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The idea that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year” probably wasn’t developed by a church tech.
Is Christmas a wonderful, magical time, full of fun, food, and family? Of course! But for those of us working behind the scenes to create and execute a Christmas production, it’s also arguably the most stressful, chaotic, frenetic time of the year too. And nobody writes a carol about that.
Amid the long hours and stress of the season, it becomes easy to get tunnel vision and get so focused on pulling off the event that we can lose a healthy perspective on everything we’re doing.
With just a few days to go before the Big Day, let’s all take a step back and remember a couple of important thoughts:
1-Expectations must be clear.
For many of us, our families become collateral damage during this season. Long hours are often commonplace, and we can miss out on special times with loved ones and friends. The best way to help prevent any animosity is to be very clear on the front end regarding the expectations placed on you.
For many of us, our families become collateral damage during this season.
If you’ll be working long hours and will miss your family’s traditional caroling jaunt through the neighborhood, the worst thing you can do is drop that bomb last-minute. Let people know in advance so there’s time to work through any tension and bring it to a resolution.
Additionally, make sure your tech team understands the expectations for their roles. Will they need to show up early for a rehearsal? Come help with the set install? Practice a cue at home? Show you value your team by giving them as much information as possible as early as possible. That will not only help them mentally prepare, but it will help them set expectations with their families too.
Show you value your team by giving them as much information as possible as early as possible.
2-Excellence is the goal, not perfection.
For many churches, this is easily one of the biggest days of the year (along with Easter). As such, the pressure can be high, the tension can be thick, and the burden to perform can be heavy. This is especially true if a church is only doing one service: there’s literally only one chance to get everything right.
But at the end of the day, let’s all have a healthy understanding that even if something goes wrong, lives can still be changed. God’s power and presence aren’t limited to the timing of song lyrics or the accuracy of a lighting cue.
God’s power and presence aren’t limited to the timing of song lyrics or the accuracy of a lighting cue.
Excellence, which may be one of the most overused (and misused) words in churches, simply means doing the best you can with what you’ve got. And sometimes, no matter how much you practice a transition or check your gear, something will still go wrong.
In those moments, let’s not beat ourselves up and carry the weight of “failure.” Sometimes bad things happen, and we will just need to make it a learning opportunity.
Sometimes bad things happen, and we will just need to make it a learning opportunity.... Let's focus on staying loose and having fun.
It’s important to remind our teams of this too. Let’s focus on staying loose and having fun. That tends to lead to better results than when people are uptight and scared of making a mistake.
3-Expect a miracle.
The goal of a Christmas service shouldn’t necessarily be to “wow” people or impress them with what we are able to execute.
The goal is to help introduce people to a relational God who loves them and made incredible sacrifices just to have a personal relationship with them.
It can be so easy for us to get caught up in the minutiae of the service itself that we can forget the spiritual aspect that is so critical.
It can be so easy for us to get caught up in the minutiae of the service itself that we can forget the spiritual aspect that is so critical.
However, empty vessels don’t have anything to pour out, and for many of us, by the time we get to the Christmas service itself, we’re running on empty. We’ve been fueled by caffeine and junk food as we scrambled to get everything ready, and we’re exhausted from late nights and early morning call times.
At some point in the process, we have to be able to step back, recharge ourselves, and reset our spiritual focus. It’s critical that I find some time to ensure that I’m ready spiritually for what we are about to do. Is my heart ready and expectant for lives to be changed? Have I prayed for my team? What about the musicians and pastors that will be leading the service?
At some point in the process, we have to be able to step back, recharge ourselves, and reset our spiritual focus.
If I forget about the spiritual aspect, then the service will be nothing more than a show. But if I’m spiritually attuned, then I’m able to help my team have the same perspective. Then, we’re primed and ready, full of passion and Presence to help guide what we do.
The real “Christmas miracle” isn’t that the rookie lighting guy actually hit all of his cues. It’s that people get to have a real understanding of how much God loves them, and a bunch of imperfect techies get the privilege of helping them see it.
