TIM HOLLINGER, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14 INVISIBLE SERVANTS
I tell our audio-visual operators that they have done their job well if no one knew they were there. The same goes for our IT team. If everything is working as expected, then you can remain focused on the worship service or ministry resource or whatever function you’re involved in that includes support from technology. The behind-the-scenes people and resources needed to carry out our ministry objectives continues to grow as the world advances around us. For example, preCOVID, our livestream broadcast used one volunteer per service to operate the cameras. Lockdown forced us to make changes like adding song lyrics and improvements like better audio. We now have four and a half people dedicated to the livestream at 9:30; cameras, lyrics/video, a separate audio mix just for the broadcast and a director who talks into the other operators’ headsets with instructions and direction. I’m the half as I sit at my desk and monitor the livestream that is being delivered around the world and make occasional comments to the crew if something needs correction. Pray for our AV staff and volunteers as they work to help proclaim the hope of the gospel. And consider joining our team! We need more volunteers. Another major behind-the-scenes area is our church database. This is a software system that houses contact and demographic information on our congregants and provides services like Kids’ Harbor check-in, online giving and year-end giving statements, event registration, small group administration and more. The system we have been using has been out of development for several years and we are switching to a new system at the end of June. While some may worry about the big-brother aspect of this data, it is a vital tool in helping ministry
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leadership manage volunteers and events and examine the health of the church body through various areas of involvement. We also take protection of this data very seriously. Pray for the IT and administrative staff as they work to improve the effectiveness of these tools and enhancing your use of them. You may not see most these servants at work, but they are here, serving on your behalf. To God be the glory!
