EM: So then, where do we get volunteers involved in larger concerts and events?
LG: Volunteers are great and really necessary for many positions in the church. However, you must be careful about relying on a strictly volunteer ministry to operate and maintain the church’s technical aspects. There should be practicing and trained individuals covering each of the key areas of production in sound, lighting and video.
Underneath those paid heads, you can build a network of volunteers who are learning from professionals. I would even suggest putting a program in place where they receive regular training from those professionals.
Once they pass a certain level of competency, they can be rewarded with incentives such as a nominal amount per service or day worked to cover their gas expense and to show them appreciation for their dedication, commitment and service. Small gestures like these will help elevate the proficiency of your technical arm of the ministry as a whole with little expended. Think about it…
EM: What would you say directly to those volunteers?
LG: Volunteers, take it upon yourself to learn the gear and software that your department uses and study on your own. There are tutorial videos on everything. Consistent learning will keep you in the game and up to date. It can also put you ahead of the pack so one day soon you may be able to step into paid positions in churches or perhaps even join the professional audio industry ranks.
Sometimes we in the technical ministries of the church have to deal with less than optimal situations because someone else is in charge of the purse strings. Let me also say a few things to the heads of departments. Keep providing professional insight and counsel. If you remain professional, tell the honest truth in love, and are an ear for the church’s vision, you will reap the reward in the end.
We’re there to see the ministry go forth, and the technical branch is the road on which the message travels on. Sometimes the government can only afford to patch the potholes temporarily, but one day they may come through and redo the entire road the correct way. They wanted to do it all along, but true growth and progress takes planning and time. Keep your head up and serve in humility with both the church and the artists when they arrive.