The Value of Video

Several hundred of us are eavesdropping on a heated discussion.

Once again a husband and wife are using strong words to describe the broken-down state of their marriage. As the anger subsides, they find themselves asking, “Is it enough to stay together just for the kids?”

We feel their pain. We sense their dilemma. Their question isn’t simply theoretical, it’s personal. We know it’s a question countless couples have asked. Maybe we’ve asked it ourselves.

This scene from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire led our congregation into a biblical presentation of the proper “glue” for a lasting marriage. It’s one reason we use video regularly in our church.

The visual advantage

We use video in five primary ways.

Education. Recently our congregation made the transition from a smaller multi-purpose room to a larger auditorium. To prepare people for this adjustment, a change-management expert in our congregation prepared a video illustrating the three stages of transition.

The first stage, grieving the loss of the way things are, was recorded at a funeral home. The second stage, the “neutral zone,” where you feel you’re going in circles, was taped at a race track. The final stage, the blossoming of the future, was taped at a botanical garden.

The variety of settings strengthened his presentation and equipped us, not only for the changes precipitated by our new facility, but also for transitions we face in life.

Transformation. Video testimonials from people whose lives have been changed by the power of Christ or through a particular ministry can prompt others to new steps of faith. We film these life stories in people’s homes or other comfortable settings. Using video allows us to manage the content and length of their presentation and to include the story in all of our weekend services.

Information. When building our new auditorium, our youth pastor would present, via video, humorous on-site updates of the construction progress. This kept people informed of activity within the hardhats-only work area. Also, the humor eased the tension often present during building programs.

Introduction. We often introduce a time of worship through a professionally produced worship video. We also can use video to unveil the theme of a service. For instance, a service on “creativity in ministry” began with scenes from Sister Act. An Advent series, “What the Bible Says about Angels,” included a recent tv news clip featuring individuals who claimed to have been “touched by an angel.” A sermon on “Integrity or Hypocrisy?” followed a scene from the movie Leap of Faith.

Illustration. Concepts from a message can be illustrated with a clip from a movie or television news program. But those we’ve created ourselves make the most lasting impact.

Several years ago, I shared a message on “The Tentacles of Temptation,” which included a scene taped at a local restaurant. In the video, I entered fully intending to order a fat-free salad but fell victim to a large piece of carrot cake. I still have people stop by my table when I’m eating out to ask if I’m planning to have carrot cake!

To video or not to video?

It’s helpful to ask some questions to provide guidelines for utilizing media.

Can we show it better than we can say it? When preaching a message on the relationship of money and fulfillment, I wanted to make the point that no amount of money will buy happiness. Since I’m less than independently wealthy, it might be hard for a business leader to take my word for it. But a video clip from 20/20 showed David Geffen, the billionaire entertainment mogul, telling Barbara Walters, “Happy is harder than money. Anybody who thinks money will make you happy doesn’t have money.” That captured people’s attention.

Do we have permission? Unless it’s “home use,” commercial videos cannot legally be shown in worship or other church gatherings. Fortunately, it’s becoming simpler to get permission, through copyright licenses similar to ones for song lyrics. But we’ve had to jettison plans for a wonderful presentation because we couldn’t get permission to use copyrighted material. Before you invest significant time and energy, it’s best to investigate. Check with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, 1-310-822-8855 or 800-462-8855.

Have we considered our audience? We pay attention to the ratings of the movies from which we take clips. For instance, some churches have shown a scene from the end of Schindler’s List in which the star laments that he could have saved additional lives if he had simplified his lifestyle and given more. It’s a powerful scene with many applications, but the film’s R rating for nudity and sexual and violent content makes it unacceptable for us.

As a general rule, younger people relate more readily to media in church than do older people. Our Saturday night service attracts a younger crowd, while our Sunday morning services draw a wider range of ages. Media clips that are effective on Saturday night are not always appropriate on Sunday morning.

Are we appealing to different learning styles? Auditory learners process information primarily through listening; these people naturally respond to preaching. If I provide fill-in-the-blank sermon notes and prompt people to verbally or physically respond at certain points in the message, I also engage the kinetic learners, who learn by doing. By utilizing the video screen, I also reach a larger percentage of people who are visual learners.

Don’t try this at your church

We’ve learned from mistakes along the way.

Illustrations that distract. An obscure or deficient illustration leaves people scratching their heads. It may entertain but do little to further the message. I identify sermon topics and service themes weeks in advance to give time to create relevant media presentations. On occasions I fail to update the worship planning team when I refine my ideas. One series I preached on an overview of the Bible concluded with a video. The last picture was of the crucifixion. Unfortunately, my series ended with the new heaven and the new earth. Verbally we made it all the way to the Book of Revelation, but visually we didn’t even get through the Gospels!

Technical difficulties. We’ve experienced sound without the picture, and picture without the sound. A few times each year I end up saying, “That clip made a powerful point, if only you could have seen (or heard) it.” While not entirely unavoidable, technical difficulties tend to increase when we fail to adequately train volunteers or attempt too much at the last minute.

Material that offends. Some movie scenes we’ve used are immediately preceded or followed by offensive scenes. Words best left unsaid and sights best left unseen have been shown to our congregation when our technicians started the clip too early or let it play too long. The apostle Paul’s commitment to “This one thing I do” corresponds beautifully to a scene in City Slickers that discusses finding that “one thing.” Unfortunately, that scene is immediately followed by the vulgar expression that “Everything else is—.” We missed the cutoff; consequently the congregation missed the point!

Lasting impact

The use of video adds a dimension of persuasion that strengthens the impact on both the head and the heart.

While our church family views the video, I view their faces. I’ve seen the eyes of an unchurched father mist up when he sees a video of his child in a Sunday school class. I’ve seen the light of understanding brighten the face of a young woman “forced” to go to church as she watches a visual overview of Revelation—and considers how prepared she is for eternity.

Then there’s that slouching, sleepy young man whose attention is captured by the testimony of an athlete he admires and later tells his parents that maybe being a Christian isn’t dumb after all.

Video has its risks, but they pale in comparison to the rewards.

Wayne Schmidt is pastor of Kentwood Community Church 1200 60th Street Kentwood MI 49508 Ken Davies/Masterfile

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