You are Not Alone. Build Your Network.

I sat on a Tech Q&A Panel yesterday at the Unite Worship Conference in Atlanta. I was honored to share the platform with some really great folks who love the church and pour themselves into helping churches communicate with excellence.

One of the guys in the room asked us: “Are there folks out there who will give me honest advice about my AVL setup without simply trying to sell me something?”

David Leuschner, the Tech Director at Gateway Church, provided a great answer that I think is worth sharing here. He said (I’m paraphrasing): “Absolutely. Other Worship Leaders. Other Tech Directors. Other church sound guys in your area. Build your network. Invite them to your place to see what you’re doing well, and go to their place to see what they’re doing.”

What a great answer. So often, especially in the Church, we think that our problems are unique to us and that we’re the only ones who have ever struggled with [fill in the blank]. Or worse, we have too much pride to ask a colleague for help. But the truth is, we’re a big cloud of witnesses who are all trying to figure this out and do our best as we go… and our loads are lightened significantly when we ask the guy walking next to us how he did it.

Church work shouldn’t be an arms race. Ask the other guy across town how he did it, and share your successes with him. You’re not the only one laboring in the Kingdom, don’t try to do it on your own.

So that problem you just can’t solve? Quit reading this, pick up the phone and call your counterpart down the street and ask him to coffee.

You are not alone. Build your network.