Growth is awesome – keeping up with that growth is the trick. In recent years, multisite churches have seen the quick proliferation of campuses become possible through a combination of cost-effectiveness and comparative ease of launch. With the increased availability and reduced price tag of former retail locations, the trend is likely to continue as large churches expand into their surrounding communities and beyond.
In the past nine years, Northview has grown from a church of several thousand with one small outlying campus to a church of roughly 10,000 spread across 11 campuses [seven physical locations and four prison campuses].
Northview Church in central Indiana is a case-study in multisite growth. In the past nine years, Northview has grown from a church of several thousand with one small outlying campus to a church of roughly 10,000 spread across 11 campuses [seven physical locations and four prison campuses]. During that period, the complexity and overall quality of production has significantly increased to include audio, video and lighting rivaling that of many concert tours. The video side of things, in particular, has significantly stepped up to include side screens, drop screens at most campuses [projecting a life-size image of the preaching pastor], and a 30x80-foot laser-projected backscreen at the broadcast campus.
A new approach to church production
To deal with the rapid expansion, Northview has taken the unusual step of splitting the AVL/Tech ministry into two separate departments - Production and Production Systems - both of which function as part of a larger Weekend Services team. The Production Department, under Production Director Nathan Miller, is focused on taking care of the “live” aspects of weekend services and other events. Miller leads a team of volunteers, interns, residents and staff to create seamless weekend experiences. Conversely, the Production Systems Department is focused on making sure that the Production team has the tools in place to be successful, and – in a more basic sense – on making sure that everything works.
To deal with the rapid expansion, Northview has taken the unusual step of splitting the AVL/Tech ministry into two separate departments - Production and Production Systems - both of which function as part of a larger Weekend Services team.
Production Systems is currently a two-person department, augmented by contractors on an “as needed” basis. The average week for the team is focused on two primary areas – projects and weekend service/event support. Production Systems Director Travis Carpenter functions as project manager, working on new campus buildouts, as well as equipment repairs, installations and upgrades.
Production Systems provides support in many ways, similar to the way IT departments are set up in larger churches and corporations. A ticket-based system allows any campus to immediately contact Production Systems on weekends, where a triage system of sorts is applied, determining what the priorities are if there are multiple issues happening at the same time. The ticketing system also tracks response time and how quickly the issues are solved, essential metrics in event-based support.
The systems knowledge required can be daunting as the pace of technological upgrades increases.
The systems knowledge required can be daunting as the pace of technological upgrades increases. Challenges that many churches face – for example, the “white spaces” impact on wireless audio, the rise of LED, etc… – are increased by the fact that Northview has a variety of different types and sizes of venues. Of its seven physical locations, Northview has a large broadcast campus, and three other roughly identical campuses, which the church built from the ground up. The remaining three locations are buildings that have been repurposed – a former theater, a former electronics/appliance store and a former medical office complex. Equipment is standardized to the greatest extent possible, but each space presents its own challenges, and a newer campus will oftentimes have different gear than its older counterparts, requiring a “continual learner” mentality for staff and volunteers alike.
Team effort
The impact of Production Systems reaches beyond the auditoriums. All of the members of both the Production and Production Systems teams are structurally part of Northview’s Central Staff, meaning that they provide support for all campuses, as opposed to being solely dedicated to any particular campus. The department provides support to all AVL systems of the church, particularly increasingly media-heavy kids and students ministries. In addition, Production Systems provides primary support for online streaming, in conjunction with Production, Communications and – in particular – IT. Carpenter relates: “It’s not just about weekend services…. We work together with IT to provide many services for Northview staff and volunteers.”
"... at the end of the day – [we're] all on the same team, trying to accomplish the same goal.” Nathan Miller, Production Director, Northview Church
In the long run, the ability to count on each other is what makes it all work. Miller sums up the end goal: “For us, it’s just being really intentional about creating that relational side, and everyone knowing that we’re here for the same purpose, and – at the end of the day – all on the same team, trying to accomplish the same goal.”
