Joe Ridley, Beth Martin; unsplash.com
Church tech teams can expect to create more custom content for remote attendees, including those outside the usual sphere of their individual churches.
As parts of the country now consider at least limited “reopenings” after major shutdowns, many churches are now trying to consider what their reality will look like as part of a “new normal.”
While it’s still unclear how long state or federal restrictions on the sizes of gatherings will last, or if anything could be implemented even on a permanent basis, church leaders are wise to begin considering what changes they will need to make to their ongoing workflow.
... instead of treating online ministry as a short-term fad that will soon go away, we should instead consider how to keep an online presence as part of our workflow moving forward.
Though we’d all probably wish that things would “get back to normal” the way they were prior to the pandemic shutdown in March, it’s unlikely that will be the case. While things could potentially revert to the “old way” from a procedural standpoint, we all must accept the fact that our attendees, and society as a whole, are likely to be impacted by the pandemic for months or years to come.
So, knowing that, instead of trying to make things happen just like they used to, we instead need to consider what changes should be made to our ministry workflows so that we can adapt to the inevitable fact that the society around us is changing.
And, knowing that a “new normal” will soon come, we need to be willing to throw out the old norms of ministry and be prepared to embrace new methods moving forward.
Here are three key areas in which we need to consider adapting as we enter a new reality:
1-Programming
Church ministry as we knew it may be different for quite some time.
Many churches have pivoted to online-only gatherings for the last several weeks. But instead of treating online ministry as a short-term fad that will soon go away, we should instead consider how to keep an online presence as part of our workflow moving forward.
Can we start creating more customized content for an online audience?
It’s likely that segments of our congregation still won’t feel comfortable gathering in large crowds, and we owe it to them to continue to provide content so they can have a worship experience. So, instead of dialing down an online ministry, let’s look to see how we can expand it.
Can we start creating more customized content for an online audience? Do we need to consider adding more content and resources (from other ministries and departments, like Kids or Senior Adults) on the website or as on-demand videos? If so, do we now need to identify certain days of the week to be dedicated to recording and editing that content, which now may need to happen at the expense of other projects and tasks?
This could also result in a continued expansion of social media content during the week, like using brief video clips as a marketing tool to continue to boost interest and engagement.
Additionally, does our online giving platform need to continue to improve and expand? Do we need to improve how we receive prayer requests and requests for information online from church visitors?
But beyond just the digital experience, our in-person experiences may need to change also. Perhaps it will no longer be prudent to cram a dozen members of the worship team onto a small stage. So, maybe we should consider cutting down on the number of vocalists or musicians that we utilize.
Or, for churches with access/licensing for pre-recorded tracks, maybe we should consider keeping more instruments/vocals in the tracks so less people are needed on the stage. If a church doesn’t have the financial resources to pay for Multitracks licensing, there may be benefit in even pre-recording some vocals or instruments and adding them into Ableton or ProTools and creating your own type of backing tracks.
But, in order for the worship experience to be modified as needed, that means we need to be willing to take a longer look at how we utilize volunteers and staff in ministry roles.
2-People
Obviously, services can’t happen without trained and available people to run them.
But what if people are no longer available? What if chunks of our volunteer teams decide to continue to attend the church virtually because they’re not yet comfortable in large group settings? Or what if production team rosters thin out because people don’t feel it’s prudent to cram like sardines into a booth or room to share gear and breathe on each other for several hours on a Sunday morning?
If the programming changes, then how we staff those programming changes needs to be considered, as well.
For instance, are there ways that production team members can be cross-trained to know how to execute multiple roles at once? Or, perhaps better yet, are there two positions that can be tied into one role because of how the church programming might change? Just as a “less is best” approach may work on stage for the worship team, it might also work in the production booth.
Can more equipment be added to a production network so it can be operated remotely, as opposed to everyone needing to be in the same place, in close proximity to each other?
Are there tasks that can be automated or scripted (like through Q-Sys, or controlled over the network by a simple controller like an Elgato Stream Deck) so less people are required? Can more equipment be added to a production network so it can be operated remotely, as opposed to everyone needing to be in the same place, in close proximity to each other?
Beyond simply having people to fill roles, do we need need to ensure they’re trained well enough to do what we're asking? So, before services ramp back up again, we may need to consider doing a brief retraining or practice service for teams so they can adapt to new changes and work off the rust that naturally comes from being idle for several weeks.
Moving forward though, perhaps our training processes themselves will even need to be tweaked. It may no longer be feasible to pack the booth full of observers or shadowers during a service or a training session. So, can we start to create training tools, whether documents or simple videos shot on our phones, that people can access during the week to get an overview of roles and concepts without having to be there in person?
The point is, people are going to be marked by this period indefinitely, and what we used to define as acceptable may no longer be seen as such by our teams.
If we're able to expand our multimedia training offerings, can we allow people to train at their own pace, which may even be faster than we'd normally be available to train them? We could even consider pointing them to other online tutorials or resources to supplement our own in-house training.
The point is, people are going to be marked by this period indefinitely, and what we used to define as acceptable may no longer be seen as such by our teams. So as we look at making changes and concessions for how we use and deploy teams, what we’re asking them to do needs to change as well.
3-Processes
Every event is only as good as the processes that support it: preparation, communication, training, etc.
Moving forward into the “new normal,” our processes need to be modified to reflect whatever new world we’ll be living in.
It will be commonplace and accepted for public spaces to be thoroughly cleaned/sanitized/disinfected regularly. So that needs to become a regular part of our church workflow.
I need to consider creating a Sunday checklist that shows all of the gear and stations that need to be cleaned and when they’ll be cleaned, and there needs to be clear ownership of whose job it is to do that.
It will be commonplace and accepted for public spaces to be thoroughly cleaned/sanitized/disinfected regularly.
Things like mics, beltpacks, instruments, doorknobs/counters, computer keyboards, intercom packs, camera handles, lighting and audio consoles, etc., all probably need to be considered. Maybe we now need to start cleaning our mic capsules more regularly, or to consistently replace the porous foam cushions on intercom earpieces and mics.
The preservice communication flow might need to change, as well. At my church, it’s common for entire worship and production teams to cram together into the Green Room as a pastor runs through the service flow for the day. Moving forward, having 20 people in a cramped room probably won’t be looked upon as acceptable, so how will we ensure that everyone on both teams is now prepared for the details of the service and understands their roles during transition moments? Maybe this meeting now needs to occur in the larger space of the Main Auditorium during the last few minutes of sound check before doors open, where the pastor can address everyone from the stage.
Simple things like that could end up being some of the most impactful changes to make. As our programming changes, as the teams involved get modified (or even streamlined), and as the procedures are tweaked, it places more importance on effective advance communication.
There must be clarity in roles and expectations to ensure that our teams are on the same page. But any time big changes are undertaken, there must be clarity in vision, as well, so that everyone is able to fully understand and embrace the chosen path.
And as we embark on a “new normal,” it’s a path we must all be willing to walk together.
