I write some stuff, then just hang onto it and post it later, for various reasons. The last post is a good example of that, I wrote that weeks ago and just now got around to posting it and it was the last one in my reserve, so now it’s time for some fresh material I guess.
I made a point in the last post that I forgot about and that has to do with relationships within the church. There can be a lack of understanding between leadership and technical people.
For clarification, leadership is a vague term that means different things in different churches, it could be the Sr. Pastor, administrative pastor, elders, deacons, the single individual that influences the direction of everything in the church etc. Likewise, technical people in the church could be the tech director or sound guy or numerous other titles.
So apply the above for how it is in your church, but the point remains the same. There needs to be a certain level of trust between the 2 parties. Primarily, the leadership needs to trust that the technical person(s) will make wise decisions and handle things responsibly so that technology is integrated seamlessly into the fabric of the ministry of the church. (Man, that’s a mouthful!)
Ok, great, so maybe that’s an obvious observation, or maybe not, but it is a reality and the bigger question becomes ‘How does a technical person in the church earn the trust?’ In real terms, how does the sound guy convince the leadership that the sound booth needs to be in the main sanctuary instead of in a room behind the back wall, even though it will be clearly visible and will take up valuable real estate? Leadership’s view may be that we can’t take out those seats to put all of the equipment there, partly because it is not attractive and partly because we need the seats. Of course, the technical view is looking at it from the technical side of the issue.
The reality is that the leadership has the final say in this kind of thing, but the level of trust in the technical person will determine the outcome.
- No trust = sound booth behind the back wall
- Trust = sound booth where the trusted sound guy says it is best so the sound is well balanced
How is this trust earned? It’s really no different than earning trust in any other kind of relationship. It takes time, it might seem to go slow, but that is what it takes. Don’t expect to go in and turn things upside down and fix all the problems you see all at once. Listening is key. Listen to what the immediate needs are, discuss these needs, learn the history of the technology in the church. That in itself could be fascinating, such as what steps have led the church to where they are today.
The idea is not to fix everything at once and it’s also not to bring in all new cutting edge technology. Whether you are paid staff or volunteer, you are a servant and this is a ministry. Build the appropriate relationships and listen to the needs. Maintain a servant attitude.
To be continued….