FIRST IN LAST OUT
LET ’ S WORK TOGETHER | Todd Elliott
Three ways church tech people can have a better relationship with their worship pastor and vice versa .
When I first started doing production stuff at my church , I did it for the gear . I wanted the chance to play with the gear . I didn ’ t really care about what we were doing or why . I just like the shiny new stuff .
Little did I know that there was way more to being a technical artist in the local church than the equipment I got to use . For one thing , there was the reason we were using all the gear … to create a worship experience for our congregation to meet with God .
Secondly , the interpersonal dynamics at play between the stage and the booth was not something I was prepared for . After a few years passed , I realized that the relationship between the worship leader and me was the ballgame ! I had a difficult time getting anything done when our relationship was strained . Since it was my job to execute their ideas , I needed to figure out how to get along with these people !
It was one thing to realize this , but what could I do about it ? How do I make sure that the relationship I have with my worship pastor can lead to amazing collaboration ? At the base of it all is trust . Me trusting them , and them trusting me . So how do I build that trust ? Here are three ideas .
DO YOUR JOB This isn ’ t quite as harsh as “ Just do your job , and shut up !”, but on some level I ’ m not joking .
One of the most effective ways to build trust with the people on stage is to be good at what you do . As a production person , that means nailing all the little things that nobody really understands or cares about . Input lists . Stage plots . Neat and tidy backstage storage . Mics on when they are supposed to be . Lights aimed at the right things .
These are all very “ boring ” tasks , but they make up the foundation of excellent production . Without them , we can ’ t hope to go deeper in the collaboration with our friends on stage . If you can ’ t do the “ boring ” stuff well , why would they want to hear what you think about their work or their ideas ? It is difficult to talk about wanting the process to be better , if we aren ’ t handling our side of the equation well . Let ’ s say you complain about a particular guitar tone messing with your mix , but no one can hear the worship leader when they are talking over the music . Why would anyone change their guitar tone when it ’ s obvious to them you don ’ t know what you ’ re talking about ?
The best way to build a solid relationship with your worship leader is to be as good at your
106 October 2024 Subscribe for Free ...