OD Application Project – Section 2

HRDO 604
Eric M. Larson
November 19, 2004

Based on an initial proposal to improve the Video Ministry at Berean Baptist

Church in Burnsville, Minnesota, the following report was developed and presented to

Tim __________, Pastor of Worship Ministries.

The “Recommendations” section was removed from the copy of the report that

Tim was given, and was instead discussed in a personal meeting with Tim after he had

the opportunity to share his independent recommendations for the ministry. Tim was

reassured that recommended actions did indeed exist, but he was encouraged to share his

own conclusions based on the data presented in the project. He noted in particular that the

gap description in the report succinctly captured the challenges that Berean’s Video

Ministry is currently facing.

Tim __________ openly admits that he has been diagnosed with adult Attention

Deficit Disorder (ADD), and this fact made for a very interesting meeting. In the role of

“OD consultant” I had to pay particular attention to keeping him focused on the issue at

hand – supporting the technical volunteers who are working on Sunday mornings in

Berean’s sanctuary. The meeting was a valuable one and I consider it a success, but this

“human element” was one that I had not initially considered in the project.

Tim’s interests – and, hence, much of the discussion – coincided with a peripheral

issue that several volunteers (and Berean’s Senior Pastor) raised: The production of

videos within Berean that are unique to its audience. These could be promotional videos

for upcoming classes or programs, or could emphasize particular elements of the day’s

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sermon. The fact that so many related-yet-independent sources have become energized

about the same issue indicates that Berean’s Video Ministry should explore an expansion

into this area. A concluding paragraph to this effect has been added to the report that

follows.

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Berean Baptist Church Video Ministry Intervention
Prepared by Eric M. Larson

Executive Summary

The Berean Video Ministry is a vibrant one with engaged volunteers who readily

embrace the challenging question, “How can we be even better?” Its volunteers have a

passion for excellent work, yet also have a desire for an accepting atmosphere where

mistakes are permissible.

Gap Description

As described initially, this proposal is in response to a need for better audio/visual

support at Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, Minn. The “presenting problem” was a

lack of volunteer participation/involvement/proficiency in Berean’s Video Ministry.

However, this “problem” is actually a response to a set of more fundamental concerns

that will benefit from an examination through the lens of organization development:

- The expectations of new church services are overtaxing existing paid staff;

- The sheer number of tasks that must be performed for average Sunday

“performances” are hard to accomplish in the number of minutes available

between services;

- The limited number of staff members results in few “backup resources” if

someone is unavailable for a particular event or need.

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 Inquiries within Berean’s organization and of Video Ministry personnel

uncovered an additional desire that is now only minimally fulfilled: To have a creative

outlet in which volunteers can exercise their artistic talents – in technical support of live

artistic performances, and in the creation of video or multimedia reinforcement of

messages from other church ministries.

Data Gathering

In an effort to triangulate data, using multiple perspectives to arrive at “the real

story” as much as possible, several qualitative methods were used.

Appreciative Inquiry Results

Surveys were provided in print and e-mail to current and former Video Ministry

volunteers. Response was minimal among the former volunteers, and more follow-up is

needed here; despite the focus on Appreciative Inquiry to learn what works well,

important insight can be gained from once-active volunteers who chose to drop out of the

ministry. (This very disconnect from the ministry, however, makes it difficult to gain

information from those individuals.)

Based on the work of Brigid Bechtold, several Appreciative Inquiry questions

were asked of volunteers (B. Bechtold, personal communication, Feb. 13, 2004). Despite

the variety of questions, consistent themes emerged within the responses:

Describe a peak experience or high point. Looking at your entire experience in

the Berean Video Ministry, can you recall a time when you felt most alive, most
involved, or most excited about your involvement in the ministry?

An unexpected theme was an appreciation of “special events” – often

concerts, but sometimes speakers or a drama presentation. Also mentioned was

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 development of PowerPoints, as the creators felt like they were making a

contribution.

What do you value most about yourself as a person?

The three values mentioned were creativity, integrity, and commitment

(including dedication and follow-through).

What do you value about the nature of your work? When you are feeling best
about your work, what do you value about the work itself? What outstanding
work or achievement are you most proud of? What about you made it possible to
achieve this result?

A prominent value that appeared was positive interaction with people –

either personally and individually, or by engaging in work that others appreciate.

Working with technology was not a prominent theme in the responses.

What about the Berean Video Ministry do you value most? What is the single
most important thing that the ministry has contributed to your life?

The responses here wove together a theme of doing a good job to make a

positive contribution that affects others.

What is the core factor that gives life and vitality to the Berean Video Ministry?

Most respondents commented on the involvement and dedication of the

paid staff. One noted succinctly that the core factor is “The creativity and

commitment from the paid staff and volunteers” (Larson, 2004).

If you could develop or transform the Berean Video Ministry in any way you
wished, what three wishes would you make to heighten vitality and health in this
ministry?

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 The solid, unifying theme here is one of better training. However, there

also exists a substantial need for support and appreciation from leadership, and a

reduction in the stress that surrounds services.

For example, one former volunteer wrote, “It would be nice if… the

worship leader would greet and check to see if there are questions on the order of

the service and thank AV staff before the service starts. Good for morale.”

Another current volunteer noted, “There is a feeling that I had better not make a

mistake. The pressure has lessened and I can deal with it” (Larson, 2004). While

such responses do not indicate a crisis of morale, there is a clear tension between

the desire for quality and the stress that such a goal produces.

Expansion of the ministry

One volunteer who is involved deeply in other staff areas of the church uniquely

shared three needs that address the vision of the Video Ministry as it could best into the

organization as a whole:

To expand on the production of “in house” video projects. To take on assignments

(or challenges) that demonstrate the capabilities of the personnel. And, to be
certain that the church body understands that the work was done by the talented
people behind the scenes. (Larson, 2004).

These parallel the ideas shared by Berean’s senior pastor, who praised the work of the

Video Ministry (mirroring the respect for “the talented people behind the scenes”

described above). He shared a vision “to have several works in progress at all times

(videos of people “Out There”, workplace testimony/on-the-street interviews about

subjects we are addressing, or edited reports from significant trips (Croatia, Africa,

retreats, etc.)” (Larson, 2004).

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 Berean’s senior pastor also noted the need for a structure to facilitate this

creativity, joking that “It seems my ideas often generate too late to implement…

Someone needs to pry them out of my head in advance, or sit with me in an idea-creating

session and help me see what could be done” (Larson, 2004).

Ministry Leader Results

Fred ________, Director of Technical Arts at _____ in Lakeville, Minnesota,

commented first-and-foremost of the need to keep a focus on ministry within their

volunteer work. In addition, he noted how difficult it is to remember that focus as a leader

of volunteers. This is summed up in a short, informal prayer that he felt moved to not

only offer to God, but share with his volunteers as well in the context of a regular

newsletter:

Dear Lord, I noticed something missing from my letters to the volunteers over
these last months and it was You. We all get so caught up in deadlines and
agendas, even in a church, that we forget what it's all about. Please forgive me
and help me to be still and know that You are Lord. Thank you for these
wonderful volunteers and watch over them this week. Amen. (F. ________,
personal communication, Oct 28, 2004).

Dan ________, Pastor of Worship and Arts at _____ in Lakeville, Minnesota,

shared that there is no paid leadership in _____’s technical ministry; the leaders and

directors are volunteers. ________ discussed an emphasis that has been lacking in

Berean’s previous volunteer recruitment efforts: “Make sure you want volunteers, not just

need them” (D. ________, personal communication, Oct 29, 2004).

In building a recruitment effort, ________ recommended a hands-on, personal

approach beginning within the existing volunteer ministry. Current volunteers should

gather with leadership and, if possible, literally walk through the church directory name

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by name looking for connections to the ministry and “likely candidates” for open

positions. Then, leadership should contact those individuals and invite their participation

in the context of the personal recommendation that volunteers in the ministry have

already provided. In this way, recruits are already connected to the ministry and feel the

“want” that is vital in encouraging their participation.

Finally, ________ warned that church leadership must be tolerant of increased

technical “miscues” during services as volunteers are trained. If mistakes cannot be

tolerated, a volunteer ministry cannot be built.

Josh _____ of _____ in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, described a technical volunteer

ministry that in some ways is similar to Berean’s; as with Berean, paid staff run the sound

reinforcement equipment. Volunteers successfully run _____’s video equipment, because

the system is easier to use and less complicated than Berean’s. In stark contrast to

Berean’s Video Ministry, however, is the “community” built around _____’s volunteer

team. _____ explained that semi-annual parties sponsored by their worship director and

the fact that all the members of the ministry are friends with one-another help to build a

connection among their volunteers and a “shared vision” of the purpose of their ministry.

_____ also shared that _____ has not developed formal training or documentation

on the technical equipment used in their sanctuaries. Instead, the staff focus their efforts

on one-to-one mentoring as new volunteers come on board. They spend their

documentation efforts on the technology-enhanced classrooms used by adult Sunday

school classes.

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Literature Review Results
In “From the Top Down”, Susan Ellis explains that “Recruitment based on ‘we

don’t have enough resources, so we are forced to turn to you’ is not positive. Neither is

supervision by salaried staff based on ‘I wish I had a paid helper, but I have to settle for

you.’ There are indeed some first choice reasons for wanting to attract volunteers—

reasons that have nothing to do with the presence or absence of money” (Ellis, 1986, p.

5).

The reasons that Ellis outlines do not map perfectly to the role of volunteers in

Berean’s Video Ministry, but nonetheless serve as reminders of the creative opportunities

we have when we engage volunteers. Volunteers:

- have credibility because they are unsalaried;

- have an appearance of independence or autonomy that can better engage

disenfranchised recipients;

- are valuable as objective policy makers;

- are more free to criticize;

- perform under less pressure and stress (because they need not worry about

“keeping food on the table” based on their volunteer position);

- are always “private citizens” and can act publicly with fewer repercussions to the

organization;

- can experiment with new ideas that are not yet ready to be funded;

- bring focused skills or talents that existing staff do not have;

- have access to the community because they spend the majority of their time “out

there”;

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 - can concentrate intensively on a particular issue in the organization without the

obligation to work on others simultaneously.

Overall, volunteers are valuable as volunteers because they are, and remain, “external” to

the organization in which they volunteer. They can bring in unique insights, can fulfill

extremely focused needs, and can help the organization engage with those outside it.

Although some might be concerned that volunteers “are not reliable”, Mallory

(2003) reassures ministry leaders that volunteers can be held accountable for their

performance – and, in fact, are usually eager to receive that guidance and direction.

However, she warns that, “Trusting people means allowing them to fail” (Mallory, 2003,

para. 22).

Grossman and Furano (1999) discus the reality that volunteers are playing

increasingly important and complex roles in organizations. Therefore, these

organizations need to increase their focus on supporting volunteers who often find

themselves in new and unfamiliar roles. Thorough training is a vital component of such

support.

Addressing the concerns for support or approval, Baab (2003) warns against

burnout that is “caused by taking on too much of other people’s emotional reality.” She

explains how

We overload ourselves… because we take on the emotional work of the people

we care for. We begin with a lovely and appropriate kind of caring, but we move
too easily into an inappropriate belief that we can fix people, provide the love for
them that they never had, make up their losses for them, and so forth. We become
overinvested in the well-being of others; we take on their loads. When we believe
we are in some way responsible for other people’s emotions, when we focus on
others’ ‘stuff’ rather than our own, we move into territory that belongs to God.
And we easily move towards burnout. (Baab, 2003, p. 101)

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 Important recruiting and retention advice can come from areas outside of typical

church volunteerism. In examining participation in non-profit boards, for example,

Stackpole (2003) focuses on the need to “recruit from nontraditional sources” and “seek

out those who haven't raised their hands yet.” More importantly, he offers a contrast to

the current volunteer recruiting in Berean’s Video Ministry that asks for a long-term

regular commitment from volunteers, recommending that leaders “gauge the opportunity

to the time available…

Though it's true that busy people always seem to do more, nowhere is it written
that every volunteer opportunity must demand months or years of commitment.
Sometimes a project that needs a few days of intense effort produces a far better
outcome than something that stretches out for months. Craft options that suit your
potential volunteers. (Stackpole, 2003, p. 96)

Historical Perspective
A survey of Berean’s Video Ministry volunteers in spring 2002 revealed less

emphasis on community and service to Berean as a whole, and a more individualistic

perspective focused on the technology. While some difference can be attributed to the

questions asked, a strong and vibrant undercurrent of service to people (over and above

“work with technology”) appears to have developed in the past two and a half years.

One suggestion at the time, which can be inferred from responses in the current

intervention, was to build connections among the volunteers:

Much like the other teams at church that get together, I think it would benefit us
to meet and exchange ideas and/or learn from you [the volunteer coordinator]. As
suggested before, I think we can review portions of previous recorded services
and discuss what was good and what needs improvement. I know you are
particular about certain things and we should know what they are. As you are
aware, your knowledge level is significant in this field and there may be some
things you take for granted. Most of the time our discussions are when we are
busy preparing for the service. Therefore, we may not have a focused
conversation. Getting together when we are not preparing for a service allows us
to ask questions more openly for clarification and have your undivided attention.
(Larson, 2002)

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Key Themes
Three key themes have appeared which require further development. Berean’s

Video Ministry needs to dedicate attention to its process, people and purpose.

“Process” – how things get done

- Competence/Quality

- Training/Infrastructure

The Video Ministry must grapple with the tension between the need for quality

and the tolerance of mistakes. Too much emphasis on one will undermine the other.

Volunteers need to know that their efforts are going to a ministry that values excellent

work. Conversely, those same volunteers need to know that there should be no demand

(from leadership or from within themselves) for perfect work.

Both of these needs – increasing both skills and comfort – can be supplemented

by structured training programs.

“People” – defined as both the people acting in the ministry (developing

creativity and fellowship) as well as the people receiving the volunteer’s acts (valuing

contributions)

- Valued Contribution

- Creativity

- Personal Connection

Berean’s Video Ministry needs to provide opportunities for its volunteers to

engage creatively in the work of the church. It also needs to maintain a particular focus or

emphasis on recognition given the nature of behind-the-scenes technical support work.

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(When properly performed, technical work is never noticed by its audience, so leaders

need to specifically call out the fact that they “noticed how unnoticeable” the work was.)

“Purpose” – joining together process and people

- “Giving our best to God and His people.”

- Enhance, enable, and engage

The work of the Video Ministry uses technology to reinforce Berean’s message as

subtly and transparently as possible. Berean’s senior pastor qualified his comments in this

intervention with the valuable warning, “All this with this caveat: I want to major on the

book in hand—the Bible, not the screen. I also want to help people listen to the spoken

word with verbal stories and illustrations that stay in their heads, enhanced by an

occasional visual or symbol. I don’t want to be a Luddite on this, but I also don’t want to

contribute to an adult Sesame Street of constant over-stimulation and graphics” (Larson,

2004).

The purpose of Berean’s Video Ministry can be illustrated in a three-fold

structure. Not only does the Video Ministry run technical reinforcement within Berean’s

Worship Center for the congregation there, but it also transmits the video throughout the

building to overflow areas, as well as recording the traditional service for use by the

Visitation Pastor. These seemingly disparate roles merge in a unifying purpose of

engaging the congregation of Berean (wherever they happen to be physically located) in

Berean’s message.

One volunteer described the purpose (in the sense of “tasks”) of the Video

Ministry as both enhancing the worship experience, and even enabling the experience

itself:

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 First, it enhances the experience for those that are in the worship center. …(I)t
displays the words during the musical portion of worship, (and) it projects what is
happening on stage for those that are not seated close to the front, (allowing) them
to better see what is going on.

(I)t (enables) those that are in different areas of the building to participate in
worship by watching a video monitor or the annex in the south gym. Many times
due to other ministries (i.e. Berean Cafe, nursery, etc.) people are present but not
able to be in the Worship Center. Or a parent with a child that is not willing to sit
quietly in the Worship Center. The video feeds to the monitors enable people to
not be inside the Worship Center but still participate in the worship. (Larson,
2004)

Therefore, based on these insights, Berean’s Video Ministry exists to:

Enhance Berean’s presentations, and

Enable the peripheral audience to see and hear those presentations, to

Engage the congregation in the message.

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Recommendations

Develop Training
#1: Train volunteers on the basics of system operation. Build a training plan,

beginning with basic camera operation, so volunteers feel more comfortable with the

equipment they need to use.

#2: Establish a Saturday morning “play time.” This time, during regular Worship

Team rehearsal when audio and video staff are already on-hand, would provide an

opportunity to work with the equipment in a low-pressure environment that still emulates

typical Sunday-morning conditions.

#3: Develop of an iterative manual (to which the volunteer community can contribute).

A typical manual will rapidly grow “stale.” Any written documentation needs to be

flexible and easy to update; as equipment and practices change, the manual needs to stay

up-to-date. Such a manual will not replace training and practice, but can serve as a

comfort to those who lack confidence in the experience they already have.

Clarify Vision

#4: Differentiate tasks and roles among volunteers, so people have focused

opportunities to excel and training is not forced to take a “shotgun” approach that

attempts to make everyone good at everything.

#5: Clarify the tension between the desire for quality and the impossibility of

perfection. Adapt Berean’s slogan of “Applying the truth, in a community of grace” to

the video ministry (noting that the ministry’s particular “truth” is technical execution that

adheres to established standards), and emphasize a healthy balance of the two. To initiate

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this discussion, hold a meeting with the Volunteer Coordinator, Pastor of Worship and

Deacon of Worship to discuss how each of them envisions this balance.

#6: Cultivate an understanding that not everyone will fit into the Video Ministry,

and that is no indication of “failure.” Some people will be excellent camera operators;

some will not. Those who are not have plenty of opportunities to serve in other capacities

at Berean, and their “lack of camera-operating ability” says nothing disparaging about

them. This is a thoroughly Biblical approach, explicitly discussed by Paul in 1st

Corinthians 12:14-20:

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that
reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not
an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part
of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?
If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact
God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them
to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many
parts, but one body. (1Co 12:14-20, New International Version).

Build Community

#7: Pastoral involvement. The Pastor of Worship Ministries should positively engage

with the technical volunteers

- Thank you notes (personal, hand-written) for both regular and special

participation

- Social get-together at least once a year

#8: Lay leader involvement. The Volunteer Technician Coordinator should positively

engage with the technical volunteers to compensate for any disconnect they might feel

from the Pastor of Worship Ministries

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 - Thank you notes (personal, hand-written) for both regular and special

participation

- Regular, positive communication (e.g. newsletter), featuring a “volunteer

spotlight”

#9: Supportive publicity. Develop encouraging in-church publicity, such as a sign-board

near the audio/video booth that names the day’s paid and volunteer staff, to help the

Berean community understand and acknowledge the contributions “behind the scenes.”

Future Expansion

Interest in a “Video Production Ministry” is mounting. Berean’s pastoral staff

should begin conversations to discuss the importance of in-house video productions and

determine the initial scope of such an initiative.

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 References

Baab, L. (2003). Beating burnout in congregations. Herndon, VA : The

Alban Institute.

Ellis, S. (1986). From the top down. Philadelphia: Energize Associates.

Grossman, J. B., & Furano, K. (1999). Making the most of volunteers.

Law and Contemporary Problems, 62(4), 199-218.

Larson, E. (2002). Berean video ministry survey responses. Unpublished

manuscript.

Larson, E. (2004). [Volunteer and leader interviews]. Unpublished raw

data.

Mallory, S. (2003, Sep). Holding volunteers accountable. Building

Church Leaders, Retrieved Oct 03, 2004, from

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/teamdevelopment/articl

es/le-cln30923.html.

Stackpole, K. C. (2003). Bringing the best to the boardroom: how to

find the forward-thinking volunteers who'll offer fresh

perspectives at the highest levels [Electronic Version].

Association Management, 55(1), 96.

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Interview Questions for Volunteer Ministry leaders

Background/Infrastructure

What’s your basic Sunday Morning technology, and how do volunteers fit into that?

What ties are there between Sunday Morning technology/volunteers and other
technologies/events in your church?

If other ministries are expected to provide their own volunteers for their events,
does that solution work well? How engaged are those volunteers? What is the
training/operations relationship between the Technical Arts ministry and those
volunteers?

People

What seems to energize members of your technical ministry (volunteer or staff)?

Have members of your technical ministry expressed any concerns/challenges that you’d
feel comfortable sharing?

Training & Development

What type of training/orientation do you provide for operators in your technical ministry
(particularly for any volunteers, but for paid staff if volunteers aren’t used)?

Do use or know of any resources for volunteer training or development in a church

(particularly in a technical ministry, but for any other roles as well)?

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Appreciative Inquiry Questions – Berean Video Ministry
1. Describe a peak experience or high point. Looking at your entire experience in the
Berean Video Ministry, can you recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, or
most excited about your involvement in the ministry?

2. Let’s talk for a moment about some things you value deeply.

• What do you value most about yourself as a person?

• What do you value about the nature of your work? When you are feeling best about
your work, what do you value about the work itself? What outstanding work or
achievement are you most proud of? What about you made it possible to achieve this
result?

• What about the Berean Video Ministry do you value most? What is the single most
important thing that the ministry has contributed to your life?

3. What is the core factor that gives life and vitality to the Berean Video Ministry?

4. If you could develop or transform the Berean Video Ministry in any way you wished,
what three wishes would you make to heighten vitality and health in this ministry?

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