Great sound doesn’t start with your church’s sound system. It doesn’t even start with your sound tech or the people on the platform. It starts with intention and planning.
Ask yourself, “Are we preparing our teams to serve with excellence? Or are we just throwing a bunch of people and gear together and then hoping for the best?”
Here are a few simple ways we can turn our desires and intentions for great sound at church into an actionable plan to achieve it.
- Plan and Prepare.
Thoughtful preparation is an important part of delivering great sound. This step requires participation from all worship team members.
Worship team leaders and pastors should lead their teams in service planning. Band leaders need to understand their responsibilities and be prepared. And sound techs need to be proactive in communicating, managing gear setup and conducting thorough soundchecks.
It is important that tech team members are included as part of the worship team. This may look different for different churches, but sound techs play a crucial role in delivering impactful worship experiences.
Pray together. Plan together. Train together. Worship together.
- Get the Right Tools.
Sound techs should be empowered with the right tools to deliver great sound. This doesn’t mean that you need a state-of-the-art mixing console or a stage full of studio-grade microphones. But it does mean that you might need to spend more than $25 on the pastor’s headset mic.
This might sound surprising, but excellent gear does not ensure excellent sound. However, the right tools used for the right application will go a long way in helping you achieve positive results and fulfill your technical ministry needs.
- Invest in Team Training.
The best gear and the most detailed planning will be ineffective if you haven’t invested in training your team. Does your church have a training program or clear onboarding process in place for new sound team members?
A good sound tech can make a mediocre system sound decent. On the other hand, a poorly trained tech can destroy even the best sound system. Don’t spend any money on new equipment until you’ve first put a plan in place to properly train your sound team. It could be the best technical investment you make.
Here are some ideas for setting your tech team on the path to success:
* Team up with other churches in your community for group training or knowledge-sharing sessions.
* Contact a reputable local audio contractor or technician who specializes in church sound, and hire them to host a training session for your team.
* Promote technical training opportunities, and support team member attendance at regional or national conferences.
* Host worship ministry outreach events to attract new team members and volunteers.
* Create a detailed onboarding plan for new tech team volunteers so they know what to expect as they join the team and gain responsibilities.
* Acknowledge your tech team, and make a point of appreciating their ministry service.
James Wasem has been designing, installing and operating sound systems for 20-plus years. He is the founder of GreatChurchSound.com.
