Every team has the capacity to grow. Whether it’s sound, lighting, visuals, or livestreams, the work we do matters. It’s not just about technical details; it’s about creating a space where people can experience the presence of God without distraction. In this article we want to give a few suggestions on how to help every church’s creative and production department set goals for 2025.
We can’t do this alone. Growing the team is essential—not just to share the load but to build sustainability for the future.
1. Commit to Excellence
Let’s start with the obvious: we need to keep raising the bar on production skills. Excellence in production doesn’t mean perfection—it means doing the best we can with what we have to help people encounter God. Whether it’s mixing, light programming, video production, or managing the livestream, we have a responsibility to minimize distractions and create a smooth worship experience. One of the biggest hurdles for excellence in church is week-to-week consistency.
To do this, we need to invest in regular training. With digital consoles this has never been easier. By using digital or virtual sound check (playing recorded tracks back through the console), multiple sound engineers can work together to come up with the highest quality mixes for Sunday. Hands-on practice can make a huge difference in how we serve.
Another aspect of excellence is staying on top of equipment maintenance and upgrades. Nothing throws off a service faster than broken gear we could’ve fixed ahead of time. Setting quarterly inspections of all gear and researching firmware updates for each computer, console and projector makes a huge difference in the consistency and longevity of equipment.
2. Build Healthy Team Culture
A production team isn’t just a group of people who know how to push buttons—it’s a ministry team. Serving together to create an environment where people can worship and hear God’s Word is important work. That means we need to grow spiritually and relationally, not just technically. Healthy team culture doesn’t just mean working with people that enjoy being around each other, but also making sure those serving are in church are being spiritually fed, even when they are outside of the production booth.
Intentional team building also adds to the culture. Monthly meetings with a devotional and prayer time can help us stay grounded in why we do what we do. Hanging out outside of services makes a difference on Sunday, whether it’s a retreat, a meal, or just hanging out. And for newer team members, mentorship is critical. Pairing them with experienced leaders creates opportunities for growth and connection.
Recruitment can seem intimidating for many production guys. It starts with casting the vision.
3. Upgrade Communication
Let’s be honest: communication can make or break a service. If we don’t know who’s doing what or what’s coming next, things fall apart quickly. This year, let’s work on tightening up how we communicate and organize.
Using tools like Planning Center or Slack can help keep everyone in the loop. Detailed service cut sheets sent out early give clarity and confidence. On service days, having clear assignments ensures everyone knows their role. When we communicate well, it creates a sense of trust and calm—not just for the team, but for everyone involved in worship.
The tools used for communication are huge, but also having a communication plan for the production director is important as well. What needs to be communicated to the team each week and when? These two questions can help people start thinking about Sunday during the week.
4. Adding Volunteers
We can’t do this alone. Growing the team is essential—not just to share the load but to build sustainability for the future. Focusing on recruiting new volunteers can be a challenge because of the difficultly that comes with serving on Sunday and Sunday with being a prime day for connecting with you people, but it matters. Finding Sundays to connect with people instead of being in the booth is paramount to the department.
A production team isn’t just a group of people who know how to push buttons—it’s a ministry team.
Recruitment can seem intimidating for many production guys. It starts with casting the vision. Highlight the impact of production ministry during a Sunday service or in personal conversations. Once the vision is cast, make sure they know there is training for any job they may be interested in. A clear onboarding process and then shadowing others performing technical roles are key getting started.
When we focus on these four goals: excellence, culture of the team, better communication, and volunteer growth—we’re setting ourselves up for a year of effective ministry. But more than that, we’re reminding ourselves why we do this in the first place. Every light cue, audio fader, and camera angle is an act of worship, pointing people to Jesus. Let’s keep that at the center as we serve this year.
