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Worship & Tech Series: Part 5

Learning about tech and the behind-the-scenes of worship can be a daunting process. If you’re looking to teach yourself tech in a small church, I want to share some fantastic tips and helpful perspectives to help you get started. Keep reading to learn:

  • The resources you should be taking advantage of
  • How to practice tech and why it’s worth practicing
  • 3 key challenges smaller churches face regarding tech
  • A perfect tip to help volunteers learn!

Why Practice Tech In A Small Church

Tech in a small church isn’t just media ministry, it is so much more than that. I’ve come to realize that the tech is often people’s first impression of not only the church community but also of God. We are creating the environment and space for people’s first experiences. This is such a beautiful thing, which is why it is worth practicing.

Tech leader, Matt Hernando, said “There’s nothing more that you could want than to see someone have an eternity with you,” and that’s so true. This is the goal! We are all, ultimately, striving to give people the opportunity to fall in love with God and give their lives to Him, in order to spend an eternity of love and peace with Him. To do this, we need to put in the time and effort, and we need to practice.

Utilize Every Resource

When it comes to small church ministry, utilizing every resource that’s available to you is so important. It’s also important to keep in mind, the resources that are available to you will vary depending on your location. For example, if you live in a bigger city, you’ll more than likely have stores like Guitar Center. 

Guitar Center is a great resource. They have an entire staff that is there to help you. They can teach you or your volunteers how to hook up equipment, balance your sound, and so much more. However, this isn’t an option for everyone.

Another way to learn tech in a small church, is by taking advantage of things like YouTube and Facebook. All of the information we need to know is literally and our fingertips. Whether you’re searching out blog posts or utilizing other social media pages, the internet has so much information for you to learn from. YouTube videos are a great way to start learning about tech. You can look up things like “How to connect an XLR cable” or even “What is an XLR cable”. There are so many tutorials out there and informational videos that can help you learn and understand the world of tech. 

Facebook is also such a great resource. There are Facebook groups dedicated to asking and answering tech questions. I would even encourage you to look into some of the secular tech groups too.

Practice Makes Practically Perfect

Be intentional about taking time before Sunday morning to practice. Familiarize yourself with the cables you’re using and the settings you’re applying to your soundboard. Taking this extra time not only prepares you for the upcoming Sunday, but it strengthens your confidence in the skills you have. It allows you to refine your skills without all of the pressure. 

Think about it. If you show up on Sunday expecting to learn as you go, you’ll be met with not only the pressure of trying to keep up, but you’ll always be worried about failing and making mistakes. You won’t get the opportunity to truly grow in your ministry. Sunday morning isn’t the time to practice, it’s the time to utilize your skill and knowledge while creating a safe, comfortable space for people to journey into their worship experience.

Keep in mind though, you can only prepare yourself for so much. There are a lot of uncertainties and variabilities that occur on any given Sunday morning. The power could go out, or a mic could be broken. However, if you prepare yourself to the best of your ability, you will have all you need to make each service practically perfect.

3 Tech Challenges That Are Unique to Small Churches

1. The Venue

So many churches struggle with having a venue. Some small congregations have to change venues every month. If you are renting a space from someone else, that often means that you have to set up your tech from scratch every Sunday morning. You can’t just leave it there and come back the next week because that building is used for so many more things like dances, sporting events, or even other local church services.

This also means that you run the risk of coming in on Sunday morning and opening the doors to a mess that was left behind by someone else. This is a big struggle too because you have to be accommodating to that venue. The setup and takedown of all of your equipment will take more time than if you owned the space. 

2. Your Vision

It’s dangerously easy to fall away from your vision of developing people and have your eyes set on talent. I’ve noticed, when looking for people to serve, I struggled with only looking for talented people. It’s so much easier to have someone who is fully trained and talented running your sound systems, even if their vision is completely different from yours. However, I quickly realized that’s not where my focus should be. I should be looking for people who not only want to serve, but are willing and have the ability to learn. It all comes back to developing people. This is how Jesus did it too.

3. Your Budget

I know that a lot of people think of their budget as a big struggle, specifically if you have a smaller church size. However, it’s so important to be grateful for what you have. Even if you don’t have a big budget, it’s better than having no budget at all. The focus should be on doing the best you can with what you have, rather than getting upset or frustrated because you can’t do more.

Keep in mind that people don’t come to Jesus because the microphones are great or because there’s a fancy new soundboard that makes the band sound fantastic. They come to Jesus because they can see the unity and joy that is flourishing within the body of Christ.

The Perfect Tip For Training Tech In A Small Church

Create a manual! Take the time to create a manual that contains everything a new volunteer would need to know about tech in a small church. This will take time, but it is so worth it. By doing this, it takes away the overwhelming feeling of having to know everything right away. This is something that they can constantly look back on as they are serving. They will be able to know, with confidence, that what they’re doing is going to work because they followed each step. This allows people to spend less time focusing on the things that others already know, and more time growing in your ministry.

Set Yourself Up For Success

Even though learning tech in a small church can be overwhelming at first, there are so many ways to not only make it easier, but to equip yourself with the tools and resources you need. All of the information you need is so easily accessible. Practice as much as you can, and remember that even though some things are out of your control, you can make the most of the situation by having as much experience under your belt as possible. 

Read More:

Different Ways To Worship God And Why They’re All Important 

A Guide To The 4 Best Texting Apps For Small Churches

Canva: A Practical Guide Through What It Is And How To Use It