Behind the Scenes with Parkway's Sunday Service Production Team

Have you ever wondered what goes into the production of Parkway’s Sunday morning services? Well, every week, an awesome team of volunteers works behind the scenes to make sure the morning runs smoothly. They ensure that those joining us both in-person and online have the best experience possible.

We want to give a big shout out to this group of unsung Sunday morning service heroes!

So, what does a day in the life of our service production team look like, and how can you get involved in this important ministry?

Our Service Production Teams

There are several different teams that work together to produce the wonderful weekly service we all love and enjoy.

Sound Team

This talented tech team is trained on the church’s sound system and controls the operation of both the in-person and online audio experience. They arrive early on Sunday mornings to perform a sound check with the worship team, making sure the audio is set properly for the coming service.

By managing specific sound settings for the band, vocals, and speakers, Mike, Miro, and our other sound team members ensure that the audio experience for our services is both pleasant and effective.

Video Team

You’ve probably seen some of our camera operators roaming around during the Sunday morning service. But we also have video team members behind the scenes. These volunteers operate stationary cameras and control which camera feeds are visible on the platform screens and the livestream feed at any given time.

Dan Miller and the rest of our video team are a critical component for our online and in-person experience — They capture important moments during the service and create a wonderful visual experience for all!

Projection Team

If you’ve ever been to a Sunday morning service where a brand-new song is sung, you know how important our projection team is. John and Cassidy Gorniak lead this team, where one of the most pressing responsibilities is managing the display of song lyrics on the screens and the online feed.

However, they also manage the pre-service information slides that display, as well as any projection needs during the welcome moments, offering times, and sermon. This often includes displaying provided graphics, playing special videos, and putting up scriptures that are referenced during the sermon.

The Gorniaks talked about the preparation that each projectionist puts into their part on Sunday morning. John explained that they prepare by reviewing Planning Center Services to familiarize themselves with the songs that will be sung that morning. This also tells them if there will be any videos or other special items that need to be displayed during the service.

“Cassidy and I do all of the initial preparation in the program the week before the service,” John added. “But we'd be happy to train anyone on how to do this!”

Lights Team

You may not specifically notice the work our lights team does every week, but that just means Isaac Stefanski and his team are doing their job well! This team’s job is to create a visual ambiance that’s conducive to worship and other parts of the service.

For example, when videos are playing, you may notice that the lights gently come down so that the screens are more visible to the congregation. During worship, the house lights are kept low while the platform lights are brought up, creating a comfortable and enjoyable worship experience.

Following specific service cues, this team does an amazing job of seamlessly transitioning between key moments in the service to allow a pleasant and effective atmosphere for us to enjoy!

Producers Team

To pull the whole service together and ensure proper communication between all our service production teams, we have our producers! This team arrives early to print out service schedules for the day and distribute them to specific ministry groups, including production teams and ushers.

The producer then leads the Sunday morning leaders’ huddle, during which the service schedule is reviewed, and the coming events of the morning are discussed.

During the worship service, the producer’s job isn’t done! If any last-minute changes are made or any of the production teams have a need that pops up throughout the morning, the producer jumps in to facilitate. This ensures that any issues are addressed promptly, and our congregation can enjoy the service without interruption.

Want to Get Involved in Service Production?

Curious about serving in one of these crucial service production areas? Volunteers are always needed and welcomed! And don’t worry — training is provided to ensure that you can successfully operate any technology involved in your role.

Your training period may involve shadowing current volunteers or leaders, hands-on instruction, as well as diving in on Wednesday night Encounter services when there is a less-demanding service schedule.

“These are particularly hands-on learning areas,” John explained. “But many are fairly easy and you just have to do it to learn how to do it.”

To start volunteering in one of these areas, fill out a ministry application form today!