For over 15 years, VOUSCon has created a space for people to encounter Jesus in a new way.  VOUSCon is a gathering that unites over 7,000 people from all over the world in one space for one purpose: Jesus. More than a moment, this is a movement.

At the root, VOUSCon is made possible by the faithful Servant Leaders who are paving the way for people to encounter Jesus, equip the church, and empower the next generation. Servant leaders prepare for months in advance to make room for others to meet Jesus. Intentional systems are in place to empower Servant Leaders and unite the church to gather for something bigger than all of us. We don't claim to be experts, but our hope is that this article resources you with what we're learning along the way.

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Role of Operations

Operations, by definition, refers to the daily activities, processes, and systems created to function, generate value, and deliver a service. Now picture this for the gathering taking place in Jesus’ name. The goal of our Operations Team is to create an experience for our guests to feel at home from the moment they step foot onto the premises, from the parking lot to the pulpit. Through intentional planning, we aim to eliminate the questions before they arise to break those barriers to pave the way for our guests. We want to try to make it easy for those who are joining us for the first time.

When creating the atmosphere for VOUSCon, we want the guests to feel like they are at home at our church. Although we may not physically be at our Sunday locations, our goal is that the Watsco Arena may bring the comfort of the local church. We are not a separate church, but we are uniting together as one church: the capital "C" Church.  

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Creating The Unseen Moments

The Operations Team can also be thought of as a team designed to set the atmosphere. With the help of various teams, we can stretch ourselves across the University of Miami grounds, where VOUSCon Weekend takes place, to meet people coming from all areas looking to get connected.

On a typical Sunday, our Operations Coordinator would be one person at each location overseeing seven different teams.  During VOUSCon, the Operations Coordinators equip each team with four Team Leaders to help manage the various responsibilities across the gathering. These Teams are outlined below:

Welcome Team

This team can be thought of as Google Maps, with strategically placed Servant Leaders equipped with way-finding signage to guide people in the proper directions throughout the multi-day gathering. Welcome Team serves a dual purpose in also taking the responsibility of line control to limit bottlenecks that may take place. This ensures that guests are properly guided outside of the auditorium as they line up for the upcoming meetings.

Host Team (Seating)

This team is located inside the auditorium, managing where people sit and ensuring that each row and seat is filled before filling up the next row.

Merch team (Resource Corner/Expo)

Happening at the Expo, guests can find activations happening throughout the Resource Corner. Our Merch Team assists in providing merch for VOUSCon and sourcing it to all of our guests.

A-Team

Just as the name suggests, the A-Team is often the first stop for Servant Leaders needing equipment such as signs, headsets, radios and other resources. The A-team is set up in our Servant Leader Lounge where our Servant Leaders have the opportunities to refresh, check-in, and gather as a team.

Connect Corner

On Sundays, the Connect Corner is where guests can go to fill out a Connect Card, receive a Bible free of charge, and a small gift to just say "thank you," but at VOUSCon, this is also becomes our information tent, where guests can discover more about VOUS. This team is equipped to pray over people, provide information about the church, and get them connected.

Venue Control (Security)

Keeping our people safe, our Venue Control Teams acts as security across the auditorium.

Sponsors

This team helps steward relationships with our sponsors, ensuring that they are equipped with the resources needed and feel supported throughout VOUSCon.

Guest Relations

Hospitality transforms a simple moment into one that creates an emotional and memorable connection. Our Guest Relations Team supports this initiative with guests and Servant Leaders.

Load In/Load Out

Before the first guests arrive at the Watsco Arena, all the way to the final session, this team transforms an arena into a space of encounter. Once the weekend concludes at the Watsco Arena, our Load Out team begins the process of packing our belongings from the campus with excellence and ensures everything is in place and ready to go for the following day, VOUSCon Sunday at all four VOUS Church locations.

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Equipping Through Discipleship

In the months before VOUSCon, preparation is taking place across every team and department. Each team has multiple monthly and weekly touch points to ensure that each Servant Leader is resourced and equipped in their role. One of the ways the operations department equips its teams is during Zoom calls, Saturday meet-ups, and 1-on-1 conversations.

Zoom Calls

Apart from Saturday meet-ups, teams are also gathering months before VOUSCon to talk lightly about the logistics of the gathering. These are the conversations that help lay the foundation for the final Saturday meet-up at the end of May. During Zoom calls, leaders are able to provide the initial information to equip Servant Leaders.  

Saturday Meet-Up

Leading up to VOUSCon, all departments gather together across Miami to prepare as a team. This is one of the few moments where teams from every location are able to gather altogether. Each team met two weeks before VOUSCon to talk through logistics, roles, and finalize last-minute strategies. This is a crucial touch point to ensure that our Servant Leaders are confident in their schedules and all loose ends are tightened so they may prepare effectively.

1-on-1 Conversations

These are the most important final touch points that will take place before VOUSCon. 1-on-1 conversations allow groups to learn the strengths of each Servant Leader. During these conversations, the team ensures every Servant Leader is supported and in positions where they can serve best. For example, if there is someone on the Welcome Team who cannot stand for long periods of time, during these conversations, we are able to figure out how we can best resource and place them in their serving role.

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While our goal remains to allow guests to feel valued as soon as they set foot in the Watsco Arena, we also want to ensure that our Servant Leaders feel confident being able to provide relevant information and answer questions for our guests. Playbooks are made available to each Servant Leader with maps provided to equip the Welcome Team with signage placement, descriptions, roles, and responsibilities outlined.

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Keeping First Things First

We want to keep first things first when it comes to VOUSCon. Jesus is our message, and that remains our heart posture throughout the entire weekend. We want to remind Servant Leaders of the heart behind serving such a special gathering, and one practical way we do this is through our huddles that take place before every VOUSCon meeting. These huddles are such a special moment to posture and prepare our hearts, while also connecting through shared prayer requests and praise reports.

Our standard is for every Servant Leader to have the opportunity to sit in on meetings half of VOUSCon so that they can also receive.

VOUSCon would not be possible without the faithful servant leaders who dedicate their time and talents for people to encounter Jesus, equip the church, and empower the next generation. We are doing this for Jesus, to bring people who are far from God, close to Him.