Whether you are in a church of 30 people or 3000, technical issues which arise during worship services can be a sore spot in the relationship between a pastor and the sound/tech leader in the church. Depending on the size of your church, this person might be a sound board operator or the technical director of a large support staff. What makes matters even worse is the fact that with any technological innovation adopted in a worship service the probability and sometimes magnitude of potential problems rises as well. Without proper planning and support you can unknowingly be setting up your technical director for failure. Here are a few things that you can do to help be a support instead …

Check-In With the Technician Before Each Service
Take some time before the service starts to speak with him/her about such things as the service order, worship elements they will be directly responsible for, special vocal presentations being made, etc. Use this time to make sure that you are both on the same page when it comes to service. If last-minute changes need to be made, be sure you allow adequate time to communicate these changes. Walking up to them with a major adjustment only two minutes prior to a service will likely leave him/her in a panic state as they frantically try and make needed changes. If you cannot meet with him/her the week prior to the service and absolutely must make same-day changes try and get with them at least half an hour before service time to share these changes.

Stick With the Plan as Much as Possible
There is a proper place for flexibility and freedom within the flow of a worship service, but try and keep to the pre-determined plan as much as possible. Nothing upsets a technical director as much as not knowing what is happening on stage (and thus not being able to determine what he/she is supposed to do next). Build trust with him/her by respecting their position and work and not veering frequently from the plan. Then, when the need arises to steer off-course a little this can take place with minimal stress.

Share the Burdens
Be willing to share the load with the technician when problems arise. These issues are no fun for anyone involved and it can be difficult to struggle to quickly fix a problem with a sea of eyes staring in your direction. If these issues are becoming frequent and are directly attributable to the technician or someone they supervise, discuss such problems with the individual privately, not publicly. In the midst of such issues try and see the important support role they perform both in the worship time and in presenting your messages.

Take Him Out for Lunch
Realize that most of the time technicians only receive attention when things go wrong. Working from an underappreciated position for any length of time can be taxing on even the most good-spirited person. Show your appreciation to him/her by taking them out to lunch, dessert, or coffee, when appropriate. You may alternatively want to give them a gift certificate they can use to treat themselves on your/the church’s behalf. Regardless, try and schedule a regular time that you can meet with them to discuss the present and future of your worship times.

By taking a few moments to put into practice some of these tips, you will be well on your way to being a tremendous support for your sound/tech leader.

Chris is a freelance writer and graphic artist based in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is the founder of re:IMAGE Design, a web design and graphics firm which provides consultation to churches, specialized graphics/web design, and resources such as their re:VIEW worship graphics collections. You can visit his website at www.reimagedesign.com.