{"id":459,"date":"2008-02-18T21:44:55","date_gmt":"2008-02-19T02:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lopeyland.com\/?p=459"},"modified":"2008-02-18T21:44:55","modified_gmt":"2008-02-19T02:44:55","slug":"my-eventual-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lopeyland.com\/?p=459","title":{"rendered":"My eventual response"},"content":{"rendered":"
Charles and Scott,<\/font><\/div>\n
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After having prayed, thought, kicked and screamed about this, here’s my concerns and response to this:<\/font><\/div>\n
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I’ve spent the last six years doing Multisensory worship services in a variety of roles, including:<\/font><\/div>\n
– playing in the band (bass, drum, latin percussion)<\/font><\/div>\n
– giving the message<\/font><\/div>\n
– creating presentations<\/font><\/div>\n
– running presentations<\/font><\/div>\n
– running the soundboard<\/font><\/div>\n
– creating videos<\/font><\/div>\n
– developing scripts for skits<\/font><\/div>\n
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I’ve attended different conferences on Multisensory Worship, including some time with the worship team at Ginghamsburg United Methodist in Tipp City, Ohio. Their pastor, Mike Slaughter, pretty much developed the idea of Multisensory Worship. I’ve also studied typography, creative arts, and most importantly, the design of information for presentations specifically in a worship setting. In short, when it comes to creative ideas being used to express the major message that a minister wants to get across, I’m an unstoppable force when unleashed. <\/font><\/div>\n
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My major criticisms of the “no changes” rule concern the ability to make logical changes that fit the flow of the music. More on that in a bit. A larger concern would be making changes to pre-specified elements during the minister’s message. When the minister has specified elements during the message, the only changes that I have made on those were to:<\/font><\/div>\n
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1. utilize the centering function of ProPresenter instead of starting from the top of the screen and using returns to space downward<\/font><\/div>\n
2. alter main lines of text such that something like <\/font><\/div>\n
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY<\/font><\/div>\n
is rendered as <\/font><\/div>\n
THE IMPORTANCE<\/font><\/div>\n
OF CLARITY<\/font><\/div>\n
(albeit it would be centered)<\/font><\/div>\n
3. altering font sizes to present smaller scripture fragments on screen to fill (but not overfill) the page. <\/font><\/div>\n
4. Altering breaks (back in the MediaShout days) to put more than one verse per slide up on multi-verse passages.<\/font><\/div>\n
5. Removing the point numbers from major points. It’s a duplication of the information in the bulletin and breaks the flow of connecting one idea to another.<\/font><\/div>\n
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This last First Wednesday was one of the rare times where I made other changes without consulting Charles, Scott, or the minister, and in that case, I felt that the change\u00c2\u00a0would highlight what Bob was discussing (the action words, the prepositions, etc.). I’ve written to Bob apologizing if this threw him off. I’ve also stated the things that were beyond my control and in my control for that message in a different email.<\/font><\/div>\n
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On a regular weekend, if I had any input for ideas, I\u00c2\u00a0have waited and asked the presenting minister if it was a good idea or not. I do not add and have not added other things to any weekend message that I’ve worked on “in a vaccuum”.<\/font><\/div>\n
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When it comes to lyrics, this weekend provides several examples of places that needed change, and I didn’t want to have to continually consult with either of you to make changes that (a) do not hinder the presentation but instead enhance it, or more closely follow the pauses in what the worship leader is doing. A great example of this was during More Love, More Power from this week.<\/font><\/div>\n
If you look at the DVD of Saturday’s service, Scott had the lines arranged as follows <\/font><\/div>\n
And I will worship You with<\/font><\/div>\n
all of my heart.<\/font><\/div>\n
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But how is the song actually sung? Where’s the natural break? <\/font><\/div>\n
And I will worship You<\/font><\/div>\n
with all of my heart<\/font><\/div>\n
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And so with the other “And I will worship You” lines. It’s changes like that that I want to make without requesting approval. I’m not going to change fonts, backgrounds, or whatnot just because I prefer it that way. The lyrics need to convey what is being sung, and that’s what I try to do. <\/font><\/div>\n
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Another example is the bridge to Beautiful One:<\/font><\/div>\n
The lyrics as printed and put into the slides:<\/font><\/div>\n
Because nothing on earth<\/font><\/div>\n
is as beautiful as you are.<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The lyrics as Chris (and the rest of the world) sings them:<\/font><\/div>\n
Because nothing on earth<\/font><\/div>\n
is as beautiful as You<\/font><\/div>\n
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If I need to seek either of your approval to make all of those changes, I will drive all of us crazy. I know there are normally weeks where we are busy working on stuff up to the last second, but in the past, we’ve made changes to the lyrics after the Saturday service when there’s been obvious issues. But to merely sit and watch lines go by that better present the music and the message because I’ve been told not to do so relegates me from a position of trust to one of button pushing. And I can’t just be a button pusher. There are many people who can be trained to do that and do it well, but it’s a waste of the skills and training that God’s given me. The discussion also makes the “backup director” position seem fruitless, since if I can’t be trusted on the computer, how could I be trusted to keep a service running?<\/font><\/div>\n
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In closing, if you want to keep that tight of a control over all of the elements, give me a different challenge to help the church: editing and mixing video, running the soundboard, something that will allow me to use my talents and not feel stifled. Other people can run the computer. However, if you’re willing to allow for changes that create a tighter, more professional presentation, enhance the congregation’s experience, and bring God’s message to people, then\u00c2\u00a0I’ll\u00c2\u00a0feel better about working in the booth.\u00c2\u00a0<\/font><\/div>\n
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I fully respect both of your positions, and I don’t want to seem like a renegade freelancer. I know Scott is charged with the overall presentation, and any messup comes back on his head. I know that Charles spends a lot of time putting lyrics and other stuff into the computer, and I don’t want to come across as wanting to completely wreck that. I just need to know that what skills I have are valued.<\/font><\/div>\n
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Charles, you described below my position as manager and not making changes without informing superiors. There’s a big difference in the type of people I manage and the situation in the booth. I give my employees the project, the goals, and some guidelines and then let them have the freedom to get the job done. If there are issues, they come to me. I don’t ask to be made aware of every change in their process because that would slow us both down. In that way, the way I manage my team reflects my trust in them. <\/font><\/div>\n
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And in a closing apology to both of you, I did make the changes described above to More Love, More Power for the 10:15 and 11:30 services. I also added a comma between More Love and More Power, since there was a comma between More Faith, More Passion, and it made sense to mirror that back to the first verse. It’s those type of changes that I want to have the freedom to make, especially after going through the rehearsal with the band. I also changed Beautiful One’s bridge for all of the services. <\/font><\/div>\n
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In short, I enjoy doing technical work and want to keep doing it. Just let me know where you want me, especially before the first weekend in March (my next scheduled weekend).<\/font><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
-Kevin<\/font><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles and Scott, After having prayed, thought, kicked and screamed about this, here’s my concerns and response to this: I’ve spent the last six years doing Multisensory worship services in a variety of roles, including: – playing in the band (bass, drum, latin percussion) – giving the message – creating presentations – running presentations – … <\/p>\n

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