Twenty-three-year-old Claire O’Reilly is currently performing the duties of a tech director as an AV tech contractor at the Morrisville, North Carolina campus of Hope Community Church based in Raleigh. The church has four local campuses and a vibrant online ministry. She is also serving at Life Changers Church NC where she runs audio for Saturday services. Until a few years ago, however, none of these jobs were on O’Reilly’s radar. But her life and career path took a drastic turn recently, leading her to church tech.
“I saw how I could use my giftings in a meaningful way, where glorifying God was at the center of it.”
CPM: What is an AV tech contractor?
O’Reilly: AV (Audio/Visual) tech contractor takes care of all the needed production responsibilities for an event, anything from operating a sound board, running slides and/or lyrics, programming, and running lights, to setting up any needed tech equipment like speakers and microphones. I am contracted through Hope, so for any event that's held at one of Hope's campuses, I'll often get contracted to run production.
I am currently performing the duties of a tech director for the Raleigh campus. Throughout the week I work with other tech directors [at] the other Hope campuses to work on projects as a team, helping prep for Thursday services, leading production for Sunday services, and [leading the] production side of things at Young Adult Ministry events. Being contracted, I run all things production for various events that come up at the different Hope campuses.
CPM: How did you become interested in technology?
O’Reilly: My interest in technology started with my love for photography, utilizing technology to showcase different art styles, and learning how gadgets work.
I’ve been involved with production for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I helped with my school news behind the scenes. In high school, some of my extracurricular activities included being the president of the Broadcasting Club, where I did both sides of production behind the scenes and anchoring for my school news. I took a couple of digital media classes and started as a freelance graphic designer, where I made posters, designed t-shirts, promo videos, highlight football videos for my school’s football team.
CPM: How did your technology/media skills converge with the church?
O’Reilly: I left a whole life I had built behind to pursue graphic design and production in the church to glorify God.
I used to have engineering as my major with a Navy scholarship attending the University of Idaho. In the second semester of my first year of college, I started serving on the graphic design team of a church where I was baptized that year, and I realized that was where God was calling me. When I started serving with the Graphic Design Ministry at my church in Idaho, I got to see firsthand how even the tiniest of details could help lead people to Jesus. I saw how I could use my giftings in a meaningful way, where glorifying God was at the center of it.
So, I changed my major to graphic design, dropped my Navy scholarship, moved back to North Carolina, and I am now in my last semester for my degree. At the time, leaving [behind] the life I had built was the last thing I wanted to do, and now, getting to do what I get to do is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.
“I love how the speed of transitioning between cameras can add to creating a moment for the congregation during worship.”
CPM: How did you learn the skills for the job you have at Hope Community Church now?
O’Reilly: Having experience with videography, made it easy to grasp the creative vision of video directing, but other than that, I had little to no knowledge of the equipment used or how to use it until I was taught by members of Hope’s production team when I started serving here in 2019. The more I served at Hope, the more I realized being a tech director is my dream job. I get to utilize each of my passions, all for the glory of God.
CPM: What advice do you have for other women interested in pursuing church tech?
O’Reilly: Go after what you want! Don’t be afraid to be curious and ask questions. Knowledge is your friend.
CPM: What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?
O’Reilly: The switcher board is my favorite. I love how the speed of transitioning between cameras can add to creating a moment for the congregation during worship.
CPM: You are young for a leadership position. What’s that like?
O’Reilly: I just turned 23. Most of the time I'm working alongside and leading a team of volunteers that are twice my age. It's fun working with and learning from people from different walks of life than I, do because we get to work together to point people towards God utilizing technology.
CPM: What are your plans after graduation?
O’Reilly: My plan after graduation is to continue pursuing serving God through technology, wherever God calls me to be. Whether that be at Hope, Life Changers Church NC, or anywhere else, I am very blessed to get to say, "I'm helping lead people to Jesus utilizing the giftings God gave me." I also plan to continue my freelance graphic design work.
