For worship tech directors, creative directors or music directors throughout the country, it is certainly a daily challenge to keep abreast of all the latest technology options available that can be utilized to improve the coordination of each and every worship service.
Whether one is considering using some of their budget this year on improving their audio capabilities in the worship space, or video, or lighting, churches throughout the country, from Newport Beach, Calif., to Kenly, N.C., found solutions recently that satisfactorily met their needs, including new projectors at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach.
Check out the following stories that make up Worship Tech Decisions’ top 10 stories for the year, which include a mix of individual project stories, information gathered from conferences this year, and valuable information offered on an array of technology that should prove valuable to those regularly working with audio, video and lighting gear for their church.
5 Trends To Impact Next Tech Purchase
For churches that are considering how to proceed with their next purchase this piece offers a good glimpse into what steps to take next. Whether it’s to focus on improving one’s theatrical production ability for their worship space, or finding the appropriate use of technology that will enhance the churchgoer’s experience, there are many options available at one’s fingertips to consider.
Reduce Your Energy Costs by Switching to LED Fixtures
As churches are looking to find ways to save some money currently being used in the operation of the worship space, so that it can be of greater assistance for those in need, one logical area to upgrade, while saving money is moving to LED light fixtures. A simple example of how much cost savings can be realized with LEDs is that four 500-watt standard fixtures would likely be the maximum allowed on a 20-amp circuit. With LEDs able to give off a high quality of light without a great degree of power required, LEDs would be able to provide equivalent lighting with four fixtures, but could run anywhere from 15 to 40 fixtures on the same circuit before it would be maxed out, amounting to significant power demands and savings.
7 Reasons Why You Should Have A Projector In Your Worship Space
With recent advancements in projector technology, the days of the rickety projector with flickering images are a thing of the past. As a relatively cost-effective way to make a worship service more efficient, from projecting hymn lyrics on screens for your congregation to providing valuable information to them before and after the service, the value of projectors can be recognized with the flexibility such equipment offers for small churches that benefit from its portability, as well as having that same benefit for larger, multi-room facilities.
Focus is On People, Our Greatest Resource,' at WFX's Tech Leaders Retreat
While there is such a focus typically on what latest gear is available to worship tech directors at any given moment, the Tech Leaders Retreat, what has been the kickoff for the WFX annual conference for a number of years, points to how as leaders there are numerous questions to be asked and answered on how to juggle the other challenges that come with the job, such as successfully finding that work/life balance, that go well beyond just knowing how to use the equipment that you use as part of your job.
4 Objectives of Stage Lighting in the House of Worship Market
Despite so much attention paid toward audio and video for a worship space, the aspect of quality lighting should not be ignored. While making the right decisions on exactly what sort of lighting would work best for the space, beginning with four objectives: visibility, mood, focus and composition, are starting points toward deciding on the right lighting that will serve the space well.
Two California Churches Rely on Hitachi, Panasonic to Deliver Their Message
It might seem daunting, the prospect of making the right choices on what tech purchases will successfully meet your needs at your church in the coming months or year. Just looking at the likes of Olive Branch Community Church and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in California, though, should alleviate some of that concern, as Olive Branch opted for a single Hitachi projector that displays motion backgrounds and lyrics during worship services, along with title and segment slides during speaking promotions, which has more than served its purpose.
6 Microphones You Should Know About For Your Worship Space
One of the common areas of equipment that either gets overlooked or minimally recognized as key to offering a distraction-free worship service are quality microphones, to help with capably providing the spoken word, as well for handling the challenges that come with successfully producing music for the congregation during service. From podium microphones to lavalier ear microphones, there are a few options to consider before deciding which microphones will work best.
Fulcrum Speakers Offer Quality, Clarity in Greentree Community Church's New Building
Another church that made a significant upgrade to their audio system was Greentree Community Church in Kirkwood, Mo. Recognized as a “massive difference” from a prior system that was portable, the new system, featuring new Fulcrum DX1595 and RX699 speakers, have been key to the church’s congregation enjoying sound that they acknowledge is “so much clearer,” compared to the previous sound system.
Top 5 Lighting Products from NAB
For those who were able to attend the National Association of Broadcasters conference, or NAB, in mid-April, there was plenty of new products to take a closer look at, including a number of lighting products, such as products from Elation, Hive Lighting, Chroma-Q, Brightline and Nila. Whether it’s the Elation Colour 5 Profile, feature a flicker-free option, or four interchangeable lens, or the Lupolux 1000 from Brightline, which is efficient enough to offer a 50,000-hour lifespan, the various lighting options each offer their share of benefits.
Church of the Highlands Thinks Big in New, Smaller Worship Space
With the growing number of multi-site churches across the country, the likes of of Church of the Highlands, with its 11 campuses, recognized that after adding a third venue at their main Grants Mill campus, that small 550-seat venue needed to arrive at a solution with new speakers, where the speakers were hidden from view, including Meyer and Mina boxes.