Sound Advice by Leon Sievers Sound Professional July 06, 2007
A Ministry for Worship - Part One
Ultimately, any sound system
is only as good as the people operating it. Their ministry is every bit
as valid as the music director, the instrumentalist or the choir member.
In reality, the effectiveness of the aforementioned ministries may depend
on the sound operators’ ministry. Therefore it is very important to provide
the same level of personal and spiritual attention to your technical staff
as you would any other church ministry, life group, etc. We all know
that a certain investment must be made in order to produce quality sound
in a church. However, it is not the value of the equipment that assures
the quality of the sound. It is the value the church places in its volunteer
tech or tech team that produces the desired end result. We often evaluate
the technical aptitude of the volunteer sound team but fail to consider
their spiritual gifts and contribution aside from their talents. The leader
of such a ministry may not necessarily be the most experienced technical
member. Whether you are just building the technical staff or already have
a team in place, it is important to address all aspects of this ministry.
One of the most critical
and often forgotten elements in any endeavor or quest, is the understanding
of clear direction or purpose. Without this key element, the focus of what
we do or why we do it can be confusing or even lost. The church's direction
and purpose is clearly given to us in the Bible. What about the Tech Team?
Is it important for us to have clear direction and purpose? The answer
is obviously yes!
Regardless of the size of
your team, whether you're going it alone or are part of a large team, a
statement of purpose is a must. The need for such a statement is especially
important for techs. This is because we have a tendency to focus on the
hardware and its operation instead of why we are serving. The purpose statement
keeps us focused on why we do what we do. It can be reviewed as conflicts
arise (often caused by major production stress) and serves as a tool to
get us refocused. This statement should be a formal document, developed
by the team, and should include three basic elements: a single statement
of purpose, statements of direction, and finally a biblical basis for ministry.
Building the bridge between music and audio teams
I sent this wonderful article to our audio team lead. It is so important that the worship leader and the audio team know that God is central to everything we do. We are learning together, with mutual respect between the music and audio ministries, ...more
Submitted by: Michelle Riley Jones Location: Washington, DC
Praise
Leon, great article. Yes, having clear goals and objectives is most important. Otherwise we are taking a journey without a map or compass. Please call or email when you have time.ClintonTrinity Acoustics ...more
Submitted by: Clinton Location: San Bernardino
Audio / Video Coordinator
Starting out and fairly new at this sound board and video system, I was impressed with your discription and value of your article. Thank you , it has given a brighter light to a sometimes thankless position.God BlessGary...more
Submitted by: Gary Ehrle Location: Belle Plaine, Iowa
Experiencing Worship, The Study
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
The Paul Langford Project
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.