Church techs are notoriously hard to shop for. After all, most of the gear that thrills them has a professional pricetag. Church Production’s Gift Guide for Church Techs offers 10 ideas to help you find something they enjoy.
Aerix Nano Drone
The drone your tech really wants has a giant price tag. What if you got them a “starter drone” instead? The Aerix Nano Drone is fun, and is a great way to practice flying skill before you invest in the real thing. At $30, you can get the hang of flying without worrying about losing your investment.
https://aerixdrones.com/products/axis-nano-drone-for-beginners
Amazon Echo Dot
For $50 (and two-day free shipping if you have Prime), you can add Alexa to your family. Alexa answers questions—like whether or not you need an umbrella. She adds grocery items to your shopping list, tells you a joke when you ask, sets timers and reminders, will play Jeopardy with you, and controls Alexa-enabled devices in your home. The Echo dot works the same as Amazon Echo, but without the speaker. (If you want to ask Alexa to play music, you may want to go with the full-size Echo for $99.) Add multiple Echo Dots in your home and you can “drop in” to another room and use the system as an intercom which can be handy if you’ve gone up and down stairs 30 times already that day.
Apple Watch
If your favorite church tech is a fan of Apple, consider getting the Apple Watch. Series 3 is now available which includes cellular capability and GPS. It’s an investment--$350. Series 1 just dropped to $259. Both watches will facilitate text messaging, keep your calendar, allow you to pay with Apple wallet, serve as a fitness tracker and become the remote when taking pictures on your phone. Hold down a button and Siri will help out. Our favorite feature? Pinging our iPhone when we can’t find it anywhere.
Chillax Air Sofa
The Chillax Air Sofa is impressive the first time you see it. To inflate, you simply shake it to fill with air, then it becomes a comfy outdoor (or backstage) couch easy to slip into while hanging out with friends or to catch a quick nap. Cost is around $60. (There are knockoffs which are cheaper, but the reviews for those aren’t great.)
Love Handle Elastic Grip
Has your favorite tech ever broken a screen because they were simply balancing too many things? Love Handle makes an elastic grip which attaches to any handheld device making it more comfortable to walk around programming lights or simply giving a more secure reach for a selfie.
MEL Chemistry Subscription Box
Get your favorite tech something they can do with the kids that they will enjoy themselves. (Who doesn’t love to mix things together and watch a chemical reaction happen??) MEL delivers 4–6 new experiments every month via mail.
The first month, you receive the starter kit ($50) which includes basic equipment, experiments and VR goggles. Each subsequent month you are charged an additional $50 to receive a box with science experiences the family can enjoy together. You can cancel at any time.
Portable Corn Hole Game
One of the worst things about working in production is the inevitable waiting. Want to save your tech from wasted hours in mind-numbing app scrolling? Why not get a portable corn hole game to use backstage? Bean bag tossing for bragging rights can create some hilarious moments. Plus, if your tech is the one who owns the game, they can max their skill and dominate the downtime.
ROCO Minimalist RFID Blocking Wallet
This simple design has reinvented the wallet. Aluminum with a wide band, it holds up to 20 cards (or cash, if you fold it well). Gone are the days of the giant, thick wallet storing every frequent shopper card and receipt. It is sleek and easy. Cost is $15.
Sphero Mini Orange
The Sphero Mini Orange is an app-enabled robot about the size of a ping pong ball. One app, called Face Drive uses facial expressions to drive the ball. If your designer is extra geeky, they can download the Sphero Edu app and program the robot using JavaScript. Sphero Mini could be the next big thing. Cost: $49.
https://www.target.com/p/sphero-mini-robot-orange/-/A-52610937
Superhero Socks
The normal uniform for church techs is a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, but have you noticed recently, that uniform also includes crazy socks? Get your tech a pair of socks which feature their favorite super hero. $12/pair.
https://www.thesockspot.com/collections/superhero-socks
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Tuff Bottle
The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Tuff Bottle is perfect for taking 32oz of coffee or water with you and keeping it piping hot or refreshingly cold. It’s especially good for church techs who work best with a steady supply of caffeine and prefer to make their own at home (with beans from their favorite roaster) rather than rely on what’s been sitting on the burner in the green room since who knows when.
We hope these ideas help you shop. If you are still at a loss, consider a gift card to a Brazilian steakhouse or All-You-Can-Eat Sushi buffet. Other popular gift cards include the indie coffee house, record store or Guitar Center.
Of course, you can also decide to give a gift which gives to someone else. Look at Compassion’s gift catalog. https://www.compassion.com/charitable-gift-catalog.htm Your favorite tech might have the most fun improving another family’s future by giving a goat, vegetable seeds or chickens to help them generate income in a third world country.
