new songs as you go. But be careful; increasing your church’s song catalogue does not increase your longevity at the church. It just means that you become a good jukebox or playlist. In other words, your skill at song selection doesn’t keep you at the top, it’s your character and personhood that keeps you there.
You will always have music, but you won’t always have people. So how are you making the most of it?
Pleasing Others: How does it feel when you have that one person come to you with a question, that’s more than a simple question? If you say no, you're subject to ridicule. But should you say yes, you become subject to their rigidity. I have learned – and still practice – that #1 : You cannot make everyone happy. #2: No one will ever be happy. You must do as God calls. There is a way you can allow people to have input without allowing them to roll-you-over. This point alone is worth its own article!
Taking Risks: While looking over your shoulder, you will never be good at taking risks in two areas: #1: If you take a risk without weighing the consequences (how it may affect others). #2: If you take risks, but are always afraid of what others may say. Dream up and plan the idea – make sure it’s coming from God (Ref. Prov 19.21). Seek out others to hear your ideas and get a base of consensus. Next, try out the idea in small steps and seek credible feedback from others you trust. Otherwise, if you are taking a risk just to do it scott-free, it may cost you dearly. Also, if fear is holding you back, then it’s no longer a risk you are taking, but something that could potentially jeopardize your decision making.
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Article Section 2 of 2 Series
The Conceptions of How to Stay in the Game
Ministry is not Survivor island. “To Outwit, Outsmart and Outlast,” does not guarantee a win. You want to finish strong, but what is the game plan to help you get there? Let me offer some techniques I’ve learned from God’s play book.
Date Your Spouse: The more this area is a priority, the more value I give to my wife. As in my Pie & Wine video podcast, I share about how we shoot the kids off to bed at 7pm! If I cannot nurture my marriage, what am I good for? So, where do you start? Keep it simple, make it sincere. Seek, plan, and do the things your spouse enjoys and make the moment about them. We love watching “The Sound of Music,” maybe corny for some, but I love doing what she likes. As quality time grows, so do the safe boundaries you create and the intimacy you share. Additionally, 1 Timothy 3:5 makes it very clear of our responsibility of home and ministry.
Don’t Quit on Monday – don’t allow the negative short-falls to knock you off your game. You have to learn to roll with the punches. If you are constantly living life (and the last service) in the rear-view mirror, you become a distracted driver, and eventually you will crash. Keep this in mind: just because something bad happened, doesn’t mean you throw in the towel. It’s too easy to quit. Think about Jonah, he too thought it was wise to quit, but it almost costed him his life.
You have to place logic over emotional reactions. Once you can label the problem and identify a way around it, you remain calm and in control. Basketball players don’t make every free-throw shot, they just keep practicing for the next one.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Ever had your day interrupted by someone or something? How do you feel when it happens? Don’t take it personally. Don’t over dramatize. Don’t magnify the problem. Setbacks are always going to happen. How we work through it makes all the difference.
There’s two natural responses to daily-life encounters: fight or flight. Either we “fight,” meaning that we hit the problem head-on; or we “flight,” flee to avoid the problem entirely. Truth be told, most people choose to flee rather than fix. Have you ever seen someone throw up their hands in the air, motioning that they are giving up? I’m sure you heard a person say: “I’m outta here!” These are expressions of a flight response.
A fight response is to look at the problem more closely and resolve it. It doesn’t mean you’ll have all the answers. It simply means that you’ll be able to face it with confidence and humility. Learn what you can from the situation. Once you develop good grounding, you can go about fixing the issue. At times, this can be easier-said-than-done, but the more you de-power a situation, the less power it has over you.
Increase Your Brain / Learn New Things: Learn a new hobby, or develop your skills in another area. When I find myself in a rut, I have to jerk the wheel. This may mean doing something completely different. You’ll be amazed of what you can apply to other areas in your life. I don’t always like the thought of gardening. However, once I’m outdoors, I find myself learning new things. As a result, I take pride in my work and watch it grow.
Ministry is not about doing things, it’s about what you learn and who it benefits. As I teach in our online courses at WTTU, I try to hammer-in this recurring thought: always become diversified in what you do, and how you do things for others.
“Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Mistake”: This was a statement made by Ned Yost, Head Coach of the Kansas City Royals as they went on to win the 2015 World Series. In short, they were challenged to enjoy the game and stick to the basics, rather than the mechanics. It was this revision of their strategy that helped them win the World Series.
You will encounter all sorts of mishaps in your journey. In our ever-watchful world, people notice the way you work-through problems. This is nothing new for us in ministry. Each worship service has its own difficulties, no matter if you are the leader or the volunteer. If you have children, then you are aware that they are always watching. People in general never remember what you do, kids ALWAYS remember how you did it.
One rehearsal, I encouraged my team to make it big if they made a mistake. You read that right. The philosophy is simple. If we can hear it, we can fix it. I can’t tell you the number of times when people have mess up, go silent and try to hide it under the rug. When this happens the issue goes uncorrected. A buddy of mine Tony Guerrero has said before: “when you don’t make corrections, you keep rehearsing the mistakes.” So, don’t be afraid to make the mistake in order to fix it.
In closing, take it all lightly. I say this: Ministry is too short, but life is long. You will always have work to do, but where will you be if you live your life exhausted and spent. Above all else, take time with God – daily. He nurtures our hearts as we feed ourselves from His word and dwell in His presence. We then learn the value of what Proverbs 4.23 tells us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Stay in the game, but also stay on the court. The Lord has given you victory over defeat. So, play well, live well and enjoy, for the long haul.
For more tips and sharing of ministry, join the Worship Team Training Podcast on iTunes
Branon Dempsey | PM Below or email: branon@WTTU.co
Copyright 2020 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training® All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com
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Author Bio
Branon Dempsey
Branon Dempsey is the founder and CEO of Worship Team Training and Worship Team Training University WTTU.co He has over twenty years of leading worship and teaching worship theology, music and songwriting for churches ranging from 500 to 5,000 members. He has had the opportunity to train and study worship at Maranatha! Music as well as some of the most well-known churches in the country, including Coast Hills Church, and Saddleback Church, where Rick Warren is pastor. Branon Dempsey holds an M.Div in Worship Theology and Worship Arts, along with a Bachelors of Music in Composition and Performance, along with an emphasis in worship leader training by Maranatha and Integrity Music. Branon is a devotional writer for Bible.com Youversion and selling author / teacher with Faithlife (Logos Bibles) for worship teaching and training material. WTTU exists to help individuals understand their personality, their learning style and their spiritual maturity, which, in turn, helps the individuals sharpen their quality development and gain the needed confidence to reach the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:10 and Philippians 3:14. Follow Branon: @BranonDempsey @worshiptt
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