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May 2012

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Easter Planning

Great Easter productions are not based on special effects.

by Rob Connelly

When planning for Easter, it is vital that smaller churches keep in mind who they are and who they are not. The intent behind all that we do is to facilitate worship of the Savior. God-honoring Easter celebrations can and should be special, and technology can help --- especially when used creatively and strategically.

Start with the basics and build from there. Great Easter productions are not based on special effects. For some smaller churches, planning Easter services can be wrought with comparisons to larger churches that put on huge productions costing large sums of money. They may not realize the other costs resulting from over-ambitious production goals and the collateral damage of an over-worked and bitter volunteer army.

In the case of Easter, the incredible image of the resurrection of Christ, and His victory over death can inpire us to “go big” with our production planning. Perhaps some would believe that it would more deeply honor the spirit of what Christ has done to portray a drama with big production effects. However, it seems unlikely God’s would lead a small church to compare itself to the mega-church down the street. The key here is the motivation: the heart issue. Is it God’s will or man’s will?

Smaller churches with big church production values, or those that just want to raise the bar from what they’ve done previously, may want to contact other churches in the area for input or advice on achieving their goals. Most churches are more than willing to share technical expertise. Larger churches may even have members of their technical team who are available to help the smaller church with planning and even system operation during their Easter productions.

Perhaps the simplest and most dramatic enhancements for an Easter celebration is the outdoor sunrise service. It can be inexpensive, and it utilizes one of God’s greatest gifts to us: creation (Genesis 1 and 2). This type of service can often be facilitated with a minimal sound system used primarily to project the vocals and instruments of a small ensemble, and most importantly the message. However it’s not without risk or serious pre-production planning. A sunrise service on a calm, sunny morning can be a breath-taking experience. However, if rain is in the forecast, you need to be prepared with a Plan B. If it’s windy, you need to be prepared with wind screens for all of the microphones, and weights to hold down tables, table clothes, theatrical set pieces, music stands and clothes pins for the music.

So for many reasons, most Easter services are held in-doors. For the small church, a bit of colored lighting may provide just the right element of drama and intrigue. It’s amazing how different the same platform, stage or alter area can look with only a few small changes. Basic lighting can be augmented with fixtures, dimmers and colored gels from a local or regional rental company. If the goal is to promote reflection and reverence within the hearts of worshippers, try adding some colored lighting coordinated with specific architectural elements of the room; for example the cross, structural columns or other existing features of the room. You could also add elements like draping purple fabric over a cross and back lighting it to create a halo effect.

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Rob Connelly currently serves at North Wake Church in Wake Forest, NC as director of technology and communication. He is the owner of Connelly Audio, providing technology, ministry and systems consulting to churches. Rob is also a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Ashley have two young sons.