Pexels.com, Chad Kirchoff
Ultimately, retrofitting existing retail spaces can prove to be an ideal way to allow churches to maintain and even super-charge seasons of momentum and growth....
One of the most exciting times in the life of a growing church is when a congregation has outgrown its current venue solution and begins to explore new venues for the weekend worship experiences. For some ministries this may mean establishing a first permanent location, while for others it may mean adding a new satellite or campus venue. Whichever it is, existing retail spaces like empty grocery stores, movie theaters or strip malls provide opportunities to say "yes" quickly and efficiently.
Yet while many of these types of spaces come with advantages like ample parking and motivated property managers, they also present a unique set of challenges when it comes to retrofitting them for modern worship. One of the toughest issues presented by these spaces is the difficulty of providing engaging visual experiences for hundreds, or even thousands, of weekend attendees.
One of the toughest issues presented by [adaptive reuse] spaces is the difficulty of providing engaging visual experiences for hundreds, or even thousands, of weekend attendees.
Modern worship is continually becoming more and more video-driven, with image magnification (IMAG), lyrics support, original film and video all playing central roles in the programming. Stage design itself is rapidly moving in the direction of custom-designed video displays thanks to their flexibility and creative potential. Church AVL designers and tech directors will need to give special consideration to these challenges early on in the planning process to ensure consistency for their attendees and guests.
Topping out
One of the most universal challenges common to churches trying to utilize existing space for large-format worship experiences is the fact that these spaces were not designed as performance venues. This means that large video screens cannot be placed nearly as high above the audience as AVL directors would normally specify.
“You’re really dealing with height challenges,” says Scott Carman, president and COO of Velocity Productions. “Not being able to get the video high enough in the air really creates sightline issues in places like strip malls. Grocery stores are actually a little easier, because although you might have a drop ceiling, if you remove the T-bar and drop tile, you have additional height and can usually create a venue with the possibility of stadium seating, which really helps with video sightline.”
This lack of clear sightlines to the screens can be especially frustrating for worshippers when they need to be able to clearly read the lyrics while standing as a congregation. “What we’ve found is that a lot of larger churches are using ProPresenter to present the lyrics combined with image magnification,” continues Carman. “When they try to maintain their usual way of presenting lower third lyrics, [it] just doesn’t work with that limited height. We’ve begun helping churches present the song lyrics one line at a time at the top of center stage, which frees up the side screens for IMAG or supporting graphics.”
Competing for light
Another unique challenge of retrofitting retail space for modern worship is the way limited separation between the stage area and the screens can lead to unwanted ambient light hitting the video displays. The effect of this stray light is that it can ‘wash out’ the video image, reducing the contrast and making it less dynamic and harder to read.
With the introduction of cost-effective LED video displays churches wrestling with this challenge are finding ways to have their stage lighting cake and eat it too. ““We’re seeing the initial investment in direct view LED coming down, and that’s the direction everything is moving,” explains Chuck Walthall, president of Walthall & Associates. “It’s power-efficient, and creating custom aspect ratios adds flexibility when it comes to custom stage design.”
“With an LED wall you can present full motion video, or you can project colors. Is that a video wall or is it a lighting element? It’s interesting how closely related they are." Chuck Walthall, President, Walthall & Associates
“Over the past 20 years, video and lighting have started becoming one,” Walthall continues. “With an LED wall you can present full motion video, or you can project colors. Is that a video wall or is it a lighting element? It’s interesting how closely related they are. It’s all a part of the visual experience.”
Structuring for the future
A third issue to be addressed in the retrofitting process is the always-difficult tension between the need for robust infrastructure and immediate gratification. “Infrastructure like that is hard to raise money for, even though it’s the most critical part,” shares Carman. “It tends to get whittled down because you can’t immediately point to it. Churches need to make those investments upfront for the system they ultimately want to have in the future.”
A third issue to be addressed in the retrofitting process is the always-difficult tension between the need for robust infrastructure and immediate gratification.
“When you’re building out a repurposed space your budget might not allow for all of the lighting or video that you ultimately want to have in the space. For instance, while you may want the flexibility to be able to host conferences and mid-week events, your budget may not stretch that far. Motorized truss allows you to easily add lighting and adjust that lighting for different kinds of events, which reduces the cost and danger implementing these kinds of set ups.”
The power of partnership
As with most projects at this scale, the wisest course of action usually involves bringing in outside wisdom and experience, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. AVL companies and consultants can often save churches significant time, energy, money, as well as protecting all-important leadership credibility.
"We grasp the vision, respect the budget, and coordinate with the architect, structural engineer and electrical engineer to ensure the client occupies the space they envisioned.” Chuck Walthall, President, Walthall & Associates
“We capture the vision of the music, drama and tech teams, and then coordinate it with the design and budget teams,” explains Walthall. “We think behind the curtain, knowing what it takes to power, support and condition these type [of] systems. We grasp the vision, respect the budget, and coordinate with the architect, structural engineer and electrical engineer to ensure the client occupies the space they envisioned.”
Ultimately, retrofitting existing retail spaces can prove to be an ideal way to allow churches to maintain and even super-charge seasons of momentum and growth. With the right planning, along with experienced guidance, creative ministries can maximize their potential within these contexts as they move into a preferred future.
