Greg Atkinson

On April 1st of this year, I celebrated one year of service and ministry at the Forest Park Carthage Campus as Campus Pastor. I can’t even begin to share with you all I’ve learned and all God has done this past year. When I arrived a year ago, the church was unhealthy, struggling, morale was low and attendance was around 200. God has moved, I’ve made some key changes (including hiring new staff) and we are seeing a lot of momentum. Morale is high.

On Easter of this year, I challenged our people to invite people in their circles of influence to come to church. I wanted us to break the 400 barrier because we had been averaging around 350 people. I told them if we broke 400 on Easter, I would let them shave my head and give me a Carthage blue mo-hawk (our high school’s color). Our new worship pastor said that if we broke 500, that he would get all his hair shaved off. Guess what? We shattered my goal and had over 500 people on Easter – so both myself and my worship pastor got our heads shaved live in front of the congregation the following week after Easter.

I could share stories of life change and the baptisms that I’ve been able to do that are very special and meaningful to me. I could share of how God did a miracle to allow us to purchase a new building for our campus (right in the heart of town – there is no better location in the city) and how we’re renovating it and plan on being in for the Christmas season this year.

I could share of going on a mission trip to Kenya last summer and Haiti this Spring and preaching at our sister church there. My life has been forever changed by seeing third world countries first hand.

I could talk about after having been a student of multi-site churches for years, I now have a year’s worth of experience of seeing under the hood of a multi-site church. I could share of the lessons I’ve learned of being a Campus Pastor – how that transition from 17 years of worship ministry experience has gone. I could talk about the inner workings of a multi-site church and how God used multi-site to allow our 160 year old Baptist church to get younger and reach a different demographic and region by adding modern worship satellite campuses.

I could share about leading my staff, serving on our overall church’s Lead Team or Executive Team and creating a Leadership Team at my campus (including learning the lesson of asking someone to serve on it too soon after arriving and then later having them step down after their true colors showed – then adding new trusted and proven people to our Leadership Team).

So many lessons, so many memories. I will share more soon. I promise. I just wanted you to know what God has been up to over the last year. It has flown by and for those of you that have followed my blog for several years and seen my frequency of posting dwindle down – I think you know how swamped I have been with diving into a new position. My writing for here and other websites and magazines has taken a back seat to my role as a pastor, but it was necessary and needed. I love my church and I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us over the next year of ministry.

I close every service with the following prayer from Ephesians 3:20-21…

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Each year I talk with worship leader friends around the country and find out what they are jamming to this time of  year as they prepare to lead worship in December. Of course, Chris Tomlin’s album “Glory in the Highest” is great. At my church last year we did some songs from that as well as some Christmas originals from North Point.

This year there’s new Christmas music from David Crowder Band and Matthew West, but what I stumbled across through an app on my iPad called Discovr Music is Jadon Lavik’s new Christmas album. I love it and I think you will to. This is my recommendation for you to consider checking out this holiday season. Let this album and his arrangements inspire you to take your December worship in a fresh, new direction. Happy holidays!

I’ve known Pastor Steven Furtick since he was in high school in South Carolina. He was a passionate leader in a local youth group when I was in college at Charleston Southern University. His church that he planted a few years ago has exploded to over 8000 people in worship.

Their band and worship music is amazing. Here’s a taste of how they opened their services this past weekend. Worship leaders: This is the kind of creativity and innovation I’m looking for. This is what I mean by breathing new life into an old hymn. Watch and enjoy! HERE is the link in case you having trouble viewing on my blog.

I’m absolutely loving life in Southwest Missouri! I know I’ve neglected my blog over the last 3 months since I started my new role as a Campus Pastor at Forest Park, but it was a sacrifice that I had to make to keep my sanity. With settling into a new city/moving, new job, the tornado/disaster relief and the work of ministry – it’s been all I could do to occasionally blog for our church’s website and even that has suffered. I hope to get back to regular updates soon.

So, I’m putting together my team here in Carthage, Missouri – a great small town about 15 minutes from Joplin (where the Tornado hit and where our original campus is). Carthage is a unique and special small town (population 15,000-18,000). You can drive 15 minutes to Joplin and have a variety of restaurants, shopping and movies, but we have our own Drive-In Movie Theater on the original Route 66! Pastors at our church get a free annual pass to the Drive-In and all Carthage High School football games in the Fall. Football is big here!

Carthage is also home to Marian Days (currently going on this week. You have to see it to believe it). It’s when 70,000 Vietnamese people come to town and congregate for a week. There are tents and people everywhere! Carthage is also home to the Maple Leaf Parade (happening this October), which is the largest parade in the Midwest and will feature 50,000 people – again we’re a town of 15,000. In the late 20th century, the town began actively courting tourism, emphasizing its history (the Battle of Carthage, Victorian architecture, and Route 66), as well as its proximity to the Precious Moments hotel and store, along with the popular country music destination Branson, Missouri. Did I mention Carthage is also the home of the Precious Moments Park and Chapel, a tourist attraction with paintings and oversized depictions of the popular porcelain figurines? Come visit and I’ll take you on a tour. We are in what’s called the Four States Region of the country and are a short drive from Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, Branson, Arkansas, Kansas, etc. We’re just 6 hours from my old home in Dallas, TX.

So… I’m slowly building my team. Over the last 3 months, I’ve put together a lay Leadership Team. I’ve increased our Student Pastor’s time and pay and I’ve hired a part-time Kids Pastor. Now, for the next crucial step for our campus, I’m looking for an amazing and dynamic Worship Pastor to join our team.

Before I dive into the questions I have for you, let me mention that if you or someone you know is interested or looking for a worship position, please have them contact me. My church email is grega@fpbc.net. You can check out our church website at www.ForestPark.tv (please know we will build a new website in the future) and on Facebook. Forest Park is a dynamic and vibrant church in the Four States Region that is doing some very innovative things here in Southwest Missouri. We’re the only multi-site church that I know of here and we are what’s called a Pacesetter in the Missouri Baptist Convention – that means we’ve baptized over 100 people in a year. Our Senior Pastor has been here 15  years and we’ve baptized over a hundred people each year for 15 years – that’s over 1500 people! We’ve already baptized over 100 people this year and it’s August. That’s a lot for our part of the country. I say this because you need to know that we’re highly evangelistic and have a huge focus on outreach and evangelism.

I think I offer a unique perspective as a boss, Campus Pastor and friend to a would-be Worship Pastor at our campus as I’ve spent the last 17 years in worship ministry, producing worship experiences, serving as a Worship Pastor, Creative Arts Pastor, Tech Pastor, Director of WorshipHouse Media and consultant to some of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the country. I’ve had the privilege and honor to consult with some amazing churches, including Outreach Magazine’s Fastest Growing Church in the Country last year (12 Stone in Atlanta). I’ve also consulted and helped churches where Lincoln Brewster, Shane and Shane, Desperation Band/Jon Egan and the lead singer for Building 429 were leading worship. So, I know and have seen worship and the arts done on a high level and I have a true appreciation for what a Worship Pastor does, as well as a heart for worship. I’m a worshiper and when you lead worship at our church, you will look down and see me worshiping and focused on God (not my notes). All that to say, if you want to work for someone that “gets it” – give me a shout.

For the rest of you: What questions do you ask when hiring a Worship Pastor? I have some thoughts, such as:

• What is your definition of worship?
• Describe what worship looks like and why it’s more that music.
• What does it mean to live a lifestyle of worship?
• Do you have a theology of worship?
• Do you have a personal mission statement?
• Explain your call to ministry.
• Explain your specific call to be a lead worshiper.
• Have you studied at a Bible college or seminary? (this can be both good and bad – as far as seminary)
• Do you have a good grasp of the Bible, theology and consider yourself to be of sound doctrine?
• We are a Southern Baptist church with a non-denominational feel (we don’t use “Baptist” in our name and brand ourselves as Forest Park) – however, are you baptistic in your beliefs and in agreement with Baptist doctrine? (This is important to both me and our Senior Pastor)
• Do you play an instrument? Do you lead from an instrument?
• The Bible instructs us to “play skillfully.” Do you work at your craft? Do you exercise your voice and practice your instrument daily?
• How often do you introduce a new song?
• Do you write any of your own songs?
• Do you arrange songs? Do you arrange old hymns and breathe new life into them occasionally? (We don’t do a lot of hymns)
• Can you chart out music for your band? Can you listen to a song on the radio or iTunes and chart it out by ear?
• What are some of your musical influences?
• What are you listening to in your car, office and iPod?
• Can you coach a band and get the most out of them?
• Do you know how to give professional musicians direction?
• Do you know how to give weak or poor musicians direction?
• What are some of your core or favorite songs these days?
• Who are some of your favorite Christian songwriters?
• Who are some of your favorite non-Christian songwriters?
• How familiar are you with media, tech (sound, video and lights)?
• Are you comfortable and competent recruiting and building a team of musicians?
• Are you comfortable and competent recruiting and building a tech team? (We have a Multi-site Tech Director that will train people you recruit. You just need to find them.)
• Flat out: Are you a team builder?
• Are you an equipper or a doer?
• Can you work hard and play hard?
• What are your hobbies?
• Do you have a sense of humor?
• Can you handle pranks?
• Are you engaging in worship and do you connect well with people from the stage?
• Do you engage and connect well with people off the stage?
• Can you administrate and schedule musicians and tech team members weekly?
• How far out do you plan?
• How would you describe your abilities when it comes to creative worship planning and brainstorming?
• Do you plan worship in solo or are you a part of a creative planning team?
• Are you more creative or administrative?
• Are you a people person?
• Are you in a small group?
• Could you lead a small group?
• Would you disciple your worship team and volunteers?
• Are you comfortable in a multi-site environment (most of our teaching is done via video)?
• Have you taken the StrengthsFinder2.0 test? If so, what are your top 5 strengths?
• What are you top 3 Spiritual Gifts?
• Are you looking to settle down and invest in a community for a long time? (This is important as we’ve had some turnover in the past and our church needs some consistent leadership)
• Have you read the book Simple Church? Are you familiar and comfortable with the “Simple Church” philosophy? At Forest Park, we worship, grow and serve – that’s it. No musicals, no Passion Plays, no choirs, no orchestras. SIMPLE.
• Are you passionate about reaching the lost?
• Are you comfortable with an externally-focused church?
• Read through the 3 Lost Parables in Luke 15 and share with me what you think God was trying to get across about His heart for the lost.
• Will you do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ?
• Are you a team player?
• Do you have a strong work ethic?
• Are you driven? What drives you?
• Are you an intentional and strategic leader? Explain.
• Do you have a mentor?
• Do you mentor anyone else?
• How long have you been leading worship?
• Do you get pure joy in leading people into the Presence of God?
• Are you a Mac or PC person?
• Do you use tracks?
• Are you comfortable playing with a click?
• Explain your struggle with pride. I ask because I’ve yet to meet a pastor (Worship Pastor or Senior Pastor) that doesn’t struggle at least a little at some point with pride.
• Do you struggle with porn?
• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What would your wife say is a weakness for you?
• What are the last 3 books you read?
• Who are some of your favorite authors?
• Do you know who A.W. Tozer is? Have you read any of his work?
• Who are some of your favorite preachers?
• What’s your favorite movie?
• What’s your favorite sport?
• What makes you laugh?
• Who is the greatest boss you’ve ever had and why?
• What conferences do you go to?
• Who do you think are the leaders in design today (name companies that have a strong brand)?
• Who is your personal favorite worship leader?
• Why are you looking for a new church?

These are just the first questions that popped into my head. What are some questions you’d add? What did I miss? Help me out, friends.

Today, I want to introduce you to something that is fascinating, different and hopefully stretch and challenge to really think outside the box. Take a look:

You can’t pastor people from afar! Wait … can you? Most churches say that Small Groups are very important and strategic to their growth. Yet, when push comes to shove … they saddle the “Youth Guy” or the “Admin Pastor” to coach/shepherd group(s) in their church. Then, that poor guy who is saddled with two jobs … walks around feeling guilty that he stinks at both jobs and isn’t getting to his group leaders like he needs to.

Sound familiar?

You are not alone. Tons and tons of churches around the US … need a scalable small groups pastor model that grows with the church based on need.

MAG now offers Virtual Groups Pastors (both male & female Virtual Groups Pastors) to churches that need a scalable model of handling/managing/coaching small group leaders at the local church level.

MAG Virtual Groups Pastors serve the local church & church leadership … by meeting (virtual/remote) with small group leader(s) on a consistent basis and reporting those experiences. MAG Virtual Groups Pastors report to the Lead Pastor of the church with reports and “download calls” so that the Lead Pastor can now get a deeper sense of what is really going on at the small group level. Additionally, MAG Virtual Groups Pastors are available (eMail, phone, & text) to your small group leader(s) anytime in a “one-off” format … for questions, concerns, and coaching. Need help with a small group leader orientation? Lack visibility at the small group level? Concerned your small group leaders are not being coached well?

Make small groups REALLY work in your church! For more information (format, pricing, experience, & etc) on this innovative virtual service … please fill out the CONTACT US form … and they will set up a time to chat with you in detail! This service works and they have churches all over the US using their MAG Virtual Groups Pastors in their churches.

While turnover is a reality of “doing the business-side” of church … a church cannot afford to go any length of time without handling its payroll or financial records properly. A third-party firm that you can trust can eliminate risk and exposure due to staff turnover. One thing as a church leader that you do not want to mess up is payroll.

At a time when the IRS and other government agencies are looking more closely at non-profit organizations, it is essential that your church is constantly meeting all legal, accounting, and taxation requirements. Being a good steward of your resources your attendees expect … also means that you and your church remain in regulatory compliance.

Have housing allowances? Want to be paid via direct deposit? Need to see an accurate pay stub? Is your church reporting the necessary forms to the government on a quarterly & annual basis? Need to send out W-2(s) or 1099(s)? Stressed yet?

Need help? Go HERE.

Need a bookkeeper? Current bookkeeper leaving? Can’t find an accounting report on Budget vs. Actual? Are you on top of your cash flow? Need financial oversight & counsel? Balance Sheet is not balanced? Going to a 2^nd or 3^rd campus and need help scaling your bookkeeping?

Emerging churches of all sizes (and larger ones too) often struggle with the cumbersome duties associated with bookkeeping. MAG works with churches that are pre-launch to in excess of several million in annual income/budget. MAG Bookkeeping performs bank reconciliation, accounts payable, and produces financial statements … all in an effort to reduce the possibility for fraud or mishandling of funds and bring you peace of mind. While leveraging significant technology, MAG eliminates the risk of inconsistencies in record-keeping. Our ministry-minded team knows church finance inside and out.

MAG Bookkeeping offers objective perspectives that produce insights which are vital for a church to reach its potential. We assign a team of outsourced bookkeepers, which costs you less than hiring a part-time bookkeeper on staff. Imagine reducing your staff costs and not needing to lead/develop another staff member.

Want more info? Watch a short video on MAG Bookkeeping HERE.

Hello and welcome to MAG week on my blog. I had the pleasure of breaking bread with Bryan Miles about a month ago and I was fascinated to learn of what a resource they are to the local church. I thought I would take this entire week to tell you all about the Miles Advisory Group.

You should know up front that MAG is not a sponsor and is not paying me to say this. I’ve always tried to be a resource to the Church by telling you all of resources available and that’s what we’re going to do this week. Today we’re going to focus on the bread and butter of MAG and that is their MAG EAs. Let’s dive in…

Do your voicemails need answered? E-Mail inbox blowing up? Staff and attendees need your time? Calendar out of control? Have time to prep for your next message/series? When is the last time you posted to your blog? Need to travel somewhere? Feel the stress yet?

Many churches have the need for a qualified, professional Executive Assistant (EA) to support a senior-level leader, such as a Sr. Pastor, Lead Pastor, Campus Pastor, and/or Executive Pastor but cannot find or afford a full-time person. A virtual/remote EA represents the Pastor, so it’s a position that requires poise, discretion, confidentiality, and exceptional people skills. In addition to the clerical, reporting, and administrative duties required of an assistant, an EA job description also typically includes a working knowledge of the leader’s duties/habits/preferences, so as to be able to effectively schedule the leader’s calendar and time. MAG can help.

MAG recruits and vets highly qualified, responsive, skilled EAs to work in a remote/virtual capacity. We staff an EA specific to your church based on the types of duties they will need to perform. The EAs can work with your church as little as 5 hours a week, or as many as 40 hours a week, with most engagements averaging 15 to 20 hours a week per Pastor.

I’d just like to add that no one would ever know where your virtual EA is located. To the outside world/congregation, it would appear that she lives in your city and is a true part of your church’s staff. She, her phone number (with appropriate area code) and email address, would be listed on the church’s website and no one would know that they are talking to someone in Atlanta that is working for a pastor in Texas. Pretty cool.

To keep up with and get to know the MAG Group better, check out these links:

• www.milesadvisorygroup.com – main website
• www.MAGsays.com – blog
• http://www.youtube.com/user/MilesAdvisoryGroup – MAG’s YouTube site
• http://www.facebook.com/MilesAdvisoryGroup – MAG’s Facebook site
• www.twitter.com/bryanmiles
• www.twitter.com/shannonkmiles

As I said in my last blog post, children’s ministry is key to having and creating an irresistible church. It’s one of the big 3 things that I look for as a secret shopper (First Impressions, Children’s and Security). I should also mention I’m a dad of 3 elementary aged kids, so how your Children’s Ministry comes across is huge to me.

When I visit churches, the three things that I must see and look for are… Is your Children’s Ministry clean, safe and secure?

Let’s look at each of the 3 things every children’s ministry must be:

Clean

Germs – every church has them. However, if my kids consistently comes home sick from church, I’m going to catch on and not return. One of the best practices I’ve seen many churches do is to place hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the building and in every classroom. This is wonderful.

When I say “clean”, I don’t just mean germs. I mean neat and well-kept rooms. If a room is messy, dirty and cluttered, it gives me a bad impression as a parent and makes me want to take my kids out of the room or I sit in the worship service thinking about it.

Safe

Every room where children are and playground or outdoor area where children play must be safe. This is a pretty simple concept. You can’t have any jagged edges or rough corners, sharp objects that can poke out a kid’s eye, etc. If your room is not safe, I’m not leaving my kid. For parents that do leave their kid, they may not be able to concentrate and worship during the service because they fear for their child’s safety.

Even worse, God forbid something happens and a kid gets hurt – If your room was not safe and the accident could have been prevented, you and your church will be liable and could get a bad reputation. One single accident or accusation could lead to news coverage and bad PR for the church. Much worse – a child could be hurt or damaged for the rest of their life. Kids are precious and should be protected at all costs.

Safety also includes those that work with your kids. Every kids worker must go through a background check. Period. I was recently talking with a pastor that said none of their kids’ volunteers had been through a background check. I was disturbed and shocked. He knew he needed to change that, but I don’t think he’s moving fast enough.

Safety also includes that you are staffed properly and adequately. If I’m dropping my baby off into a nursery with one volunteer and ten babies, I’m turning around and leaving. Make sure you have a good ratio of kids to volunteers.

Safety also includes the view into the room. Many kids’ rooms have big windows that parents can look into. Also, most churches have windows in their doors or a half-door that allows people to see in, but keeps the children in the classroom. You don’t want kids wandering down the hall.

Lastly, always escort kids to the bathroom (same sex) and make sure they are not messed with, molested or kidnapped. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to stand and wait in a kid’s bathroom at a church that didn’t have proper security. This is a nightmare. We must protect our kids and do whatever it takes to see that they grow up without shame.

Secure

When I say “secure”, I’m mainly focusing on the children’s check-in and check-out procedures with a laser focus on their check-out procedure. You need to do whatever it takes to make sure that whoever is supposed to pick up a kid is the one that picks up the kid. I was just talking with a pastor the other day that had a divorced dad pick up his kids without the mom that had dropped them off knowing it. There was a lot of drama and it could have been avoided.

Security also means that every entrance and exit of the children’s area and facilities are covered with volunteers that only let parents in and out. I was just at a great church in California last week that had every single entry and exit covered and it was a beautiful thing to see.

My friend, Tim Stevens, has written about his theory on three growth lids. One of the growth lids that he says every church ought to keep an eye on is children’s ministry. Tim says, “If it looks like a child is entering a room that is too small, understaffed, or unsafe, then the parents will not return.”

Obviously, I look at the kid’s facilities, decor, atmosphere, curriculum, and what my kids think after I pick them up. Creativity goes a long way in children’s ministry and you can never emphasize enough how important that kids’ ministries are FUN. I want my kids to learn about Jesus, but also have the time of their life and love going to church.

These three things I shared today (clean, safe and secure) are just basic building blocks of a next-level children’s ministry and unfortunately, are often overlooked by some churches. If you will focus on the entire experience for your kids, including these three keys, you’ll have an irresistible children’s ministry.