Too often, I have found, a volunteer comes on board simply believing that are there to fill a role, an open space- not to actively engage in leading worship and helping to shape a moment between God and man. Production needs to be another arm holding the door open into the Throne Room, just like those on stage. A person running ProPresenter is doing so much more than just clicking a button at the right time- and I try my best to let my team know that as often as possible.
Recently my supervisor and I sat down and crafted a method to process. What started out as what I and he felt were the most important elements of my job- turned into a detailed process that we have begun rolling out in the Fellowship Greenville Next Gen Department.
These might not all work for your team- I work in Next Gen, from children to teens, and my team is made up of a lot of students and early 20s. But feel free to take and use these however you will!
1. Create experiences for spiritual growth
The reason we do what we do is Jesus. Plain and simple. Everything we do points to him and everything we do comes from him. Our job- and our goal- is to create environments that cultivate spiritual growth- that encourage spiritual growth. If a person walks away with no better view of Jesus- but the service was excellent- we missed the point.
Our environments create atmospheres of comfort. Whether that be from the tech booth- on stage- or welcoming kids as they walk in- we want a child or teen to feel comfortable and to lower their walls. We want them to see Jesus around
2. Build teams who understand the why and how behind the experience
Teams are at the center of number one. The way we held cultivate that environment is through our teams. In tech- I want my teams to understand why we do what we do. And the why- ultimately- is Jesus. We want people to see and be changed by Jesus
3. Build strategic processes that have clear expectations of quality and excellence
Our God is a creative God. We, as image bearers of him, are creative as well. We should celebrate creativity.
Exodus 25:8-9 says, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.”
God cared so much about his tabernacle that he gives 6 chapters to the details! And if he cared that much- then he obviously values excellence- of doing the best you can with what you have.
Are we seeking perfection as our goal? No. We are seeking
If our best is low quality- then as long as it’s our best- it’s beautiful to God. But if our best is the highest level of excellence and we don’t prepare, if we don’t care about details- then we do a disservice to God and we show we don’t care about what he cares about.
4. Research age appropriate cultural relevancy
For me, I work in Next Gen- so what is culturally relevant to our students is different than what may be relevant to your members (you can read a post I wrote about relevancy here).
My personal goal is to help students see Jesus in their everyday; and we do that by utilizing their everyday. And so I utilize modern songs- both worship and occasional cover songs- to drive points. I utilize modern lighting and relevant props.
And here’s where I want to challenge you. A Lot of us get all of our ideas by searching sites like this one, looking at what other churches have done for certain topics. Don’t stop! It is a great tool for learning what works, but if the only place you look at are places like this, I will be honest- you aren’t researching what is culturally relevant or age appropriate. For students- I need to know what culture is pushing in front of them- so I stay up to date on award shows, on pop culture, and on Disney/ Nickelodeon and what is being marketed toward teens. I learn how the world is addressing my audience, and I find a way to speak that language. When I can speak the same language as them- whether that is in song choice, stage design, or overall feel of the room- I open up a door for Jesus to shine through.
As Ed Setzer
says,
“The message of the gospel is unchanging, but we may change the ways in which we present it….. Jesus Christ is the only hope for any country in every era. Our honor and joy is to participate with Christ in evangelizing the not-yet believers in effective ways.”
5. Dream and mature within your craft
Lastly, I have to dream, and learn. I want to constantly get better at what I do- learning new techniques, new skills, and new ideas. I want to constantly bring new ideas to the table.
Because when I bring new ideas and techniques to the table, I can research age appropriate, culturally relevant ideas. When I do that, I can build strategic processes that have clear expectations of quality and excellence. When I do that, I can build and empower teams who have understand the why and how behind the experience. When I do that, our team creates environments that promote spiritual growth.
That is our process- and I hope it helps.
