Are you looking to attend a church conference in 2019? Here is a list of great conferences that may be perfect for you and your team. Conferences are a great way to get inspired, learn new things and connect with other like-minded people.

That Church Summit

• Online
• January 21, 2019

An online-only conference for churches who want to master marketing and learn how to engage with their community from Sunday to Sunday.

 C3 Conference

• Dallas, TX
• February 20-21, 2019

We believe healthy leaders talk about the raw and real of leadership. C3 Conference is a two-day event where leaders from around the world gather together for intensive coaching, inspirational teaching, incurable learning, and intentional relationships to advance the Church!

Exponential Conference

• Orlando, FL
• March 4-7, 2019

The theme focuses on how each of us is called for more in our lives, churches, and networks. We will walk through the 6 chapters of Ephesians during the main sessions. Shift 1: From More Effort to More Jesus. Shift 2: From More Volunteers to More Masterpieces. Shift 3: From More Guilt to More Love. Shift 4: From More Hierarchy to More Missionaries. Shift 5: From More Programs to More Mission Fields. Shift 6: From More Strategy to More Surrender

Proclaim 19

• Anaheim, CA
• March 26-29, 2019

The NRB International Christian Media Convention is a jam-packed, four-day event that connects, equips, and edifies thousands of Christian communicators.

Watermark Church Leaders Conference

• Dallas, TX
• April 2-4, 2019

Join us next spring at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas to be inspired by all God wants to do through His Church and spurred on to excel wherever God has planted you. You’ll be refreshed, encouraged, energized, and refocused. Bring your whole team to dream together, laugh together, and double down on the unique mission God has placed before you.

First Impressions Conference

• Online
• May 7-9, 2019

What if people far from God hear about your church? And what if guests not only come, they come back – again and again? First-time guests become second-time guests, which become third-time guests.

That’s what developing a hospitality culture is all about. In our second year, we will dive into the Biblical theme of hospitality
and discuss culture and team leadership.

LIFT

• Atlanta, GA
• May 10-11, 2019

LIFT is a time to gather together to learn, grow, and be refreshed in your gifts with other creatives without the restraints of leading others. These days will include main sessions with teaching and worship, as well as breakouts ranging from leading worship to production to other creative themes and topics.

National Worship Leader Conference

• Brentwood, TN
• May 20-21, 2019

The National Worship Leader Conference (NWLC) first began in Austin, TX back in 2007 as an event to bring the training found in the pages of Worship Leader Magazine to life. Since then it has become an inspirational and informative gathering, that brings together musicians and songwriters, movers and shakers, theologians and scholars across the global worship community. We hope you can join us in 2019 for two full days that will renew, challenge, and ignite your worship team.

FILO Conference

• Chicago, IL
• May 21-22, 2019

Whether volunteer or staff, FILO aims to provide skill development, community and inspiration to help equip technical artists to become effective contributors to their local church. FILO is a combination of the FILO Conference, FILO Blog, FILO Podcast, and personalized FILO Coaching.

PushPay Summit

• Dallas, TX
• May 22-23, 2019

At Summit, you won’t find the biggest name speakers or pastors with the most Facebook likes. You won’t see an amazing light show or worship experience designed to “recharge” or “refuel” you. Instead, you’ll hear from speakers you’ve likely never heard of. From people you probably won’t recognize, who probably have fewer Instagram followers than you. Why? Because they’re the executive pastors and behind-the-scenes business leader who are actually doing the work, every day of the week. They’re not looking to get you to grow their Twitter following or promote their next campus launch. They’re looking to teach you the most important ministry lessons they’ve learned (that you can start using this Sunday).

Nerdy Church Talk Conference

• St. Augustine, FL
• May 30 – June 1, 2019

Nerdy Church Talk Conference is geared towards empowering the local church through Audio, Video and Lighting. This is a technical conference with over 36 training sessions across the AVL fields from the AVL Leaders of some of the most influential churches in the country and world.

VOUS Conference

• Miami, FL
• June 10-15, 2019

So God came to us. So we could go into the world. Carrying the light into the night. To bring the broken home. If not you, then who? If not now, then when? Who are you waiting on? The charge has been set. The orders given. Go. And if we don’t go‍ no one else is coming.

Bethany Conference

• Baton Rouge, LA
• June 18-20, 2019

The heart behind this conference is to equip, inspire, and empower the local church to carry on the greatest call on this side of heaven. Championing a movement that will see no comparison or end for all of the time as the next generation of church leaders, creatives, and servants rise up into the future; further together.  If not now?

Experience Conference

• Orlando, FL
• September 3-6, 2019

Scores of worship leaders from around the country and across denominational lines gather each year at Experience Conference, one of the largest worship conferences in America, to connect in community with one another, get equipped with key resources, and become empowered to see how God might use us to change the world.

That Church Conference

• Atlanta, GA
• September 17-18, 2019

That Church Conference is not the type of conference where you sit and listen, but instead, you do and practice. We do things a little differently than you might expect from a church conference. That’s because we want you to be different.

So many churches blend into the culture around them, without making any significant impact on it. The tools we provide equip churches to stand out, to make an impact, to not go unnoticed. And when that happens the church can reach more people.

WFX Conference & Expo

• Orlando, FL
• September 17-19, 2019

The WFX Conference & Expo offers solutions relating to training and education for today’s church. This three-day experience provides church teams with hands-on training, real-world solutions, networking, and more importantly, the inspiration that you need to successfully grow your church community. There’s something for everyone on your ministry teams with five individual and targeted conferences, covering tech arts, facilities, communications, safety, and security, as well as worship.

Over 225 vendors and manufacturers exhibit during the Expo, offering worship facilities with the products and services they need, from companies that specialize in servicing churches and worship facilities.

Circles Conference

• Fort Worth, TX
• September 18-20, 2019

Circles Conference is a three-day design and development conference by Circles Co., bringing together designers and makers from around the globe. Learning from transformative thinkers and connecting with like-minded innovators, Circles provides a space where you’ll be challenged to push yourself in the creative process while drawing inspiration from those thriving in the industry.

Gateway Conference

• Southlake, TX
• September 30 – October 1, 2019

The Gateway Conference desires to share practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and biblical health in the spiritual community of the local church. We want to share these principles because we desire to do everything in our power to build God’s kingdom through His local church.

Inside Elevation

• Charlotte, NC
• October 8-9, 2019

Inside Elevation has never been about us. Our heart is to serve others in ministry to better equip them to live out their calling. In 2019, we’re using a fresh approach to focus even more on helping you build your team.

Our vision statement at Elevation is simple – “See What God Can Do Through You” – and that’s our same goal with this event. Whether you’re a new church developing your foundation or you’re an experienced church, wanting to evaluate your values and looking for the next step — we want to partner with you and your team to work together and focus on what God wants to do through you, now and into the future. God’s already given you the dream. Now is the time to do it.

SALT: The Creative Arts Conference

• Nashville, TN
• October 9-11, 2019

We’re living in a unique moment in time where creativity is craved, created and consumed at a rate like never before. This moment in time provides an opportunity for us in the Church to leverage our God-given gifts to make a tremendous impact in our community and society at large.

We believe that God has likely given you the platform and the ability to leverage your influence at such a time as this. Join us at SALT19 as we explore the intersection of influence, creativity, and the local Church.

Hillsong Creative Conference

• Sydney, Australia
• October 23-25, 2019

A 2 days / 3 nights gathering of the creatively gifted ones; the prophets and the poets; the artisans and the producers; humbly hosted by Hillsong Creative. Expressed through Co-Labs; innovative circles of thought leaders; small and large gatherings; Midnight Massive; friendships will be forged. Together telling the story of Jesus and making creativity the center of God’s Church today.

CreativeChurch Arts Conference

• San Juan Capistrano, CA
• TBA

Creative leaders and renowned artists share visionary ideas and practical applications for the arts and creativity to flourish in and through you and your congregation.

The Canvas Conference

We stand at a stalemate. In many ways, the church doesn’t want the creative and the creative doesn’t want the church. This is in part because the church doesn’t know what to do with creatives and creatives no longer see the church’s value.

• Santa Ana, CA
• TBA

Faith Leads Tech Conference

A one-day, single-track conference bringing together followers of Jesus Christ centered on technology and innovation.

• Nashville, TN
• TBA

The Big Idea

• Brentwood, TN
• TBA

The Big Idea is a 2-day church communication and marketing conference in Nashville. Join us at Brentwood Baptist to meet fellow communicators and experience meaningful, diverse, and entertaining content dedicated to church communication and marketing.

Canadian Church Leaders Conference

• Barrie, ON
• TBA

The Canadian Church Leaders Conference brings together church leaders from every background across Canada for an intimate, interactive gathering at Connexus Church north of Toronto. Fresh insights, practical strategies, and conversations with top Canadian church leaders who are reaching people in their communities. Hosted and led by Carey Nieuwhof, Jeff Brodie and Connexus Church, the conference is designed to give you the tools and renewed passion you need to reach more people in your community and beyond. Helping Canadian church leaders reach people.

Looking to boost the creativity in your worship team’s lyric slides? The February 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This collection of motion backgrounds has been one of the fastest downloaded CMG Packs that we’ve ever released. These Crystal Glass animated backgrounds make the perfect canvas for creative shapes and fonts.

Try These 10 Crystal Glass Lyric Looks

To make your church’s screens look even more creative, we’ve put together 10 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. We hope they will inspire you!

1. Emphasized Box

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Bold
Background: Crystal Glass Bot
Pro Layer: Clear Light Box 15

2. Outlined White Box

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Medium
Background: Crystal Glass Weave
Pro Layer: Marble Flow Shape 11

3. Split Middle Frame

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Medium Italic
Background: Crystal Glass Tides
Pro Layer: Broken Frame 01

4. Dual Spaced Lines

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Extra Bold
Background: Crystal Glass Gears
Pro Layer: Crystal Glass 03

5. Double White Frame

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Italic
Background: Crystal Glass Lost
Pro Layer: Vivid Haze Box 02

6. Black Bar Outline

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Bold Outline
Background: Crystal Glass Lava
Pro Layer: Liquid Lines 11

7. Double Color Block

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Italic
Background: Crystal Glass Adventure
Pro Layer: Nature Tone Shape 13

8. Dual Thin Lines

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Medium
Background: Crystal Glass Gold
Pro Layer: Crystal Glass 01

9. Medium Split Lines

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Bold Condensed
Background: Crystal Glass Orbit
Pro Layer: Crystal Glass 02

10. Double White Bars

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Clik here to view.Font: CMG Sans Bold Italic
Background: Crystal Glass Slash
Pro Layer: Noise Play Box 03

We have seen CMG motion backgrounds used in churches all over the world, but it doesn’t stop there. Our motions have been used at countless conferences and large Christian events, too. Church Motion Graphics has been trusted to provide visuals for events focused on leadership, worship, students, kids ministry, and more.

In 2018, our motion backgrounds were spotted at 45 unique conferences and large events. Wherever there is a need for eye-catching graphics, you’ll find CMG.

1. ARC Conference – Birmingham, AL
2. ARC Conference Canada – Calgary, AB
3. Arise for Harvest – Yangon, Myanmar
4. Big Daddy Weave, Jesus I Believe Tour – USA
5. Calibrate Conference – Tampa, FL
6. Canadian Church Leaders Conference – Barrie, ON
7. Catalyst Conference – Atlanta, GA
8. Church of God General Assembly – Orlando, FL
9. Dream Conference – Phoenix, AZ
10. Empowered To Connect Conference – Saint Joseph, MO
11. ENC Prayer Conference – Tarboro, NC
12. Experience Conference – Orlando, FL
13. FILO Conference – Chicago, IL
14. Financial Revolution Conference – Coitsville, OH
15. Forward Conference 2018 – Duluth, GA
16. Foursquare International Conference – Seattle, WA
17. Freedom Conference – Birmingham, AL
18. G4T Conference – Vancouver, WA
19. Grow Conference – Birmingham, AL
20. Gulf Coast Getaway – Panama City Beach, FL
21. Harvest America – Dallas, TX
22. Harvest SoCal – Anaheim, CA
23. Hearts On Fire Conference – Pigeon Forge, TN
24. Hillsong Creative Conference – Sydney, Australia
25. Identity Youth Conference – Lethbridge, AB
26. “I Still Do” Marriage Conference – Lakeland, FL
27. Kerygma Conference – Philippines
28. Love Is Red – Canton, OH
29. MCIN Discipleship Conference – Huntsville, AL
30. MORE Student Leaders Conference – Abbotsford, BC
31. Motion Conference – Pearland, TX
32. National Fine Arts – Houston, TX
33. Nerdy Church Talk Conference – Huntington, WV
34. New Life Conference – New Zealand
35. Next Level Leadership Conference – Fort Myers, FL
36. No Greater Love Festival – Cochrane, AB
37. Provision Conference – New Albany, OH
38. School of Ministry – Toronto, ON
39. Smoky Mountain Winterfest – Knoxville, TN
40. Sonfest 2018 – Orlando, FL
41. Souls ‘A Fire 2018 – Tulsa, OK
42. Thrive Conference – Indian Wells, CA
43. Uprising 2018 – Cleveland, TN
44. Victory Outreach International Women’s Convention – Sam Dimas, CA
45. Youth Alive Conference – Edmonton, AB

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Photos from:
Christ’s Church of the Valley
Church by the Glades
Athens Church
Hillsong Church
Church of the Highlands

We’re always working to improve the experience for our subscribers. With our new Favorites feature, it’s even easier to navigate the CMG Shop and collect the content that you love most. Simply click the star on any background, countdown, template, social graphic, layer or title to add it to your Favorites collection.

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Clik here to view.Step 1 – Find an Item You like in the Shop

Every item in the CMG Shop can now be favorited. Click any motion background, still, countdown, template, social graphic, etc. to get started.

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Clik here to view.Step 2 – Click the Favorites Star

Once you click on an item, a preview window of the item will appear. Directly above the the download button is a star. Click this to favorite this item.

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Clik here to view.Step 3 – View Your Favorites Collection

To view every item that you have favorited, click the star icon under the CMG logo in the top left of any shop page. This will take you to your Favorites page.

We know that social media can make a staggering difference in church growth, but what happens when the buck stops with you as a staff member—and you also have a long list of other equally important tasks in a day?

One word: Teamwork. Assembling, equipping, and leading a dream team may be the answer to your prayers! More than likely, you are surrounded by a large number of willing workers, from teens who know more about Instagram than even you, to elders who have finally mastered the art of Facebook.

Here are 5 tips for building the social media team of your dreams.

1. Simplify The Process

If your usual start-to-finish process of building content, posting it, and monitoring engagement is an intricate winding road using 14 tools, apps, and platforms, then it may be hard to find volunteers willing to jump in. Making it easy for them ultimately makes it easy for yourself.

Consider using a scheduling software like Hootsuite or CoSchedule that will allow a volunteer to post to 3 social media accounts at once. When possible, create a large queue of potential posts to choose from, rather than creating one at a time. Simplifying the process can save you and your volunteers a lot of miscommunication, without sacrificing brand integrity.

2. Start With People You Know

It is important to launch your team with people you know that you can trust, especially if you work for a large church and don’t know everyone. In essence, you are handing over aspects of your church’s brand to this team, which is a big responsibility. Launching a cold call for volunteers can make it difficult to separate good judgment from enthusiastic but careless participation.

It’s much better to begin with 2 or 3 people that you know have the best interests of the church at heart and already has a mutual respect established with you. This is will allow you to communicate well, and trust that they are invested. Involving unknown people opens you up the possibility of a volunteer abandoning their responsibilities without notice.

3. Get Around A Table Together

As often as possible, get your social media team together in one room. Eating together and playing games will allow you to get to know each other, which will ultimately yield better teamwork.

On a recurring basis, collaborate and brainstorm ideas, allowing every person’s creativity to shine. As the leader, make sure that every person feels valid and that their ideas are heard and valued. To increase skill level, educate yourselves together on best practices and the latest trends by reading articles together or watching videos. Discuss opportunities for improvement and troubleshoot problems together.

Most importantly, delegate tasks for the upcoming week or month. As the leader, it is your responsibility to clearly communicate your expectations, so that everyone leaves knowing their job.

4. Begin With Small Tasks

When you give assignments to your team, at least at the beginning, make them simple. Presumably, you’re not working with highly-trained marketing professionals, so start with something that requires no expertise.

“Pick 5 photos of last night’s event in this Dropbox folder for us to use on social media this week.”
“Invite the users who liked this post to like the church’s Facebook page.”
“Monitor this hashtag and like each post.”

Once they have completed an assignment, give encouraging feedback. Offer correction when needed. Communicating in this way will develop their skills, and learn your expectation and standard.

5. Publicly Ask For Skilled Artists

Chances are that your auditorium on any given Sunday is littered with creatives. Use social media, announcement opportunities, and networking to find skilled professionals or talented amateurs in your family of faith. Graphics designers, photographers, and visual artists can elevate an organization’s social media presence immensely.

And when you find these creative geniuses? Don’t take them for granted. Divide the labor, give them creative freedom, and keep open lines of communication. The last thing you want to do is take advantage of volunteers and make them feel like their service is their only value.

CMG Social Can Help You Look Awesome

Looking to take your church’s social media content to the next level? CMG is here to help. Each month, we release over 100 new social graphics that make it easy to look great on your pages. Our CMG Social library is full of 1200+ graphics, many that include editable Photoshop files, that are ready for you download now.

You start the day feeling great. Yesterday you created a social media post for an upcoming event. You settle in with a cup of coffee, and click on the bright red notification alert.

Then you see it: a comment brimming with undisguised negativity.

It’s an angry former church member, or a random community member making serious claims about integrity, or worse, a troll aimlessly littering the internet with vulgar remarks.

Every church communicator knows the deflated feeling that follows. Your instinct may be to delete the comment and ban the user. (Terrible idea.) On the other hand, you may be tempted to ignore the comment completely. (Worst idea.)

Surprisingly that troll, former church member, or community member is a real person, and is likely in need of the very ministry the post was promoting.

Take a deep breath and get excited. You have a great opportunity to make a fan or two with these options on how to proceed.

1. When the claim is false? Explain gently.

Sandwiching a negative comment between two positives is a great tactic in dealing with slanderous comments on social media.

First thank the commenter for their feedback, and mean it. If you’re honest, you know that it is helpful to know how people perceive your church in the immediate community and beyond.

Then explain gently why the claim is false. “We actually don’t serve coffee but you’re welcome to bring your own!” or “You can find our statement of beliefs at…” are options to firmly and respectfully set the record straight.

Lastly, leave the door open for Bob. This isn’t a smackdown or opportunity for argument. “Join us on Sunday to see for yourself!” is a great way to exit the conversation. Make sure that he can log off that day feeling both curious and respected.

2. When it’s pointless? Release them.

While most people keep scrolling when an ad doesn’t apply to them, there are a few who decide to leave a pointless “no thanks” comment. Maybe the denomination, style, size, or location of the church is not their cup of tea.

In this case, you get to demonstrate that your church is open-handed and not manipulative.

The best way to proceed? “Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope you find a church in the area that is a better fit for you!”

3. When it escalates? Engage carefully.

One of the best ways to diffuse a negative comment on social media is to invite the accusatory party to have an in-person conversation. Before you offer this option of course, make sure to clear it with whomever is most qualified to set the record straight. The commenter may take you up on the offer, but it’s possible that just being reminded of the people behind the screen is enough to quiet their “caps lock” claims.

In the case of a comment using profanity, the best policy is to delete the comment as soon as possible, and follow up with the user in a private message. Identify yourself as a moderator for your church’s page and explain your reasoning for deleting the comment. This will go pretty smoothly if you already have a policy in place that you can cite for your decision. As long as the user is not threatening in any way, this may be another opportunity to meet with a pastor.

Ultimately, you want the commenter to find peace, and banning them only leaves them in their current state.

CMG Can Help Your Church With Social Media

Looking to take your church’s social media content to the next level? CMG is here to help. Each month, we release over 100 new social graphics that make it easy to look great on your pages. Our CMG Social library is filled with a massive amount of graphics, many including editable Photoshop files, that are ready for you download now.

Year after year, churches see unusually high attendance on one Sunday more than the rest. Easter is a day of utmost importance in the Christian faith, and the unusually high attendance gives an added pressure to make the service unforgettable.

Here are 8 ideas to make the Easter service at your church special this year:

1. Provide a Photo Booth

Both members and non-members alike will be arriving in their coordinated spring pastels and looking for a photo opp. Help them capture a family snapshot that they will treasure for years to come with a simple photo booth. Be sure to include the church name somewhere on the photo booth for effortless advertisement. Provide a hashtag off-camera to encourage families to share their Easter best on social media.

2. Decorate the Lobby

Easter is the perfect excuse to switch things up. Revive the look in your church’s lobby by adding in a few new items or Easter-specific decorations. Whether using signage or decor, brighten up the space with some fresh spring colors.

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Clik here to view.

3. Update Your Worship Visuals

Set apart this sacred day by refreshing your worship visuals. Building a new look will inspire a significant mood shift in the worship set. Our new April 2019 CMG Pack features beautiful visuals to capture the essence of Easter.

4. Host a Fun Activity for Kids

Provide your church members with an easy opportunity to invite unchurched friends by hosting a kids event before or after the service. A simple egg hunt will draw crowds, as it is a familiar Easter tradition.

5. Debut a New Worship Song

A significant event in Christianity, Easter is a day to set apart with meaningful moments. Introduce a new or particularly moving song to capture the attention of the congregation. The surprise of a new song ensures that its meaning will not be lost due to familiarity.

6. Offer Snacks in the Lobby

Considering you will host far more visitors than normal, include a time before or after the service for church members to get to know newcomers. Nothing builds community like food, and offering snacks may be the ticket to gain a second visit!

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Clik here to view.

7. Illustrate Your Sermon with a Creative Graphic

Cater to the visual learners in your congregation with a CMG Template that will perfectly demonstrate your point. These professionally designed templates allow you to drive home your points in a new and unique way.

8. Release New Church Swag

Everyone loves a good t-shirt, coffee mug, or vinyl sticker. Design merchandise around your church’s Easter theme to remind visitors of the message. Whether you sell them or give them away, swag is the marketing tool that keeps on giving. Our Church Shirt Kit makes it easy to get a great look.

We’re Here to Help You This Easter

We know that Easter is an important time for your ministry, so Church Motion Graphics is committed to helping you make your big day special. We have a large collection of resources, many that are FREE, that will make it easy for your church to look awesome as you reach your community.

Every church tech leader has had those Sunday mornings when you leave church discouraged by the way your team handled critical moments in service. Why is it so often the things that we’ve practiced over and over that we miss?

Then there’s that moment when you’re just about ready to give up. You’ve explored alternative opportunities to serve in your church – maybe the kids team needs someone to help with snack, or maybe I should just go hold the door and smile – of course, these moments happen between the time you leave church and get to the first stoplight.

Then, in what seems like a left turn out of nowhere, you remember that one team member that, even though they were thrown a curveball today, kept a great attitude and did their best to make it work anyway.

In that moment, you realize that the kids are going to have to get their own snack, because the tech team is really where you belong.

What makes that one team member shine? Where is that resilience coming from, and how can you look for that in future team members? What are the characteristics that you can identify as you’re bringing on new team members?

Here are 3 characteristics to look for in every tech volunteer:

1. Teachability

Is this person ready to serve on the team because they love working with tech and want to learn more, or are they filling a spot because their mom and dad make them come to church early anyway? An easy way to tell is to let them know up front that they’ll eventually be training to work on multiple positions on the team.

If their first response is, “I just want to run camera once a month,” then you’ve quickly identified how teachable that person is. While they may be reliable and show up on their scheduled days, you may have a difficult time helping them improve their skills and getting the results you’re looking for.

This person will be helpful in filling a necessary position, but unless they start pursuing you for growth opportunities, don’t push them into a leadership role.

If they respond with, “Sure, I’d love to learn about all of the different positions,” or even, “That sounds like a lot to learn, but I’ll do my best,” then you’ve found a teachable team member. Let them move at their own pace, but keep the conversation open about when they’re ready to learn something new. Be ready to give them tips and pointers, and see how they respond.

2. Flexibility

No one is looking to add a diva to their team who needs their bottled water at room temperature and the sound at no more than 86.5 decibels in order to properly advance lyric slides, but those are the obvious cases.

Listening for someone’s flexibility when you’re bringing them onto the team looks like, “I’m looking to fill both a lyric operator position and a camera position. Which of those most interests you?”

If their answer is highly detailed, comes on their terms and includes rider requirements long enough to rival an 80’s pop band, then that could be a helpful sign that they’re not going to offer the flexibility required in a tech team environment.

If the answer is more like, “I’d love to work lyrics, but I’m fine with wherever I’m needed to get started,” then you have a clear sign that this person is flexible.

It’s important to recognize that looking for flexibility doesn’t mean you’re looking for someone unwilling to voice a preference, or without ideas on how something could be done, but accompanying preferences and ideas is an “I’ll fit wherever the team needs me” attitude.

3. Responsibility

Church tech is a lot of fun. We get to create environments and opportunities for people to meet Jesus, plus we get to play with all of the toys in the process.

But, playing with toys (and often expensive toys) comes with a level of responsibility, not just for the equipment itself (like making sure we don’t drop a camera, or pull a mic cable out of its socket without releasing it) but also for how we use that equipment.

Let’s be honest – tech teams often face a lot of opposition since we’re changing how people experience church, and someone on your team who isn’t responsible can often make relationships with your team worse – even if they’re teachable and flexible.

We must look for team members who are responsible – not just in how the equipment is used but how our team fits with others to create a single, unified experience.

Who do you know that’s not currently on your team that is teachable, flexible and responsible? It may be worth taking them for coffee to see if they would be interested in joining your tech team. Or, for those currently serving with you that don’t measure up well to these standards, be willing to take time to invest in them and teach how they can improve in these areas.

Need More Advice?

Don’t feel like you’re alone in leading a tech team. We have a Facebook Group filled with over 30,000 church tech leaders who are facing the same challenges as you. We encourage you to join our group and share your experience with others. We think you’ll be surprised by how many others are like you and have advice to share.

You love Church Motion Graphics and probably already tell your friends about it. Now, you can get paid for every time you spread the word. CMG Affiliates can earn up to 10% of every purchase for an entire year from all new customers you refer. Our program is free to join, easy to sign up and requires no technical knowledge.

What Is An Affiliate?

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Ready to bring the wow factor to your Easter services? At Church Motion Graphics, we’ve made it easy to utilize the power of visuals to inspire your community in ways like never before. We have products that can bring creativity to every moment of your time worshipping together.

Feature Photo: Piedmont Chapel in High Point, NC

Here’s a simple guide to how you can bring these media elements together:

1. Social Media Posts

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Social media is such an important part of reaching your community during the Easter season. Our CMG Library now includes 1500+ social media graphics that make it easy to look great online. Now, we have over 60 specific Easter social graphics, many that match our April 2019 CMG Pack perfectly. Posts like this are a great way to spread the word about your church’s services.

2. Welcome Slide

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Fill your screens with a welcoming graphic as your guests arrive. All of our CMG Packs come with a Welcome Slide motion, including this one that’s available in the April 2019 CMG pack.

3. Announcement Slides

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Make it easy for your audience to know what’s happening in your church by using announcement slides. Our CMG Library is filled with many announcement templates like this one that you can customize to fit your event perfectly.

4. Countdown Timer

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Countdown timers make it easy to let your congregation know that it’s time to find a seat as your service begins. A matching countdown video is included in each month’s CMG Pack like this one that’s from the April pack.

5. Easter Opener Video

Video openers are a great way to capture the attention of your audience. This Easter, we’ve made a brand new video that matches the April “Foil Vibes” look. It makes it easy to add a special creative element to your services. Or, you can even use it in your promotions.

6. Worship Backgrounds

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Motion backgrounds are the perfect way to create a dynamic visual experience during your church’s worship songs. They bring creativity to an otherwise boring aspect of your service – text lyrics. Each of these motions can be found in the April pack.

7. Custom Built Titles

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Make it easy for your audience to know what’s happening in each moment of your service with custom titles. Our Title Builder tool allows you to easily create custom stills and motion title slides to fit your ministry’s needs. (These examples where created using resources from the April 2019 CMG Pack.)

8. Sermon Graphics

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Using a creative visual with your preaching and teaching can create a lasting impression. Our CMG Library is filled with hundreds of customizable sermon templates that make it easy to grab the attention of your congregation during your messages.

9. Exit Slide

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Fill your screens with a friendly graphic saying goodbye as your guests leave. This moving exit background is also included in the April pack.

Want These Looks For Easter?

We love helping churches look great and make a big impact in their communities. Become a Subscriber to get access to all of the latest packs!

Easter is almost here, so church leaders and volunteers are busier than ever preparing for this big day. Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior is so important, but there are also a few things that we need to remember during this season.

1. This is the perfect opportunity to invite.

The two most opportune times of the year to invite people to church are Christmas and Easter because people are already thinking about God in these seasons. Since there is so much going on around Christmas (such as parties, shopping, family visits, etc.), Easter is truly the best time to catch new people to attend your church. Never forget the power of an invitation. As easy way to spread the word and equip your church to invite is by posting inviting social graphics like this from our CMG Social library.

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2. Going the extra mile can make all the difference.

Making a good first impression with your church’s guests is crucial at Easter. Go the extra mile in the preparation leading up to the big day. Leaders, this is the perfect time to get your volunteers involved in adding special elements and making sure that your environments are noticeably clean and welcoming.

3. Let your creativity thrive in this season.

Jesus’ resurrection is the single most important event in the history of mankind. It’s worthy to be celebrated! Use the creative gifts that God has placed in you and your church family to honor Him and mark this special occasion in fresh ways. Creativity in the church inspires people to look to their Creator.

4. Choose a few key areas to make special.

It’s important to note that you cannot greatly improve every area of your church for this big day. Instead, focus on a few areas that you already do well. If your church thrives in music, prepare a unique arrangement for the occasion. If you have volunteers who are great hosts, have special food and drinks in your lobby. If your kids team knocks it out of the park every week, add an egg hunt after church. Limit the number of new things to a few memorable ones done really well. An easy win to make your music and message really pop is using motion backgrounds like the ones shown here from the April 2019 CMG Pack.

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5. Don’t create expectations that cannot be sustained.

Don’t set guests up for disappointment by creating an epic experience on Easter Sunday, only to be followed by a boring, generic service the following week. With any special elements that you add for Easter, it’s important to stay true to the things you do every week at your church. It should also be noted that it can be easy to get caught up in having to make your special events bigger and better every year. Plan for responsible sustainability.

6. Even on Easter things will still go wrong.

Hiccups and glitches are a regular part of ministry from the tech booth to the parking lot. Since things can go wrong on every other Sunday of the year, remember that mistakes and problems can happen on Easter, too. Since you’re adding extra elements to the mix, it’s even more likely. But, don’t get caught up in these glitches. Keep your cool and adapt in those troubleshooting moments. A lot of your guests likely won’t even notice them.

7. Take care of your family, too.

When you serve in the church, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of holidays and big events. Inconveniently, the same times that are most hectic for church leaders and volunteers are also the times most important to spend with your family. Be sure to set aside quality time for your loved ones. When possible, get them involved in what you’re doing at church so that “ministry time” also becomes “family time.”

8. All of your hard work is worth it.

Spreading the good news of the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over death is so rewarding. The great hope that it gives people for their own lives and futures makes all of the hard work worth it in the end. All of the extra hours that you’re putting in and the sacrifices you’re making will not go in vain. You are investing in the Kingdom.

While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the invitations and egg hunts, Easter is really about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Of course, there is a lot of value in all of the other holiday activities and fun, but creating a meaningful time for people to worship God on Resurrection Sunday should be the highlight. Here are five easy ideas that will make your time of singing and worshipping extra special this Easter.

Feature Photo: Fathers House Church in Rochester, NY

1. Start With An Opener Video

It’s easy for people to come into service, even on Easter, feeling groggy and uninterested in what’s happening on stage. Showing an exciting, opener video is a great way to jumpstart your congregation and set the tone for the time of worship. This Easter, we’ve made a brand new video that matches our April “Foil Vibes” look and is included with all CMG Subscriptions.

2. Use A Unique Font For Lyrics

There will be new faces in your crowd on Easter Sunday, so it’s more important than ever to provide the lyrics for your worship songs on your screens. You may even have members of your congregation who aren’t familiar with your newer songs. Since so much is riding on these lyrics, it’s the perfect time to make the switch to the world’s best worship lyric font—CMG Sans. With 26 variations, you can find the perfect look for your church.

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3. Include Scripture In Your Worship

Taking a moment to pause and include the reading of Scripture is a great way to expound upon a song’s words or just make a special moment. This can be done between songs or built into a song during an instrumental. Remember to display these verses on the screen, along with the reference, so that everyone can clearly understand what is being presented.

4. Use Creative Motion Backgrounds

We are visual creatures, so when there is a chance to include powerful visuals in a worship set, there is the potential to inspire. Using creative motion backgrounds behind your lyrics is the perfect way to make a noticeable upgrade to your time of singing. Ready to take it to the next level? Try using more than one motion in a song, such as one during the verses and another during the chorus or bridge. At CMG, motion backgrounds are our specialty. Our library is filled with thousands of eye-catching motions, including our new Foil Vibes Easter Pack.

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5. Combine Two Songs For A Unique Arrangement

Looking for a fresh twist for your Easter music? Try mixing two similar songs together to form a new arrangement that will surprise your congregation. Examples of this could be bringing together Hillsong’s Open Heaven and Jesus Culture’s Holy Spirit. Or, opening with the classic Amazing Grace, then transitioning into Hillsong’s Broken Vessels. Find songs with similarities, then combine their parts for a new mix. The potential for creativity is endless with this and can be customized to your unique audience.

We’re Here to Help You This Easter

We know that Easter is an important time for your ministry, so Church Motion Graphics is committed to helping you make your big day special. We have a large collection of resources, many that are FREE, that will make it easy for your church to look awesome as you reach your community.

While Mother’s Day is not a church holiday, it is one of the most celebrated holidays in popular culture. By implementing some creative ideas at your church to honor mothers, you can create buzz and make this day special for your congregation. With luck, you can get whole families in attendance to celebrate. 

1. Lemonade Bar

Serving lemonade in your lobby before and after service is a fun way to make the day extra sweet. Add in syrups and fruit to take it to the next level, or just stick to the classic flavor. Either way, it’s an easy, affordable win that makes people smile.

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2. Photo Booth

Get mom what she really wants for Mother’s Day – a new profile picture with her family. You can create a great photo op with simple decorations. To make it even better, include a sign(s) that reference the occasion.

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3. Social Media Posts

Celebrating moms on your church’s social pages is a great way to spark engagement and take advantage of the momentum of the holiday. Posting fun images like these from the CMG Social library will generate interaction online.

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4. Gifts or Flowers

Make the ladies in your church feel honored on this day by having small gifts or flowers ready for each of them. Candles, lotions, water bottles, and chocolate are popular gifts, while lilies, orchids, tulips, and succulents are popular plants.

5. Film A Thank You Video

Break out the video camera in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day to have families share their appreciation for their mom. You could set up a booth in your church’s lobby to capture these clips, have people record from their phones at home and email them in, or record messages from kids in your children’s ministry.

6. Host A Female Speaker

A great way to celebrate moms on their big day is to have a message from a female speaker or even a panel of ladies to offer different perspectives. If this wouldn’t work best for your church, another method would be to include a testimony from a mother in the service.

7. Kids Crafts

Let the kids get in on the fun by having them make gifts for their moms. There are many creative activities and crafts that are easy to pull off in a short amount of time. Even the simplest crafts are sure to make the moms feel loved.

8. Use Bright, Colorful Motions

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to use colorful backgrounds during your time of worship. Using bright motions like these from the CMG library match the Spring season perfectly and show intentionality in your worship lyric slides.

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9. Thank You Cards

Sometimes a genuine “thank you” is the perfect way to honor someone. Having the student and children’s ministries write cards is a great Mother’s Day surprise. Some churches even provide cards cleverly hidden in the men’s restroom for all of the guys who forgot this important day.

10. Mother’s Day Graphics On Screen

Don’t let this day go unrecognized in your services. Include a graphic on your screen to show how much you care about the ladies in your congregation. These creative examples are just a few that can be found in our CMG Template library.

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(Photographs from Piedmont Chapel in High Point, NC)

Social media can help your church accomplish many of its goals, from increasing attendance to engaging its members between Sundays. However, you may wonder where to begin, or how to make your social media posts look professional.

Here are a few tools that can help you better manage your church’s social pages:

1. Later

Sometimes the best time to post to your social pages is outside of your work hours. Using a scheduling software will allow you to take full advantage of high traffic times while maintaining margin when it comes to your work-life balance. Later is one of the leading social media schedulers, especially for Instagram which notoriously doesn’t play well with other apps. In addition to normal posts, Later also enables you to schedule Stories – which means you get to sleep in on Saturday mornings when it’s time to promote the following day’s services.

2. Lnk.Bio

Instagram doesn’t have to be a stand-alone social platform any longer, with a service that will allow you to drive traffic elsewhere. The best way to do this, especially while you have less than 10,000 followers, is to use the link in your profile’s bio. One of the best looking platforms is Lnk.Bio, which allows you to place a call to action on a post, and use that post as a button to the link. The perks on the free platform are hard to beat, and even the upgrade is some of the most affordable out there!

3. Adobe Premiere Rush

There’s nothing that turns off social viewers more than poorly edited videos. Whether you’re adding subtitles or motion graphics, Adobe Premiere Rush has everything you need. Additionally, it allows you to switch easily between desktops and mobile apps for editing. The best part? You can try it out for free before committing to a low monthly cost.

4. CMG Social Graphics

Graphics, whether quotes or prompts for engagement, can make a major impact on your social pages. Church Motion Graphics offers a large collection of scroll-stopping graphics that are easy to download and share. Or, you can take it a step further by editing its included Photoshop template or customizing with CMG Editor.  These social graphics can be purchased individually, or join a CMG Plus or Premium subscription to get unlimited access.

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5. Buffer

Platforms like Buffer allow you, not only to schedule posts, but also to access analytics and manage the engagement on your various social platforms. With an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, Buffer will allow you to keep one tab open instead of four. What more could you ask?

Looking for an easy way to make your lyric slides pop on your screen? These 99 still worship backgrounds are the perfect place to start. By adding vivid colors and powerful imagery to your church’s screens, you can bring personality to an otherwise boring visual—plain text.

These FREE still backgrounds are a gift from Church Motion Graphics that we hope will be a blessing to churches around the world as you seek to improve your worship visuals.

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Clik here to view.These JPEG stills will work with all presentation software, including the popular ProPresenter. Simply download, then drag-and-drop into ProPresenter to instantly improve the look of your worship slides!

Did you know that CMG has a massive library of not just still graphics, but of thousands of stunning motion backgrounds? Give them a try to take your worship slides to their maximum creative level.

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How To Add A Background To The Video/Image Bin In ProPresenter

The Video/Image Bin is the location for managing your media within ProPresenter.

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Clik here to view.To access the Video/Image Bin, click on the Video/Image icon in the toolbar, use the keyboard shortcut (Control-V for Mac, Control-Shift-V for PC), or select it from the View menu. Once the bin is open, you will find it below the slide area. The first time you open this, it will be empty, but once you have started adding content it will begin to look like the image above.

The Video/Image Bin is made up of two parts: the left column contains all of your playlists, folders, and tags; the right column contains all of your media cues.

You can add media to the Video/Image Bin from your hard drive by dragging the files into ProPresenter or by clicking on the plus button below the thumbnail section.

How To Add A Background To A Slide In ProPresenter

Backgrounds can also be added to directly to each slide in a presentation. This is particularly useful for establishing your chosen backgrounds ahead of time.

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Clik here to view.To assign a still or motion background to a slide, simply drag and drop a background of your choice from the Video/Image Bin, or from Finder (Mac) and File Explorer (PC) to an individual slide.

When assigning a background to a song, it’s best practice to place a background on the first slide. Once a background is established on the first slide, it will continue to show behind each lyric slide you click until it is changed. Therefore, you do not need to place a background on every slide of the presentation–only the first.

If you would like to use more than one background for a presentation, simply drag and drop a new background onto the slides where you’d like to see the change. Some churches choose to use multiple backgrounds per song, such as for the chorus, to emphasize certain moments.

Download These Backgrounds Now

To get started, use the button below to down your 99 FREE still worship backgrounds. When you’re ready to go to the next level, check out CMG’s large collection of motion backgrounds.

Every church tech team faces both positive seasons of excitement, growth and energy, as well as slower seasons of having to strive towards improvement. Through every season, encouragement is what will keep your team moving and growing to a higher level.

Here are 4 simple ways to encourage members of your team:

1. Celebrate Individual Wins

At your next team meeting, or perhaps in a Facebook Live video in your team’s Facebook group, give out awards for results you’ve been wanting celebrate on your team.

These don’t have to be expensive trophies or prizes, and sometimes a few cheesy purchases from the dollar store, or some chocolate bars will do the trick. The purpose is not the prize, but to celebrate the results on the team, and encourage them to be repeated.

What results have you seen that you’d like to be repeated?

• Someone has invited 2 new people to join the team in the last month
• Your lyric tech has developed a written set of standards for font choices, number of lines and background choices for your screens
• Your sound guy has made a checklist that he uses every week to be sure his supplies are topped up and batteries checked
• A camera operator made a “how-to” manual for turning on or off the cameras each week that others can use
• A team member has perfect attendance on the schedule for the past year

Whatever these results are, and in whatever way you choose to celebrate them, do it publicly. The person receiving the recognition will appreciate the acknowledgement and the rest of the team will pick up on the cues.

2. Celebrate Team Wins

What results have you worked towards as a team that can be celebrated?

• We had our first live broadcast with over 100 viewers
• Here’s a song from worship this week where every camera cue was perfectly in rhythm with the music
• The lighting and lyric person worked together at rehearsal on Thursday so that all of the backgrounds and lighting cues were the same color for each song.
• We had a full service where we kept Pastor in frame, even when he stepped down off the stage unexpectedly.

The value of “I’m part of something bigger than me” plays a role in sports, live theatre, successful work environments AND on your tech team.

3. Ask for Feedback from the Team

Nothing makes you feel more involved on the team than when the coach lets YOU call the play. So, which results are you currently working on as a team, and can ask your volunteers to chime in for feedback?

• We’re wanting to reach more people on Facebook Live broadcasts. Ideas?
• We’re going to be buying another camera for the auditorium. Where could we position it?
• We’re going to try something new with the lights this Sunday. How can we highlight that effect with proper camera angles?
• CMG’s new pack was just released. Who would like to look through and pick out backgrounds for Sunday?

Helping your volunteers get hands-on in creating the results lets you come back later and give them a shout out for their contribution. “Shout-out to Steve for choosing the new backgrounds for this past Sunday. They looked great!”

In most cases, and especially if you’re trying this for the first time, have your volunteers contribute ideas, not vote on decisions. Ultimately, the decision still rests with you. Something like, “We had 3 suggestions for where to position our new camera. We’re going to try position 1 this week and then see what the results look like after Sunday.”

4. Send a Personal Note

Depending on the volunteer, you’ll know whether text, email or a phone call will best serve that person, but make a point of contacting at least five team members a week in one of those ways.

For you, this might look like one per day first thing each morning, or all five on your Tuesday lunch break. For some team members a simple “Hey, thanks for being part of an incredible team” is what they’ll love to hear. With other team members, you might be more specific to their personality or the results they’ve helped the team accomplish. “Just wanted to say thank you for figuring out the lighting board and running it this weekend. It was incredible to see it in action.” Or, something like, “Thanks for running switcher on Sunday. We had over 50 people watching on Facebook, and you represented our church well.”

Set a reminder in your phone for each team member’s birthday. Be sure to send them a personal note on that day. Also mention upcoming birthdays in your team’s Facebook group, or in your Sunday morning meeting.

The key is to show that you care for each team member as an individual. Choose a method that will best connect with that person, and write a message that considers what would be meaningful for them.

As you’re celebrating individual wins, celebrating team wins, asking for feedback and sending personal notes, focus on using results as the tools to encourage your volunteers.

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New Backgrounds Make Every Sunday Fun

Choosing backgrounds for your worship songs is one of the easiest (and most fun) ways to get new volunteers involved. New motions immediately give your worship space a fresh look, so it’s easy to celebrate and give credit to your team member for contributing to the project. Church Motion Graphics makes it simple to keep a fresh look with a new pack of motion backgrounds released each month, plus a growing library of backgrounds from past packs.

At Church Motion Graphics, we’re always looking for new ways to equip churches to look great. One of our favorite new tools that we’ve created to help with this is CMG Editor.

We know that it’s time-consuming to tweak graphics and add custom text to images in apps like Photoshop and Canva. When deadlines are tight, you need a tool that can get the job done quickly and easily. Our new online CMG Editor will solve this problem for you – for FREE.

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Clik here to view.This powerful resource enables everyone to customize their favorite CMG stills with text, shapes, and filters to create their own creative look—all in your web browser without the use of expensive software. Even more, users are able to resize graphics to their exact desired size, and remix the color to create a completely new look.

With this FREE tool that is available to everyone, you can now customize any of our thousands of still backgrounds. Plus, Premium Subscribers can take it a step further by customizing CMG Templates and CMG Social graphics.

CMG Editor makes it incredibly fast and easy to edit graphics for your church.

Key Features:

• Creative Text Design
• Useful Shape Layers
• Eye-catching Photo Filters
• 20+ Included Fonts
• Adjust & Refine Graphics
• Cropping & Custom Size Exports

How To Use CMG Editor:

1. Start by choosing a still background from the CMG Library. CMG Premium Subscribers can also choose from Templates and Social Graphics.

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Clik here to view.2. Click on CMG Editor at the bottom of the preview window.

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Clik here to view.3. Play around with the features, and have fun editing your graphic.

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Clik here to view.4. Click export in the top right corner to save your image to your computer.

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Clik here to view.Bonus: For Premium Subscribers editing Templates and Social Graphics, you can choose which version of the graphic you would like to edit by using the side arrows.

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Clik here to view.Helpful Tips:

• CMG Editor works best on desktop computers.
• More fonts, shapes and features will be added in the future.
• CMG Editor works with Pro Layers, and will export a PNG with an alpha channel.
• You can open up multiple CMG Editor windows at at time.
• You can export, and keep working on a project to create multiple exports with tweaks.

The word of God is powerful and life-changing, but if we’re honest, sometimes our presentation could use a little help. Push yourself creatively by incorporating an element listed below to help you communicate your sermons well. These ideas will grab the attention of your audience so that they walk away with the important message of the Gospel seared in their memory.

1. Tell Stories

Use stories to illustrate your message in a memorable way. You can tell stories from your personal experiences, pop culture, or books you’ve read. Be diligent to choose stories that will resonate with your audience. Choosing something obscure or a reference with a context that is difficult to explain may end up causing more confusion than clarity. Additionally, be careful to use personal experiences sparingly, as doing so too often can come across as insincere.

2. Show Photos & Videos

This takes the pitch for using stories a step further – just show the story! For visual learners, this may be the very thing that seals that excellent lesson in their mind forever. If you’re telling a story about a famous person from history, put a photo or video of them on the screen. If a scene from a movie perfectly illustrates your point, show the clip and save yourself a few minutes of explanation.

3. Use Props & Illustrations

Teaching on fighting spiritual battles? Brings a pair of boxing gloves to demonstrate. Telling a story about winning an award? Have a large trophy on a table. Bringing a physical item to the stage will shake things up and guarantee that your audience will pay close to attention – especially if the item is already on the stage when the message begins. Their curiosity will pique and you will have them on the edge of their seats.

4. Invite Another Person to the Stage

Sharing the platform during a time dedicated to teaching is so unexpected that your audience will be more than intrigued. Be sure to check with the person first, whether you will have them speak or demonstrate something, to make sure they are comfortable with helping in this way. Perhaps there is a person in your congregation who has had a meaningful experience or testimony that perfectly depicts the point you want to communicate. You can have them share for a few minutes, or lead the conversation in an interview format. Even bringing someone to the stage to introduce them to the audience while you tell a short story about them can make an impact. Your people are your greatest resource, so if you have the opportunity to brag on something that God has done in their life, take advantage of it.

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5. Use A Creative Sermon Title & Graphic

Sometimes all you need to make a memorable impression is a catchy title graphic. In your social media content leading up to Sunday, release an attention-grabbing graphic to capture the spirit of the message and use similarly themed slides throughout the service. At Church Motion Graphics, we have made this one easy. Our CMG Template library is filled with hundreds of creative sermon graphics covering a range of topics that are ready to use with your messages. Every template even comes with an editable Photoshop file that can be customized for your specific sermon.

What do you expect from your team?

Do you expect them to show up on time? Have a good attitude? Know their position? Wear certain clothing on weeks when they’re serving on the team? Help out other team members? Be scheduled once a month? Twice a month? One Sunday and one Wednesday? Come to a team meeting once every 3 months?

Now step into their shoes. What would they say you expect from them? We’re not talking about hoping, wanting or dreaming of what it may be someday. As of today, if we asked your volunteer team, what would they say you expect of them?

The reason that team members (and team leaders to be clear) start to get labeled as “difficult” often boils down to expectations, and as the team leader, it’s your responsibility to set those expectations, and help people live up to them.

Team leaders often fall into one of two traps with expectations :

• Leaders have expectations, but they’re not communicated clearly.
• Leaders have communicated clearly a list of things called expectations, but don’t help their team live up to them. In this case, the real expectation is “we expect people aren’t going to follow through on these.”

1. Leaders have expectations, but they’re not communicated.

Unless your expectations are written down and handed out, emailed out, hung on the wall, referred to regularly and communicated to every new team member that joins, you won’t be able to help volunteers meet them.

If your team is clear that they are expected to show up 1 hour before service, then when they show up at 40 minutes before, there’s foundation for a conversation about that expectation. You can ask why they were late and they can genuinely reply, “It only takes me 30 minutes to setup, so I think I’m early.”

Frustration happens when you expect something, because to you it’s obvious, but your volunteer doesn’t come through, because they just don’t know or have a different idea.

This volunteer may come across as being difficult, but in reality, they may be doing what they genuinely believe is best.

2. Expectations are communicated, but not supported when they’re not met.

If you have clearly communicated that your team needs to show up 1 hour before service, then when someone shows up 40 minutes before service, you have the foundation to say, “Hey, as a team, we’re all expecting each other to show up 1 hour before service starts. Here are the reasons why that’s important. Is there anything that I can do to help you be here 1 hour before service?”

Maybe they catch a bus that is sometimes late, and another team member who lives nearby could offer them a ride, or maybe they have a new shift working late on Saturdays, and now early Sunday mornings are really no longer a fit, or maybe they just don’t care to meet that expectation (by the way, that’s not acceptable).

Notice we’re not “holding them” or “shaming them” into that expectation. This is often a reason that team leaders don’t follow through on expectations – “If they quit, we have no one else”, or “they might get mad that I’m holding them responsible as a volunteer.”

In any conversation about expectations, we’re looking for ways to help them meet that expectation. “How can I contribute to your success?” is much better received than “I want you to notice that I’m aware you’re late. Don’t you feel bad for letting the team down?”

After all, if you’ve been clear with your expectations, and they agreed to it, then you’re helping them meet their own agreement to the expectation.

What if that volunteer is genuinely being difficult?

So, you’ve been clear with your expectations, communicated them, and this volunteer has agreed to them, and chooses to ignore them, or brushes you off when you attempt to help meet that expectation.

There are 3 questions you need to ask them privately (assuming they’re willing to have the conversation):

• Are there any other factors in play that I need to know about contributing to this frustration? Maybe something you said rubbed them the wrong way or they feel picked on when they’re always late and you’re always mentioning it, or another team member had a conflict with them, or they’re not sleeping well because of a personal problem at home or at work. We really don’t know. If you have a part to play, apologize, take responsibility and ask to start fresh with them.

• Is this still the best team for you? Maybe it’s time for them to serve somewhere else at church. Maybe a late Saturday night work schedule is contributing to lack of sleep and serving on a Wednesday night or leading a small group through the week would be a better fit for their schedule.

• How can I pray for you? This team member isn’t being difficult for the benefit of being difficult. There are almost always factors going on. Our tech teams are helping people meet with Jesus – not just on Sundays when people come to our church – but through the week, with each other, with an encouraging text, and with prayer. This question shows you care beyond their involvement on the tech team.

Communicating expectations in advance is always easier than after they’ve been broken.

If you don’t have expectations written down for your team, write them down, share them with your team, ask if anyone is not clear or able to meet those expectations and then, if necessary, help them find another team in your church that better fits their desire to serve.

Make your expectations an important part of onboarding new team members, and have regular conversations with your volunteers about helping them meet the expectations they’ve committed to.

Need More Advice?

Don’t feel like you’re alone in leading a tech team. We have a Facebook Group filled with over 30,000 church tech leaders who are facing the same challenges as you. We encourage you to join our group and share your experience with others. We think you’ll be surprised by how many others are like you and have advice to share.