The quantum leaps in multimedia technology have left many of us gasping for breath. As soon as we've mastered this piece of software, or that particular communication platform, the industry shifts again. Audiences are demanding higher quality and creativity, and many churches are struggling to keep abreast of the trends -- not to mention the costs -- of modern communications.

The sheer number of commercial publications on the subject bears stark testimony. According to the National Association of Trade and Industry Publishers, 327 communication-related magazines, newsletters, electronic bulletins, and other publications are released each month. These span the gamut from the very specific Powerpoint Pro, to the broader Today's Communicator.

Yet despite this sea of information overload, the average church technician, who's generally a volunteer with another full-time job, can have a difficult time finding affordable opportunities for training and education.

Here, at least, are a few options.

Some of the biggest, and most comprehensive, are the seminars, institutes, and on-line training academy offered by the International Communications Industries Association (ICIA). Through their well-rounded trade-show, Infocomm, the ICIA brings the leaders in communications technology together in a series of workshops geared toward the audio-visual and presentation professional. Called "Institutes for Professional Development" the seminars are intensive training programs designed to educate technicians, managers, salespeople, principals and other professionals in the audio-video/presentations industry. Topics cover a range of issues from installation and gear maintenance to presentation techniques and trends. ICIA offers the courses over a three to four-day period in conjunction with Infocomm, which, in the United States, will be held June 13-15 at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. Other seminars and workshops are held through out the year at the ICIA's facility in Fairfax, Virginia. The ICIA offers Institutes for Professional Development twice a year in the United States, once in Australia, and in Singapore. Training seminars are also held in conjunction with the other Infocomm tradeshows held in Japan, Germany and Singapore.

Recently, ICIA has also added an internet training program to meet the growing demand for global access. Online courses combine text and testing on the internet with video, graphics and sound on a CD-ROM. More cost-effective and convenient than site-specific classes, ICIA reports that their online academy is growing rapidly, and that accessibility to the internet provides unparalleled opportunities for growth.

On a smaller scale, but more targeted at the church technician is the annual Inspiration tradeshow and conference sponsored by Technologies for Worship Ministries. This event, which recently re-located from Dallas, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia, brings together church technicians and industry professionals for a five-day focus on communications trends in houses of worship. Workshop topics generally cover audio, video, lighting, drama, and theatrical production, as well as some broader-range issues like church planning, trends in worship, team-building techniques, and tips for finding, managing and training volunteers. The tradeshow, though small by Infocomm standards, still showcases an impressive range of industry professionals, manufacturers, and dealers. Perhaps the greatest advantage Inspiration offers the church technician is focus. Here, exhibitors and presenters have already distilled information to a concentrated package specific to houses of worship. You can get information about Inspiration at the Technologies for Worship website www.tfwm.com.

The Willow Creek Association -- the training division of Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois -- offers its annual Arts Conference. Here, Christian artists in every discipline, from graphic design to dance, music to technical arts, come together for four days to learn, worship, and fellowship. This conference is relatively small. Registration usually tops out at around 1,400. By the time the attendees split into seminar groups, it's not unusual for class sizes to average 10-15. This allows for intense hands-on training and Q&A with Willow Creek's very knowledgeable staff. Arguably, this conference offers an excellent gateway into technical arts for an entry-level technician. There are only two weaknesses of this event: first, all workshops are conducted by Willow staff. Though they are experienced and qualified, this arrangement limits the scope of what they can cover. And second, the technical arts are generally lumped together in one track. For the church technician who does it all -- video, lighting, sound, etc..., this is very helpful. But for the larger church, where it's not unusual to have specialists in each field, there's not much for your projectionist to do during the "Getting a Better Mix from Your Board," session. The worship time, however, is unparalleled, and the general tone of this event is more inspirational than informational. As with any conference, study the brochure carefully before you decide this is the best use of your money.

The U.S. Institute of Theater Technology's (USITT) annual trade show and conference, and the larger Lighting Dimensions (LDI) exhibitions are geared toward theater professionals who want to see the latest in lighting, special effects, staging, video and audio. Both offer a wide range of workshops a church technician would find helpful. There are two primary differences between these events. The first is size -- the LDI expo is about three times the size of the USITT event. And the second is thrust. LDI is geared to industry professionals, while USITT is oriented toward academia. Though there is crossover, certainly, at both events, an attendee who must choose between one and the other will want to be aware of the differences. The seminars at USITT, because they are geared for students as well as working professionals, are more accessible to an entry-level learner. At LDI, seminar attendees will range from the fairly experienced to the extremely experienced, and speakers will gear their presentations accordingly. You can find USITT on the web at www.usitt.org and LDI is found at www.ldishow.com.

For audio-specific training, Synergistic Audio Concepts or Syn-Aud-Con has been doing it since the early 1970's. They promote themselves as "The Leader In Audio Education" and few would argue that assertion. Based in Greenville, Indiana, Syn-Aud-Con holds a wide range of seminars for beginners to experts both at their home base, and across the country. For more information, visit them on the web at www.synaudcon.com

The other source in this resource category is the wide range of online courses available. Some courses are offered by manufacturers and provide specific information on the use and maintenance of their gear. These courses are usually offered free, and can be found on manufacturer websites. An interesting new player in this field is technologycourse.com -- housed on the web under the same name -- offered by former All Pro Sound executive Chuck Walthall. Most long-time players in technical ministries will recognize the name. In addition to being a system design consultancy firm, Walthall's own venture, Walthall and Associates offers online training at his web site. Primarily, the site offers audio-related courses, though Walthall has plans for expansion in the near future.

While you are online, go to www.churchsoundcheck.com and join the online discussion group. The Church Sound Check Listserve is provided be Taipale Media Systems and its principle, Curt Taipale. This forum offers the advantage of near-immediate response to questions. Those who may respond include church tech-team members from all over the world, plus equipment dealers, contractors, consultants and manufacturers. Besides hosting the online discussion group, Curt Taipale is also an author, he conducts church-specific technical training workshops and operates a full-service systems consulting firm.

Next on the list are the many publications for information hungry technicians. Although listing them all is well-beyond the scope of this article.

Also, make a point of checking the websites of your gear manufacturers. Many of these sites have user bulletin boards or email loops which offer end-user advice on the idiosyncrasies of specific equipment. Usually, you can find a downloadable copy of the user manual -- in case yours got lost or ruined -- and updated information on new equipment and developments. Where applicable, there are downloadable upgrades. Lists of links to other helpful sites are also common.

While you're on the web, take some time just to browse. Pick a good search engine -- www.dogpile.com -- searches up to 20 different engines at once -- and see what turns up. If nothing else, you're almost guaranteed to find that piece of gear you really need and had no idea even existed.

Lastly, contractors, consultants and equipment dealers from all over the country are holding their own training seminars. It's likely that one is occurring this year within driving distance of where you are right now. Most are equipment manufacturers support these events both financially and by sending personnel. So you are likely to get some direct contact with a variety of industry professionals. They are as interested to learn from you as you are to learn from them. That is why it is important to develop relationships with a number of contractors in your region. If you've not done so already, pick up the phone. Soon you'll have a network of contacts from which you can learn and stay informed about seminars and educational events in your area.

Neesa Hart is a professional production consultant, and currently resides in Stafford, Virginia.  She writes scripts, builds sets, acts as stage manager, costume designer, and jack-of-all trades.  She has extensive set design experience in regional theater.  Nine to five, she's a professional writer. Neesa Hart can be reached at "neesa@infi.net."