Projecting Christmas

By Kevin C. Barlow

Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas. Photo courtesy of Barco Projection Systems America, Kennesaw, Ga.

When planning a Christmas production, it's important to remember why you're doing it in the first place. From live nativity scenes and Bethlehem walks to singing Christmas trees and choral candlelight services, don't forget the "who" and "why" of it all. For whom is the event intended? Who will attend? Who are you trying to reach? Since the cultural norm seems to be to make the semi-annual pilgrimage to a local house of worship, many growth-oriented congregations view the holidays as an evangelistic opportunity. If this is the case in your church, or if you're simply trying to communicate more effectively, perhaps video projection can help enhance this Christmas' services.

The Why

Although this may sound unreasonable, why present a Christmas program at all? Beyond celebrating Christ's birthday, there are probably many good reasons. The point is to write these objectives down and prioritize them. Whatever your reasons, be sure of two things. First, check to see if each is parallel with your church's guiding vision or mission statement. This is mandatory for any good presentation. Second, consider the motive. If the purpose for your pursuit is out of God's leading and a pure ministry heart, then proceed. In other words, don't waste time and resources on something God didn't direct you to do. That may or may not include using projection technology in your service. God knows the most effective way to reach every soul far better than we do.

The Who

Every presentation or production should be designed and launched with a specific audience in mind. Since many besides your normal weekly congregation may visit this December, a demographic study of the surrounding community offers insight for your outreach plans. This suggestion assumes you are already familiar with your existing worshippers and their needs. For example, my church recently conducted a study and learned that a huge population of single adults lives within three miles of our campus. As a result, we have made a significant shift in ministry focus to make our church more inviting for these people. What better time to announce this to the community than just before the Christmas season?

Although you want to address potential visitors effectively, do so with your current church family in mind. Is your existing congregation fairly traditional or more on the contemporary edge? Do you offer both traditional and contemporary worship or a blended style? Is your youth ministry strong and active? These are all good questions to think about before introducing a new or expanded level of multimedia support.

The What

Here are some key considerations regarding your viewers and the production content. Just as there is a need for several translations of the Bible, each person is most open to a particular style of worship, teaching and presentation, so communicate in a language the audience can understand and follow. I refer not only to spoken language, but visual communication as well. Whether you do it with metaphoric word pictures or graphic visuals on the big screen, tell them your message with a dynamic appeal to their senses. Nowhere is this need more clear than in its relation to today's young people. Well before the Internet, most young adults began their growth with in-your-face audiovisual sensory overload. They have learned their communications skills from radio, television and the movies. You may not want to adopt a high-hype media style, but that's what you're most often competing against. According to Barry Whitlow, Web editor of onlineREV.com, "The main thing a pastor wants to do is to change the human heart towards God." Multimedia can help accomplish that goal because it speaks to our site and sound society, he explains. Similarly, the defining vision at Tulsa, Okla.-based Impact Productions is "to reach a sight and sound generation." Is this true of your church mission as well?

As technology runs rampant, it carries with it some risks. Don't let the method get in the way of the message. In the case of video projection, images should always be there to support and enhance the production, not obscure it. Make the presentation relevant and digestible. A sensitive balance exists between the mission, the message and the multitudes.

The How

So where do you go to get started? First, your church must have the tools and talent to launch a multimedia event. If you're only thinking of a Christmas program for now, use this opportunity to move your congregation into 21st-century presentations. Across the nation, churches of every denomination are realizing the powerful impact of media tools and video projection. Even if yours is an older projector, a great way to get started is by finding an expert who understands both the tools of technology and the application of those tools in the church setting. This expert may be a theatrical director, an independent audiovisual consultant, a professional systems integrator, or even an experienced member of your congregation. Whomever you choose, ask them for references and be sure they are in sync with your vision and plans.

Once you buy, borrow or rent the computer, projector and video equipment (hardware), the focus is on the video and graphics content (software). This is where your wings meet the wind. At first, these videos may be used to introduce your coming event and then live camera feeds highlighting various aspects of the production--a soloist close-up, the minister's facial expressions or a drama presentation. By displaying enlarged images of people and drama sets (known as i-mag), the intimacy level increases too. This is especially important for those trying to see from the back of the room.

When it comes to computer graphics, the simplest starting points are service announcements and worship words. While Microsoft^® PowerPoint^® has proven popular, there are a number of easy-to-use software packages on the market. Prologue^®, WorshipBuilder^® and SongShow Plus^® are a few that enable dual-screen worship song presentation. This means the operator can call up and manipulate song screens before the congregation sees them. Do not invest in a system that can't handle this useful feature. For more details on software packages, check out product reviews at www.churchmedia.net.

Other software possibilities to consider are seasonal graphics and animated sequences. For example, instead of static scenes on your stage or platform, projectors can allow you to display virtual sets. Be it a starry night or angelic hosts, let your imagination take advantage of the new tools. Several specialized companies now offer video and software development support for the church market -- www.lumicon.org and www.impactprod.org are two examples.

The vital third leg in the production process is the team. You must have willing people (staff and/or volunteers) who are trained and able to use the production hardware and software appropriately. I have yet to see a church presentation so automated that one person presses a button and the rest just happens. Unless your facility is part of a theme park, it's not likely to ever happen. It takes people who care about ministry. If you have technically or musically gifted high school students, encourage them to participate. Their level of energy and creativity may be just what you need!

To create an environment that is audience-friendly, script and rehearse every element of your production in advance. The use of storyboarding helps many churches plan in advance. Plus, to keep the performance or service on track and disruption-free, everyone must know their area of responsibility and there should be a backup plan to handle any situation that may arise. Problems and failures are a potential in any presentation, but the goal is to minimize any negative consequences as quickly as possible. A fine-tuned production team is just as important as a well-rehearsed praise team, choir or band.

Successful productions revolve around two essential elements: the message and the audience. To draw and inspire people, especially the unchurched and de-churched masses, you need the power of God and you need to present in a manner to which these people can relate. The need for God is definitely out there. With the right heart and well-crafted, creative content, incorporating video projection in your Christmas program may have surprising results. Because state-of-the-art projection technology and dynamic computer graphics are more functional and affordable than ever, virtually any church can now launch an effective media ministry. So let the greatest message of all be heard and seen this Christmas.

Kevin Barlow is Market Manager for Church & Worship at BARCO Projection Systems America in Kennesaw, Ga. Barlow may be reached at (770) 218-3276 or via e-mail at kevin.barlow@barco.com. Visit BARCO's Web site at www.barco.com