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These days, nearly every church has volunteers, or at least one volunteer, serving in the tech area of their Sunday services. Some of these volunteers work with video, others run sound, and many of them run lights. In some churches, one person does all three of these jobs.

No matter the attendance of the church or size of the team, tech volunteers are super important.

This job is not about just being a button-pusher. It’s all about helping people experience Jesus by creating excellent, distraction-free environments. You set the stage, both literally and figuratively, for people to hear the most significant message of all time – the Gospel.

I’ve visited many churches and have met many tech teams. Some have had amazing production quality while others have been less than average. What stands out to me is that it’s not always the churches with the most expensive equipment that have the greatest production.

The best church tech teams are not made up of the best gear, but of the highest quality volunteers.

Want your church production to be great? Here are nine habits that I’ve seen in the best church tech volunteers:

1. They Show Up Early

Many people wait until the last minute to show up for their jobs. Great volunteers show up early and are prepared for the day ahead.

2. They Are Committed To Learning

There is no shortage of educational material on video, lighting, and sound. There are books, podcasts, blogs, and YouTube videos available for little or no cost. Thriving tech volunteers are dedicated to becoming proficient in their area.

3. They Work Well With Others

It doesn’t matter how talented you are if other people can’t stand to work with you. Be humble. Be kind. The best volunteers remember that they are only a small part of the body of Christ and depend on the rest for success.

4. They Look For Ways To Improve Their Area

No tech system is perfect and may require adjustments over time to better serve the church. Great volunteers keep an eye out for ways to improve and research how it can be done effectively and affordably.

5. They Honor The Vision of The House

A church tech team that looks great but doesn’t follow the vision of their leaders isn’t great at all. The best tech teams commit to following the vision of the pastor and turning his goals into reality.

6. They Stay Positive

Not every service will be a good, but there is something good in every service. You will run into problems, equipment will fail, and mistakes will happen. That’s okay! Thriving tech volunteers learn from their failures and remind others to keep their chin up.

7. They Take Great Care of Equipment

Tech gear shouldn’t be taken for granted. No matter what equipment your church has, God has entrusted it to your care. The best volunteers take the time to treat these resources right and maintain them well.

8. They Are Strong Spiritually

There should be a noticeable difference between a tech volunteer in the church and someone working tech in the corporate world. The Spirit of God is in you and you are called to do a special work. Thriving volunteers take this calling to heart and come in on Sundays already in tune with God.

9. They Look For Ways To Get Others Involved

I’ve saved the best for last, because it has the potential to make the most impact. The best church tech volunteers don’t try to do everything on their own, but strive to get others involved on their team. There is great strength in numbers and God will bless your work when you’re helping people get involved in ministry.

What Do You Think?

Are these principles something you see in yourself and in your tech team?
In what areas do you feel like you could improve?

Kendall Conner

What do you get when you combine production, design, and communications together with a passion for the Church? It turns out, this is the precise formula to make up Kendall Conner. For over 20 years, this Christ-led creative has been bridging the gap between media and ministry. In addition to serving as the creative pastor in his local church, he is the Chief of Operations for Church Motion Graphics, a ministry-focused design studio that serves thousands of houses of worship around the globe. Kendall specializes in equipping church media leaders and volunteers to utilize creativity in their services to share the hope of Jesus.

14 Comments

  • This is such a strong article Kendall! Love the balance showed here, it was on point!

  • Calvin says:

    I totally agree and this will be shared with friends and my church. Thanks Kendall

  • Ashley says:

    This is very helpful! Would love to know some of the training resources you mentioned!!! We work with students who have absolutely zero previous experience so we have been searching for tools that will teach them the absolutely basics! And especially tools that will help them learn sound quality, not just the technical side of it. Thanks!

  • Michael Danos says:

    Love this article and the encouragement along with kick in the butt it has!

  • John James says:

    Can you point me to some podcasts or books that fit your second point? Looking for some resources. Thanks bud.

  • John says:

    Great article, Kendall, thanks! For those of you looking for more info & resources Facebook is your friend :) There are some great church tech ministry groups out there where you and your volunteers can lurk, get encouraged, get inspired, get involved and learn heaps from fellow tech volunteers from around the globe (I’m from New Zealand btw). Here are a few of my favourites: “Church Sound – Media Tech’s”, “Visual Church Media”, “Behind The Mixer (Church Sound & Audio Group)”, “Church Tech Matters”, CRTVCOMMUNITY” plus lots more! Just do a Facebook search using these names & join the groups. You won’t regret it.

  • Jackie says:

    Another great article, Kendall. You’re always on point. These items can apply to any area of ministry, and I’ll certainly be digesting them (again) and sharing with our tech team. Thanks again!

  • Alvin says:

    Love your post Kendall! Really appreciate the difference you are making thru this site! Definitely an online Pastor! (: We are blessed from Singapore!

  • Jerod Togger says:

    Great article bro!
    I am super passionate about seeing Church’s keep the people first. I have seen far to many times, where people become a asset instead of a person.

  • Tim Eason says:

    Nice job!

  • Amina says:

    This is great to read. I’m praying and I humble myself so I can be all of these things.

  • Ken Stewart says:

    I love this post! Can I print & frame this post so it can be hung near our sound booth?

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