The biggest day of the church calendar is just around the corner. Easter. This is what it’s all about. Churches across the world will be gathering together to celebrate the resurrection of a carpenter who was born more than 2,000 years ago in a small Middle Eastern village. This is the day when everything we have worked for comes together. For a tech director, this can be the most stressful and intense weekend of our year. We have gear to install, teams to coordinate and rehearsals to attend. It's all on the line. People who never come to church will be in attendance and it is our job to make sure that everything comes together flawlessly.
For a moment, let's forget about haze machines and lighting cues, microphone frequencies & video resolutions. Let's pause to ponder the miracle that this day represents.
Judah Thomas is a former church tech director who now leads Thrive.Church in Terryville, CT.
But maybe for a moment we should take a few steps back from the Big Production. For a moment, let's forget about haze machines and lighting cues, microphone frequencies and video resolutions. Let's pause to ponder the miracle that this day represents. Even with all of the technological wizardry we have at our disposal it pales in comparison to the event that early Sunday morning. Our best attempts at pageantry can barely catch a glimpse of the power that blew the stone away from the entrance of the tomb and raised our Lord to life. When we reflect on the miracle of that morning, we realize that we have been entrusted to tell the greatest story in all of history, and we have all been given certain tools to tell that story. Some may use lights and video and others may use choirs and contemplation. Some may use drama and dance, and others music and poetry.
Subtle is still powerful in meaning
It is easy to feel inadequate with smaller budgets and smaller teams. We can fall into the comparison game of feeling like our service can never be as good as some other church with a bigger budget and more qualified team. But no matter our capacity we still have the honor of telling the amazing story of Jesus' resurrection and mankind's redemption. The power of the Easter story is not in your budget, technical acumen or the skill of your team. Rather, the power of the Easter story is in the story itself. Whether it is told with flannel-graph or an immersive video production, this story has the power to save souls and transform lives. And you get to play a part in that.
The acid test
So before we ask the question, “How do we top last year?” -- let's stop and ask how we can tell the Easter story with as little distraction as possible. What is the bare minimum we need to convey this pivotal point in history? Do the tools we have at our disposal add or detract from that story? Are we trying to impress our congregation or engage them? Let us allow the story to drive our production. Let us not fall into the trap of allowing our productions to drive the story. We have been entrusted with the greatest truth known to man. Let us make sure we deliver it with clarity and power.
