Recruiting and training church media volunteers for your media team can feel challenging. Many churches rely on tech-savvy volunteers to run slides, video, lighting, and audio as part of their church media teams—but finding and keeping committed people isn’t always easy.
The good news? With a thoughtful approach, you can build a reliable media team without overloading anyone or creating burnout.
1. Start with Genuine Connection
People want to serve where they feel appreciated and connected. Take time to personally invite volunteers that the Lord highlights to you from your congregation, explain why their role matters, and share how their service impacts the congregation.
Building relationships early in someone’s connection to your church (maybe in a new member’s class, etc.) makes a huge difference in recruiting. And then when they are new team members, it helps for retention to further build your relationship instead of just stopping once the person is on the team. Volunteers are more likely to stick around when they feel valued and see the purpose behind their work.
2. Be Clear About Expectations
Many volunteers leave because they aren’t sure what’s expected of them. Outline roles clearly: which software or equipment they’ll use, rehearsal schedules if any are required, and responsibilities during services.
Provide a simple, written guide or checklist so they can reference it anytime. Clear expectations make the learning curve less intimidating.
3. Offer Hands-On Training
The best way to learn church media is by doing it—preferably with a patient trainer by their side. This can be a staff member or just another church media volunteer who is more experienced! Schedule a few training sessions before volunteers run a live service, and include practice with church presentation software, lighting cues, and audio so they get a full picture of what happens on your team each Sunday.
Hands-on experience builds confidence quickly. Make sure to pair new volunteers with a more experienced team member for support during their first few services. You can also consider making a regular training event part of your team schedule. You can utilize the scheduled one-on-one training from a MediaShout expert for one volunteer at a time, or a group/team training for your whole church media team together at one of these events, as a benefit of the MediaShout Plus Membership! We’ll even video in and/or remotely connect to your church computer to show you hands on tips and tricks.
4. Rotate Responsibilities
Burnout often happens when volunteers feel stuck in the same role week after week. Rotate team members through different responsibilities so they can learn new skills and stay engaged. Or if they are happy doing the same thing, make it a point not to put them in the booth every single Sunday. They need to also be able to ATTEND their church like they did before they started serving. This is even if they are generous and say they don’t mind serving each week. Not every church has a stacked team, so some environments may require more time commitment than others. Still, the Lord will provide the people if we steward what we have and don’t overwork our volunteers.
For example, someone who usually runs slides could try controlling video or assisting with audio. Not only does this keep things fresh, but it also builds a more flexible team.
5. Provide Resources for Independent Learning
Some volunteers want to learn beyond scheduled training. Share tutorial videos, quick guides, and online resources for your church presentation software, audio consoles, or lighting systems.
Church presentation software like MediaShout 7, for example, includes tutorials and built-in help features that volunteers can reference anytime—reducing frustration and encouraging growth.
Again, with the Plus Membership, there are even better full-length training video resources that your volunteers can watch anytime. Great for volunteers who want to dig in on their own!
6. Appreciate and Encourage Your Team
Never underestimate the power of recognition. Thank your volunteers publicly and privately. Celebrate milestones, highlight contributions in newsletters or announcements, and consider small perks like coffee or snacks before rehearsal. Make sure to get a list of your team’s birthdays and anniversaries, and celebrate them in the pre-service volunteer meeting with the whole team.
A culture of encouragement keeps your media team motivated and willing to continue serving for the long term.
7. Check In Regularly
Schedule brief one-on-one or group check-ins to discuss challenges, answer questions, and gather feedback. This helps you spot potential burnout early and make adjustments before volunteers feel overwhelmed. Good communication and actually pastoring your team is vital!
Regular communication fosters trust and ensures everyone feels supported in their role.
Closing Thought
Building a strong, committed media team doesn’t happen overnight. By being intentional about recruitment, clear about expectations, and consistent in training and encouragement, you can develop a team that thrives without burning out.
