What is your chain of command during services?

[Les Wilson]

I am interested what roles other churches have to handle decision making during a service.

EXAMPLE: Worship leader or other staff member makes an error and skips something like a video or special music in the worship order. Or, something runs longer than planned and something needs to be pulled.

If it isn't the WL or Pastor because they are onstage or green room, who makes the decision on how to revamp the order to get it all in or skip it all together?

What do you call that person and how do they fit in your organization?

[Esoteric]

Producer. They are in charge of the overall vision of the service.

Mike

[tedanderson]

Usually the pastor will make that call. Even if he is in the green room, we usually make him aware of what's going on or at least bring it to the attention of someone very close to him so that they can determine what requires the pastor's immediate attention. The worship team always has a couple of "riding horse" songs prepared to fill in case one of the segments does not come together. Likewise in an overtime situation, the pastor might decide to cancel a segment or two in order to get to the sermon.

But in the unlikely event that the pastor is not available to make these decisions, then it goes on to the assistant pastor and then the associate pastors.

[Paris MkVI]

Yes, a producer. Our services are pretty closely formatted, so this is rarely an issue. Everyone has a cue sheet and they know what the next service element is.

I have had videos skipped by the preaching pastor, or had them (more rarely) skip past a scripture from time to time. We just roll with it and provide what they call for on the screen.

[Steven]

We're similar to what Paris described - everything is collaborated upon, prayed over, and scripted before the event. I already have the Order of Service for this weekend here in on my desk. Everything is marked down to the minute.

Most of the time, the only things that change are the preaching pastor skipping or going out of order on the sermon slides, perhaps cutting some slides or even a video if he needs to trim for time. We just roll with the changes, since he's the one with the pressure of delivering the message. Those are normal and common and we're all on board with it.

We have four services each weekend. The first is Saturday night, which we lovingly (and privately) refer to as our "dressed rehearsal" because it's usually the service with the longest sermon, the worst sounding song performances, and the most technical errors. Its also the smallest service, with only about 250 people. By Sunday 8am service, we're all on the same page and ready to go.

If something major does have to change, though, it has to go through three people: Preaching Pastor, Worship Pastor, Technical Director.

If one person does not agree, it doesn't change. However, most changes are so obvious or blatant that no one disagrees (the video announcements are corrupt, can't play! The live testimony guy isn't here, no testimony! The soloist is stuck in traffic, no solo!). If someone changes something without getting it approved and informing everyone, we all try to roll with it for the remainder of the weekend. It's not worth screwing up the service with bad attitudes or poor performance in front of God and 3,000 people over changing a stupid song. We just go with it, then have a big fist fight on Monday that results in black eyes and tears.

[Paris MkVI]

Originally Posted by Steven

We just go with it, then have a big fist fight on Monday that results in black eyes and tears.

Allllrighty then!!!

I am going to step very gingerly - and respectfully - into a sometimes messy topic.

Different church families have different approaches to worship and service overall. Mostly it is style that marks these changes. I do not believe God is concerned with style. He searches hearts.

Of course, sometimes what is in the heart defines style. I understand and respect that too. It also makes it easy for the spiritually discerning eye to "see" a healthy - or hurting, unhealthy - church family.

Now what I am about to say next is what is in my heart. I do not presume to impose it on anyone.

I know some services are very, well, "free" in structure. Often the reason given is the leading of the Holy Spirit. My thoughts are these. The Holy Spirit already knows who will be there and what they need. He is not "caught by surprise" (Wow, I didn't know he/she would come today!)

Please do not misunderstand - I have no doubt many of these leadings in service are indeed the Holy Spirit. I just prefer to be engaged with Him in advance. I prefer to co-labor and co-operate with Him (there's that phrase again).

Paul teaches about the orderly way of doing things. Not because he was obsessive (maybe he was, I don't know). But I believe God put that on Paul's heart because God knew an orderly approach was more easy for the lost to grasp and hang on to.

I know some folks are drawn to the energy of a free service. If they find their relationship with Jesus there, I celebrate!

But for me (like I said this is personal, not a critique) a prayed up, planned up, prepared up service is the way to go.

It is how I personally can be more fully certain I am doing what He is blessing, not asking Him to bless what I am doing.

If I have expressed this poorly and offended anyone, please forgive me. Let me know if I did, so I can walk through Matthew 18 and make it right with you!

[Esoteric]

Our God is a God of order, not of chaos.

That being said, being a Calvinist myself I have no problem with very ordered and structured worship. Ours is set in stone on Wednesday. To the minute. We go over sometimes (if the Pastor gets caught up in his message), but we have 30 mins between services, so that is not usually an issue.

The producer has the final say over everything during the service (unless an item has to be cut or added, which has only happened once in three years).

Mike

[Steven]

One of my favorite lines is "The Spirit can lead me Monday through Friday just as well as he can on Saturday. God doesn't only work on weekends."

[Les Wilson]

We're growing and trying to organize ourselves to best manage our technical staff and volunteers.

As for the other part of the question, where is the "Producer" in the organization? What about FOH and control room? Specifically, is the Producer in a peer relationship to the WL or subordinate to the WL?

[tedanderson]

The first is Saturday night, which we lovingly (and privately) refer to as our "dressed rehearsal" because it's usually the service with the longest sermon, the worst sounding song performances, and the most technical errors.

Same here. We have an 8AM service and one that follows at 11. Whatever we mess up or screw up at 8 gets fixed during the one-hour break between services and then we go back at it with a more polished result.

As for the other part of the question, where is the "Producer" in the organization? What about FOH and control room? Specifically, is the Producer in a peer relationship to the WL or subordinate to the WL?

Whenever we use the equivalent of a producer in our special event services they are actually the superior and the WL, control room staff, and the FOH workers are subordinates. When someone is the chief decision maker, that eliminates any disagreements or arguments that have the potential to negatively affect the production.

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by Les Wilson

We're growing and trying to organize ourselves to best manage our technical staff and volunteers.

As for the other part of the question, where is the "Producer" in the organization? What about FOH and control room? Specifically, is the Producer in a peer relationship to the WL or subordinate to the WL?

It depends on when you ask and what area you are asking about.

In our organization they are on the same level in different parts of the chart.

At the top of the chart are the three co-pastors. Adjacent to them are the Board of Directors.

Directly under them are the Childrens Minister, Youth Minister, Worship Minister, and Spiritual Formation Minister.

Adjacent to them are the Producer and Head of Finance.

Under the Childrens Minister are the childcare staff, along with the childrens drama team and childrens media team. Under the Childrens minister and the Worship Pastor is the Childrens worship team. Since the Childrens minister doesn't do any of the normal Sunday duties of a minister they are able to oversee the media directly during the service.

Under the Youth Minister is the Middle School Minister and under him is the youth media team. Under the Youth Minister and the Worship Pastor is the youth worship team. Again, since one of the youth pastor/middle school pastor is available during the service and no one else with experience is, the youth media team is under their direct guidance.

Under the Worship Pastor is all the musicians in all the Worship Teams.

Under the Producer is the main media team, except (and this is the really messed up part) the sound board operator, who's duties are split. When it comes to timing and sources (making sure the computer is unmuted, etc) they are under the Producer. When it comes to the mix and sound they are under the drummer. All the Pastors control the muting/unmuting of their mics, but no one else does (can be very confusing for the engineer).

Of course all this should/will change if they hire a full time technical director.

Mike

[Les Wilson]

It seems common that Worship orders are created, approved and followed. Why not let the WL swap songs during a video or sermon? What is the basis for setting the WO and following it so rigidly (not counting Pastoral changes on the fly)?