Should We Hire an AVL Tech or Buy Equipment Ourselves?
Updated: Oct 12
These aren't really competing options.
Good equipment doesn’t replace knowledgeable people, and knowledgeable people still need appropriate tools.
If your church has ongoing technical complexity, someone needs to own it. That might be a full-time production director, a part-time technical director, a highly capable volunteer or an outside partner.
The title matters less than the ownership.
Somebody needs to know why the system is built the way it is, maintain it, train volunteers and make good decisions when something changes.
What we don’t recommend is buying increasingly complicated equipment because the current system is difficult to operate.
A more advanced console rarely makes an untrained team more confident.
It usually does the opposite.
Before making a major equipment purchase, ask whether the problem is actually equipment.
If the system genuinely cannot do what the church needs, replace it.
If the system is capable but nobody understands how to use it, invest in people.
Most churches eventually need some of both.
The best technical systems aren’t just good collections of gear. They’re systems that good people know how to use.
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About the author
Chris Eslinger is a founder and partner at Ignite Sound + Stage and Creative Production Director at Greenwood Christian Church. A contributor to Technologies for Worship Magazine, he helps churches improve audio, video, lighting and volunteer workflows through practical, hands-on training.
Read Chris's Yamaha DM7 mixing console review in Technologies for Worship Magazine.
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