High Fidelity
Li Shiwei chats with Rolland Li and Caleb Kho, members of the Audio-Visual team, about joining the AV team during a pivotal period.
Rolland with his wife, Hannah.
How far would you go – for love? For Rolland Li, the answer might just be 15,000 kilometres – about the distance between Toronto and Singapore. In January 2021 the Canadian native relocated to the tropical Southeast-Asian country to marry his Singaporean girlfriend, Hannah. It didn't take long for the couple to find a church to settle in; almost as quickly, Rolland also committed to join Grace Baptist Church’s Audio-Visual (AV) team, which is part of the Worship Ministry.
The past 24 months has seen the AV team’s responsibilities expand on a breathtaking scale, as the viral pandemic gripped the world and changed just about every aspect of our lives – including how we practise our faith. Almost overnight, its members took to adopting an ever-changing array of processes to create a more diverse worship experience. Certainly, the demands placed on this little team has been unrelenting – as has been the need for more worshippers to step forward and serve.
Rolland’s decision to join the AV team during this period stems from the prior knowledge he built whilst serving back home in Canada. Yet his experience here has been different – and he does not just mean the technical side of things. “GBC is the first church where I’ve seen people so passionate about the AV ministry,” he says.
“Here I learn new lessons about gating, compressing, equalising etc. I am impressed with the depth of knowledge of the people, and their willingness to share with newbies. They have a passion to improve the whole process.”
Rolland is also driven by his desire for the congregation to enjoy service. “People care about the sound quality,” he says. “My goal is to remove as many distractions as possible.”
His tasks behind the equipment booth notwithstanding, Rolland is well aware of the challenge – of his own worship. “Serving well is also worship, but I have to remind myself that this is not just a duty. I make an extra effort to focus on the message. Sometimes I’ll go home – and watch the video again.”
The AV team (led by Eugene Low) serving faithfully behind the equipment booth.
Even as he balances time between work, home and church, Rolland is firmly of the view to actively living out his faith. He believes, “We should be serving in some aspect. We’re all members of the same body – we’re not just here to receive.”
“And the AV ministry is one way for me to serve the body at GBC. It is a great place to learn how AV works. There are many people willing to meet and train together.”
Caleb Kho, who serves with the AV team.
The sense of camaraderie is a view echoed by Caleb Kho, who also joined the AV team this past year. The university student is candid about his lack of technical background, and he acknowledges the guidance offered by existing members. “I like music,” he says. “I want to learn more about mixing stuff, and how instruments work together.”
“Many things can’t be taught from a textbook,” he says. “Like, how to mix high and low frequencies, and listening to certain people: their voices change quite a bit. I shadowed Hewlett and other people along the way.”
In the AV team, members serve roughly one weekend a month. When rostered, they are present for both the Saturday and Sunday services. Along with musicians, cameramen and projectionists (to name just a few roles), they arrive at church at least an hour before service commences proper. Yet neither Caleb nor Rolland make much of this commitment necessary to facilitate a seamless worship process.
“I saw my teammates’ efforts that goes into planning worship,” says Caleb. “And I appreciate the commitment that the more experienced people put in. Sometimes I try to cover other members’ duties. I’m okay, because it is good to serve. I see other people every Saturday – it encourages me. It’s a win-win situation, as I get more experience too.”
For both men, their commitment to the AV team underlines the broader practice of their faith on a day-to-day basis. Caleb is currently leading a small group in the Young Adults Ministry, while Rolland has been putting plans to transit into full-time seminary in 2022.
“I would like people to pray for me to trust God with his plans for me in school. And that at whatever stage of life I’ll be able to care for His people," reflects Caleb.
Rolland, in the meantime, has an eye to devoting himself to the wider church family. “My prayer request is that Hannah and myself can share our life with more members of GBC. There’s a good percentage of people we haven't met,” he says.
“Our future is uncertain. I’ll do my best to obey God and follow Him where He leads us. We take one day at a time.”
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As part of the Worship Ministry, the AV team consists of various roles such as sound, projection, camera, broadcasting etc. We give thanks for the team and their faithful and humble service behind the scene, always ensuring that our services (both in-person and online) run smoothly. We hope to feature more of them in the year ahead and do express your appreciation to them!