MxU (3)

Who Am I? Part 1

Everyone who has anything to do with church ministry world will say we hold this truth to be self-evident: Sunday is coming. Ok, Saturday for you Adventists out there. Regardless of your actual day of worship, the fact remains that there is an endless list of details, big and small, that needs addressing every week, and no one knows this more than a church tech team. Sunday is coming. Again. Rinse and repeat. There are input lists, patch sheets, sermon notes (and the inevitable last-minute changes to said sermon notes), lighting cues, a new Crowder song with a bouzouki part– something you didn’t even know was an instrument, much less what it sounds like– a video to edit (wait, are we even allowed to use this clip?), and that’s all before we even talk about the double ear infection your daughter brought home from daycare and the two-day trip your wife has to take with her co-worker, and…

Own It

While traveling with a female entertainer many years ago I experienced something that turned out to be a pivotal moment in my life and career. Like many in production, I was a jack-of-all trades at the time, hired as both an Audio Engineer and Tour Manager. I had numerous details to handle, but I managed to keep all the plates spinning fairly well.

Three Tenets for Production Survival

Spending the better part of my like serving others through music and show production has given me the opportunity to develop three basic credos I use frequently. It may surprise you that none of these are technical in nature. I’ve always been a firm believer that my brain power is what I need to survive, NOT my technical skill. So let’s go…

The Three Tech Personalities

One of many lessons I’ve learned working at a church – specifically in the tech production role – is that you will work with people more than you will work with equipment. While we use equipment and technology, its purpose is to make people better, which interprets into working and communicating with people daily.

Go Therefore

One thing I have been wrestling with this year is something so simple and so basic to the Christian world, yet it’s been so hard for me to grasp until now.

Leading Through Change

Like many others, I’ve dealt with my fair share of change. From entering the world as a navy brat, to spending my grade school and teenage years as part of a family dependent on the oilfield. Relocating, attending new schools, starting all over again in different cities…these changes were all a part of my “normal”. And then what career did I choose to get involved with: the entertainment business? Could I have picked a path more rife with change? Suffice it to say, even with the relentless weekend schedules and it’s associated craziness, working at a church has become quite an unexpected rock for me. Something I could count on, depend on…even build a future on.

Creating a Functional Space for Volunteer Technicians

When redesigning your control room space, there are several critical factors to consider. Whether your control room is primarily operated by volunteer technicians or a mix of experienced professionals and newcomers, optimizing the space to meet their unique needs is essential. Let’s break down five key considerations that will help you create a control room that maximizes efficiency and comfort for your technicians no matter their skill level.

The Most Creative Thing I’ve Ever Seen

I was recently on a school trip with my son to the East coast. It was an amazing tour of the early settlements, our nation’s capital, and the history of how our nation began. One of the most impressive things I saw is actually one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen…and it’s from 1883!