By: Nathan Tomberlin
My journey in church media began as a worship leader and musician, eventually leading to touring in the Christian music industry as both performer and production manager. Today, as a sales executive for S&L Integrated, I work with churches nationwide to enhance their audio, video, and lighting (AVL) systems. This unique path has given me a perspective that bridges both the ministerial and technical aspects of worship experiences.
What I’ve learned through this journey is that excellence in AVL isn’t merely about having the latest equipment—it’s about creating a culture where quality standards are understood, embraced, and consistently implemented. Just as legendary coach Nick Saban built championship teams through unwavering standards, churches can transform their worship experiences by developing similar cultures of excellence in their technical ministries.
The Pursuit of “Elite”
Nick Saban, the legendary football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, once said about building a culture of excellence:
“You get up every day, you’re entitled to nothing. Nobody owes you nothing. You could have talent, but if you don’t have discipline, if you don’t execute, you don’t focus, you get nothing.”
And further:
“Nothing is acceptable but your best. Everything is determined by you trying to be your best. There should be nothing else but that for everybody.”
These powerful words apply directly to any organization, including churches. Like a winning sports team, creating an “elite” culture of quality standards requires both discipline and leadership that embodies the culture you desire for those around you. Building this elite culture requires not only discipline but also the humility to learn from those you lead, as illustrated in this powerful scene from ‘Remember the Titans.’
Disrupting Complacency – Leadership Lesson from “Remember the Titans” that demonstrates Leaders listening to subordinates and allowing them to lead up.
In the film “Remember the Titans,” Coach Herman Boone (played by Denzel Washington) is faced with a seemingly impossible task of bringing a culturally divided team together and winning a state championship. A pivotal moment of culture shift occurs when Captain Gary confronts another player (Julius) about poor performance and team effort. Julius responds with the words: “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.” – explaining that Gary has expectations for the team that he/nor his friends on the team are living out themselves.
This moment forces Gary to examine whether his own actions align with the expectations he has for his teammates (a critical self-check for all leaders). In one of the following scenes, Gary demonstrates humility by applying what Julius said in an interaction with another team member (who is a personal friend of Gary’s) – holding his own friends accountable to the same standard, which immediately transformed Julius’ perspective of Gary’s leadership and an alliance was formed which ulitimately unified the team from within.
Four Essential Self-Reflection Questions
To apply these leadership principles in your AVL ministry, start with honest self-assessment.
- Do you fully understand and embody the mission and vision of your church?
- Do your actions demonstrate these values?
- Are you meeting the same expectations you set for those you lead?
- Do you genuinely listen to your team’s input?
Honest answers to these questions will help disrupt complacency and build authentic leadership.
Evaluating and Setting Expectations at all levels:
For Your Leaders
- Maintain open communication with your Pastor and senior staff
- Regularly discuss goals to ensure alignment with the church’s mission
- Provide realistic assessments of what’s needed to achieve desired outcomes
For Yourself
- Remember that excellence isn’t perfection
- Set achievable and measurable standards by creating Standard Operating Procedures for services and weekly prep for all areas of media ministry; and hold yourself to the same standards you set for others.
For Your Team
- Know your volunteers personally
- Maintain an open-door policy for new ideas
- Celebrate successes and encourage growth from failure
- Have those necessary correction conversations, but always with a servant’s heart
Communicating the “Why” Behind Standards
When team members or leaders question standards, clear communication makes all the difference:
- Example 1:
Volunteer: “Why can’t we have a roaming camera shot to get close-ups of people worshiping in the front for social media?”
Director Response: “We treat the altar area as sacred. It’s more important for worshipers to have an undistracted encounter with God than to capture them for social media….Rather than altar shots, why don’t you capture b-roll content at the main entrance of everyone coming in, ready and excited for worship”
Volunteer: “Oh that’s a great idea”
In this example, the volunteer demonstrates a passion for the role and wants to add value. Rather than diminishing their passion and shutting them down, the Director took an opportunity to redirect the passion.
Example 2:
Pastor: “I don’t want the lights to move anymore. Set them to one look and leave them there.”
Tech Response: “Pastor, I can do that, but can you help me understand your why?”
Pastor: “Because the lights are hitting people’s faces in the audience, making them uncomfortable.”
Tech Response: “I didn’t realize that. I can reprogram the lighting positions so they don’t hit anyone in the face. Would that fix the problem?”
Pastor: “I didn’t know that was an option, yes that would be great. Thank you!”
This is a great example of poor communication between leadership teams and volunteer teams. The pastor knew that there was a problem and thought the only way to fix it was to make the lights not move anymore. After explaining the issue to the volunteer tech, the volunteer was able to come up with a solution that was less extreme, and would solve all of the issues the Pastor was having.
- Team Leadership Principles
- Export Your Culture: You can’t clone yourself, so invest in developing your team
- Lead by Example: Never hold your team to standards you don’t meet yourself
- Share the Load: Don’t expect anyone to do tasks you wouldn’t do
- Maintain a Team Mental Health: Even your top performer isn’t worth the damage a toxic individual can inflict
The Purpose of Church AVL Systems – “The Why”
Audio, Video and Lighting are tools that can help enhance the worship experience by creating a welcoming atmosphere that follows the dynamics of worship with the goal of eliminating distractions so worshipers can have an encounter with God.
Quality in Worship: A Biblical Perspective
Some may say, “We don’t need to look/sound like a rock concert,” but quality in church is demonstrated throughout the bible. Consider:
- The magnificent cathedrals built with the finest materials
- Solomon’s Temple constructed by master artisans with areas overlaid in gold
- The detailed specifications for the Tabernacle in Exodus
The quality and craftsmanship was not only a result of talent, but also a result of Divine Inspiration and a commitment to excellence in worship.
- This also implies that we can serve with our talents in church media, but with the right heart posture, we can allow God to inspire us to provide a quality result that can only come from him.
Balancing Technical Excellence with Ministry Heart
To consistently deliver quality AVL:
- Check your heart posture regularly—are you doing it for the right reasons?
- Develop contingency plans for technical difficulties
- Create sustainable volunteer training programs
- Make learning engaging and accessible for all skill levels
Conclusion
By embracing these principles, we move beyond simply operating equipment to cultivating a team that understands the “why” behind their roles. When done with excellence and the right heart, AVL ministry enhances the worship experience and helps people connect with God at a deeper level and without distraction.
As Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
This post was adapted from Nathan’s presentation “Creating a Culture of Quality Standards with Audio, Video, and Lighting” delivered at the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference in April 2025. For more information or to discuss implementing these principles in your church’s media ministry, contact Nathan at 615.257.8866.
