It suffices to say that lighting the worship space isn’t an area of expertise for most pastors — yet, the final decision regarding what fixtures and elements to invest in often rests in their hands.

To help pastors navigate their choices, Church Executive spoke with a handful of church lighting experts: Duke DeJong, church relations director at Olympia, WA-based CCI Solutions; Douglas Hood, president of CSD Group, Inc. in Fort Wayne, IN; and

David Henry, Learnstagelighting.com creator and blogger.

Church Executive: What kinds of lighting fixtures are particularly popular in worship spaces? What kind of mood does each one create? And, how much can a pastor expect to spend?

Henry: Depending on the church’s style of worship, it may have (or need) any combination of conventional lights, LED lights and moving lights.

Conventional lights are non-moving, non-color-changing lights that have one attribute: They turn on and illuminate the stage.

These can be colored and have patterns, or gobos, inside of them; but, their color or pattern can’t be changed without getting out a ladder! The price is generally $20 to $200 per light, but they require a dimmer (about $100 for four lights) if the church doesn’t already have a dimmer pack or rack.

LED lights are the newer version of conventional lights in the sense that they don’t move. These color-changing lights use little power and are able to change colors from the console, during a service. However, because these lights don’t move, the church needs to get out the ladder if it wants them pointed somewhere else. Price ranges from $100 to $1,000 per light. Also, cheaper LED lights don’t look good on videotape.

Moving lights move and change colors and patterns. A church doesn’t have to get out a ladder for any re-pointing or re-coloring of these lights; it can do cool movements and effects during its worship service using these lights. They’re priced anywhere from $500 to $20,000 per light, but most cost less than $7,000 each.

All these lights can create the same types of looks or moods. From soft and dampened to bright, colorful and vibrant, they can do it all. The more expensive LED and moving lights can serve more purposes during a worship service, while a conventional light can only light one specific area at a time.

DeJong: Traditionally, the most common types of lights we see go into a house of worship are par can, ellipsoidal and house lights. [See page 16/Catalina Church North installation photos.] House lights come in all shapes, styles and power ratings, of course; but, the pendant-style fixture — which hangs down from a cord — has been more popular lately. What’s especially nice about pendant-style fixtures is, even if your ceiling has angles or is open-truss, you can drop all the pendant lights to any given level and whatever’s above them just sort of “disappears.”

For stage lighting, the norm in churches has been par can and ellipsoidal fixtures. Par cans create a softer, more diffused and even wash over any given field. Ellipsoidal fixtures are more of a spot-type light, giving the ability to light more strategically over a specific field. Par cans used to be the standard just about everywhere; but, with the rise of projection, creative stage design and color washing backdrops, we’ve found that par cans don’t always give us the amount of control we want over our lighting. When light is needed in one area, but not in another, an ellipsoidal fixture offers the best control with a tighter beam, as well as the ability to shutter off part of the beam.

In the last five to 10 years, LED fixtures have become increasingly popular as their prices have dropped. Trusted models range from $189 to $2,500 depending on brightness, size and so on. With their low power draw, low heat creation, increasing intensity — and with many having the ability to change to whatever color you want from a control surface — LED fixtures provide both energy savings and flexibility.

Intelligent lights — in other words, fixtures that move (priced between $2,000 and $20,000 each) — are also gaining popularity as they become more affordable. With most intelligent fixtures being incredibly flexible and feature-rich, on top of being amiable from a control surface, more and more churches are incorporating intelligent lights into their systems.

CE: Pastors might evaluate their lighting options in terms of longevity and versatility versus what might be the “flashiest” choices. What lighting elements would you recommend, with that criteria in mind — but that also offer some “flash”?

Hood: When talking about longevity and versatility, LED quickly pops up in any conversation. We’ve all heard of it, and we’ve all seen LEDs in use in churches, retail environments and outdoor lighting.

I love to include LEDs in our church designs because their colors can easily be changed — which is almost always on a church’s wish list, but which used to be complicated. At one time, it involved putting a gel frame holder on a theatrical light, and then putting a gel on that fixture. And even if you did all that, you still only had one color on that light. Beyond that, if you wanted to move the light, you had to get out a ladder, scaffolding or a motorized lift.

Now, churches can consider not only a LED light, but a moving-head LED light; so, the process is way easier. And, by using LED fixtures, the church doesn’t need a dimmer rack — no six-feet-tall racks of dimmers creating a big heat source in a back room, somewhere, and no special cooling system to cool that big dimmer rack.

DeJong: For many reasons, LED house and stage lighting is making more sense than ever — especially for new facilities. While they’re definitely a bigger upfront investment, LED lighting pays for itself in power and cooling savings. Plus, a church isn’t replacing lamps in its fixtures every year, which saves lamp cost and man hours. And, with many fixtures’ color flexibility, churches not only get a highly efficient and effective fixture, but they have flexibility to create ambience and mood with color.

CE: How does a pastor or business administrator know it’s time to upgrade the church’s lighting?

Henry: It’s time to upgrade when (a) you want it to do more than it can handle, or (b) it’s in a state of disrepair, and the cost of fixing it doesn’t make sense.

Pastors shouldn’t make major decisions without weighing the costs and work involved. And, they should keep in mind that upgrading to the latest technology is by no means required.

DeJong: It’s time to upgrade when the church is replacing lamps more often than it wants to; is looking to decrease its power consumption and cooling costs; sees an existing dimming system is beginning to fail; needs increased control of its lighting coverage; wants to add significant color to its lighting; wants to add effects lighting; and/or realizes its lighting controller no longer meets its needs.

Hood: If a pastor looks at his church’s platform/stage and would describe it as “underwhelming,” it might be time for an upgrade.

Ironically, it might also be time to upgrade if the worship environment is characterized by lots of plain white or beige walls. While those elements might be pretty boring to look at, adding a new LED lighting system really brings them to life. Imagine: If you shine a red light at a black surface, you’ll see red, to some degree. But, if you shine a red light at a plain white wall, the light really pops. That simple example helps paint the picture of what a professionally designed lighting system can do for even the most “blah” stage.

CE: Are there certain types of fixtures that stand the test of time and could be integrated into a (partially) new lighting scheme?

Henry: Yes!  In fact, anything that’s in good, working condition and uses modern DMX protocol to communicate can become a part of a new system. The great thing about lighting is that the data and power standards have been in place for more than 25 years. So, many pieces of older equipment will seamlessly integrate with a new setup.

DeJong: Because most LED lighting fixtures last tens and even hundreds of thousands of hours, a church can feel pretty good about investing in LED fixtures. Although fans and dimmers built into those fixtures can fail, I believe LED fixtures offer the most bang for the buck, long-term. (Also, they’re incredibly flexible. So, if you no longer need them in one facility, you can always redeploy them to another venue.)

Par cans have also stood the test of time and are a great, basic lighting fixture. Ellipsoidal fixtures, too, have been a long-time standard in theatrical venues.

Hood: For most of our church clients, we still use a balance of incandescent (standard dimmable lights) and LED lights.

Typically, an incandescent system gives us the best general wash for the stage. We then supplement that base system with LED lights and intelligent lights for key light, back light, uplight, stage accents and architectural accents.

For most church clients, if the house lights are currently “doing the job” in terms of light output, we can reuse those. A new control system might be needed just so the overall system can be controlled easily, but a church can most likely keep the house fixtures. Many times, a church replaces its house fixtures because they’re dated, not because they don’t work.

It seems everyone is talking about “apps” these days. A term once associated with dinner parties is now synonymous with mobile applications.

With this app craze, people everywhere are thinking, Hhmm, maybe I should get an app for [insert creative thought here]. A few words of caution: Not all app ideas are worth the investment, and not every organization needs its own app.

So, how do you know if your church should go on an “app-venture”? And if so, where do you start? The road of mobile development can be daunting, so it helps to plan well.

2 critical steps
There are many kinds of apps. So, for the sake of this conversation, I’ll  focus on apps built for churches and ministries.

For churches looking to build an app, two simple rules must be followed: The app should (1) provide content and (2) deliver quality. Both steps need to be executed really well; an app must offer a reason for people to use it regularly.

Step 1: Provide incredible content. An app won’t be very successful if there’s no reason for someone to download it, and then repeatedly want to use it. You need content — lots of fresh, meaningful content.

Fortunately, quality of content is one of the biggest reasons many churches and ministries have wildly successful apps.

At Subsplash, we created The Church App and have had the subsequent opportunity to work with incredible ministries of all sizes. Overall, we see more than half a million page views daily on our platform. The No. 1 reason people use ministry-based apps is to access media, and churches are in the unique positions of being content creators.  There’s always a new sermon they want to get into people’s hands.

Not only that, but there’s a whole host of other offerings unique to church-based app-builders, including blogs/news, events, online giving, sermon notes and bulletins, music, small group resources, Bibles and reading plans — and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Keep in mind, however, that an app shouldn’t just be a duplicate of the church’s website; rather, it ought to be a vehicle to deliver relevant content into people’s hands. Keep it simple, and put your church’s best foot forward.

Step 2: Deliver on quality. Along with content, your church needs to make sure its app is executed incredibly well. As technology continues to develop, people demand more. They want the app to be cooler, faster, smarter and really fun to use. So, if your church has incredible content, but it develops a sub-par app, people will hit the eject button before you get a second chance.

A church app is a powerful tool — but only if it’s done well. Take audio features, for example: If your app audio player only allows users to hit “play” and “pause,” or to do a simple fast-forward/rewind, it’s going to be frustrating for the end user. What happens when a user gets a phone call while listening to a 45-minute sermon? Shouldn’t the app remember where he or she left off? Or, what if a user lives in a place without great cellular coverage? It would be nice if he or she could download that audio for offline listening.

These are just a few examples. They might seem like “luxury items,” until you start using the software and realize how truly important they are. Often, app users don’t notice quality until they use something that doesn’t meet their expectations. Don’t get caught being the church that built an app that was frustrating to use.

Overall, your app should be simple and user-friendly. It should work as expected. And, it should look really nice. It doesn’t have to win awards — but, make sure it’s visually appealing and offers a delightful experience.
Most of the churches that have used our software have seen more downloads of their app than attendees in the pews on a Sunday — as much as 50 times more.  Most church-based users also see their sermon downloads increase, as well as a spike in online giving. As an example, one church with a membership of 1,000 people saw 2,000 downloads, 22,000 launches and increased giving in the first six months of offering its app.

So, if your ministry has content — and wants to present it well — launching an app might be the right next step.

Chris Sharpe is marketing director at Seattle, WA-based Subsplash, a design-centric software company and creator of The Church App. He can be reached via the Subsplash website: www.thechurchapp.org.

“When you look at the logistics of managing a church, it can be a little daunting,” says spokesperson Chris Hayden. “Using a paper system to keep track of everything would be a mess.”

Instead, Excellerate takes all that information (member tracking, visitor follow-up, classes, small groups, organizations and contributions) and stores it in one place. “Any member of the staff can go to find exactly what they need,” Hayden explains. “With our installed software, they’ll never have to rely on an Internet connection; the church houses its own member database and will always have the information on hand.”

Tracking contributions is another important — and sometimes complicated — issue, he continues. To simplify matters, Excellerate enables easy tracking of giving income across all church’s funds. In a matter of minutes, users can even print year-end giving statements.

Another handy feature of Excellerate is ServePoint, which simplifies volunteer management, says Hayden.

“There are two main factors in growing an outreach: making the outreach known to your volunteers and communicating the details to them,” he adds. ServePoint can help a church do just that, by letting users organize volunteers into different teams. “This way,” he explains, “they can be notified of upcoming opportunities, scheduled to specific events, or even reminded of their current assignments.”

— RaeAnn Slaybaugh

An expert offers practical advice for evaluating and choosing the right management software for your church’s unique needs.

Church Executive spoke with Mark Peterson, president of Carlsbad, CA-based Web Church Connect — provider of database software for the religious market — about the “next big thing(s)” in church management software, or CMS.

From all-in-one solutions, to transparency in the fee structure, to privacy concerns surrounding members’ information, it seems church executives are more sophisticated than ever about what they want (and need) their church management software to do.

In the end, he says, the first step in the selection process should be to pair the software tool’s capabilities with a short list of church-friendly characteristics and functions, including:

A one-stop solution. First, from a financial stewardship perspective, Peterson says church clients want to invest in one tool that meets all their software requirements. “We’re finding that they’re looking for an all-in-one [software] solution so they aren’t stuck using two or three different systems — one to [keep track of] money, another to do kids’ check-in, a different one for member directories, and another to manage members,” he explains.

One price, with no hidden charges. Peterson says churches are looking to “ditch the different platforms” in favor of a single, all-in-one solution — at an all-in-one price. To this end, he and his team designed Web Church Connect, or WCC, to offer all modules (from team management, to attendance tracking and more) for a monthly fee.

“We’re finding that churches … need all the modules — kids’ check-in and online giving, for example — but often find these modules to be extra [on top of] what they’re paying already,” he says. As a result, churches end up either paying too much for their software or simply doing without the modules they need for their ministry.

All kinds of accessibility. Oodles of accessibility is another trend Peterson has noticed among CMS users — in particular, the ability to access the church database remotely via smartphones, iPads and tablets.

Aside from accessibility on all these platforms, WCC’s architecture also reflects a move towards more Web-/cloud-based CMS, enabling access to the database using any computer, at any time.

Going further down the accessibility path, Peterson and his team recently integrated WCC with the most popular social media platforms and Google Calendars. WCC Calendar events can be synced with Google Calendars, as well as allow users to sync their Google calendars to their Calendar in the WCC database. “Through WCC, church members can connect with, ‘like’ and follow their church home on Facebook and Twitter,” he explains. “And, more social media integration options are in development.”

Deciding factors

• When deciding on a new CMS system — or an upgrade or retrofit to an existing one — Peterson says churches should follow a checklist of components and capabilities specific to their unique software needs. These include:
• New member/visitor follow-up tools — WCC’s assimilation module enables users to send new visitors automated emails and text messages, as well as to generate welcome letters. “By making this process automated, it frees up church leaders’ time,” he explains. “It also makes sure no one goes unnoticed.”
• Free, unlimited support and training — “The dollars can really add up anytime you need help,” Peterson points out. “If you can’t pay the extra money for support or training, you’re not getting the most out of the software.”
• Multiple-administrator access — “Many times, churches realize [too late] that they can only have a limited number of admins access the database,” he cautions.
• Unlimited member-add capabilities — In Peterson’s experience, many CMS users are shocked to find they can’t keep adding members to their database without paying extra.
• Customizable content — Peterson and his team designed WCC to customize a church client’s terminology according to its culture. “For instance, you can rename small groups ‘life groups,’ or ‘connect groups,’ or whatever you want to call your small-groups ministry,” he explains. “In fact, you can take any term in the database and rename it.”
• Privacy of member data — Peterson advises church clients to make sure their CMS provider won’t share or sell its members’ information to a third party. “Check the fine print,” he says. “Some providers will share your members’ information with anyone who’ll pay.”

“People are the best investment”
Peterson believes that having a church database your church can afford always pays off. “If it costs you X dollars to get someone saved, [who then becomes] a passionate pursuer of Jesus Christ, how do you put a price on that?” he asks.

“By having the latest technology — created by pastors for pastors, and at the most affordable cost — churches grow and their people feel connected and loved.

“And that’s what it’s all about: the people.”

1. According to Colleen Hogue, marketing coordinator, three trends are top-of-mind among her clients right now:
   A big emphasis on where data “lives.” As Hogue explains, many churches want their software hosted on-site — but, hosting data “in the cloud” is gaining quite a bit of popularity because of the ease of access that it provides. “Hosting data [this way] is actually a very secure operation, as well,” she points out.
2. Accessibility via mobile devices and tablets. Hogue says more and more churches are looking for the ability to access their information from any location with an Internet connection. “Since [we] offer browser- and Web-based software, our users are able to log in to our software, Arena, from any device that’s Internet-accessible.”
3. More efficient ways 
to manage outreach projects. To address the growing demand for better management of outreach projects, Shelby Systems has created a Missions module. It enables churches to accept online registrations, payments and contributions, as well as to scan passports and other important travel documents. “This module will … simplify [their missions trip] planning,” Hogue says.

Long-term outlook

While many ChMS programs come with standard membership management capabilities, Hogue contends that it’s more important to look for additional features that will meet the church’s unique needs several years down the road.

“Review your ministry’s five- to 10-year plan, and narrow down your software options even more,” she advises. “Remember that it must be able to keep up and assist your church with constant growth.

“If a [CMS provider] is only striving to keep up with other CMS companies, it might not have the ability to fully assist your church on its path of growth,” Hogue adds.

Simple. “Without question, a CMS should have tools that are easy to navigate and update,” he emphasizes. Although Connell acknowledges that church-based users are more tech-savvy than ever, they’re also exposed to a wide range of Web-based applications — “and we can’t be subject-matter experts in all of them.”

Additionally, since most church help is voluntary, CMS needs to accommodate a wide range of skill levels. “Easy block updates, drop-in widgets and straight text updates with basic word processing knowledge should all be mandatory for a rich CMS platform,” according to Connell.

Scalable. Because a healthy, growing church is more complex than just a single weekend service and some Bible classes — extending to youth ministry, women’s groups, outreach, small group studies and beyond — the next non-negotiable CMS criteria is scalability. “A scalable solution can handle everything you throw at it, including unlimited pages, ministry ‘faces’ and so on,” he points out.

“Who you are today isn’t who you’ll be a year from now.”

Platform-agnostic. With the variety of devices used to access Web pages these days, features such as responsive design become really important. “[Such capabilities ensure] your website will look equally great on a large monitor or on a tablet,” he points out. “Site content that responds to changing displays is an indication of a CMS that’s designed for today’s and tomorrow’s needs.”

4 steps to a solid choice
Choosing a scalable package that meets the church’s needs is critically important. To that end, Connell recommends the following steps:

1. Determine if the current system has an upgrade the church has neglected to take that will improve its performance. “If not, consider the advantages of moving to a new CMS platform,” he suggests. “Will you get more media storage? Easier content management? Fresh designs?”
2. Investigate CMS providers that focus specifically on the local church. “They need to understand its vision and be able to provide the tools to reach it,” he says.
3. Remember: You get what you pay for. Connell contends this adage is true even when it comes to website CMS platforms. “A ‘free’ solution potentially means little or no support, incorporation of ads in your church website, and other ways of offsetting the provider’s costs.”
4. Assess the platform’s limitations. Details including page and design limits, and the SEO value of the final product, can all be significant depending on a church’s vision for its website, he advises.

— RaeAnn Slaybaugh

Faith comes by hearing – but what if they can’t hear you?

The most important criteria for a church sound reinforcement system are that it is loud enough and that it is intelligible. When your congregation is straining to understand what is being said – even unconsciously – it interferes with learning and one’s ability to ponder your sermon. Your congregation also becomes fatigued, which can lead to frustration and disinterest.

Designing a sound system that is loud enough is pretty straightforward, but designing a system that is intelligible requires implementation of several principles, along with proper operation. Intelligibility is a principle that is often not understood, and thus overlooked. Make sure your sound engineer understands intelligibility and will implement all the criteria required. There is a complete and more technical commentary on intelligibility on www.clearsoundcorp.com that your operator and sound engineer can review.

Hardest to correct
Room environment with its acoustics, the location of the presenter, and the presenter are criteria affecting intelligibility, whether there is a sound reinforcement system or not. If there is sound reinforcement, the system components – including microphone choice and placement, speaker choice and implementation, and audio processors such as mixers, equalizers and compressor limiters – all affect intelligibility.

The correct lighting, setting, appropriate lectern and presentation aids will help you, the presenter, be comfortable and confident. You are best understood if the people can see you well. Body language, especially facial expressions, is a part of the whole in communication.

Room acoustics affect intelligibility more than most things, yet the one hardest to correct. When the sound that is being reinforced bounces off walls, floors and ceilings, the initial sound ends up traveling at different distances reaching people’s ears at different time intervals destroying intelligibility. So what will work?

• Avoid hard reflective surfaces (including empty pews) and odd- or round-shaped rooms.
• Rooms that are rectangular in shape, where the presentation is on the short-width end, work well.
• The thicker the carpet the more sound it will absorb.
• Walls and ceilings that are broken up architecturally or have acoustic absorption panels will help reduce the reverberant sound, making the room more intelligible.

Intelligibility issues
Few microphones are designed specifically for intelligibility. Look for a microphone that is designed specifically for intelligible speech. It limits the frequency response to just the vocal range and does not boost intelligibility-busting frequencies so the voice sounds natural and intelligible. The microphone should be placed close enough so the voice can be reinforced adequately without producing feedback, yet far enough away so that mouth noises, “P” popping and bass boost are not a problem. This is usually about 6 inches with the microphone aimed directly at the mouth. An adequate pop filter will also help.

We had some intelligibility issues in a church where the microphone was emphasizing the bass and high frequencies. When the pastor was speaking, it sounded muffled because of too much bass, and it was distracting to hear the mouth noises. The congregation was frustrated because the volume seemed plenty loud, but the people often could not understand what was being said. There were also issues with the connection, which made the microphone pop once in a while.

We replaced the microphone with an Intelligibility MI-90 gooseneck microphone and a locking connector, and for years now the congregation can easily understand what is said without the distraction of the mouth noises. Often, the problem was that the operator was boosting the bass and treble on the mixer. Educating the operator took care of most of the problem, but the microphone replacement made speech intelligibility even better. With the microphone eliminating the problem frequencies, it ensured that even if later someone changed the frequencies on the mixer, he or she cannot boost frequencies that are not there.

The lure of the sizzle
We are so used to hearing ourselves with the bass and treble boosted on the sound system that when it is corrected, we think the sound seems thin and we wonder where the sizzle is. Remember, it is more important that people understand what you are saying than for the sound to be bigger than life. Be patient and soon your congregation will get used to it, and then realize how natural and personal the system sounds, and how pleasant it is to be able to understand every word.

I have seen this same problem with televised services. Most televisions will not reproduce the accented bass unless they are equipped with a surround sound system – but almost all TVs will reproduce the mouth noises, which are annoying. I was able to talk to a seasoned engineer at one of the largest international televised services about how the services were not as intelligible as they could be, because on TVs with surround sound systems the bass was interfering with intelligibility, and the mouth noises were so loud they not only affected the intelligibility, they were annoying. They have not corrected the situation; I assume because they are so used to hearing the accented bass and sizzle of the “big production.”

Choosing a speaker system
In choosing a speaker system look for one that provides intelligibility by providing sufficient sound pressure levels (so it is loud enough), low distortion (so the sound is clear), control of the projected sound (so echo is reduced), and a flat frequency response (so frequencies that improve intelligibility are not missing, and frequencies that reduce intelligibility are not increased). A distributed ceiling system is often a good choice. Many times you will be using the sound reinforcement for music also. If so, make sure the frequency response is extended, but still maintains a flat response. Speakers like the Clear Sound Corp. “Intelligibility Series” are a good choice for this. Now with an intelligible speaker system, ensure the speakers are placed so that the projected sound covers only the congregation and not onto walls, floors, ceilings or open vacant areas.

Audio processors
The easiest to fix and the most common intelligibility buster are the equalizer knobs on the mixer. Any sound below 80 hertz is not in the vocal range and will interfere with intelligibility. Engage the high-pass filter if available and turn down the low-frequency knob without making the voice sound too thin and unnatural. Consonances are in the mid-frequency range and are the key to intelligibility. Boosting the mid-frequencies a little provides an edge to intelligibility. Attenuate the high frequency to avoid too much sibilance. Too much “sss” in the letter “s” and mouth noises are distracting.

If you are only reinforcing voice, the main system equalizer can be equalized specifically for the voice, but if you are reinforcing music also, equalize the system to a flat response. Then the mixer can be used to individually equalize the instruments, singers and speakers.

Effects such as reverb, delay, etc. can destroy intelligibility and should never be used for the spoken word; however, a compressor limiter can be used to improve intelligibility by keeping the volume at the correct level.

Imagine offering an environment that will enable the congregation to effortlessly understand every word that is said, allowing them to ponder and learn without being fatigued.

Dan James is the CEO of Audio Systems Group, Chicago, IL, manufacturer of Clear Sound products and the patented Summit Lecterns. [www.clearsound.us]

As churches across the nation continue to embrace new technologies, Bobby Dennis sought to keep The Heights Baptist Church ahead of the curve. Dennis, technical director at the Richardson, TX, megachurch wanted to embrace not just technology, but the sort of thing that would impress, inform and entertain the congregation.

Dennis wanted a way to disseminate information – to share the week’s happenings, promote local events and support members of the congregation as they made a difference in the parish. What the Heights church needed was a way to do it so people would take notice.

Like many churches, The Heights determined the most appropriate way to do so would be through digital signage, a technology Dennis says has been working its way into houses of worship over the past few years.

“Today’s congregants are increasingly aware of and surrounded by technology used to create excitement and demand their attention – they now expect it,” says Dennis.

“Digital signage is actually a natural extension of technological support – the ability to deliver content in a presentation format that is visually striking, coupled with the ease of keeping the content current, increases the effectiveness of delivering information to the end-user,” says Dennis.

Churches are continuously improving the way they deliver messages, incorporating live presentations, pre-recorded videos, concert-grade sound systems, even lighting effects to immerse congregants in the worship experience. For The Heights and its thousands of members, digital signage pulls that technology-enhanced worship into the rest of the facility’s services, like youth ministries, music programs and community outreach. Dennis sought to upgrade The Heights’ use of low-tech posters, printed flyers and handouts to easy-to-create, appealing and up-to-date content on digital signage.

The church also needed to make sure each department would be able to use the new technology to support their efforts, so he needed something that could be updated locally and simply.

The church is using LG’s EzSign TV, a turnkey solution he chose primarily for its “ease of use, allowing each department to be self-sustaining.” After installing the first EzSign in the children’s area, he and the administrative assistant downloaded the software provided online and were freely creating signboards within a half hour. Each department would now be able to promote upcoming events, share campus-wide news and post photos and videos from recent activities themselves.

In only a few months, the display has already become an integral part of the children’s ministry. “The display has proved an invaluable tool when new prospects visit the children’s area in our church,” says Dennis.

Useful not only for its ability to attract attention, the new displays are also helping Dennis and his team to support parish programming. “The display is exciting, and with new content changes weekly, everyone who walks past the area becomes aware of the exciting things happening in the children’s program. It has enhanced program support — we’re getting more volunteers.”

The Heights Church has since made plans to incorporate the devices throughout all departments. Dennis wanted to share not just information, but photos, slide shows, promotions and video content – a ­tall order when budget is a concern. Because the software has been so easy to update, The Heights has been able to reduce costs for producing paper posters and flyers, but he says, “The most important gain is the efficiency, effectiveness and outcome” of the upgrade to digital signage. “Digital signage is a better way.”

Don Smith is director of Digital Signage, LG Electronics USA, Lincolnshire, IL. www.LGsolutions.com

Gateway Church, Southlake, TX

“I just need someone popular, cool or paid to operate the technical gear! I need new or cool tech gear! This will create or fix my worship atmosphere problem.” In visiting churches, many times I have heard these statements, says David Leuschner, executive director of technical arts at Gateway Church. “They strike me as odd if interesting,” he says.

After working and managing technical areas for more than 20 years, I have come to realize that we never say, “We need a good preacher, Christian or not a Christian, anyone will do; they just need to be a good communicator. They don’t even need to go here, let’s just pay them to teach us on the weekends.” We never grab people off the street, put them on the platform and say, “Sing, go for it.” We don’t do that for these areas. In these areas we look for people who are committed to the church, invested, believe, ready to serve, willing and helpful.

Yet, for some reason, in technical areas, we think popular, cool or paid secular engineers will fix everything. I have seen larger churches fall into the trap of buying newer, cooler gear in hopes that coolness or polish will create a worship atmosphere.

How does Gateway Church use its technical areas to create a great environment of worship? Is it a polished look with experienced secular engineers and awesomely cool and expensive gear?

“Out of the clutter, find simplicity,” Albert Einstein said. Inside the clutter of the secular world trying to tell us how, why, when and what will create a great environment of worship, there is a simple answer. People. Yes, it is all about people.

People are the reason why Gateway’s technical areas help facilitate a great worship environment. Be sure to think of your tech areas as a ministry department and not a service department. This will help you remember to spiritually and technically invest in your people. Look for great people with helpful and willing hearts, then teach them and grow them. Don’t just look for or pay for someone who has a great resume for sound, lights or video. Go beyond that.

You must train your people on how to worship God through their sound consoles, lighting boards or video gear. Invest in your tech areas the same way you invest in those who are on the platform. Teach your techs how to scripturally lay the foundation of worship which allows the Lord to move in your services.

We need our tech teams to be fully invested in the DNA of the church while understanding that their God-given technical talents are fulfilling the Great Commission. Technicians who have this concept will help allow for awesome worship atmospheres and they will do it with very minimal tech gear. The timing, accuracy, quality and efficiency of tech will excel. It’s not about how much tech gear or cool stuff you have, it’s about taking what you have been given and using it to worship the Lord.

[Source: David Leuschner, executive director of technical arts]

Austin Stone Community Church, Austin, TX

Stories have always been a part of the church. In the time of Jesus, stories were primarily used orally to teach and encourage. Today we use cameras to continue this tradition. The Austin Stone Community Church has created a ministry called The Story Team to use essays, photos and films to tell stories about the ways God is at work in the church, the city and around the world. The effect has been powerful.

When people see a story unfolding in front of their eyes, there is a tangible impact that lasts much longer and runs much deeper than if they simply listen to a pastor explain a sermon.

Austin Stone’s Story Team creates documentaries about normal people facing various challenges in their walk with Christ, and the team’s task is to tell the story that the Lord is weaving in their lives. Filmmaking is a powerful tool that can breathe life into the local and global body — not to become more insulated or flashy, but as a way to motivate, mobilize, reconcile, redeem and renew the dark places in our hearts and in our world.

[Source: Jeremy Rodgers, film production manager]

————————————————————————————————————

More Good Stewards

WORSHIP ARTS
• Southeast Christian Church Louisville, KY

Enhance your church website with e-commerce functionality and mobile optimization.

The immeasurable growth of the Internet has presented new opportunities for churches and other faith-based organizations to reach out even further into their communities. Church websites, just like those for any business or organization, need to be professional and effective.

A user-friendly design, relevant text and relatable photos are some features that help achieve these goals. To generate a loyal following, e-commerce functionality and mobile optimization are two tactics that take a website to the next level.

While a church is not a business in the traditional sense, there is still a financial piece to consider. Much of the funding is usually from public contributions. Donations during church services help sustain the organization. However, with a set service schedule for example, members of the community may miss the chance to support their church.

Consider this: while sometimes the church doors may be closed, your website never is. Provide your congregation with the ability to donate online. If they cannot attend Sunday’s service one week, they will still have the option to give back to the church any time most convenient for them.

Giving made easy
This online channel provides people who are not regular church attenders to contribute and become more involved in your mission. Perhaps you want to shed light on why the church is raising money for the hungry or the homeless. This is a great opportunity to explain important efforts and how people can help.

Make it clear and easy for people to donate to your church on your website. It may help to create a separate page on the site titled “Giving” or “Donations” as a way to centralize all options for giving. Explain the different causes, projects or initiatives of your church and ask your website visitors to be involved.

Explore what e-commerce options your Web hosting provider offers you. Some provide the ability to conduct monetary transactions through PayPal, which is often considered one of the safest and most secure methods. You may be surprised to learn that such a feature may already be included in your current hosting package at no extra cost.

Enhancing your website is a great way to increase accessibility to the public. Taking it a step further, the rising popularity of mobile phones is creating a need for churches to optimize their websites for multiple viewing platforms.

Make website viewable
Between January 2011 and January 2012, mobile Internet usage nearly doubled globally, according to StatCounter’s 2012 research. Once dominated by the younger generations, smartphones are now adopted by people of all ages. It is becoming the norm for conducting daily activities like e-mail, social networking, shopping and Web surfing.

Even if a website is not technically optimized for mobile viewing, it may still be viewable; however, the site will be minuscule with a distorted, dysfunctional layout. Visitors who have such a negative experience can become disengaged.

Depending on the technology behind the website, some require detailed coding and technical processes in order to optimize a website for mobile viewing. However, there are design packages where only one click is needed to enable mobile optimization.

Internet technology and mobile devices have created many opportunities for churches to enhance relationships with their members and the general public. E-commerce, though not a new idea is often overlooked by churches, but when used effectively can help encourage people to contribute. Additionally, a website that is viewable by everyone creates positive experiences and can in turn do great things for the church.

Kelly Meeneghan is a spokesperson for 1&1 Internet Inc., Chesterbrook, PA. www.1and1.com