Free Plan, Ministry Leadership, Worship Leading

(How to) Stay In The Game | Branon Dempsey | Part 1 of 2

July 7, 2020

Don't let 
the game 
play you.
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.

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Great players work hard at the fundamentals. 
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. 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
Be steady

Step 1

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Be real

Step 2

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be clear

Step 3

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Your Life

Step 4

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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!

Resource Link

Ron Edmonson Article

You don’t ever get to a point in life where you’ve learned everything. You get better at some things. Okay, lots of things. Obviously, wisdom and experience has its benefits. But, regardless of your age, if you’re doing anything productive you’ll learn something knew everyday.

Read
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.

Part II Continues in Next Related Article Below

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 

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Stay In The Game (Part 2)

Ministry for the long haul is not built on a myth, but on real conceptions that can save your ministry life to stay in the game (Article 2 of 2)

Read This Post

RELATED VIDEO: Game Theory

When it comes to your ministry, are you walking in the full, or running on empty? You must do these 10 sure things that can help you stay in the game for the long haul.

Read This Post

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    About the Author

    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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