Tech Tips for the Savvy Church Leader

Working with Sound & Media Teams in Today's Church
Hector La Torre/HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops

As we travel across the country training Church sound staffs and consulting on sound systems we find that the churches that are growing the fastest and serving their communities best are those that have leaders who are actively involved in the communication sector of their churches. These leaders play a part in choosing sound and praise band team members and try their best to gain an understanding of the job that confronts those members. These leaders also know that while the tech and praise band team members are anxious to serve, they have little technical experience, and that just putting good sound equipment in front of a novice isn't the best road to success. Here are a few tips we've culled from speaking with church leaders from around the USA.

1. Get to know your tech team as individuals. Who are they? Why are they serving in this capacity? Knowing their individual strengths and weaknesses allows you to get a particular job done faster, more efficiently. Get involved in their recruiting. Also, don't be afraid to recruit young people (14-20) from the congregation. Youth is chest-deep in technology these days with video games, cell phones, computers …. Technology is a way of life for them, and does not faze them. Plus, it's a great way to bring in and keep youth coming to church.

2. Criticism without praise is a losing gambit. Acknowledge the effort of your tech team and let them know they are valued. Many teams receive nothing but dirty looks and criticism for their well-intended efforts. A little praise whenever a service goes smoothly is a welcome gift, and will help to keep your team intact. Tech and praise teams often dwell in the house of ignominy—a little recognition will generate great payback.

3. More or new equipment is not always the answer. And old equipment is not always the culprit. Many church leaders tell us that based on suggestions from the tech team they have spent money to upgrade the sound system, only to find the next service to be even worse sounding than before the new equipment was purchased. Yes, if the equipment is old and beat up, new gear will make a difference. But if your team members still have limited experience in system operation new gear will sound just as awful if run badly.

4. Get the staff trained. You knew I'd get around to this didn't you? Yes, I believe the HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops offer the best worship training available, but as long as the instructors you choose for your staff are professionals (i.e., he/she has actually earned a living running sound …) and experienced in sound and training go for it. No matter how dedicated your staff or how good the equipment do not expect the team to do a great job without training. It is impossible. You are throwing complex equipment in front of folks with no technical sound background and expecting great results. That's the equivalent of putting them into the seat of a Formula 1 racing car and saying, "See you in the winner's circle!"

5. Be a good steward. Get yourself training. We know church leaders have many responsibilities, and that the majority does not want or need to become expert in running sound & media systems. Nonetheless, if you take a course and purchase a good DVD (Yamaha has a good one titled Exploring Sound Reinforcement; www.yamahaproaudio.com) the knowledge will help you to know what equipment to buy and why, making you a better steward of the church's funds. Plus, you'll know what equipment does and does not answer your church's needs. And, perhaps most importantly, you will better understand the capabilities and shortcomings, as well as the trials & tribulations, of the tech team.

6. Create a sound budget. We know that money is always tight. That is why you need to create a realistic sound system budget. In this day of overactive communication no church can afford to have a poor media system. Congregations expect good sound and communication and will move on if their church does not provide it. Churches often have budgets for everything but the sound system and then spend what little is left for sound equipment and maintenance. But guess what? Often there's nothing left! Sit down with the Church committee and create a real-life sound budget. It will help when equipment breaks down, when an unplanned special event comes around and just generally keep services running smoothly. A sound system budget is a priority, not an afterthought.

7. If you are renovating or building a new church, please make sure to work with architects who have acousticians on staff or onboard. Many of the sonic problems churches have are a result of poor acoustics, and no amount of equipment will cure those problems. As we have written before in SoundBytes most churches continue to be built in a style originating centuries ago when the human voice and perhaps an organ or acoustic instrument where the only sound sources. Today's worship services offer electric instruments, praise bands, acoustic pianos, multiple preachers … it's a different world. So tell your architect what your services entail and that you want an acoustician to be part of the plan. Changes after the concrete has been poured are very expensive.

8. Do your due diligence when getting proposals from equipment dealers and installers. Get a list of what churches they have sold to or worked on. Then take a road trip and listen to a service or rehearsal. Most sound teams will love to talk about their gear and how well it works. Then speak to the Worship Pastor and Music Minister about how it was to work with that company. Was it a shop-and-drop kind of transaction, or did they make sure you received the best gear and training possible for your money?

9. Don't shop by price only. Following on tip #8, please don't buy your media gear just by price. Shopping by price alone guarantees trouble. You'll end up shopping at some music store whose employees have a limited skill set. (That's why the prices are so low. They're not paying experienced people.) Confirm that the dealer or installation company can do a great job and that they have experience working with houses of worship. Confirm that they offer maintenance of said gear-something will go wrong and you'll need to call someone. You don't want to have to ship your brand new mixing board halfway across the country for a warranty repair. Nobody will be happy with that scenario.

10. Trust your team. Once you get your media team properly trained turn control over to the guys at the controls. It's impossible for you to know what it sounds like in the room from the pulpit. Plus, you have too many other chores on your plate to second-guess them. We've seen too many church leaders micromanaging the teams to the detriment of all. Think about it: If you get your sound team properly trained, you can turn them loose. Otherwise you'll be worrying and hovering when you could be elsewhere ministering to your congregation. It's all about trust.

11. Bonus Tip: Contact a local college or university that has a recording & sound technology program and offer a technical internship at your church. Many students would relish the idea of getting their hands on a full sound system—especially if they're receiving college credits for the effort. You'd be helping your church and doing a good deed for a young student. The HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop instituted an intern program about two years ago where we recruit students from local colleges whenever possible as we tour the country. Feel free to contact us about the program. Universities should check our tour schedule at www.howtosound.com and contact us about intern openings when we come to their city or town. (And don't worry if your potential intern is not of your denomination or a regular churchgoer. Your leadership and ministry will set a good example on what faith and perseverance can accomplish, and isn't that what it's all about?)

Do you have a tip on how to become a more tech-savvy church leader? If so, drop us an e-mail and share your knowledge and experience.

Mr. La Torre is the Managing Partner of Fits & Starts Productions, which produces the nationally-recognized HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop tours. The hands-on workshops are focused on training church sound, praise and media team members in the art and operation of sound and media equipment. The tour presently visits 36 cities each year across the country. Click www.howtosound.com to visit the HOW-TO Sound Workshops.