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Any given Sunday, enter the studio at Apostles Lutheran Church in San Jose, Calif., and you’ll see one of four teams working briskly to record, stream, edit, and archive the Sunday message. Each team includes a director, technical director, two camera operators, and an editor. The duties in our small studio are typical. The demographics are not. Here, most volunteers are over age 55. Nearly half are retired. The oldest is 84.
The duties in our small studio are typical. The demographics are not.
Gray is the new gold
Apostles Lutheran didn’t set out to create a “silver” studio, but with our non-traditional, all-volunteer crew, we’ve struck gold. The volunteers are enthusiastic about sharing the gospel, brave enough to tackle challenges, and humble enough to become students of media technology. They’re committed to our motto from 1 Corinthians 15:58: “...Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Willing hearts
Seniors in the studio deliver key advantages. First, they’re faithful. In an industry where “unpaid” often means “undependable,” mature volunteers rarely miss their scheduled service. Second, older volunteers are able to donate the necessary time. Many have flexible schedules and can agree to extra tasks and training because they’ve retired, reared their kids, or have seniority at work. Third, they’re willing to learn. Most of our volunteers had to learn media technology from the ground up. Rather than a drawback, it’s proven to be a strength. There’s greater consistency because volunteers were trained identically and there’s commitment to a single strategy rather than clashes of ideas about the best way to get it done. Fourth, mature volunteers are just good to be around. The atmosphere in the studio is one of peace and purpose. We share close fellowship, prayer, lots of laughter--and, not surprisingly, a fantastic volunteer retention rate. New recruits, any age or gender, are always eagerly welcomed.
But what if the seniors in your church aren’t up on the latest media technology? Don’t assume they won’t gladly learn. If they have a heart to serve in media ministry, offer an on-ramp. At Apostles we train, then use three-column checklists as safety nets. Column A lists each necessary step, for example “Prep Audio.” Column B reminds how--“Insert batteries in Sennheiser unit. Press ON.” Column C provides detail: “Unit is on top of camera next to handle. ON button is under battery cover. To open….” and so on. Volunteers can skim Column A or go deeper as needed. Checklists keep the work accessible and inclusive.
Image courtesy of Apostles Lutheran Church, San Jose, CA.
Tech team at Apostles Lutheran Church, San Jose, Calif., with Video Studio Coordinator Jas Lonnquist, sitting on sign.
Welcome visitors
I love when grandchildren visit the studio. They’re amazed to see Grandma crisply directing the crew or Poppi nimbly using a joy stick to control the PTZs. Even better, they witness John 15:8 in action, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit….” That mission is meant for every believer and it has no expiration date.
