Home > Church Products and Services > Lighting & Video
Your Church, Mar/Apr 2001
A Vision for Video
Energize your congregation with the sights and sounds of video projection
by Kevin Barlow
Little can be more disconcerting to a pastor than speaking to a congregation full of glassy eyes and nodding heads. But today, audio and visual technology can help people see, hear, and understand messages more clearly. And, for many churches, this means using video projection. From worship lyrics and sermon notes to church announcements and video clips, your music and message can be dramatically enhanced with state-of-the-art video projection.
From my experience in the video industry, I'd like to share some practical steps to success for churches considering purchasing a video projection system.
A Guiding Vision
Every ministry should begin with a vision or mission statement. Your goal(s) should be definable, measurable, and attainable. The statement can be broad but powerful, such as the vision of Tom Newman and Impact Productions: "To reach a sight-and-sound generation." Newman's Tulsa-based performing arts ministry has helped thousands come to know Christ. He understands that to reach our culture one must communicate both audibly and visually.
Video projection is a key element as your church builds and expands its media ministry. Whether through videos or computer graphics, this technology allows a service to be enhanced with well-prepared visuals. Just as with word pictures, these images have a way of penetrating deep into your audience's heart.
Overcoming Resistance
Suggest change and some will always be reluctant to answer the call. It is natural to resist something new when you are comfortable with an existing approach. Therefore, your church should consider various opinions before deciding what makes sense for your situation.
According to Barry Whitlow, founder of EternityWorks.com, a Christian entertainment company, "The question is not 'Will the people in your church be open to you using multimedia?'. They will. They validate multimedia as a communication medium every time they turn on a television, go to a movie, watch a video, or surf the Web. The real question is how do you start using multimedia in your church? Once you be gin, people will become comfortable with its use very quickly."
One way to overcome resistance is to see what is working elsewhere. Traci Schaefer of NEC Technologies offers this success story from a church that installed NEC video projectors. Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church in Chicago had been projecting song lyrics, Bible verses, and church news for years. Yet as the congregation grew and church personnel became more technologically sophisticated, it became clear their current projection system was not getting the job done. Not only was it disruptive during services, but the brightness level could not compete with the sanctuary's ambient light—resulting in washed-out screen images.
Norman Waddell, Liberty's production director, says, "We needed a projector that would allow us to show images at any given time. In addition, we wanted to accommodate visual aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, for meetings and ministry classes. The projector really surpassed our expectations as far as its ability to show sharper images in ambient light." Even the reluctant are less likely to complain if the images look good.
Planning for Success
If you commit to video projection, it's important to plan realistically for what you'll need in terms of product and finances. On first try, many churches end up buying the wrong equipment. This happens because they begin the planning process with an arbitrarily fixed budget or they move forward without proper technical guidance. These mistakes often go hand in hand and result in an ineffective solution and wasted time and money.
Although budgets are vitally important to good stewardship, establishing one without correctly analyzing the need first is the fastest way to compromise your results and misuse resources. Before moving ahead, your church leadership should evaluate their resources and decide if they are able to commit to a professional solution. If so, you will likely need some expert help.
Your church will want to look for a professional audio-visual (A/V) consultant that is intimately familiar with the nature of what you are doing. Make sure he or she understands your congregation's vision. There are some good consulting firms and A/V dealers out there that specialize in the fast-growing field of media ministry. When choosing one, look for experience, skill, and integrity by reviewing references, even if you're considering a church member who has volunteered free assistance. Whoever you decide to use, be sure you trust them and feel comfortable with their style and ability.
With an expert now on the project, the next step is to create an implementation team. For the sake of omitting an architect and acoustician from the picture, let's consider your project a retrofit of an existing building rather than new construction. In addition to your pastor and the A/V consultant and/or dealer, your team should include your music ministry leadership and any key staff members or volunteers who will be overseeing the new media.
Reaching Your Audience
Make sure your team considers the audience. Who are these people you are trying to reach and teach? Are you focusing more on church membership or on new visitors? Are you trying to make your facility more community-friendly with special events and holiday productions? In any case, you will need to determine your target audience before you can determine the best way to reach them.
Tim Butler of Digital Projection says, "We have found that most ministers and worship managers of mid- to large-size houses of worship have comparable goals: attract, support, and retain congregations full of content worshipers. Communicating with these large congregations is almost impossible without using a large-venue projection system."
After a recent projector installation by Fowler, Dick Elliott, business administrator of First Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma, stated, "Our main motivation for in stalling projectors into our service was to bring us up to date with our media presentations. The imagery is great. Our stewardship committee has embraced the projection technology and uses it to tell the story of our church missions and other activities."
Getting Down to Specifics
After all this, the worship facility needs to be studied and reviewed in light of the vision and pending program. Until this space is inspected and analyzed, a church cannot determine what type of equipment will be needed or what budget will be needed to provide it. For example, when considering specifications, the brightness and contrast ratio of a projector are functions of room size, ambient lighting, and other relevant aspects.
Since a system is only as good as its weakest link, the quality of the lens and screen must be considered. Buying a high-end projector like the BarcoReality 6500 and Barco SLM G5 and then using the wrong screen is like going to the racetrack in a powerful car fitted with old bias-ply tires. The same is true for a lens. A lens is like the transmission of your race car. There can be significant quality and performance differences between lenses and between manufacturers, and you probably won't realize the differences by comparing brochures alone. If you need additional, re placement, or custom lenses, Buhl Optical (Navitar) offers a wide selection, compatible with almost any LCD video projector.
Since the typical house of worship is a well-lit environment, a rear projection system is recommended whenever physically feasible. This is especially true for worship centers with daylight windows. Rear screens will provide better contrast and improve text readability. As for image size, there are certain guidelines with regard to viewing distance, sight lines, and lighting control. Once screen specifications, room layout, and room lighting have been considered, your expert should be able to recommend the desired brightness, contrast ratio, and key features for your new projector.
All supporting hardware and software should be selected at the same time. Some typical additions are worship software, cabling, and video cameras. Every piece of equipment should be purchased with an eye toward fulfilling your ministry vision.
Budget Balancing
With your equipment needs properly established, your church can set an appropriate budget. This should be in line with your expert's advice and the system proposal from a qualified A/V dealer. When making your decision, consider brand reputation for quality, performance, and service, not just price. Look for a company that's been in the projection business for a while, understands the church market, and offers outstanding service, says Tony Janicki, manager of marketing for Eiki International. If you get a very low price but wake up a month later to find you need service and it's not there, you're in trouble, he says.
Be sure to ask potential dealers about on-site training, maintenance, and service. Also, ask for documentation on warranties and the cost and schedule for routine maintenance. It is always wise to have an on-site demonstration before purchasing equipment. If your site is under construction, rely heavily on references from churches with systems similar to what you want.
Should the costs appear too high, be prepared to make some cautious compromises, ask about financing, or just wait. It may be better to hold off six months or a year rather than launch an underfunded ministry with an inadequate projection system. Also, if you share your vision and excitement with the congregation, you may be surprised by their support and additional funding may be generated.
Installation and Training
Whenever possible, purchase equipment and service from the local A/V dealer who has been supporting your church all along. They should have far more interest in your long-term success than anyone you might find over the Internet or through a phone directory. A local dealer should help with installation, fine-tuning, and troubleshooting.
When it's time for installation, make sure everyone involved is clear on price and schedule. Know who will do what and when. It is a good practice to keep a checklist throughout this phase to make sure there are no loose ends.
Once the system is in place, it is important to have your ministry/operations team members trained on the new tools. These behind-the-scenes people need to be familiar and comfortable with the gear before the media ministry launch. If your dealer doesn't have the staff or skill to provide this training, ask them to bring in manufacturer representatives to help. The training of your team should be included with the system and de tailed in your purchase agreement.
Launching Your Media Ministry
Finally—the big day! Everything is in place. The staff and volunteers are trained and ready. The program has been fine-tuned and rehearsed. Your vision is about to come alive in a more dynamic way.
Let people see and experience the investment in technology, but do not let it get in the way of your message. To keep every presentation on target, it is good to preview and rehearse each program in advance.
Video projectors and large-screen presentations cannot change people from the inside like the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but, if used correctly, they will help keep people's attention and improve understanding and retention.
Kevin Barlow (kevin.barlow@barco.com) is market manager for church and worship at BARCO Projection Systems in Kennesaw, Georgia.
|
Subcategories
of Lighting & Video
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Your Church
Home | Archives | Contact Us | Subscribe | FREE Newsletter
| |
|
