Mike Walker Creative

Every year churches all over the country gear up for Christmas productions. This has been the second year in a row I haven’t had any production responsibilities for a church, but every year it’s still fresh on my mind.

I have a very simple philosophy on church production….go big or go home! When I say that you need to understand I am not saying that the production needs to overshadow everything or that you need to pull out your full bag of tricks. What I am saying is this, in the church world we get to tell THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD…so why not be good at story telling?

I just got back from trips to NYC and Las Vegas. Their messaging is big and larger than life. In some cases complex and in some cases very simple, but they they are still saying it loud and proud. Why can’t the church do the same? In some cases it’s a taste thing, in some cases it’s a talent/skill level, the one thing I don’t buy is that it’s a budget thing. You can do plenty of great story telling on a smaller budget….I have done productions that cost upwards of $750,000 and I have done productions with less than $1,000. Get creative and tell a good story. It’s not about having a ton off moving lights, it’s not about HD video, it’s not about technology at all (even though they CAN be valuable tools)…it’s about getting creative and making a good presentation.

In thinking through a good presentation, don’t get locked in to entertaining yourself. Just because you and your staff think it’s a good idea doesn’t make it relevant to the majority of your attendees. Does your presentation make people want to come back for more or did they get their fill until next year? The choice is yours on how you want to approach it, but my approach has always been to gain return attendees after the first of the year….it’s good marketing

I have seen a couple of really good Christmas eve presentations in the past 2 years. At the end of the day do what you can do well. If you can pull off a large elaborate event….do it….if you can’t then maybe simple is the way to go…but either way do it well. Your audience demands it. If you want proof then look at your numbers from previous years and in the weeks that follow.

I read a book about a year ago called The Long Tail. The author studied trends in both the music and film industries and it got me thinking about both.

Having a background in the music industry I can speak in to it from a more educated standpoint. As I listened to and thought about some of the great songs and artists in history one common thread I noticed is that of artistry. They were all leaders and change agents in their own right. Names like Nirvana, Metallica, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, while yes older names, all changed the landscape of music and the status quo. Even in Christian music names like DC Talk, Amy Grant, and even now Hillsong have created something new and different, and the industry was changed because of them.

My question is, where are todays artists? The people who are coming in with fresh new ideas and are going to change the face of music.

As of late I have been on a search for something new and exciting in Christian music especially. Unfortunately Christian music, like the church, tends to be about 10+ years behind. I live in Dallas, home of KLTY which at one point set the standard for new upcoming Christian music. At the time they were led by a friend of mine named Jon Rivers who is a man who is a true artist himself that happens to be a radio personality, and because of Jon the industry was changed. After Jon left KLTY has gone through a phase of a lot of advertising and a whole lot of nothing interesting. Bring back the artists…

Artists change things and refuse to accept the status quo. They don’t do it for huge profit margins or record sales numbers. They do it because it’s inside them and they have to get it out.

Hillsong radically changed the face and sound of todays praise and worship market. We should celebrate what they have done. The problem is that in celebrating them too many other organizations have copied them and not put out their own artistry and voice.

I believe there is a huge disconnect in the understanding of the worlds of talent and of artistry in the church world. I have worked side by side with people who are great artists and people who are great talents…and you need both.

Talented people have an extraordinary gift in a given area. For some it’s singing, for some it’s an instrument, for some it might be technical such as lighting or audio. They have a talent for their craft. They do it and do it well.

Artists are those, however, with something to say…something to add to the conversation….something that changes our ways of thinking. Artists almost always have some extraordinary talent, but talented people do not always have artistry. I think too many people in Christian music and the church don’t understand this and it’s a big reason why music and the arts have gotten watered down in recent years.

One of the first artists I worked with when I broke in to the touring market was one of THE FIRST Christian artists (actually one of the first artists period) to use interactive video inside a concert tour. He changed the market. Now almost all artists look to take out interactive video with their shows. He was a game changer.

When was the last time you heard a song that revolutionized your life in Christian music or church? When was the last time the churches or Christian tours led the way in technology? There are a few out there….Northpoint in Atlanta, Willow Creek in Chicago, Life Church in Oklahoma, Hillsong in Australia….but by in large where are the trend setters? The people who are tired of the status quo? Sure we have heard some good performers, but who is changing the game? Who is challenging us? Have we really become a society of cheap knock offs whose highest aspiration is to be just like Hillsong? Hillsong is incredible and should be celebrated. What do you bring to the conversation?

I could go on about this for a long time, but I will wrap with asking the question….where are the artists and leaders who are going to lead us in to the next 20 years? There’s lots of talent….where are the artists?

Having worked with churches and non-profits I have dealt with a lot of volunteer situations. One thing that always concerned me was burning people out. Most volunteers I worked with had full time jobs as well as families, then on top of that many organizations will ask for a commitment of 15-20 hours a week additional as a volunteer.

My concern was always burnout. As a leader in a volunteer driven organization it’s imperative that you not only recruit volunteers, but you should also be responsible to manage them. This includes having a feel for how they are doing. A close friend of mine has volunteered at a church for some time and loved the work. The church kept using this person over and over without ever keeping tabs on how she was doing. Being young she hasn’t learned how to balance things yet so consequently she ended up on vocal rest which has affected her school life, personal life, and professional life. If we are going to take on the responsibility to recruit and use volunteers we have to be responsible enough to look out for them when they may or may not look out for themselves.

My phone has been ringing off the hook today from several GREAT people in the church tech world and they are looking for positions (staff or contractor). If you are looking for quality people please contact me via email and I will pass on resume’s as I receive them.

If you are one of the people who have called or were thinking of calling, please email me your resume’ at mwalker@mikewalkercreative.com

I just arrived back in country from Brazil. As I walked in to look over items on my desk I saw the cover of a magazine article with a stage design…that drove me crazy. It was way too busy, had nothing to do with the messaging of the organization, was lit poorly, etc…

The old saying of “just do something” is not always the correct response. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.

I am ALL in favor of pressing forward and doing things that create momentum, but at least show there is progress happening. If you are still at the same level today that you were 2 years ago there is a problem.

In the words of Bill Hybel “move me, scare me, change me, but don’t leave me the way you found me”. Don’t rest of what you have done, and more important…if you (or your staff) have become your own biggest fans….it’s time for change.

Have a plan. Make it look like you thought about things and that what you are putting in front of people is intentional and not accidental….or do nothing at all.

I am in the middle of a long, but exciting stretch.

I was in DC for a week at the Washington DC Convention Center with Bishop TD Jakes (pictures to come). I left on a plane Sunday afternoon for Rio de Janeiro. I flew all night, arrived this morning and hit the ground running.

I am with a team of 3 guys. Greg is a welder from Winsboro, Texas, Mark is a contractor/builder from Sulpher Springs, Texas, and I am heading up the sound.We got off the plane this morning without a whole lot of details, but knew that the missions organization had partnered with Joyce Meyer Ministries and Gateway Church to build a production truck to do street crusades. They wanted a truck to be able to pull up, the sides open to make the stage and load up a sound system in under 1 hour.

Greg spent the day pulling together resources and welding materials. Mark and I have the task of building and putting together a speaker system (Marks doing all the carpentry work and I am doing the tech side).

At the end of day 1 we have all our tools and a game plan in place. We figure by the end of the week we should have speakers built and wired, a new stage deck put on the truck, and a rigging system to lift the speakers in to place on site. From there we will lay out a game plan for electrical work to be done for the truck and sound system for another crew to finish.

I will be posting some pictures along the way…check out day 1

I get back in town next Sunday long enough to change out my laundry and fly out the next morning for 2 events in South Africa. Fun times!

I came across this from Mark Horvath.

“reason non-church friend doesn’t go to church. He can get the blinged out, high def, carnival Jesus by staying home and watching TV.”

What a great question and insight from someone who doesn’t attend church…and who it sounds like won’t. It got me to thinking about what the real turn off is. As simple as it is, it’s really a matter of the heart and a person/organizations motivation.

Being a media guy who has worked with churches as well as the entertainment world I love great presentation done well. That being said, I do think it’s healthy to ask the question why…why is it important to have all the bells and whistles? Is it because it gives a better chance to reach people we wouldn’t otherwise reach? Is it because we need to keep from being outdated? Is it because deep down there is an ego we are trying to feed?

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for all the cool tech. I am an audio file so good audio is paramount to me. I believe great video is important…not because it’s cool or cutting edge, but great content and high def screens can go a long way to making a large room feel more intimate. At least for me, it’s all about the audience. Better technology done right gives you a better chance to communicate to your audience. Great tech with done with the motive of being cool while being disguised with empty words of “trying to reach or connect with people” is exposed quickly. You can talk all you want, but your audience knows…so…..why use all the stuff?

What’s your motivation? What messages are you wanting to send? What’s really behind your messages? As the old saying goes “you can get by on charm for 10 minutes, but the you better know something”. You can wow your audience for a time, but if they come to the realization that it’s all for show they will move on to someone or somewhere else.

I was speaking with a peer who was telling me about a situation with a client. The client is going back to the well of a few gimicks that worked well for them a few years ago, but has since changed its personnel, its customer base, and its overall approach and brand. The problem is, in this case, that what worked several years ago will likely have a resounding thud this time around.

Most everyone is in the middle of tough times economy and having to get creative with budgets, programs, staffing, etc….being from a sports background I have always taken the approach of going back to the basics. Go back to the grass roots things that made things work in the beginning. The problem is too many organizations think its about a program or a gimick that brought them success, what they don’t realize is that it was something deeper that made them successful and the gimick or the program just accentuated what was already there.

Gimicks WILL NOT help you pull out of tough times…in fact, if done poorly, can sink you further in to a fast moving quick sand. Don’t get me wrong…I am in favor of doing a few catchy things here and there, but I have seen up close and personal what happens when it becomes all gimmicks and no substance. Just be careful about going back to the well too often…it can dry up quick.

We have all heard the latest buzz in marketing…branding. It’s not your tag line. It’s not your logo. Simply put your brand is your promise. As an organization you are making promises to your customers every day. Most of the time organizations are unaware of this. The tricky part is that your brand is not what YOU say it is…it’s what THEY say it is. If enough people believe a certain thing about an organization then it likely becomes part of your brand. Many companies try to control their brand, but to have the most success you should seek to influence your brand. Make sure that the things you are going to promise as an organization are going to be delivered. Another way to think of it is this, brand management is less about marketing and more about relationship management. Imagine telling an individual how important your relationship with them is, but then you never call and you never spend any time together. What the other person would feel is that it’s not really important to them. In essence the promise is broken. What Starbucks, they tell us every day that their brand essence is all about a great coffee experience. If they spent the next year investing in sandwiches and cold drinks or got rid of all the things that we have all come to know as a great coffee experience, the music, the atmosphere, the baristas who know our name, etc…..what would we begin believing about Starbucks? Sure they are open to new ideas and products, but at the end of the day they are ALL about a great coffee experience. As an organization what are you all about? Are you keeping your promise?

Yes, you are reading correctly! A pastor living in Alabama listed himself on Ebay. I came across this article on the website of a local Alabama CBS affiliate and had to put it on here. I have no idea how this will work out for him, but you have to give him style and creativity points!

Here is the link to his Ebay listing. If you have read “The Purple Cow” by Seth Godin then you know it’s all about setting yourself apart. Gotta give the guy credit….he did do that! It should be interesting to see how this plays out