Pexels.com; Akil Mazumder
The desire for a fresh start touches everything.
As we all move into a new year, church technical leaders share their best strategies for creating a fresh start.
1-Reach out and touch faith
What if you start the year investing in encouragement? Ryan Howell, director of production at Watermark Church in Dallas, shares:
“A couple of years ago, our team engaged in 'The Reach Out and Touch Faith Project”' (thank you Depeche Mode). Every member of our team had a phone call or a lunch (if proximity allowed it) with at least three other leaders of Production Teams across the country. The goal was to learn what others are doing, and why; and then see if there is anything we can adapt to our team. Social Media, regardless of what you may believe, will never replace the relationships that can grow from real conversations. The exercise helped form relationships that are still on-going. It helped us realize we are not alone in the challenges that we face. It helped us be grateful for what we are doing, and not fall victim to the ditch of comparison. A great way to start fresh is to identify some churches and church leaders that you admire and respect and start a friendship.”
2-Make it personal
Brian Dunaway, director of communications at Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas shares that one of the best ways to create a fresh start in 2019 is to commit to pray for each volunteer daily:
“When we discipline ourselves to pray for anyone or anything it forces and focuses us to understand the details. If we truly care about our volunteers and will be committed to interceding on their behalf, then we will see the relationship grow far beyond what they accomplish for you or for the church but will help grow the body of Christ. We must remember even though our responsibility is technical, we are responsible many times for the spiritual condition of our people. Prayer raises that understanding high and much will come from this focus.”
"We must remember even though our responsibility is technical, we are responsible many times for the spiritual condition of our people." Brian Dunaway, Director of Communications, Cross Church, Arkansas
Dunaway adds, “Praying for each person connects you to your volunteer team in ways far beyond a Sunday morning technical aspect.”
3-Clear the air
Sometimes the start of a new year is the best possible time to clean out emotional buildup. James Kumorek, writer on church production topics and part-time audio technician at The Summit Church in Apex, N.C., shares:
“How about clearing the air with other church staff/volunteers if needed after the crazy Christmas season? People are stressed, feathers get ruffled, tempers can flare, and collateral damage of volunteers can occur. Are there people (or groups of people) you need to apologize to and ask forgiveness of to start the new year off with good relationships and attitudes? Even if it wasn’t your fault and an apology isn’t necessary for something that occurred, perhaps owning a part of escalating tensions might facilitate opening a dialog and start repairing relationships.”
4-Free yourself from micro-management
Sometimes when we are feeling overwhelmed it’s because we are doing things that could better be handled by others on our team. January is a great time to re-evaluate our responsibilities and create space for others to use their gifts.
Sometimes when we are feeling overwhelmed it’s because we are doing things that could better be handled by others on our team.
Chris Hinkle, director of engineering for the First Baptist Church of Orlando, Fla., advises, “Empowering your staff and volunteers will free you from the burden of micro-management. So many times, there is so much to do, and we feel like we are the only one that can do the job with excellence, which may be true. At that point we need to work diligently on mentoring our folks to do the work with the same excellence we ourselves strive for. It is a long-term exercise that should not begin two weeks before a major event.”
5-The keep-stop-start exercise
Howell shares a simple exercise to help you thoughtfully consider how you are leading, and what the return on your investment may be. Sit down, pull out your notebook, and quite simply:
- Name one thing that you are currently doing that you need to KEEP doing.
- Name one thing that you are currently doing that you need to STOP doing.
- Name one thing that you are NOT YET doing that you need to START doing.
“Don’t be afraid to involve other members of your team to help get their input as well," Howell states. "Sometimes we fall too in love with our own ideas and may be blinded to their actual value.”
"Sometimes we fall too in love with our own ideas and may be blinded to their actual value.” Ryan Howell, Director of Production, Watermark Church, Dallas, TX
6-Go for a clean sweep
While people usually refer to “spring cleaning,” the reality is that fresh starts in our physical space can have a powerful impact.
Kumorek says, “January is a great time to get some people together and vacuum filters of dimmer racks and projectors; clear out the tech booth; wash away 52 weeks of coffee stains; and get rid of that allergy-aggravating dust.”
January is also a good time to deal with obsolete equipment and make decisions on what needs to be released to free up production space.
7-Reaffirm the vision
Dunaway highlights that a new year is a perfect time to reaffirm the vision with your team. “Make sure that the agenda of your media team and the agenda of your church match up and are set up to accomplish the same goals in 2019. Have a kickoff dinner with all media staff and volunteers to map out the year and raise high expectations and the need for excellence.”
"Have a kickoff dinner with all media staff and volunteers to map out the year and raise high expectations and the need for excellence.” Brian Dunaway, Director of Communications, Cross Church, Arkansas
In January, there is a shared desire to move forward. Take advantage of that momentum. After all, motivation is a perishable commodity. Don’t miss out on it in 2019.
