4 Tips for Training Church Media Volunteers

I wanted to share some insights on training church media volunteers. This topic has been discussed frequently in church Facebook groups I’m a part of, and I’ve seen the same questions and challenges come up repeatedly. Here, I’ll outline four key tips that have worked well in my experience.

Provide Resources

First and foremost, it’s essential to equip your volunteers with the tools and resources they need to succeed. This includes providing tutorials, checklists, and step-by-step instructions tailored to their specific roles. These resources help volunteers understand their tasks and perform them effectively.

Update Workflows

Another critical aspect is keeping your volunteers informed about any changes in workflows. Whenever there’s a change in how things are done—whether it’s running sound or making a video—make sure to communicate these updates clearly. Creating detailed instructions and sending them to the relevant volunteers can prevent confusion and ensure everyone is on the same page. I even provide a free template in the video description to help others replicate this process.

Position Ownership

It’s vital to let volunteers take ownership of their positions. For instance, we don’t set up ProPresenter for weekend services; our volunteers handle it entirely. By giving them this responsibility, they become more engaged and take pride in their work. They set up playlists, ensure ProPresenter is functioning correctly, and handle all the details. We provide step-by-step instructions and support if needed, but the primary responsibility lies with the volunteers.

Role Rotation

We also rotate our volunteers through different roles. This allows them to experience various positions and find the ones they enjoy the most. They might start operating a camera, then move to running ProPresenter, and eventually mix or manage the live stream. This flexibility ensures that we have a well-rounded team capable of filling any role as needed, while also allowing volunteers to stick to their preferred tasks.

Train the Trainers

Lastly, we focus on training volunteers to train others. Instead of me training every new volunteer, I have experienced volunteers mentor the newcomers. This peer-to-peer training system is effective because it leverages the hands-on experience of seasoned volunteers. I’m always available to provide additional support or answer questions, but this approach frees up my time and fosters a collaborative learning environment.

Conclusion

Training church media volunteers can be challenging, but by providing the right resources, updating workflows, allowing position ownership, rotating roles, and empowering volunteers to train each other, we can create a robust and sustainable system. These tips have significantly improved our volunteer program, and I hope they help you enhance yours as well. If you have any other tips or ideas, feel free to share them in the comments.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you found these insights useful.