THE HOW-TO FILES: Production Team

Tips on How To Build and Develop a Dynamic Church Production Team

Production and Technology are some of the most challenging areas in church and team to grow and develop. As my friend Todd Elliot says, they are the FILOs - first in and last out. They are the behind-the-scenes people whose work is often only acknowledged when things go wrong. The ones who open and close the buildings, who are there before the band arrives, and pack down well after the service, event, or day is over. In our team, we called them the Levites… and saw so many similarities to those tasked with the packing down and set up of the Temple as Israel traveled across the deserts for 40 years. They can be your greatest asset and the ones who dream, innovate, and set the tone for services. To be honest, in church...

We just can’t do it without them!

Recently I was talking to a friend about how to do better in this area, and together we had a conversation that yielded a few great ideas that I thought we would share in today's Rhino Journals.

1. When recruiting a new production team…

• Go looking - Look outside the square and beyond the obvious for new team members.

• Invest time and attention into people - they often don’t come ready-made.

• Instill musicality - Ask your bass player (or a musician with a good ear) to do a block of time with the audio team to help increase the musicality of the production team.

• Architect the team you need - Great teams happen deliberately by design.

• Ask for help - Ask the Worship, Creative Pastor, or Campus Pastor to help recruit - hopefully, they know the people in the church and can offer ideas of who could be ideal.

• Be a culture builder - Take responsibility to help build, gather, motivate, and energize the culture.

2. Forge Relationships.

Relational leadership is often underrated, particularly in areas where people are esteemed for “getting things done.” If you are that kind of leader, can I encourage you to find some pastoral people and surround yourself with them to help carry the weight of the team? This is an area of church life where care may have been neglected, and relationships are deemed not as important as the end product. Still, my experience has taught me relational equity goes a long way in producing better results. So…

• Foster trust - Help the production and worship teams to trust each other.

• Build open communication - help people understand each other’s languages (more about this next week).

• Allow for two-way feedback - Let the band give audio feedback, and also allow the audio team to provide the band with feedback in a healthy, positive way. Make room for pre and post-service briefings and constructive conversations.

• Push for health - create the kind of environment that is affirming and kind. Don’t get caught up in the pressure of the service. Never react in a manner that undermines the confidence and trust of the production team. So much can go wrong and may need attention but think about how and when you will address these things ahead of time.

• Consistency in preparation matters - If your team does well midweek with preparation and getting ready for the weekend, then what they do on Sunday morning will reflect that.

• Treat the team like people, not robots - Invest in the production team. Know who they are, their spouse, and their children's names. They are whole people, so know what they think about where they work, and what they like to do with their mates. Make time for lunches where you pray for your team. Make Bible studies or connect groups a priority, and always remember to send specific “Thank you” texts to honor the commitment and esteem their contribution.