Setting Up Your Media Team For A Win

In your church, do you expect sound and media techs to be there at your worship rehearsals each week?

In my experience, it is extremely helpful for a number of reasons. Those involved in running sound, lights, media projection, etc play a vital role and need to rehearse as much as the band on the stage does. Here are some thoughts:

1) The media team must feel like they are a part of the overall worship team. You need to do what you can to make sure they feel that you acknowledge the importance of the roles they play, that you appreciate them, and that you want to set them up for a win every Sunday.

2) Especially if you are in a church where there is some flow and flexibility in the worship, the media team must be as prepared as possible. When words are being projected on the screen, if they are wrong, it is much more of a hindrance and distraction than it is a help to anyone. Make sure those that are running those words KNOW the songs and that they know your signals as a worship leader. They need to pay attention to you and follow you as much as the band and vocals do.

3) On that, whatever you give your band and singers access to for learning new songs... that should be made available to your media team as well. They need to learn the songs too! The more familiar they are with the songs, the more likely they'll have correct words on the screen... the more likely they'll remember to turn up the guitar channel for the instrumental solo part of the song... the more likely all sound and lighting changes will be done at the right times... and the more likely the audio mix will be in line with what you want it to be.

4) Communicate with the media team. You can't get upset with them for not doing something that you didn't clearly tell them you were expecting them to do. Make sure your sound tech is aware of anything out of the ordinary and provide written details. For example:  
- in Song A, Sally is leading the verses and the rest of us will join on the Chorus
- in Song B, Joe is playing a guitar solo after the Bridge
- in Song C, we are playing with a loop track so channel X will need boosted in our monitors

If your media team feels that they are a part of the whole worship team, they will be more excited about it and more likely to do a good job. If they feel appreciated, they're less likely to quit on you. If anything goes wrong technically in a service, the congregation glares at those in the sound booth. That can be discouraging and stressful to your media team... so do your part to set them up for a win each week. When it goes well, they'll feel good about it, knowing that they played a key part in a great worship experience!