BETTER BY SUNDAY w/ PCO
QUICK DO’S AND DON’TS | Mike Graff
Planning Center is a powerful resource for your It’s also worth it to create multiple templates videos you’ve linked up to the worship service.
worship ministry, but there’s a lot of stuff under with the predictable special services that It’s a great help for making everyone feel more
its hood. I mean, a lot of stuff. There’s a good happen throughout the year (baptism Sundays, comfortable about how the elements will work
chance there are solutions to your worship- child dedication Sundays, etc), so you can note together.
ministry organization problems sitting right what logistic changes need to happen for those under your nose in PCO, but you don’t know special services and not forget them next time DON’T MAKE YOUR CHORD CHART ARRANGEMENT
where to start (or where to look!). around. IMPOSSIBLE TO FOLLOW.
For any team member who relies on chord
Well, this list should help cure that problem.
Here’s a bunch of do-and-don’t tips that take a
very short amount of time to implement within
PCO, but you’ll see a huge return of value for
the time you spend making these small tweaks.
DO TRANSPOSE YOUR SONG MP3S INTO THE
CORRECT KEYS.
How confusing is it for a guitarist to have a
chord chart in the key of C but a rehearsal
MP3 in the key of D? Make sure you always
upload an MP3 that’s the same key that you’re
planning on using during your worship service
(as reflected in your chord chart).
Luckily, PCO has a built-in transposing feature
that will change your MP3 audio from the
original key into the correct key in just a few
clicks. The audio quality isn’t pristine, but it
There’s a good
chance there are
solutions to your
worship-ministry
charts during the worship service, it can
become difficult to follow the arrangement if
the chord chart tells you to repeat sections,
“go back to the top”, or spell out directions in
a manner that confuses rather than enlightens.
The answer? Simply type out your entire song -
repeats included - from top to bottom, making
it foolproof. If the song takes up more than one
page, that’s fine. The goal is to type out every
section in its entirety instead of making your
organization
musician’s eyes bounce all over the page to try
problems sitting
right under your
nose in PCO...
gets the job done. If you want extra-credit, do
to find the right words, chords, or directions.
Simplify it by making the chord chart longer,
and you’ll see an immediate improvement in
your team following where you’re headed.
DO TRAIN YOUR TEAM TO USE THE BLOCK-OUT
CALENDAR RELIGIOUSLY.
If you’re responsible for scheduling, you know
it in a program with an advanced transposing
how much of a headache it can be when you
mode (like Ableton). Just make sure to delete DO UPLOAD THE VIDEOS YOU’LL BE USING DURING send a PCO request and you get the dreaded
the original (incorrect) key once you’re done to THE SERVICE. “Decline” from a team member. The solution?
avoid confusion! Uploading videos to the Media tab is a great Train your team to understand one simple rule:
tool to make sure speakers (hosts, preaching If they do not block out a date on the master PCO
DON’T BUILD YOUR SERVICE FROM SCRATCH EVERY pastors, etc.) know how to transition in and calendar, they are telling you they are available
SUNDAY. out of the videos you’ll be using during your for that date. This simple rule will help team
There’s a good chance you use many of the worship service. It helps people who speak members be intentional with their calendaring
same worship service elements from week immediately after the video know how to lead and save you plenty of frustration.
to week, even if details about them change. out of it, and it’s also great for them to know This is a great opportunity to create a Service the simple l ogistics of when the video is actually One bonus training item to implement with this
Template that will pre-load whatever details you done. tip: Since they are telling you they’re available
want to tell PCO to use (including service items,
for a date by not blocking it out on the calendar,
needed positions, service times, liner notes, When you schedule any speaking person for the let them know if they still have to decline a
and more). Using templates will give you a great service on PCO (make a section for Speaking/ request, they are the ones now responsible for
base to start with, and will make “blank slate Preaching roles in your Needed Positions if you finding a replacement for that worship service,
paralysis” disappear quickly. haven’t yet!), they’ll be able to view all available 94 August 2018
WorshipMusician.com
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