MxU

Balancing the Boundary

When I started working in the entertainment business it wasn’t long before I was getting all kinds of crazy opportunities to travel, see the world, and learn to develop production skills from some of the best people on the planet. All that time I never gave a second thought to any kind of personal boundaries or limits. I prided myself on being the guy who was ready to rock on to another adventure day or night. Passport-current, Amex-ready, bag packed, ready for that next big phone call—let’s do this! Mind you, I’m not knocking this kind of lifestyle. I’ve taken part in some awesome moments and it’s definitely allowed me to gain some experiences I might not have had otherwise but I’ve been going at this same pace for almost 28 years. 28 years of that 24/7 mindset is hard to lay back from. But I’m a little older now, maybe a bit wiser, and, well, maybe I’ve just quit caring as much about the adrenaline rush like when I was 20. Finding a way to keep some balance in my life seems to be a much more worthy quest.

A Healthy Heart

The Bible is very clear that the heart is the key to living a healthy life.

5 Things I Want My Production Team to Know (A Worship Leader’s Perspective)

1. I Care About You

This should be a given, but unfortunately, in the age of production orders, systems, and deadlines we can all be guilty of trying to get the job done without asking how those that serve along side us are really doing. Making an effort to lean in and listen will often mean the difference between going through the motions in our services and being connected on a life and friend level that brings about a much deeper work than surface accomplishment. One of the practical ways to do this is by connecting together as a team prior to rehearsal or run through. Set aside 10-15 minutes to celebrate and give thanks for each other’s joys and pray for and carry each other’s burdens. Over time, these real relationships will be a well of authenticity to draw from that will add meaning and purpose behind the songs and the journey in which we’re leading others. Our praise can be a celebration of real team stories and our petition can be a response to our real and present needs. The more we care for each other behind the scenes, the better cared-for our attendees we serve will be.

Who Am I? Part 2

So Now What?

How does this realization change our attitude toward leadership? Here are three ideas for how we move from the button-pusher mentality to the instrument-for-helping-people-connect-with-God mentality.

What Are Standard Operating Procedures for Church Teams?

Let’s Talk Standard Operating Procedures for Church Teams

If you’re a member or leader of a church production team, worship team, kids ministry, the cafe, or really wherever… it’s important to have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place. SOPs help to ensure that your team is working smoothly and efficiently. They also free your team leaders up from answering a million questions during set-up and service, while providing consistent standards of quality regardless of who is serving.

Is it Stress or Burnout

Working with church leaders, I hear the topic of burnout quite frequently. Am I burned out? What are the signs of burnout? How do I prevent it from happening to me? What boundaries do I need in place? I’m so stressed out; I think I’m getting burned out.

Woe Is Me: Fighting The Poverty Mentality in Production

There probably isn’t a technical director anywhere in the country who has everything they want. All of us, in one way or another, want something more.

Managing the Chaos of Christmas

Well, Thanksgiving has passed, and now it’s time to get your team ready for Christmas. In fact, the first Sunday of Advent has already come and gone. Hard to believe! For some, this season is an execution of careful planning. For others, it’s a white-knuckled-hold-on-for-dear-life trip that won’t end ‘til Boxing Day. All of us at MxU Coaching have felt various degrees of this tension, and would like to offer some encouragement. Wherever you find yourself on the stress spectrum, our hope is that you can find time to lead your team well. Let’s use these reminders to keep us all on track with the why behind the what, so we can avoid some chaos this Christmas.

3 Things People Assume About Tech Leaders

Sometimes tech people get a bad rap. We are behind the scenes, stealth-like servants who really just want to do the best job we can with what has been given to us. But we are also usually introverted and don’t like conflict, so we avoid it until our backs are against the wall or incredibly stressed out. With that come a few stereotypes that I wanted to try and dispel.

10 Things You Need to Say “Yes!” to Right Now

We’ve all heard that tech people have the reputation of saying, “No!” all the time, right? Well, I think that’s an unfair stereotype. I think most of the people responsible for technology are the ones who end up saying, “Yes!” more often than not. We say, “yes,” to almost everything we are asked to take care of, tech related or not. Whether it's because we love to serve, or we’re afraid that people won’t like us if decline to help, saying “yes” is how we get involved in projects that are either not really in our job description or just plain time wasters.Those of us who believe we have healthy boundaries can still be missing the boat on things that really matter. That’s why choosing the right things to give your “Yes!” to is so important.Here are ten things that I think we might consider saying, “Yes!” to in order to make our lives and our ministries more meaningful.