by Scott Hoover and Charity Plata

It was early 1996 and Spring Hills Baptist Church, located in Granville, Ohio, was in the middle of a more than $2-million expansion project. As part of the project, church leaders had decided to invest in an audio, video and lighting system in an effort to upgrade the church's worship services.

Today, with the expansion of the sanctuary complete and the addition of the entire system, Spring Hills services have changed dramatically. A video system now is used to project hymn words and sermon outlines onto large screens in the front of the church and has the capability of sending a modulated signal to any of 16 locations around the complex. The audio system is versatile with 57 stage inputs, a recently added patch bay and a separate broadcast console for recording services live or laying down tracks for in-house productions. The lighting system also allows scenes to be programmed for different types of events that the church hosts throughout the year.

Throughout the United States, pastors are revitalizing their worship services by using continually advancing technology. The reasons seem to vary; however, the theme is constant--getting congregations more involved.

Flashback approximately 20 years ago. Most church services were considered pretty routine. The pastor preached, the choir sang and the congregation listened. All that has changed.

"Our pastor told us when we first started the project that he was not a 'high-tech' type of guy," says Steve Sands, facilities director for Spring Hills. "Once he figured out that he could use the video screens to put his sermon notes on, he changed his tune. He told me letting the congregation see his notes adds a level of legitimacy to his sermon. By allowing the congregation to read along as he preached, he feels the sermons are having more of an impact on our members. So, even the most staunch antagonists have found that technology is a friend, not a foe."

Spring Hills Baptist Church

Although Spring Hill Baptist Church in Granville, Ohio, only has been in existence for approximately eight years, it already has experienced the benefits of using technological advancements in its worship services.

The basic premise for Spring Hill's upgrade was expansion. The church was in the middle of expanding its sanctuary and the current sound system was not going to be adequate for the larger sanctuary so it only was natural to redesign and upgrade the system.

"Our sanctuary is shaped like a 'T'", Sands notes. "We needed side and center speakers that could be heard all the way in the back of the sanctuary or approximately 90 feet from the front of the room."

The process began with Sands and the worship pastor interviewing different companies to complete the project. They settled on All Pro Sound based in Pensacola, Fla. How Spring Hills conducted its services also was instrumental in deciding what equipment and system would work for the church.

"Our worship services are not traditional Southern Baptist-type of worship, they're more praise chorus-type worship services," Sands notes. "That is one reason we decided to incorporate video into our services so we could put the chorus' up on screens to allow our congregation more freedom in their worship."

Spring Hill added two LC-6000 projectors, two 8-foot by 10-foot rear projection screens, a computer/video interface, a video distribution amplifier, a switcher and an IBM/PC Pentium computer.

Another reason Spring Hill's decided to incorporate video projectors into its worship services was an effort to save time.

"Now, all of our announcements scroll down continuously on the video screens before the service begins," Sands says. "This way our pastors don't have to spend a lot of time doing announcements during or after the service."

Spring Hill's pastors and church leaders are not the only people who have seen the benefits of increased technology in the church. In addition, Sands notes that congregation members have been extremely pleased with how the new audio and sound system have enhanced their worship style.

"Before the video projection system was installed, pastors were using overhead projectors during the service," he says. "Now, not only are pastors using the video system for hymns and sermon outlines, but they also are using them to show inspirational videos. The feedback we have received from the congregation has been extremely positive. We now have one system to use for all our video needs instead of having to use multiple devices such as an overhead projector, VCR and television monitor. Our services are now less distracting then they were before the system was installed."

In addition to the video equipment, the church added a mixer, amplifier, loudspeakers, subwoofers, monitors and wireless microphone.

"Sound is distributed more evenly to all parts of the sanctuary than it was in the past," Sands says. "Hence, people in the back can hear better than they used to. We also installed a hearing-impaired system that has been extremely well received."

The facility upgrade also included a lighting system designed to meet the specific needs of this multifaceted and fast-paced church.

"The system had to be easy to reconfigure so that a concert could take place on Friday, a wedding on Saturday and then be ready for a contemporary worship service to take place on Sunday," Sands notes. "Our system does all that and more."

Grace Community Church

For Grace Community Church in Carmel, Ind., building a new facility meant making some well-focused and planned decisions in regard to the overall design and layout of their auditorium. As part of its Phase I construction, church leaders elected to implement a new audio system complete with sound reinforcement as well as the basic requirements for lighting.

For its lighting, the church integrated a full-stage lighting system that interfaces with its house lighting and includes dimming, rigging for hanging lights, connectors with lights, a control board and a hand-held remote control module. While many church leaders may not consider this a 'basic' lighting set up, Grace Community calls it essential.

"We have a stage in the proscenium style, so given that design and the types of programs we have, which includes contemporary music and theater sketches or 'dramas', we have a variety of use in terms of a theatrical perspective," says Philippe Kroeker, technical team member/lighting designer for Grace Community. "The lightning and stage need to be flexible to accommodate all the different elements."

As part of the design, Grace Community wanted an auditorium that was simple, functional and set up for multi-use. Thus, Kroeker consulted with the Indianapolis-based STTV and A/V Service Inc. to help them to both purchase and install the necessary lighting equipment.

For 18 years, STTV has helped churches to create the most optimum lighting systems possible for their facilities, and, as Damon Atwood, project engineer/theatrical rigger for the company notes, the task is never easy.

"Churches are designed to be huge, tall and beautiful which is not always conducive to proper lighting," Atwood says. "I work with some churches where I literally have to go out on a 40-foot ladder just to get to the lights and focus them on the pulpit. Every job in a church can be an engineering nightmare."

Although many churches can present logistical problems in terms of lighting, Atwood notes that increasingly churches are becoming committed to creating a more optimum worship environment for their congregations.

"When you sit for two hours listening to someone speak and can't see them, it wears you out," Atwood explains. "If you can't hear them, you get a headache. Church leaders are realizing this now. Just to light a pulpit area can take five or more fixtures. Especially with video coming into facilities, the light outfit in a pulpit area must ensure the cameras have enough light to work. Technology has become extremely important in many churches."

At Grace Community Church, the lighting system accommodates both a stage setup that features a screen where the words to songs are projected and a 1,200-capacity house. One of the key features in the system is preset controls that allow people to use the auditorium without manipulating the lighting system.

"We have both front entry and back stage additional preset controls," Kroeker says. "One of the presets is for people who just need to use the auditorium and have the lights on in the house and on stage. They activate a preset that automatically gives them the necessary lighting. It makes it easier for someone to use the auditorium without acquiring much knowledge about the lighting system."

A key benefit of such a technologically advanced lighting system is it allows Grace Community's worship team to plan ahead for future programs and to create variety within their services. For the technical team, it allows them to be creative with color and stylistic elements.

"The technology allows us easily to set up a variety of scenes, and it is all digitally patched and controlled," notes Kroeker. "We can reassign every light and dimmer to different channels and subgroups or scene looks and program them on the fly as well as record everything in terms of cues. It is a powerful system in what it allows us to do."

Kroeker agrees that many churches fail to understand why they should spend the money for such a sophisticated system; however, he explains that churches can help their congregation gain more from services if they witness the best worship environment possible.

"Especially in larger facilities, you need brighter lights and more of them," he notes. "When you start increasing the number of lights to more than 50 to 75 around the stage, you need a substantial system to be able to patch into a usable set of controls. If churches want special music elements, be it solo or choral, to be creatively lit and look sharp and uplifting, they need better technical capabilities."

Because of its commitment to a better worship environment, Grace Community has plans to implement a Phase II portion for its lighting system that will feature additional dimming modules and hanging stage lights. The church also will get a curtain and some additions on the sides of the stage that will include lights. Part of their contract with STTV also ensures that several people will be trained to operate the equipment allowing for flexibility in terms of operator rotation. As STTV's Atwood notes, the church's plans are a welcomed way of implementing technology into a worship environment.

"Grace Community Church is fascinating because it really knew what it wanted," he adds. "The church leaders really worked hard to see that it was done right, and it was one project that was completely successful. Nobody cut any corners which is nice because many times someone will cut corners here and there and churches end up with half a system. It is like buying a turnkey system and having no key to turn it on."

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg

Whether in business or social transactions, effective communications skills always are required in order to transfer adequately the message being sent. If people cannot follow along, they lose interest and the point of discussions are lost. For First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., the overall goal is to communicate the life changing power of Christ and to do it in a way that benefits the entire congregation. As such, the church has spent almost 30 years broadcasting its services on the local CBS television affiliate and has incorporated many different technological vehicles into its worship setting, including a powerful $90,000 projection system.

"Currently, we use the video projection system exclusively in the worship service as a graphics aid," says Britt Dillard, First Baptist's minister of media. "We are not using it to increase the visibility of the pastor, choir or soloists, although we do it during special events. Many times, we take a key Bible verse and some picturesque photo that maybe exemplifies it and let that be our stationary element as we leave."

First Baptist Church utilizes a Digital Projection Power 4dv with 3,500 ANSI lumens that has the capacity to project a compressed signal across a 129-foot throw distance. For the pastor, the projection system is supplemented by using PowerPoint software that enables his sermons to include maps and other overhead elements that are imported from a CD-ROM.

"After years of renting projection equipment for special events, we discovered it is a tool that helps us communicate," Dillard explains. "We chose the system because we wanted something that seemed to be--and has proven over the time we have used it--maintenance-free. The system also is the brightest unit we could find in its price-point. We have huge, beautiful stained glass windows and a 1,700-foot auditorium that adds a base level of light. In addition, we also have lighting for television, and we still want the video projector to be an important part of assisting in worship."

According to Jerry Meier, market development manager for Digital Projection in Kennesaw, Ga., First Baptist's lighting dilemma is fairly common in houses of worship.

"In daylight, most churches are exposed to a lot of ambient light from the outdoors, so it is important to have a projector powerful enough to overcome the ambient light in the room," he says. "Brightness really is a driving factor and one of the reasons why our projectors are successful in churches. They allow you let all the light in the room you want and still have a bright, legible picture."

Although First Baptist still struggles with creating an optimum picture, especially during highly ambient daylight, Dillard expects that much of their problem will be solved when they incorporate Digital Projection's Power 5dv that features 5,000 ANSI lumens of light output. The church also will decide if the projector should be 'flown' or hung in order to not compress the signal output.

One of the most troublesome features involved in introducing various high-tech equipment into a church facility is the reception from a congregation. Many churches fear that the electronics become mere gadgetry meant to flaunt rather than enhance the worship setting. As Dillard notes, one way to determine how a projection system works within a church service is to allow the congregation to experience it.

"Trial is the best teacher," he says. "You cannot tell how much someone will enjoy it, but you can allow the congregation to experience it. We also carefully measure when we use the projection system and decide if it really is going to enhance what takes place or just show off a gadget. We always try to keep each other in check to ensure we do not over use it."

For a project called My Utmost For His Highest, First Baptist used the video projector to feature not only worship choruses, but edited clips from Jesus of Nazareth.

"Just as with Christian Copyright Licensing Inc., there is a video licensing company," Dillard notes. "We just began that and feel strongly that we should be good, responsible stewards. Churches can get Hollywood licensing for a relatively small fee, and it allows them to do many things with clips on screen."

For First Baptist, a donation from a church member, who, at one time, deemed the projection system in the church an abomination in God's house, ensured the system would be created and completed with no excess cost to the congregation. However, experience made them realize the overall benefit to the worship setting.

"The video projector is a great tool; we just love it, and one way to introduce it, as we did, is to rent it and allow a congregation to understand its benefits and blessings," says Dillard. "It helps them to understand the costs, especially since we want to justify every expense as something that ultimately is to be used for ministry.

"In the near future, video projection is going to be very much a regular part of the way we do things because it is effective," Dillard continues. "Whatever is effective in either aiding people in the worship of our Savior or bringing them to our Savior, we want to do it. It is a must."

Perimeter Church

Speaking a language that young people understand is a sort of mantra for many churches that want to steer children away from the temptations of modern society toward a life with God. For many houses of worship, technology has been a potent tool in helping to reach out to young people. Perimeter Church, a Presbyterian Church of America worship center in Duluth, Ga., has creatively utilized their projection system to help high school-aged young people learn about emerging technologies as they discover God.

The church's projection system consists of two BarcoData 3000 LC rear projector configurations and features 1,000 ANSI lumens of light output. The 3000 LC contains a MiniLight Cannon projector that supports video, video graphics adapters and MAC presentations which are projected on two slightly recessed screens that flank the main chancel area.

The final installation for the church also included a top-of-the-line sound system, full control panel with mixing board, video and computer equipment. According to Kevin Barlow, strategic accounts manager, large-screen display products, for the Kennesaw, Ga.,-based Barco Display Products, churches that want a sophisticated worship environment cannot afford to settle for less than state-of-the-art.

"Church leaders may be enticed to use portable projection products because of the lower costs, but portables do not offer adequate solutions for most worship centers," Barlow explains. "The technology for projection always has followed the computer industry. Still, if you take a look at all the possible uses for a projection system, video is sort of the baseline or bottom of its capabilities. In most current church applications, they definitely are doing video; however, they also are doing medium- to high- resolution graphics for presentations.

"Churches really need to analyze their needs for today and over the next five years to determine if the computer equipment they use today is capable of handling the projection system or if it is upgradable so the technology does not become obsolete," Barlow continues. "Those are important things to note especially if it is a more aggressive church that tends to do a lot of creative things with technology."

When Perimeter Church moved to a new facility in August 1996, there was a concerted effort to find the highest quality technology to ensure the best possible worship experience.

"We shopped for the very best technology we could find to meet our needs, and that is what we purchased for the brand new building," says Matt Brinkley, Perimeter's youth pastor. "The system is there for its everyday church use, but our church utilizes its technological vehicles completely. By having it there, it provides an avenue for students to become experts at operating the equipment."

Gold Rush is a week-long Bible study retreat aimed at uniting high school-aged students with a church environment. Since most young people have been engrossed in technology, be it for work or play, almost all of their lives, Perimeter has found a way to convey a more interactive worship message by allowing the students to form outreach groups and conduct man-on-the-street role playing using video projectors and other high-tech equipment as a communications vehicle.

Perimeter offers a variety of worship teams that appeal to students, including drama, music, video, photography, outreach, communication and technology, as a way to accent the interests of those individuals involved.

"The technology provides an outlet for students' talents and gifts within ministry," Brinkley notes. "Often in ministry setting, if you are not a part of drama, music or communications, you are left out. Perimeter's technology provides a real avenue for the kid who has the knack for it, and there's a certain breed of student who loves technology."

By mentoring with the young people at Gold Rush, youth ministers teach the students to manipulate lighting, edit film, record live sound and use computer programs to produce their own presentations which are featured in the conference.

According to Brinkley, unconventional modes of communication are a standard part of Perimeter's goal to provide excellence in everything the church tries to do as a Body of Christ, be it through a technologically infused Bible retreat such as Gold Rush or a ballet ministry that has become another powerful and beautiful outreach tool.

Unlike churches that fear that God's message is lost when it is conveyed via electronics, Brinkley points out that Perimeter's mission of excellence demands they put forth the most effort possible and deliver the best for their worship experience.

"The communication in churches on the more traditional side always has been limited to a speaker and people singing, but at Perimeter, we believe there are other modes of communication," he says. "Other tech areas, for example, using key notes on a screen, animation or video clips and testimonies, which we use most, are a tremendous avenue to bring variety to the worship service. It is another way to communicate to the hearts of people."

Perry Hall Baptist Church

In order to reach the masses with a message, churches rely on an energetic pastor and an interested congregation that is willing to embrace the teachings in scripture and God's will. One critical element to achieving purposeful communications is having a vehicle that carries the point of worship without leaving people straining to hear it. For Perry Hall Baptist Church in Perry Hall, Md., emerging audio technologies helped create a more optimum listening environment and an overall improved worship experience.

Since 1971, Perry Hall Baptist has been experiencing the gospel in a fan-shaped sanctuary that accommodates up to 1,200 people. One problem in creating optimum sound for such an environment stems from the characteristics of sound waves and their tendency to drop-off when not carefully planned for.

"We were having some trouble with our old sound system's sound coverage in the sanctuary as far as sound pressure at different locations," says Mark Slater, Perry Hall's head sound technician. "Sound varied quite a bit. One of the things we gained with the new system is more even sound across the room. Before, we also lacked the lower end of the spectrum frequencies as far as bass is concerned. Through the new installation, we gained quite a bit which gives it a rounded, more mellow sound."

Perry Hall consulted with the Lebanon, Pa.,-based Crown Magnetics Inc. that installed a Community SLS920/SBS22 speaker system, choir monitor and a 32-channel Mackie mixer to help the church improve sound quality for its highly musical Sunday worship service and its special events, including a singing Christmas tree and a large Easter production.

"We have a lot of large productions, and we really needed something that would give us more power, mellow tones and roundness for the music that we do," Slater notes. "We also have special groups that come in as well as larger name performers, etc. We felt the system that we had wasn't adequate to meet their needs or what they were used to. If we were going to continue to have these groups, soloists and musicians, we felt we should have a system worthy of their talents."

In an effort to achieve a more powerful system, Perry Hall also added two K2 Crown amplifiers. One amp operates the main ceiling speaker cluster, while the other powers the subwoofers underneath each side of the stage. The church also expects to expand on its current video projection system by introducing data presentation with PowerPoint software. After utilizing the same sound system for nearly 11 years, new technology has made vast improvements in the quality of Perry Hall's worship setting.

"Church leaders felt that technology had advanced so much that we really could improve the quality and flexibility of our sound by replacing the system," Slater adds. "We also broadcast our service on a Christian radio station, so we constantly are trying to improve the quality of our recording."

For Perry Hall Baptist Church, sound advancements have been a way to improve the professionalism and quality of the worship setting without becoming too detached or antiseptic. Overall, the idea of making the church operate more smoothly caters to the notion that God should be easily accessible and His message readily attainable.

"In the desire to attract new people to the church, be they converts, the unsaved or unchurched, we need to do whatever we can to make it attractive and something that people will enjoy coming to," Slater points out. "I think the Lord calls us in His glory and honor to do the best we can. Thus, Christians shouldn't be in the dark ages as far as technology is concerned. The Lord has allowed it to come about so we can use it for His honor and glory."

Belmont Church

Helping to breathe the life of God into parishioners' lives is one of the most important aspects of the worship experience. Filing into church on a Sunday morning allows people to interact with God in an ultimate expression of faith. Unfortunately, for many, Sunday morning service is the only time they have to share with God because the rest of the week is spent living with the daily duties of work and home life. In addition, there are people who, due to illness or other, cannot make it into church to share that worship experience.

For Belmont Church in Nashville, Tenn., adopting a non-traditional approach to spreading God's word has evolved in the form of an audio cassette ministry that helps their parishioners incorporate a more spiritual aspect into their daily grind.

In the late 1970s, Belmont Church began receiving requests for specific sermons and Sunday services recorded on tape. As membership, which currently is 3,000, increased, so did the need for the church to address the needs of the younger generation who demand information on-the-go as well as those who wanted take home information to share with family and friends.

"I realized that a cassette ministry could serve as an expression of the work of the church and help us to spread our message to those who were not able to receive it in person," says Belmont's senior pastor Don Finto.

Because of the influx of tape requests and orders, Belmont consulted with the Mansfield, Pa.,-based Kingdom Tapes and Electronics to help outfit the church with an advanced audio cassette duplication system to remedy some problems that arose with a smaller-scale duplicator.

"With our smaller duplicator, it used to take one week to make the cassette tapes, and many church members wanted the tapes immediately after the service while the message was fresh in their minds," says Phillip Bennett, director of Belmont's cassette ministry program. "We purchased several Sony audio cassette duplicators to meet our growing needs. By the time the members say their hellos to one another after services and begin filing out of the pews, I have tapes ready for purchase."

For its audio tape ministry, Belmont Church purchased a Sony CCP-1300 master audio cassette duplicator and two Sony CCP-1400 slave duplicators. The technology allows the church to copy both sides of up to 11 tapes simultaneously at 16 times the normal speed. Thus, they can create 11 duplications of a 60-minute tape in less than three minutes and almost 200 copies in one hour. The church also maintains a trained staff to keep up with the technological advancements.

Belmont's cassette ministry includes two cassettes of every weekly service, one with only the message; the other with worship. The church also produces special "boxed sets" of tapes that include recordings of special lectures and Christian speakers who visit the facility for classes or seminars. Church missionaries receive monthly shipments of tapes to help spread the gospel globally.

"Our cassette ministry has enabled us to share, simply and economically, our message with people in all corners of the world," Finto adds.

To help expand its outreach mission, Belmont Church has began investing in a video cassette ministry that will co-exist with its audio capabilities. For the church, it simply is another way to help bring God's message to people in easily accessible venues, making worship as close as a parishioner's Walkman, car stereo or VCR.

"We encourage other churches to use every possible means to get the message out," Finto notes. "As our cassette ministry grows, we are reaching more people and realizing new and greater benefits each day."

First Baptist Church of Tempe

Embracing technological progress for the spiritual growth of its congregation was not a difficult reconciliation for First Baptist Church of Tempe, Ariz., to make. As far as Don Avis, the church's technical coordinator, is concerned, technology is an essential element needed to promote a worship service's overall impact.

At one time, First Baptist utilized a slide projection system to project the words of hymns onto a screen and an overhead projector so the pastor could make extensive notes about his sermon. While overhead notes can become messy and cumbersome, creating slides with song lyrics became a costly enterprise. To graduate from its more basic projection situation, the church purchased top-of-the-line Sharp projection equipment from Shepherd Ministries in Irving, Texas, and tied it in with a VCR and a PC computer that utilizes PowerPoint software. The results are a heightened worship experience that unites video imagery with clean graphics and scripture renderings to assist people, both visually and auditorily, in retaining the impact of the message.

"I have had no bad feedback from anyone on the technology," says Avis. "Everyone really has a positive attitude, mainly because it makes the service more interesting. Our feeling is it is a high-tech world, and people are used to working with computers and graphics. If they walk into church and there are hymnal numbers hanging from a sign, it doesn't measure up. Our main idea is that technology in the church would bring people more of what they are accustomed to."

Along with pastor's notes, graphics and video, First Baptist utilizes its PowerPoint program to do other things such as creating slide presentations to advertise the church's missions conference and using the 15 minutes before each worship service begins to broadcast the event calendar.

"If you can make announcements, such as upcoming church events, it saves time from doing it during the worship service," Avis adds.

In addition to its video and data projection capabilities, First Baptist will initiate a phase II portion of its technological enterprise. The church plans to begin video taping its services to augment its already significant audio cassette tape ministry, which also will be upgraded.

"We sell the audio tapes to people who want to keep libraries of the sermons, and we have a lot of shut-ins that we send the tapes to for free," Avis says. "We hope to be able to make video tapes as well to send to our shut ins. Additionally, we will be able to video tape weddings and other special events."

First Baptist also wants to extend the availability of the worship experience by placing monitors in nurseries, the library and different places that keep people out of the main sanctuary.

Included with the technology upgrades, the church is in the process of improving its facilities by adding a new gymnasium, kitchen, offices and classrooms. Avis expects that the gym, or Ministry Activity Center, also will be designed to include state-of-the-art sound and video systems that cater to the hi-tech tastes of today's generation and beyond.

"My plan in the MAC is to install a video system that mainly will be geared toward the young people for showing Christian movies and playing music for outreach," he says. "When I was a child, kids came to church and sang songs. That doesn't happen anymore. Churches must have events that attract young people as well as be an outreach to the community."

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