"There are equipments, but nobody can use them." Says Brother Liu Qing who works in the field of the church Audio&Video equipments of Henan Zhongmu CCC&TSPM.
To solve the problem of lacking musical staff in Chinese churches, the Zhongmu CCC&TSPM held 19 training programs to cultivate about 1300 workers with audio and video skills for Chinese churches since March 2015.
Recently, CCD interviewed Brother Liu Qing to talk about the ministry.
He shared that in the music ministry, sermons and courses in the church can never be held without the control of the sound stage and acoustics. However, there are rare skilled workers in the "well-equipped" church to handle these equipment.
He says that four reasons why the modern church is inadequate of acoustic talents are as follows: first, few young people work in the church while the co-workers are generally more aged, un-educated and are difficult to be taught new things; second, the co-workers in middle and old ages who need to work and care the family can't study for a long time; third, it requires a high expense to maintain and long time to receive training in the society; moreover, the teachers are not able to make the course ease to learn and get started.
Considering the characteristics of the church co-workers, they launched the acoustic and music training ministry, suitable for the modern church.
He introduced that the ministry hired excellent teachers from Sias International University of Zhengzhou University to show the actual operation of these equipment as the main part of the training in short periods and opens monthly classes continuously. Each students will only pay 300 yuan to cover the expenses of food, accommodation, the material and certificate of completion.
They will master basic audio techniques in a short term courses and later, they can study further, practice and join the relevant ministry back in the church.
He adds that the Zhongmu CCC&TSPM is the only one who holds acoustic training in China. Christians all over the country attend the four-day training program at the end of each month in an underground classroom inside Zhongxin Church, subordinate to the county CCC&TSPM.
The operation part accounts for about 60%-70% of the course content. Now there are two teachers, three or four T.A. and four workers responsible for the reception and the ministry provides a lot of sets of practice equipment.
"(The students) are all more than 60. The students sent by the church to learn the audio operation are middle-aged, most of whom are sisters and rarely young." Says Liu.
There are two kinds of classes: basic and advanced. The students who pass the graduation test including the theory test will awarded with certificates.
When it comes to the problems and experiences during the training, he shares that primarily, the course was targetted for the young but it turned out that many middle-aged came to study and few young people are in the church. Even if the young grasped the skill, many of them couldn't work in the church for a long-term service due to various reasons.
"Now our ministry is designed for them (seniors)... The church is trying new ways to do the ministry well, especially in the promotion of the music ministry."
"The returning students will introduce the class to others. Right now, there are several (online) communication groups to inform the students of the information when the class begins. In these groups, the students can ask the teachers questions to figure out the problems they meet in the actual operation during their service." Liu tellls CCD.
"Our acoustic training is mature. Our training goal is to promote the music ministry of the church in China and make the church influence the society. (In other words, more people can go to church through the music ministry.)" He adds.
Regarding the future development of the audio and video skills, he claims that if any local church nearby, like the church in Henan, Shandong and Hebei, invites Zhoumou CCC&TSPM, the training ministry can give lectures there with the equipment for demos.
"We would also like to walk out in the music ministry." Except the training, the local Christian authority has held the first instrument and praise training this June.
He says that the kind of music training is still in younger level and they are finding out a method for the middle-aged with the teacher playing an essential role in it.
He concludes, "The majority of our brothers and sisters are zero based and elderly. But they are really careful. We've pretty moved at their zeal of serving the Lord... The young people in the church should arise and assist in the effort. The rising popularity of the music ministry can attract the young to the church."
