I made the team?

I pity the foo!

Hopefully you are coming to the realization that just because you might sit in a booth all the way in the back of the room and hide behind a console or computer screen, it doesn't mean you are off the hook.  You are no longer that mysterious guy who knows what all those pretty lights and buttons do.  Yep, you are on the team.  The team that helps God change lives for generations, forever.  The team that helps people not just learn about God but helps them experience Him.  The guy (or gal - whenever I write guy, I am thinking (or gal) in my head, ok ladies) who is responsible for people to hear from God.


"Whoa dude, I don't know about all that.  I am just a sound guy!"
Nope, not anymore.  Your days of thinking like that are over.  You are on the front lines, in enemy territory, with a big fat target on your back.  You are on the spiritual stage in the heavenly limelight doing your thing.  And guess what, it's OK.  Embrace it.

  Take that presentation software by the horns and own it.  Work that console like you've never done before.  "Maniac, Maaaniac on the board..."  Sorry, I am truly ashamed of myself at the moment.

  But seriously sound guys, try approaching the mixing console as your instrument of worship.  Try it first during rehearsal, then during worship.  Give God your very best.  See how clean you can make the vocals, how well you can anticipate the queues.  Pan the back-up vocals slightly to one side or the other to create space and interest, do it during the chorus and the bridge but center everyone for verse - or the other way around - or maybe separate the harmonies a little using panning or EQ.  Accent the frequencies of each instrument to create their own sonic spaces.  Turn up reverb when needed and please, please turn it down when the worship leader is talking (peeve).  Be creative with your instrument but use good judgement and be tasteful.  Don't be like a drummer who does giant rolls at the end of every single bar.  Less is more, you'll figure out which times are the best times to create "moments."  

    The bottom line - care.  I can't tell you how many times I have encountered tech people who pride themselves on looking disinterested.  It's not poker, lose the face.  Know when someone else is going to be leading a song and adjust levels accordingly.  Learn as much as you can about music, about harmonies, frequencies, EQing, compression etc.  Go stand next to the monitors if you have wedges on stage and hear what they hear.  Walk around the room and hear what the pastor hears.  What the people hear in various parts of the room.  Attend every sort of training you can,  find online resources (see links).  Rebuke the Us Against Them mentality that tries to creep into your mind.  Watch the musicians to see if they need anything.  Ask them.  Don't make them try and get your attention in a subtle, discretely-obvious-uncomfortable-for-everyone-kind of way.  Approach your part as though you were put there, by God, to serve the team.  Cause you know what, you were.  When you said, "Lord, send me."  This is where He sent you.

  Same goes for that media presentation.  As soon as you know the song list, make the slides.  Listen to the songs, learn the various parts, visualize them on the screen.  Anticipate where the worship leader is going.  Get to know their tendencies so you can tell when he (she) is going to go back into the chorus again.  Find new backgrounds, new countdowns etc.

  Lighting techs.  Cameras.  Know the songs and the mood the song is portraying.   Pay attention.  Don't highlight the drummer during the guitar solo, the worship leader when someone else is leading.  You get the idea.

   If you look at the great championship teams of the past, in any sport really - every team member had to contribute in some significant way to make those championships a reality.  The same is true for our teams.  But no need to worry or feel pressured.  I've come to the realization that if I give my best for God's glory, He will do the rest.  He will use our weakness to show His strength.  It doesn't matter if we are volunteer or paid staff.  Engineers or weekend warriors.  We don't need to compete with the world.  We just need to give God our best.