Love it or hate it, there is a good chance your tech support is a necessary component of your weekend services. You could deliver the best message, second only to the sermon on the mount, but if your microphone is feeding back the whole time it won’t matter. The need for the tech team to do good work is important to your weekend services. This is true whether they are purely volunteer or a paid group. Let’s get plugged into leadership and see the one thing you should avoid if you desire this team to thrive.
I do not think I need to continue to make the argument that your tech team is an important team. I hear more often than I’d like to that people are always short on tech team members. If you would like to take a deeper look at things you can do to build this team, please check out this article. But there is one thing that all pastors, worship or preaching, need to avoid at all costs. The avoidance of this one activity will go a long way in keeping this team firing on all cylinders.
It’s not poor communication with the team – though this is very important. It’s not expecting them to make $2,000 stretch to $100,000 – though having realistic expectations are also very important. It is not even touching the sound console – although it is important to understand the console is like someone’s personal comfy chair (sit in it, but only if invited).
Have I strung you on long enough?
Pastors, never, under any circumstances, or in any way, should you complain about your team.
I know you have worked hard preparing for Sunday morning. You have spent time going through each word, chord, and part in your brain.
But the tech team is putting the work in, too.
In the moment, the tech team is performing a series of mental gymnastics. They are not only thinking about what is needed at the moment, but they are also thinking about what is coming up next, all while trying to ignore the 100s of pairs of eyes and ears that are evaluating every move they make.
Think of how you feel when someone comes up to you after the service and points out how they didn’t like your 3rd point. You try not to take it personally, but you would have liked everyone in the room to think that was your home run point. Now imagine if everyone in the room stood up at the same time and complained. It would cut deep. This is the same feeling that your sound tech gets when you point out their error in front of family and friends.
And not only are you offending the person on the soundboard.
When you openly complain about the work people do for your service, you are also giving the public a negative impression on how you treat your workers. This, in turn, creates an immense deterrent to potential volunteers. Most people avoid negative feedback at all costs, so in the same way, it is highly doubtful they will sign up for it. If you have created a habit of calling out the tech team from the stage, you are dooming it before the words leave your mouth.
Remember:
Luke 6:45
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
No one is perfect, and chances are the team is more aware of the problem than you are. Calling them out is not helpful. Instead, love this team with affirming words as much as you can. Affirm them in private and from the stage. Build them up by coaching them. If you enjoyed this post, Pastors, 5 Ways to get the most out of your Weekend Tech Team might be a great next read for you.
Plugged into leadership 