Over the years we've seen several outcomes from these events. We've seen your volunteer team strengthened in two ways, both as a team and in technical knowledge. We've seen a complete turnaround in understanding the importance of their role through vision casting.  We've seen our support requests decrease dramatically as a result of continued education. 

The volunteers in this role rarely get to interact with each other as they are often serving at different times or even opposite weekends.  These events allow your team to get together and catch up on their personal lives.  They also allow rookie and veteran team members to refresh their training and knowledge of this crazy volunteer role.  

On more than one occasion, we've seen how important this is to volunteers who are on the verge of burn out.  Through vision casting they get a refresher on how important and crucial the role can be.  It's often said this is the hardest and most important volunteer role in the organization. 

With continued education from semi-annual events, we've seen the capacity of teams dramatically increase.  Our support requests from these teams almost completely goes away as the team members work together to solve issues.   

In years past, our goal for every location was to have two events a year.  Some locations have had a lot more due to turnover or need.  Some locations that have kept the same people, have only completed one a year just as a refresher with more emphasis in appreciation and vision. 

We've come to the realization, the more locations we add, the less likely it is we will be able to attend each and every one of these events.  Our team is working to empower key volunteers to help contribute on behalf of our team.  

At your campus of course! Joking not Joking! 

Generally these events take place in the auditorium with tables and chairs setup for eating a little food and socializing before the training/vision begins.  

We love your creativeness in the setup.  We've seen round tables with fancy decor and we've seen auditorium chairs arranged in a giant circle.  Whatever you choose to do try and do your best to be inclusive and avoid separation.

If you want an easy template.  

Order enough pizza for three slices per person.  (Don't forget the tech team members who will be joining). :) 

With the pizza order two 2-Liter bottles of soda.  

Make a batch of Sweat Tea and Water using campus resources. 

Food is optional.   Over the years it's been most common to have a bunch of pizzas delivered in and provide soda, water and tea.  There have been locations that look it upon themselves to be a little more creative in their appreciation and gone above and beyond with choice of food.  

The local Worship Pastor generally has the most equity with the team and therefore has the best opportunity to cast vision.   In recent months, the worship pastors have been speaking about the Worship Axioms.   We can also communicate ahead of the event and discuss ways our team can help contribute in different ways.  An example would be if your team is struggling with excellence, our team can help by talking on the importance of excellence from our perspective.  

This vision piece is often the most important part of the night for our volunteers.  They might be close to burnout, and understanding why they show up every week is what they retain to re-ignite the fire!  

Every event is different and can be customized.   The 'Tech Training Night' doesn't have to happen "at night."  We've done several Sunday afternoons in the break.  But generally have seen the best attendance on weeknights from 6:30-8:30, especially if you provide food! 

Below is a sample. 

6:30 - Arrive - Eat Pizza

Eat pizza as you come in, sit and chat.  

The casualness of eating while sitting in normal auditorium chairs, no tables creates a fun easy atmosphere as they walk in.  Tables create divisions rather than one big circle.  This is opinion based on observing many of these events. 

6:40 - Worship Pastor gives Vision.  Paint the big picture why.  

This should be customized based on the group and vision needed.  Excellence is the biggest piece.  Painting the picture on why this role is the most important volunteer role at the campus.  These volunteers are leading the worship leader in worship, therefore everyone in the audience is relying on them.  

6:55 - Central Tech Guy Intro & Vision.

One or more of the Central Tech Team members can add to the importance of the role.  We can talk about how their role affects our job and what we do on a daily basis. We might even be able to give some ‘insider’ knowledge of something we are working on.  

7:00 - Training.  Central Tech guy(s) lead the group through what it takes to run a service.  Work through the differences between Saturday PM, Sunday AM, Sunday PM.  Generally, sticking the newest team member in the driver seat and letting the veteran’s help teach is a great approach.  The tech guy(s) only add insight or big picture “Why” when a process is being discussed.  Occasionally there is a volunteer who likes to take the lead and can actually take it step by step, but most of the time people like to jump around and the tech team can keep them on track.  It’s important for the WP to stay engaged so the veteran volunteers don’t also become disengaged.

8:00 - Wrap up.

Maybe clean up while other conversations are happening.  Lots of volunteers save their direct questions for one on one environment.   

8:30 - Walk out the door. 

It’s important to keep the evening on schedule to honor the volunteers time and allow everyone to get home at a decent time.  The Central Tech Team will often stay and chat as needed and help clean up. 

The best way to communicate and invite your team to the event is simply a Planning Center special event.   Feel free to invite our team members to the event so you know the attendance.  

It's also helpful to include the agenda and outline for the event to really encourage your volunteers to attend.  

Most locations have video specific volunteers and the audio/lighting positions are contracted out.  Some locations have volunteers whom contribute to the lighting and protools programming to make sure everything stays smooth and are available to help in the event of a crash. 

We can cover lighting training and give programming tips and tricks.   We really love to separate these trainings because of the sheer complexity of the video volunteer position.  With two different training sessions happening at the same time, we've found it to be distracting and less effective.  

At some point we have to limit ourselves.  ProTools is mostly built by campus staff and the worship team.  We love to help contribute, teach as needed, and solve organizational support needs.  We cannot cover ProTools on these specific training nights however, we'd love to schedule time for a few people to meet together and talk through ProTools.  The worship team also has training videos and hold ProTools training sessions as well.