Does your Church have a lot of IT talent on the Technical Ministry Team? Some Churches are blessed by this, where the volunteers just take care of IT support issues on their own. Other Churches hire one or two IT staff to handle issues at the Church, such as:

• Networking, hardware and software
• Computer support issues by staff
• Worship support issues
• Other services in need of computer support

Whether you have great staff or great volunteers, if you have the expertise, then look for ways to share it with other Churches and related ministries. You could have any of the following opportunities:

• IT equipment swap; make sure any computers have been erased and the OS reinstalled, to avoid sharing malware
• Meetings where you discuss IT issues and solutions with other Churches
• Training on various software; some older adults struggle with it
• Cyber Security issues; how to avoid getting hacked

The needs are there. People need more IT support than they can usually afford. By sharing your expertise, you are providing a ministry to your congregation and community.

Whenever a new team member comes on board, they should receive training. This should happen outside of the worship service. The team member should be trained on just one piece of equipment at a time, to let it sink in. They can ask questions to ensure that they understand the equipment, for example:

• How do you turn on the equipment?
• If needed, how do you sign in? (Most computers require this.)
• What are the features and functions that are typically used in worship?
• How do you troubleshoot problems?
• How do you turn off the equipment?

Some equipment is left on all the time, but not everything. There may also be a power up sequence for the technical booth. (Typically, there is a master switch on the racks; then other equipment gets initialized in order.)

Training time should always be outside of the worship service. This provides time to go into details, explain just what is going on, and answer questions thoroughly. If you must provide on the job training, then try to followup with a training meeting afterwards to explain details, answer questions, provide guidance.

By providing training, you ensure that the equipment is handled well and not abused. It also makes it easier for the new team member to get on board.