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Each of us are only aware of things that we’ve been exposed to at some level. A fire suppression expert will walk through the shopping mall staring up at the sprinkler systems and detectors. A writer/editor will notice every misplaced comma. Everyone else is blissfully clueless, including volunteers (and even paid staff) who put together and run overheads and oversee elements of a worship service. These folks typically have no idea of how to assemble everything into a smooth, flowing experience for the congregation. Anybody who’s been in theatre or some related aspect of show business understands concepts of transition, stage placement, cues, timing, and so on. The rest of you simply don’t know the concepts, but you can learn. You just have to know what to look for.
As someone who ran a music and AV ministry for over twenty-some years, I saw myself as a stage manager each week. I would ensure each team member knew what was going on, what they needed to do at precise moments in the service, how we would transition from one element to the next, and many other details. When should the worship team step down off stage after their set? Immediately? During a prayer? Do we want them sitting there during a baptism? When do they return for the closing song? When do the kids go up front for the children’s lesson? After the hymn is done? During the last verse? All of this results in a certain flow, or lack thereof, for the experience.
When exactly does the AV person hit the next slide button during a song? Yes, it matters. Too soon and it’s jarring. Too late and we can’t sing the next line. There’s a natural timing, a rhythm that you need to strive for. And there are lots of other examples, but the point is that you need to learn what you don’t know. You need to know that this makes a difference. No, hardly anybody out there in the room is aware that this is going on. They can just feel that something works better. Or not. Mediocrity is too often our default level. But it costs nothing to step this up, offer a more professional service experience, and thereby improve the end result for everyone in the room. Take the time to pay attention. Think about little details. Look at those slides and ask whether they’re spelled correctly, are they centered, are they formatted in a way that follows the text and phrasing, is it even a nice looking slide? Don’t settle. Christ doesn’t want mediocrity, any more than your boss does.
It matters.
Want to help your team learn more about running sound for your services? Mixing for God is designed specifically for volunteers to help understand procedures, terminology, and how to build a quality mix.