Are volunteers the best solution in the media department?




   Volunteers can be a blessing! But if you are not careful a volunteer could become your greatest nightmare in ministry as well. When it comes to media and volunteer help you have to breakdown the media department into several categories. One has to also give consideration to what size ministry base you are dealing with as well.  Before I answer the question on” best solution” let’s break down the media department into four subcategories first.  

  1. Website
  2. Internal Projections
  3. Sound System
  4. PC Operations

  1. Websites: This area of ministry can be done by someone who volunteers, but if they are 'real limited' and as well 'real proud' of what they can do for you, then you could get stuck with less than the quality you desire. Your web presence is your front street sign on the web and you need some basic things in place regardless of who does it. Some churches over sell and under deliver (the majority) and others under sell who they are and over deliver. Paying for a good web based system sometimes is worth the headache you could inherit with a volunteer trying to save you money. Be careful with free and volunteers in this area of media. Any ministry website needs to be updated at least once a month if not more often depending on the activities of your local ministry. I have worked with one Website Company for 9 years now and they offer a wide variety template system with a zillion tools which are easy to use and almost anyone can run it as a volunteer. The beauty of paid subscriptions services like this is that your help might leave you but you can still get someone else into the driver’s seat the next day. If you want to give what I use click above and send me an email let me know you think.  A free website and volunteer can frustrate a pastor to no end so be careful.
  2. Internal Projections:  Sight and sound for the people sitting in a sanctuary you need folks that know there stuff. Believe me it can make or break the service. If you are in the lime light and broadcasting on TV or over the Internet then your ministry just took on a different life. When you are doing ministry beyond the seats in front of you then it is wise to have the best in the booth for sight and sound since the other audience might not be so understand as those in your building.  If you are paying someone avoids the pits falls and have a good professional backup system in place for the unexpected complications and projection bulb blow up. One company I recently became acquainted with makes available sub contractors to have on site to deal with such challenges for the high end entertainment division of the church.  What happens inside the building is projected outside the building and that determines a lot on how a ministry will be perceived. If you want the best in quick turn around for custom built high end sight and sound equipment including service I would recommend this company.  I meet with the leadership team of this company sometime back and was thoroughly impressed with what they had to offer larger ministries.
  3. Sound System:  If you have a volunteer who knows sound and technology you are blessed and should treat those people with utter kindness and blessings. In the economy of the day many people are cutting back in the local church, but in this area of sight, sound and projections I would not be as quick to cut back if you can help it. If you need an upgrade on sound and sight systems I would recommend this company. The owner is a friend of mine and he will customize what will work for you and he specializes in churches running less than 1200 in attendance.  
  4. PC Operations:  The PC or MAC link in the sound booth is the link to it all. Do not fudge in this area either. Many can multi task and depending on the size ministry and the production depends on how many people can be behind the scenes at any given time. You need people who can run a variety of programs and also trouble shoot on the spot if needed.  If your ministry can afford it then paying at least one person to be over all the operations who then recruits a volunteer staff might be better than just having a volunteer staff for all these areas. If you are jammed with needing a good PC trouble shooter and networker then I would recommend my PC guy down the street. He can assist remotely for a reasonable fee anywhere in the country.
  
  Volunteers in my opinion are not the BEST solution if you are mega church that is high quality conscience unless you are blessed with the best that happen to attend your church. Whether you are a church running fewer than 100 or a mega churches running in the thousands you need top knowledgeable and reliable people. Before you just get anyone in position as a volunteer that you might later regret think about just one good person to head up the whole media department and work down from there.
     I recommend having at least one person with the experience and passion to help build a team. If paying him or her a small stipend is helpful by all means do such.  Youth are a great resource for today’s growing media oriented ministries, but use with caution.  Children and teenagers are growing up on technology and can be a great resource, but many lack dependability and the maturity needed to deal with high pressure situations. The problem you will have with them is often reliability and maturity and the pressure in the booth requires both so be careful when recruiting that techno group. If you have other suggestions please post and or reply as we all need to learn from our experiences and resources.