Incubator Announces Simply Ministry Boot Camp

Simply Ministry Business and Marketing Boot Camp!

What stops you from aggressively pursuing your passion and dream for a Christian music ministry? If you're like most folks, it's the age old problem of money and exposure. Many artists are weak in areas like business, finance and marketing. The intricate and delicate balance needed between the humility of ministry and hard-line of business is difficult to define - and even harder to maintain. Consequently, critically important stuff is simply ignored or avoided. The result is a continual problem with a lack of money and a lack of bookings.

"Simply Ministry is absolutely THE most important date to book for your ministry this year."

Click here to go to Simply Ministry

But what are the real secrets to opening doors of opportunity and financial support for the early stage music ministry? Although the music industry has experienced a much needed shake up, most of the indie artist movement is simply attempting to work the exact same industry system on an independent basis. It's still the same business model. It didn't work for the majority of emerging artists when it was run by major corporations. It still won't work when an indie artist is in control (especially without the substantial monetary resources of a major corporation).

The early stage Christian music ministry seems to be immersed in an ocean of countless (and often pointless) Christian music seminars, summits, conferences, and talent contests. Most with all the same rehashed music industry material that simply doesn't work for all but that tiny percentage at the top.What about the rest of us? What about those who simply have a heart to reach people. Who are tired of all the hype and commercialization of music. Who simply want to follow the dream that God has given them and develop a part-time or full-time career with that ministry? The answer to those questions is Simply Ministry.

Simply Ministry is a concentrated Business and Marketing Boot Camp for Christian musicians and communicators. It is presented by Incubator Creative Group, a 20-year veteran music ministry incubator organization. Attendance at Simply Ministry is restricted to a small and elite group that is sincerely committed to the concept of music as ministry. To those who are also committed to treating their ministry vision as a serious and worthy enterprise. Attendance is by invitation only after acceptance of a preliminary application. Although Simply Ministry is a business and marketing bootcamp it has a decidedly "non music industry" focus. If you want to serve God with your musical talents and you don't want the tired old model of the music industry what you want is Simply Ministry.

Given the exclusive and niche focus of Simply Ministry, it will be the launching event for more sustainable music ministries than any other experience in the Christian music industry. Will yours be one of them?

So, What's Going On at Incubator?

Welcome to the Incubator Creative Group blog. Incubator is Christian music's only music ministry incubator company. Our mission is to nurture the early stage music ministry to the thriving level. As one of the 1,600+ business incubator's around the globe, we specialize in supporting our members and clients in the discovery, defining, development and deployment of their unique music ministry visions.

We've been at this challenging work for 20 years. Normally, we just quietly work away in obscurity (since that is one of our core company values). But, as a part of our big 20-year anniversary celebration, we thought a blog to let you in on some of the week-to-week work with our clients might be in order. We can't publish everything we're doing with every client, but we'll pull out some of the highlights. Hopefully, this blog will be an inspiring behind the scenes look at our ongoing work of "hatching good stuff" in the lives, hearts, and ministries of the dedicated artists that make up our family.

Tara Johnson Brings A Little Arkansas Love To The Great State of Illinois

I got a great report from Tara Johnson this week about her fun little mini-tour to Illinois earlier this month. One of the engagements she lined up was a connection through fellow Incubator roster artist, Darrin Thurman and his home church. That’s one of the cool things about the Incubator Creative Group booking system… the organic connections roster artists have and how they can be great starter branches for booking and ministry opportunities. It’s so fun to see Tara getting out there with her program. She’s put a ton of work into her ministry over the years and it’s finally coming to fruition. “I am so grateful for the opportunities that God has provided though Incubator,” Tara said. “Your direction, guidance and encouragement have been crucial to my music ministry. It is so exciting to see the work we’ve put in the past several years blossoming into a vibrant ministry – and it is pretty fun too!”

She went on to tell me more about the highlights of the trip. “I met some amazing believers and some people who were dealing with some very difficult situations,” says Tara. “While singing at Fountain of Life United Methodist Church in Buffalo, Illinois, a lady came up to me with teary eyes and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She told me that she was a perfectionist and a people pleaser, just like I used to be. She was seeking a way to find that joy that she used to having in walking with the Lord. Another woman came up sobbing and worried about her son who had just lost his job. We held on to each other and prayed together. That is the most satisfying part of my music ministry. Developing my talents as a musician and artist are a wonderful thing, and learning how to keep my ministry going with smart business decisions is important. But none is so precious as praying with someone who is broken, beaten down and desperate to feel God’s touch. Not only that, I get to meet some fun-loving people who love the Lord. I always head home filled with a heart of praise, laughter and thanksgiving.”

Tara Johnson and reports like these are why I keep at this crazy career of mine with Incubator Creative Group. She’s a perfect example of an artist who has put in the hours to treat her ministry seriously and is reaping the results. Watch for two brand new Incubator Records Sneak Peep singles releasing for Tara in the next couple months.

Tami Rowbotham
Vice President, A&R
Incubator Creative Group

Lisa Gallant-Seal Moves to Stage 5 of Stage Performance

I had a blast this week moving Lisa Gallant-Seal to the fifth stage of Incubator's "7 Stages of Stage Performance". Lisa is such a great songwriter and her vocals always warm me up quicker than a shot of Kahlua in my latte! I just love her organic and bluesy edge. At Stage 5 we make some initial decisions about the repertoire for the stage program. She's opening her set with "Fish Out Of Water" which is a perfect introduction to what's in store during the next hour. Her concert is shaping up to be anything but ordinary. And, "Changing Direction" in the center of her Message Block is a perfect fit to move to the core message of her presentation. Stage 5 also let us start seeing how all the hard work from the first four stages would sew together. Her program thread of, "Hindsight is 20/20" seems like the perfect fit for her unique story and program. It's times like this that I am so excited to be living out my calling with the company. Life inside the music ministry incubator is really rewarding when I see a program like this come together. Lisa and I are starting to dialog about a format for Performance Camp (Stage 7) in the next few months. I can hardly wait to get her out there sharing her story and music. She's gonna rock... on more levels than one!

Tami Rowbotham
Vice President, A&R
Incubator Creative Group