Have you ever wondered how the videos are played, or how the violin is just as loud as the drums, or how you can listen back to sermons or livestreams of the service?

The answer is simple: The Audio Visuals (AV) team!

I might be biased, but I think it’s one of the best teams to serve on at Globe.

Testimony

When I first joined Globe in September 2022, I asked an elder where they needed people to serve, the answer was AV. Having never touched a sound desk in my life and having only done a slideshow presentation when I was 12 years old, I signed up.

No qualifications were required, and the team is very welcoming, they trained me up and showed me the ropes (although they look more like cables!). Eventually I was allowed to do it myself.

Nowadays, I regularly dabble in a career as a DJ, changing the sound levels throughout sung worship, it’s great fun!

What we get up to

Audio Visuals was once described to me by an AV team leader (who shall remain nameless) as being like the goalkeeper in a football team – you don’t notice when they do a good job, but you certainly know when something’s gone badly wrong. It can seem stressful, but this is not the case.

The AV team, whilst usually short-staffed team, never asks people to serve more than once every 4-6 weeks on average, with an AV team day 2-3 times a year.

When serving, the AV team are some of the first people on-site, arriving at 13:15, to set up the sound and visuals desk, the musicians tech and stands. We then do sound checks with the band and microphones, to check everything is working. If you’re lucky enough to serve with some AV team, there’s often snacks to keep you going!

We then usually try to pack down quickly after church, finishing between 18:30 and 19:00 – it’s a long day, but a well worthwhile one!

How God encourages me through AV

AV is sometimes a hard team to know how to be “encouraged” by God, as you concentrate for the whole service on what’s happening and be ready to fix any problems.

Yet it’s so encouraging to be on the AV desk during church. In fact, I have been spotted once or twice worshipping ‘unhindered’ on the AV desk. No one ever tells you this, but on AV you get a full view of the church gathered in worship, and you get to praise God for all the souls He has saved.

It is a space where when on the sound desk, that through buttons and controls, you become at one with the music. Listening to the sound mix to create something beautiful in my ears, but also the congregation, brings me such joy and is a small, tiny, glimmer of God’s glory through the sound created by the worship team.

The AV team is a part of the body of Christ that we see in 1 Corinthians 12. We need the parts of the body that love to cook, or welcome people. We need the parts of the body that plug in all the equipment and the parts that look after the Minis and Tinies.

Funnily as well, the AV team are reflected well in the Christmas story. The shepherds visit the baby Jesus, out of an overwhelming, impulsive joy. The wise men, however, planned their route meticulously with logic. They did not rush into anything, but they worshipped in the organisation and logic they brought with them in their gifts and journey.

This is AV: meticulous and logical worship which encourages me.

(PS: join the AV team, no experience required, full training provided).

You can info@globe.church to express interest in joining.