Born out of an unconventional youth ministry that was developed during the 1970s by South Park Church in Park Ridge, Illinois, Willow Creek Community Church is arguably one of the most influential contemporary Christian organizations in the United States.
Boasting over 100 ministries, Willow Creek is indeed a large church, but being big isn’t the organization’s ultimate goal. Instead, those at Willow Creek are focused on reaching out to one another and the community, through the formation of small groups that enable individuals to further their spiritual development and cultivate solid, longterm relationships.
Through the Willow Creek Association, the church also has a mandate to reach out to other churches. Established in 1992, the organization hosts conferences and training events aimed at churches, church leaders, and ministries who, according to the WCA, “hold to a historic, orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity.” Over 9,500 churches across the globe are WCA members.
At its campus in South Barrington, Illinois, Jill Gille is, in a way, the technical director for all technical directors. With a music degree from Webster University, plenty of hands-on experience, and lots of support from her husband, Chris Gille – who is also on staff in Willow Creek’s technical ministry – Gille oversees eight technical directors who are organized into ministries such as the children’s ministry, and youth ministry).
As one might expect, Willow Creek’s roster is jam-packed: every week, the church holds services on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings and evenings, and Sunday morning. Often, several different services are running at the same time, in an effort to address Willow Creek’s varied ministries. “On top of that, we could have a conference going on; 5,000 people could be here for three days,” Gille explains. “I have to weigh out what we can and cannot do, based on the time we have and how much is going on.”
Willow Creek is in the process of constructing a new facility that will continue to support the arts in the church. “It’s a dream that we got to do this,” she says. “Just the size of the stage, the video screens, backstage...we don’t have a real green room here – it’s the hallway. Now we are going to have a real room with windows and big bathrooms. We have rehearsal rooms – which we have never had. We rehearse in people’s offices. It’s a whole new thing for us.”
Recently, CPM had the opportunity to speak with Gille at length about her philosophies on technical ministry, and what it takes to be a good technical director. While she emphasizes that technical directors must have a good working knowledge of today’s audiovisual technology, she noted that they must know people as well.
CPM: What is Willow Creek’s outlook on technical ministry?
Gille: We look for a current way to present the gospel. We always try to be excellent at what we do, but we don’t want to be noticed. We want to be very supportive and out of the way – it’s a balance all the time. How big should the video screens be? Well, big enough for people to see the image, but not so big that they are distracting. We are constantly dealing with that balance.
CPM: What is your average workweek, in terms of hours?
Gille: We expect people to work for about 42 to 45 hours. There will be longer weeks than that, and then we will go back and we will make some replenishment time for ourselves. We work really hard at trying to keep people balanced. We have two days off a week, and they are paired together. Some people work Wednesday to Sunday, and some people work Monday through Friday, and have Saturday and Sunday off. We find it’s really important to have two days off in a row.
CPM: What is your favorite part of the job?
Gille: It’s hard to narrow down. There is definitely a variety [of things to do] so I am never bored, because there is always something new. I really like to help people with the process, so not only do we do an event well – we have fun doing it. I do a lot of overall staff management for 35 people, and help them look at their schedules, and spreading out the workload.
CPM: What do you find most attractive about technical direction?
Gille: I really like directing the rehearsals for the services. It’s challenging, but we have producers that when push comes to shove, they are the ones that make the final call and I like working very closely with them and having a good friendship, so that when things get heated or intense, we get along and we are not arguing. I really take pride in the relational side [of the job].
CPM: What is your least favorite part of the job?
Gille: I guess it would probably be conflicting values. I will be going along one track and thinking that it is the right one, and then it’s inverted because there is another event or change. So I come to a screeching halt, and I have to switch over [to something else]. I don’t mind multi-tasking, but it seems that sometimes we get things started and then we have to do the next thing on the list, and we don’t get to finish.
CPM: What is the most important thing that you have learned in this role so far?
Gille: Everyone is different. There is no cookiecutter way to lead everybody. Not everyone is like me – which, of course, is a good thing – but it is challenging because I have to lead people in a way that might not work for me. I am a self-starter; I don’t require micro-managing. But if I have someone on my team that needs, or would like, to be micro-managed, I have to learn how to micro-manage.
CPM: What does it take to be a good technical director?
Gille: I think that there should be an average knowledge of all of the disciplines. They need to know a little bit about audio, lighting, video, and staging, and be willing to learn more as time progresses. If our video system gets bigger or we get new equipment, the technical director should learn about it and understand enough about it to lead the people who are operating it. If the technical director doesn’t know how to program the lighting board or what it takes to design lighting, then, when they are telling the lighting director to do something that is not possible, the lighting director loses trust in that technical director. The technical director needs to understand all of those worlds. They [also] have to have relationships with people outside of the technical world – producers, pastors, and music directors. They must be willing to sit down and get to know them. They have to be as relational as they are technical; if it’s just about the equipment, it’s not going to cut it.
CPM: What is your advice for girls and women who wish to get into technical ministry?
Gille: Gifts are gifts. If a person has a strong gift of leadership, then they should develop that – no matter their gender. If a female is interested in the technical arts, then she should pursue it.
I find that if I just work hard at my job, I’m like the others. I don’t think about being a female and the differences (if any). I work hard to grow my gifts. I try to surround myself with the right people. I know that seasons come and go, and that means my circle sometimes needs to change.
It’s a good idea for a female to learn trades she doesn’t know – to be able to use power tools, understand the basics of lumber, and how to tie an assortment of knots. It’s clear to me: pursue, absorb, grow, learn, be teachable, and surround yourself with accountability and truth.
CPM: Where do you think technical ministries are headed in the near future?
Gille: Nowadays are a lot of churches out there that are trying to bring their technical ministries to the same level as their music and drama [ministries]. I still hear a lot of complaining [from technical people] that they do not get along with the worship leader, or they don’t have any money. A lot of it has to do with the technical ministry not knowing how to represent their needs. We look at ourselves as artists. One of the things that I avoid is becoming just a support team, where we are the ones that set up the microphones and do what everyone tells us to do. We are part of the team: we are part of the meetings, we are part of coming up with solutions, and we work much better when we are asked if something is possible versus being told what to do. The leadership has to agree on that, and I think that value is being raised around the world.
CPM: What other advice do you have for your counterparts at other churches?
Gille: [I say to myself] I did my best today, so I am going home to be with my family now, or have some replenishing time, or go read a book or go to the movies. I am a workaholic, and I have been recovering from that for years. I know enough about myself that I [will say,] ‘If I just worked four more hours, I could get caught up.’ I know that is a lie – I will never get caught up. So I do my best. I work really hard when I am at work, and then I leave and walk away. I have learned not to feel guilty, because I used to feel guilty. I try to do the things that have to be done, and then I walk away. I think God honors that, and He shows up and does miracles with that, because it does get done somehow.
Carolyn Heinze works from her office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (carolyn@churchproduction.com).
