west side production

Tech and Worship Teammates –

We are excited to share some news about an upcoming addition to the West Side ministry staff! You can read a full announcement below from Melissa Sandel, but we wanted you to be among the first to know that on March 1st, Eric Goodman will join our team as the Director of Worship. We have wanted to add someone in this role for some time and know that Eric will bring a unique gift mix to our worship and arts department. Join us in praying for him and his family as they make this transition. We’ll be working out some of the specifics of the transition in the upcoming weeks, but don’t hesitate to ask us if you have questions.

We continue to be grateful for your partnership in ministry!

-gAbE (& Bethany)

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SENIOR STAFF

Hello, Team.

For many months, our senior leadership team has engaged in an extensive search for a contemporary worship minister who will add leadership muscle and creativity to our already thriving worship department.

It’s with great joy and a strong sense of anticipation that we announce Eric Goodman has accepted our invitation to serve as West Side’s new Director of Worship. For the past six years, Eric has led worship and served on the creative programming team at West Ridge Community Church in Elgin, IL. West Ridge is a church plant that’s introduced many hundreds of people to Christ over the past decade. Eric first joined the West Ridge Team in a bi-vocational role in the church’s early years, during which he helped recruit and equip an unusually gifted group of professional-level musicians.

During our search, we engaged the assistance of The Slingshot Group, a ministry-focused and nationally-acclaimed firm that helps churches connect with gifted worship leaders. Even though Eric possesses a different profile than we initially sought, it quickly became evident that Eric was the best candidate for this important role.

Eric is a graduate of the University of Illinois and an alumni of Christian Campus Fellowship, one of several Christian Church campus ministries supported by West Side. He and his wife, Jen, have a daughter, Jillian (almost 3 years old) and a baby due this summer. The Goodmans look forward to moving to Springfield soon as Eric joins our staff team on March 1. Until then, Eric can be reached at ericgoodman120@gmail.com.

Eric will serve as the primary worship leader for West Side’s contemporary services, allowing Bethany Spear to focus primarily on worship programming. Bethany will keep some worship leading responsibilities, except of course during her upcoming maternity leave. We look forward to the ways in which Eric will complement and add value to our gifted worship and arts staff.

An engaging personality, a sincere faith and a strong desire to develop artists in the church have earned Eric a solid reputation in a variety of ministry circles. We’re grateful he’s accepted our invitation to serve at West Side. Thanks for welcoming the Goodmans to Springfield!

Excited about the high quality people God continues to add to our team,
Melissa

Hey Team,

I hope this post finds you having a great day today! I know I am. I just wanted to remind you all about Pre-Commitment Night for Elevate which will be held here on our campus in the Worship Center tomorrow night (FRIDAY) at 7:00pm. Since you are a part of the core of the church we really want you to be able to take part in this night of worship through songs, prayer, and a challenge and call to action from Eddie. I am really looking forward to being together with my team and the rest of the core of West Side. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet please do so by emailing Nov5@wschurch.org. Hope to see you tomorrow night!

gAbE

Hey team!

What are you doing this Sunday afternoon at 3:30? Nothing becasue the Bears game will already be over? Why not come out and help take down the current stage design and prep the platform for the next stage design. I would love all the help we can get from 3:30-4:30 Sunday afternoon. If you have a cordless drill bring it along with you. Behind the coroplast wall is a 2X4 stud frame that will need to come down as well.

We are about to embark on a huge fall emphasis called Elevate and the stage design team has been working hard to make the next design better than the last. The band will be elevated higher than ever. We will have elevated pieces of corrugated metal on the outsides of the back wall. I have also heard rumors that the tube lights and the LED par cans are making a reappearance for this stage design. Can’t wait to see it all come together.

If you can come and help this Sunday from 3:30-4:30 please email me at gaber@wschurch.org to let me know you are coming. Looking forward to serving alongside all of you in the near future!

gAbE

As most of you know my wife is pregnant with our third child. In one month we will hopefully be welcoming this little one into our world. With that being said, on September 11th, 3 days after our due date, is the annual Women’s Conference at WSCC. We need to fill the tech request for that day. I am looking for a computer graphics person, FOH person, and lighting person for that day. There will be a rehearsal for this event on Wednesday night September 8th at 7:00 or whenever our normal rehearsal gets done. The first people who email me will have the opportunity to serve on these dates. Thanks for checking your calendars and letting me know as soon as you can. Also thanks for covering for me during this time of transition for my family. We serve an amazing God!

gAbE

Hi Team,

On May 26th, we had a team meeting. During that meeting I passed out job descriptions for each role on the West Side Production team. I also handed out and explained in detail the WSCC Volunteer Covenant. Several of you have filled out and turned in the volunteer covenant, but there are many of you who have not done this yet. It is time for me to set a deadline for this to be turned in. I need all volunteer covenants signed and returned to me no later than Sunday August 1st. If you never received one or have lost your copy of the volunteer covenant you can click below and get one. One page is my copy and one page if for you to keep. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I am so blessed to lead a team of amazing volunteers like you!

gAbE

WSCC VOLUNTEER COVENANT

Our brand new West Side Production T-Shirts are in. Stop by the booth this weekend and get your shirt. Everybody on the team gets a shirt! Your ward robe choice has become a lot easier now on the weeks that you volunteer. Can’t wait to see everybody in the booth matching!

gAbE

Hey photographers,

One huge way that helps our staff care for West Siders the best way possible is the use of our church database called Arena. One great function of Arena is being able to upload a picture of every person connected with West Side. Most of you were around about 12 months ago when we did a big family photo push to try and get as many pictures of West Siders as possible to upload into Arena. As West Side continues to grow and reach more people for Jesus, Arena is becoming outdated with pictures.

This is where you guys step in. Starting on Sunday, July 4th, I would like you to take close-up picture of every person who transfers membership and every person who gets baptized during a service here at West Side. A close-up shot is a head and shoulders shot. So this means at the end of every service where there is a decision I will need you to immediately go either to the front row and take pictures of the transfers or go upstairs to the baptistery area to take pictures of those who just got baptized. If there happens to be both types of decisions in one service please start with the transfers at the front of the room and then head upstairs to the baptistery area. Thanks for continuing to take pictures during the services as well.

Please know that this new extra effort put forth by you all will help make greater Kingdom impacts. Can’t wait to see how this will change how we shepherd our people better.

gAbE

West Side Production is responsible for the audio, video, lighting, and stage elements in the Sunday morning services at West Side Christian Church. Our team consists of many volunteers and currently one staff member. We are solely responsible for executing the live production elements. We also create live elements and well as do pre and post-production. This blog will help keep you up to date on what is happening with West Side Production.