Did you know that Community Church has a robust Junior Tech team comprised of 26 kids ages 8-14 who support our Children’s Ministry technical needs?

These savvy kids run audio, video, slides, lighting and anything else needed in the children’s area.

The best part is they are being groomed to eventually provide technical support in the auditorium for Sunday services.

“They are younger kids, which is not something that many other churches embrace,” said Marc Foss, GBCC’s Technical Director. “We’re kind of unique that our leadership wants it, allows it, celebrates it and embraces it.”

It’s so unique that a camera crew from FILO, a technical artist conference put on in Chicago every May, came to GBCC on Sunday, Feb. 17 to shoot video of the junior tech team in action. The video will be shown at the FILO conference in May to inspire other churches to develop young tech volunteers.

"It’s empowering the youth to become engaged in church at a young age,” Marc Foss said. "They’re not feeling like this is their parents’ church. There’s an eagerness to serve. It’s more like ‘I want to go to church’ vs. 'I’m being forced to sit in this room.’"

Marc said he has one young junior tech volunteer — 12-year-old Max Baade — who essentially handles the Family Night Live technical responsibilities on Wednesdays.

The key to a successful junior tech program, according to Marc, is being willing to give the kids a chance.

“We’re saying, ‘Yes, you can come and do this,’” Marc said. "We’re not saying, ‘Oh that equipment is too expensive and you can’t use it.’

“We have kids that we're empowering. We’re seeing the fruit of saying ‘yes.’"