Media ministry is an essential part of every church. No matter what your church size or demographics, effective use of media and technology plays an important role in communicating the gospel in a dynamic way.
Here are five essentials that will help your church have an effective media ministry.
1. A Clearly Defined Media Leader
There must be a clearly defined leader that is responsible for all areas of media. It’s easy to segment media into specialty areas such as audio, video, lighting, communications, etc. I’ve seen churches make the mistake of assigning a leader over each area without having one primary leader. The result is usually inconsistency of work and no unity on the media team. When everyone is in charge, no one is in charge. One leader helps give consistent guidance and direction and keeps the team working towards one mission. The leader must have a passion for media along with proven experience in the field. Whether you have media staff or volunteers, you need a clearly defined leader for an effective media ministry.
2. A Volunteer Development Plan
Recruiting and training volunteers is the key to a successful media ministry. Because of this, there must be a specified process for bringing in new volunteers to the ministry. In addition, existing volunteers must get ongoing training as technology evolves and there are new ways of doing things. A media volunteer handbook is essential. Finally, the media leader must spend time evaluating skill sets in order to assign volunteers to appropriate positions. These things take time and are not easy, but you can’t risk distractions during the service due to lack of training or someone assigned to the wrong position.
3. The Ability to Create and Execute
The media team should always be bringing ideas to the table. Thinking creatively is essential to keeping things fresh and vibrant. Having a team that can execute good ideas is just as important as the ideas themselves. How many times have you heard a good idea, but it never gets implemented? Make sure your media team can deliver quality and creativity within a reasonable time frame. Build a team that is flexible and adapts well to change.
4. A Technically Stable Facility
Many churches try to get by with subpar media equipment. While I do not advocate that you always need the latest and greatest equipment, I do believe it is essential to have stable equipment that does not fail during critical times. You should have a regular maintenance schedule on critical equipment. Periodically, use an outside, professional company that comes in and evaluates the status of your equipment. The ultimate goal is that the media and technology enhance the experience and do not interfere with or distract from the experience.
5. A Ministry Perspective
It’s easy to get caught up in the technology or the “cool” factor when working in media. Sometimes, the technology becomes the focus and not the ministry. Keeping a ministry perspective is the responsibility of the media leader. The media team should function like a small group within the church. The media team should care for each other, have regular devotions and pray for each other.
If you apply these five essentials, I believe your church will have an effective media ministry.
Here are five essentials that will help your church have an effective media ministry.
1. A Clearly Defined Media Leader
There must be a clearly defined leader that is responsible for all areas of media. It’s easy to segment media into specialty areas such as audio, video, lighting, communications, etc. I’ve seen churches make the mistake of assigning a leader over each area without having one primary leader. The result is usually inconsistency of work and no unity on the media team. When everyone is in charge, no one is in charge. One leader helps give consistent guidance and direction and keeps the team working towards one mission. The leader must have a passion for media along with proven experience in the field. Whether you have media staff or volunteers, you need a clearly defined leader for an effective media ministry.
2. A Volunteer Development Plan
Recruiting and training volunteers is the key to a successful media ministry. Because of this, there must be a specified process for bringing in new volunteers to the ministry. In addition, existing volunteers must get ongoing training as technology evolves and there are new ways of doing things. A media volunteer handbook is essential. Finally, the media leader must spend time evaluating skill sets in order to assign volunteers to appropriate positions. These things take time and are not easy, but you can’t risk distractions during the service due to lack of training or someone assigned to the wrong position.
3. The Ability to Create and Execute
The media team should always be bringing ideas to the table. Thinking creatively is essential to keeping things fresh and vibrant. Having a team that can execute good ideas is just as important as the ideas themselves. How many times have you heard a good idea, but it never gets implemented? Make sure your media team can deliver quality and creativity within a reasonable time frame. Build a team that is flexible and adapts well to change.
4. A Technically Stable Facility
Many churches try to get by with subpar media equipment. While I do not advocate that you always need the latest and greatest equipment, I do believe it is essential to have stable equipment that does not fail during critical times. You should have a regular maintenance schedule on critical equipment. Periodically, use an outside, professional company that comes in and evaluates the status of your equipment. The ultimate goal is that the media and technology enhance the experience and do not interfere with or distract from the experience.
5. A Ministry Perspective
It’s easy to get caught up in the technology or the “cool” factor when working in media. Sometimes, the technology becomes the focus and not the ministry. Keeping a ministry perspective is the responsibility of the media leader. The media team should function like a small group within the church. The media team should care for each other, have regular devotions and pray for each other.
If you apply these five essentials, I believe your church will have an effective media ministry.