Church techs work at the intersection of technology and emotion. We take technology and combine it with artistry in an effort to provide environments and experiences that foster life-changing encounters with God, His people, and His message. Much of that artistry is found on stage. Much of it, however, is found within ourselves. It doesn't matter if you are manipulating color pallets or audio effects, every time you serve you are mixing artistry with technology. It sounds simple, yet over my time in service I have found that this is one of the most difficult aspects of technical ministry to work through.
Working in technical ministry involves the confluence of two normally divergent types of people: the artist and the engineer. Most of us work with artists every Sunday. Some are musicians who lead us in worship. Some are actors who walk us through life experiences. Still others are orators whose command of language teaches and inspires. We find ourselves surrounded by artists every weekend. However, what strikes me is not that technical ministry allows engineers to rub elbows with creative types, but that it creates this coexistence within individuals participating in the ministry.
Melding of the Minds
Engineers work in the world of absolutes—where technical constructs are mathematically and logically derived. When building capability we can generally boil it down to a set of known principles that combine together to create the desired result. Engineers talk in terms of quantifiable measurements that have specific and meaningful relationships. Blue plus yellow makes green. Voltage multiplied by amperage equals wattage. In the world of church tech I believe that we have a tendency to look at our efforts as engineers. Many times we attempt to evaluate our efforts in quantifiable terms. Did we hit our metrics? Did we succeed? Did we fail?
Artists, on the other hand, work with expression and emotion. They use their creativity to convey feeling or to invoke a response. They use their art to lead people in worship, to bring them closer to the Spirit, to cause emotional stirring. While the evaluation of the engineer's technology is specific and quantifiable, the evaluation of the artist's art is not. Some people might love the work of an artist while at the same time, others don't. In most all cases, however, the evaluation of art does not call into question the authenticity of the art itself. Art can be appreciated without it being enjoyed. As such, artists are free to practice their craft and expand their ideas. They are free to create new forms of art, new presentations, and new concepts. While some attempts may not produce the desired outcome, the very nature of art allows the artist freedom to try and fail. This is the bedrock of artistic evolution. This is also counterintuitive to engineers who evaluate things in quantifiable terms.
Finding and Fostering Freedom
What I find difficult is allowing my internal artist freedom to create, to learn, and to fail—without allowing my internal engineer to pronounce judgment. I can think of a few times that I have attempted something new and creative only to find myself disappointed with the result. The immediate challenge is keeping the engineer at bay and not allowing him to influence the artist's evaluation of the effort or the artist's ability to learn from it. Allowing the engineer to interfere with this process can become stifling and oppressive towards the growth of our craft. Ultimately, in order to work and succeed in this world of technology and emotion, we must recognize that it is okay to try new things and evolve the artistic side of our ministry. If you have an idea, then you need to allow yourself the freedom to try it. If it works out, celebrate it. If it doesn't work out, don't consider it a failure, consider it growth—and consider it necessary toward the perfection of your craft.
