A lot has changed in the last few years when it comes to production lighting. Technology has become easier to use, more affordable and more efficient. Lighting that used to feel out of reach for small to medium sized churches are now accessible. This leads to the question: Can smaller churches have a production experience like a larger church? Will having a higher quality lighting production make a difference in a medium sized church? While the answer won’t be the same for every church, for one rural church they said yes, and it has made a difference. I know, because it's the church I am currently pastoring.
…the church didn't grow just because of lighting, but it created an avenue that made our community curious, and attracted new families which led them to experience Christ.
Over the last two and a half years our church chose to embrace a heavier production worship experience. We created an automated lighting and video experience specifically during the worship portion of our services. For our community, it was positively received. Our church has more than tripled in attendance, seen numerous baptisms and a large portion of those new people have engaged in discipleship. To be clear, the church didn't grow just because of lighting, but it created an avenue that made our community curious, and attracted new families which led them to experience Christ. Regularly we have been asked: “How did you make this quality of an experience without spending a lot?” and “How did you make this happen without a full-time lighting designer?” This article is here to give some basic tips on how to set up a quality lighting experience efficiently both in time and money.
Not every church should have a modern feel, but not every rural church has to feel traditional.
Choose Efficient Lighting Control
Lighting control is paramount to quality lighting. If a church has a volunteer programming, time is important. If the controller isn’t easy and intuitive, then it will cause the user to feel like it's impossible to do something complex. Many think good lighting requires a “Real Console,” but that's not necessarily true. There are many affordable options for lighting software that are not the cheapest but are by far more affordable than large format lighting desks. All that is needed for lighting software to work is a moderate computer, a software of choice and a DMX dongle that will send the DMX signal. It may be worth researching what lighting software has the best video tutorials as well.
Easy light programming will equate to more creative light programming.
For our church, we had software already, but it wasn't unintuitive. The team couldn’t figure out how to make the moving fixtures move in a sequence. So, they just turned them on and off without movement. This is exactly what the point being made is trying to avoid. Easy light programming will equate to more creative light programming. So, choose light control wisely.
Often, church volunteers look at high-end fixtures and think that is needed for their church to look good. The truth is that the smaller the room, the fewer dollars per fixture is needed. This is especially true in the last five years. One doesn’t have to look far to find reviews on LED batten fixtures, moving head lights or LED wash pars to see what is bright enough and will last. The smaller the room the higher the likelihood that less expensive fixtures will accomplish the goals. If one is concerned about how a more affordable light works, one or two can be ordered, tested and sent back if they don’t work.
Full disclosure, there are times where the name brand is better. Our church found several LED fixtures that were less expensive than the moving head lights we wanted. However, when it came to our LED light bars, we bought a known brand and spent the extra money because they were better for the job.
We asked questions, came up with an affordable way to make it happen, and executed.
Purchase For Flexibility
When designing a new platform backdrop or look, don't simply buy for the project the church is doing next, but think about how flexible what is being purchased will be for the future. For example, if a job that typically calls for LED tape can be accomplished with a par light or a LED light bar for 10-40% more, then use the fixtures instead of the tape. It will last longer and be easier to be repurposed. The church finance guy may not thank the team initially, but he will in a year’s time when they are repurposed.
Another way to process this is by asking what the church may already own. There might be lights not currently in use or lights being used somewhere else. For our church, we had LED wash pars that were being used for “house” lighting. These lights were fairly expensive. So, we moved those to the stage and replaced them with much cheaper fixtures for the house. In repurposing those lights and replacing them in the room, we saved a couple thousand dollars. How can what is already owned by the church be repurposed?
Before jumping to higher quality lighting ... the question is not "can we" but "should we."
Ask The Source
Many churches that want quality lighting during worship, can be intimidated. Coming up with a plan, training and designing can seem overwhelming. Often lighting designers get their best inspiration by looking to other churches. One of the greatest gifts I have found personally as a pastor is the many church production directors (paid and unpaid) who are willing to help others understand how, why, and how much it costs to do what they are doing. Our church got the concept from a church in North Carolina that is a little more than three times our size. Their tech director answered a ton of questions to help us understand what to do to accomplish a similar style. We asked questions, came up with an affordable way to make it happen, and executed.
Not every small to medium-sized church needs to jump to a higher quality light production for worship automatically. There is a cost to be counted both in time and money. However, it's important to know the question is not “can we” but “should we.” Not every church should have a modern feel, but not every rural church has to feel traditional. For the church I have the privilege of pastoring it has made a difference, but one church isn’t every church's story. Every church should decide for themselves what they believe will help bring the most people into the kingdom of God in their context.
