I cannot understate the pressure many production teams face during holiday services. Most of us are preparing for these services months ahead of time, and the last weeks of December can be the busiest of the year, full of rehearsals, stage redesigns and long hours. None of that is bad, necessarily—we must all heed the call placed on us, which looks busier for some than for others. But the question for production leaders is, how do we bring our teams through these pivotal services with health and joy? During these seasons, burnout threatens our horizons like a bad thunderstorm, and we have to be wise about the course we take to keep our teams healthy, safe, and joyful.
Let’s talk about a few guiding principles for production leaders this holiday season.
This Is About Families
Christmas remains the most family-oriented holiday on our event calendar, and we should weigh this first when we start to flesh out our schedule for services. We need to ask:
- Who has kids?
- Who has family in town?
- Who will be out of town entirely?
Once we’ve answered those questions,
I’ve found that scheduling this particular holiday service starts with young people, especially young adults because they offer directors a double win—they’re the most available and often the most tech-savvy, which means you get a lot of production value. A personal phone call or face-to-face ask usually sweetens the deal for them because they know that you’re personally entrusting them with one of the most important services of the year.
Conversely, the elder part of your team might be more available than you think. People with adult children tend to be around during the holidays as their children have kids and are creating their own Christmas traditions, so I have two or three people I know who will be available and willing to serve multiple services. After I ask the young people, I ask them.
In general, I schedule people with young or even teenage children last, perhaps for just one of the multiple services over the weekend. Many of these dads and moms are feeling the tension of wanting to serve in the “big show” while also wanting to attend service with their kiddos, so I make sure I give them the opportunity to serve in whichever slot is most convenient for them while also telling them they’re so no pressure. They need to know that their family comes first.
That being said, it’s a good idea to not leave this service to Planning Center confirmations; give everyone involved a phone call. That way you know that they know, and they get that added benefit I mentioned earlier—being personally asked by their leader to serve in one of the most crucial services of the year.
This Is About Our Teams
As much as we’re inclined to focus on nearly perfect production, we have to remember that our end goal is more than that. The real win is that our people get to serve their church. Excellence is important and we (as well as our teams) can find deep satisfaction in creating something that isn’t just functional but is truly good. However, this isn’t TV. It’s not Hollywood. It’s not even public broadcasting—it’s church; our wins are different.
We should want to do a good job, but we should not lose sight of the real goal, bringing our people alongside Jesus to work with him.
Jesus loves to work alongside his children and, as leaders, we facilitate that for them. He called us all to be co-laborers with him, gleaning the fields of his harvest with him. As veteran harvesters, he’s promoted us leaders to a foreman role, overseeing and teaching those who have not labored before. This is a precious gift and responsibility to take care of that part of our people’s relationship with Jesus and our ultimate satisfaction. Yes, we should want to do a good job, but we should not lose sight of the real goal, bringing our people alongside Jesus to work with him.
This Is About Reconciliation
Lead your team with that thought. We know that Christmas is one of the two “creaster” services, once or twice a year that most unchurched people will darken a church door, so the Holy Spirit will undoubtedly be moving to draw people to Jesus. Every move we make as a production team is (well...should be) centered around the ministry of reconciliation at a Christmas service, creating an atmosphere that welcomes and celebrates the advent of Jesus to this earth while looking to the advent of his return. Our presence should ring with his presence.
It’s easy to get lost in the doing of production, not unlike Martha fussing over supper while the literal creator of the universe sat in the next room, so we must take on the spirit of Mary who eagerly listened and of Mary Magdelene who poured out an extravagant offering at the feet of Jesus. It all honored his presence, and so must we.
We celebrate that nearly unbelievable story at Christmas and we hold it high with our cameras, our lights, and our audio consoles.
This Is About Jesus
What a wild notion that our divine king came to us as one of us, a helpless child of an immigrant family laid in a feeding trough. His family fled political persecution to a foreign country. He lost his father. He lost one of his closest friends to more persecution. He gave his own body and life for us.
We celebrate that nearly unbelievable story at Christmas and we hold it high with our cameras, our lights, and our audio consoles. How curious that the Lord has entrusted our flawed hands to grasp these little machines and make his story known to those who have not heard as well as those who have heard but need reminding. His story finds its way from our lenses to the homes of the forgotten, the invalid, and the frail who need hope and connection. What we platform is no show; it is the very gospel itself, the good news that Christ is king that Christ is near that Christ wants us.
What we platform is no show; it is the very gospel itself…
So we give these services to Jesus, to be blessed by His spirit, to be performed by His spirit, to be calmed with His spirit. We are vessels to be filled to overflowing; not poured out, but joyful co-laborers with Christ. What a gift and an honor.
