Pairing a trainee with a mentor also allows the new team member to absorb some of the existing team culture and values, which are an important part in sustaining the cohesion and chemistry of the team. This process also affords the veterans on the team to help work out any “rough spots” in the character or attitude of the rookies, by seeing areas where they may need to show some growth and helping coach them in the right direction.
Simply throwing someone in the deep end may help get the job done during a service, but it’s ineffective over the long-run. We run the risk of burning someone out due to their frustration over lack of direction; we may potentially be allowing a “bad apple” to be on the team because no one ever got close enough relationally to observe their character; and we’re compromising the service quality because we’re allowing bad habits to perpetuate over time.
Church Tech Ministry Training Must Be Consistent.
Obviously the standards of the process itself must be consistent; people need to only have one goal to aim towards, and it doesn’t need to change from week to week.
However, the actual, physical training event should be a consistent occurrence also.
I’ve known of many churches that wait for a “critical mass” of volunteers to develop before they decide to start training, as if there needs to be a minimum amount of trainees to make it worth their investment of time and energy.
But if I’m the first trainee to come along, it will really suck the wind out of my sails to know that all of my energy and enthusiasm may wane over time as I wait for the team leader to collect enough people to start the training process.
On the contrary, take advantage of their excitement and work to get them plugged in as quickly as possible.
All of us have things in our lives that keep us busy…work, kids, hobbies, etc. If someone happens to miss a training event, don’t discourage them by making them think they’ve missed their one shot to get on the team, and now they have to wait another three or four months until another event rolls around. Instead, have a track that people can jump on and off of as their schedule permits and make it something simple that repeats itself on a weekly or monthly basis.
Whether it’s a midweek training that happens in conjunction with band rehearsal, or if it’s something that just takes place on a Saturday or Sunday before a service while all of the equipment is being checked and loaded in, there are definitely opportunities to find a time to build a consistent process. Remember, we actually want these people on our team, so we need to make it as easy as possible for them to get plugged into the development process.
Investing in other people is never easy, and it’s usually not something many of us choose. After all, it’s time-consuming and often messy. But the end results are powerful and necessary. Those new team members will not only help take weight off of our shoulders, but they’ll also be infused with a newfound sense of purpose and passion, knowing that they’re serving in an area where they feel empowered to make a difference.
This article was originally published in Church Production Magazine and is used by permission.
