Church is changing. Not long ago, a church presentation required simple flannel boards, slide carousels or maybe overhead transparencies. For a lot of churches, those days are gone. Over the last few years, many congregations have exchanged hymnbooks and paper-printed song sheets for movie screens, computers and video projectors.

Pastor Will Wilson of the Chico Evangelical Free Church in Chico , California , says, "Our message is not changing in any way, shape or form, but our audience has changed over the years, and we need to be effective in communicating the age-old truth of the Bible to that new audience."

To minister to modern congregations, many of today's churches employ cutting-edge video and presentation tools. It has become increasingly common for churches to use computers and production switchers to project song lyrics and scripture references onto large screens during their services and to incorporate clips of video to reinforce the message or enhance special musical numbers. Though the message of the church is timeless, the methods of presentation are constantly changing. This article will offer some advice to help you select a presentation application that will help you project the right image.

Source Work

The look of your presentations (in terms of both quality and flexibility) is directly related to the source of your content. By content, I mean the graphics, text, still images and video clips that make up your show. You will keep this content on some sort of storage and playback device, such as a computer or VCR. When it comes to projecting images onto the screen in your sanctuary, there are only a few options. The images that appear on the screen come from one or more of the following:

•  A videotape machine

•  A DVD player

•  A computer with video editing software

•  A computer with presentation software for still graphics or slides

•  A computer with presentation software for video clips or animated graphics

Three Approaches

Whether you need to project song lyrics, scripture verses or video clips, there are three general approaches to setting up shop, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. While they all get images to the screen, their complexity and flexibility are very different. To choose the setup that's best for your situation, think about these approaches.

Approach #1 - The Digital Slideshow

The digital slideshow is the electronic elder to the overhead projector and slide carousel. For many of us, digital slideshows mean Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The level of expertise required to assemble this sort of presentation is minimal, hooking up the projection hardware is a snap, and one person can run the whole show. For these three reasons, most small-to-medium sized churches begin projecting song lyrics this way. All that's needed is a laptop running PowerPoint, a single cable connecting the laptop to a projector (often on a cart that can be wheeled in and out of the auditorium), and a movie screen or white wall. Slides are created and arranged in sequence before the service and advanced manually by tapping the spacebar or arrow keys.

While digital slideshows offer ease and affordability, they lack flexibility and are somewhat limited. For example, PowerPoint does not allow you to seamlessly project animated backgrounds or video behind your graphics without additional software. While PowerPoint seems to offer a range of transition options, their quality is relatively poor.

Approach #2 - The TV Studio

The TV studio approach is the opposite of the digital slideshow in terms of flexibility and simplicity. Where the slideshow's laptop-projector setup is about as easy as it gets, the TV studio setup can quickly become overly complex. Source media may come from any combination of multiple live cameras, DVD players, tape machines and hard drives. Special equipment is required to avoid glitches and each source must be synchronized before going out to a video production switcher.

While the TV studio setup can deliver a polished and professional looking program, a well-oiled team of camera, tape and computer operators is required. Operating some of this equipment takes a bit of expertise and technical aptitude as well. Not just any volunteer will do. The risk of taking this approach is this: the more humans you involve in the production, the higher the risk of human error. Did I mention that this setup costs a little more than a laptop and a projector?

Approach #3 - The Presentation Application

Many churches are opting for an approach that combines the simplicity (and budget) of the slideshow with the full-motion capabilities of the TV studio. Presentation applications are the hot new trend in church presentation. They allow users to place pages of text over still backgrounds, animated backgrounds and video clips. While these systems don't allow you to switch between live camera sources, they do provide a richness that is lacking in PowerPoint alone.

What to Look for in Your Presentation Software

Dedicated software makes it easy to create quality productions. There are a number of presentation applications designed specifically for this type of production. Many of them are very flexible and let you incorporate your own video clips and existing animated graphics. Before you invest in a presentation program for your church, make sure the product you select rates well in the following areas. Here are five things to consider as you shop for presentation software:

• Content-- What exactly do you need to get onto the screen? Stills only? Video? Audio and video? Different applications have different capabilities, so figuring out what you want to do will help you determine what you need.

• Complexity --How easy or difficult will it be to configure and operate the system you select? Do you have the personnel to hook it all up and make it work?

• Compatibility-- How will the projection setup you choose integrate with your current equipment? Will it allow you to integrate the animated backgrounds or stock footage that you already own?

• Cost: Quality Ratio-- Price is always an issue, but quality is also important. Make sure that you choose a system that matches your budget, without compromising your look.

• Commitment-- Let's be honest, once you make a choice, you should be prepared to live with it for a while. It may be years before the video projection system is upgraded again, so make a choice that can grow with you.

Quality Is Essential

Though it may be argued that content is your primary concern, in the context of worship, quality has to be your focus. The cardinal rule of church projection is that the production must not call attention to itself, distract from the main message or intrude in any way on the sacred.

Pastor Will Wilson says, "If we can't have high quality and excellence, we are better off not to do it at all. If you are going to make changes, they'd better be done with excellence." 

Graphics need to be well designed and played seamlessly. A poor quality image on the screen can distract the congregation and break the atmosphere of worship. Technical glitches between graphics or bursts of audio snow at the start of a video are not acceptable.

Think of it like this: Every time you project an image on a screen, you project an "image" of your church as well, shaping the perception that visitors and members alike will have of your church.

Chuck Peters is the Director of Promotions at Digital Juice and is the Editor in Chief of Digital Juice Magazine. He has more than 16 years of professional experience in television, video and presentation. Visit www.digitaljuice.com for product information, tips and techniques.