JEFF WATKINS / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR / WITHOUT WALLS CHURCH / MESA , ARIZ .
STEWARDING MEDIA FOR MINISTRY : How Without Walls Church streamlined content creation with creative . space
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
For 15 years , Jeff Watkins ’ involvement at Without Walls Church in Mesa , Ariz ., has grown exponentially .
In 2010 , he started out as a volunteer . In 2013 , he was enlisted as a contractor . Finally , in 2017 , Watkins was brought on staff as the fulltime production director .
Little did he know that his job would change drastically — almost overnight — when COVID struck just a few years later .
Pre-pandemic , content production was essentially non-existent at Without Walls . “ I ’ m not saying that it wasn ’ t important ; it just wasn ’ t something that our church culture had grasped a hold of yet ,” recalls Production Director Jeff Watkins . “ It just wasn ’ t a focus for us .” As providence would have it , Lead Pastor Ken Dutton felt a call two weeks prior to the pandemic ’ s onset to lean into expanding the church ’ s online presence .
“ He told the board and church leadership : ‘ I feel like there ’ s something there . I don ’ t know all the answers , but I think there needs to be some investment ,” Watkins remembers . “ So , we made that investment and — fast forward a few weeks — COVID .” At the time , Watkins says he “ knew nothing ” about the content production . Fortunately , he could be honest about his misgivings , as Lead Pastor Dutton is his father-in-law . ( Watkins ’ wife , Tiffany , serves as Executive & Worship Pastor .) “ Given this dynamic , communication can be a lot freer sometimes ,” Watkins says . “ It can also be a lot more direct on the opportunity side . And this was definitely an opportunity .” Like all opportunities , this one came with a cost : 86 days straight of studying , training and testing . Many of these workdays lasted between 12 and 20 hours . “ It was insane , but it was necessary ,” Watkins recalls . “ By that point , with COVID , embracing the learning curve was our only option .” What grew out of necessity quickly identified itself as a blessing . Although Watkins says the content produced early on left something to be desired in terms of professional quality , he adds : “ People ’ s lives were still getting touched . We learned really quickly that there ’ s a lot of ministry that can happen there .” As the months passed and the need for more and more content presented itself , Watkins and his team became increasingly adept at producing it . They dialed in on what comprises quality content — not just in general , but for Without Walls , uniquely .
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