There are two major trends developing related to the use of multimedia in worship services.

The first is increased creative potential. In the early days of church projection, there was little room for creativity. Songs were projected on a standard PowerPoint blue background (with, of course, the same font for every song). Thankfully, times have changed. With recent advances in software and a little creative effort, we have the ability to not only put video images behind our text, but also mix a number of video backgrounds within the same song.

The second is that projection has become a central part of the worship experience at many, if not most, churches. There has been exponential growth in the number of churches utilizing projection every Sunday, the size of media budgets, and the number and size of tech teams.
 
These two trends merge to one point: Projection computer operators are in a position to have a major impact on the worship service. We (operators) are now a big part of the worship team, and the computer is our instrument. 
 
The guitar player plays from his heart, and thereby affects the worship of everyone in the congregation. In the same way, when computer operators see their function as a true act of worship and engage the heart and creativity to that end, it has a tremendous positive impact on the congregation as a whole. 
 
While I am a great advocate of planning and preparation, there is a difference between being prepared and being mechanical. Optimally, ours is not a mechanical function. As part of the worship team, we need to be willing to be led by God and adjust what we are projecting to the flow of the service. It's the Experiencing God principle: see what God is doing, and join Him in it! It is an act of worship, and worship by definition is organic.
 
Using Video Backgrounds
The use of video backgrounds behind projected worship lyrics or scriptures can add an incredibly powerful dimension to your worship service. Let's look at some of the most frequently asked questions concerning them.

Do video backgrounds work in Microsoft Powerpoint?
Basically, no. Powerpoint will play certain types of video files, and it even has the ability to loop them. However, the program does not allow you to overlay text onto moving video. The closest you can get when using Powerpoint is to split the screen. There are a number of church-related software packages on the market that allow you to use video backgrounds. 

What computer specifications do I need to be able to use video backgrounds?
The computer specs you need are dependent upon the presentation software that you use.  Generally speaking, you will need a hard drive (7200 rpm) with plenty of storage capacity, a processor speed of 1ghz or better, and as much RAM as possible (128mb or better). Also, most software packages with this feature utilize a dual monitor system, so you will need either two video cards or a single powerful video card with dual monitor capability.

What is the advantage of a 'seamless loop' over an ordinary video clip?
The ability of a clip to loop seamlessly is very important in worship presentations. When a clip loops seamlessly, you do not notice when you reach the end of the clip and it restarts. When a clip does not loop, you notice an obvious glitch in the video when the file restarts, and this can be a distraction to your congregation.

Some churches use a single background for their entire worship service. Typically, a church will assign a different video background to each song, and most software packages are designed with this in mind. You can add to the effectiveness of the presentation by trying to coordinate the background with the content of the song. 

One further thought: New advances in some software packages will allow you to use multiple video backgrounds within the same song. Obviously, this will increase the skill level required of the technician, but it will also present some interesting possibilities for the presentation. 

Increasing Effectiveness of Video Backgrounds
Now let's look at three basic principles for increasing the effectiveness of motion backgrounds.

Principle #1:  Know your audience.
Video backgrounds are tools that are intended to help move the congregation into a place of true worship. To that end, you must tailor your selection of backgrounds to appeal directly to the folks that will be present for the particular service you are planning. 

For instance, your selection of backgrounds for a youth service should be radically different than for a Sunday morning worship service, and your selection for a Sunday morning service will most likely be different than your selection for a seniors' event.

Obviously, it is more difficult to plan for a multi-generational service (such as a Sunday morning service).  Our experience has been that using a cross section of video styles is acceptable, as long as you stay clear of the extremes on either end of the spectrum.

Principle #2:  Always match the tempo of the song with the tempo of the music.
Even though you can't always match the song's content, you should always match the tempo. Putting a fast-moving background with a slow-tempo song, or a slow-moving background with a fast-tempo song will seemed out of place. Tempo is at least as important, if not more important, than content.

As a side note, we should not confuse "fast motion" with "a lot of motion."  Too much motion can and will distract from, rather than aid worship (again, know your audience!).

Principle #3:  Avoid images of animals or the faces of people.
There are different schools of thought on this topic, and I certainly respect differing opinions.  However, our experience is that showing either of these two types of images causes the audience to begin to intently watch the video and lose their worship focus. In the shots that we use of people, they are either out of focus or in the distance, so that they do not become the focal point of attention, and we usually have them in a worshipful pose.

A final note: I firmly believe that we can worship with our eyes, and that there are times when we want to focus the attention of the congregation on the screen in order to present images that inspire them to greater worship. At those times, the video should be absolutely captivating, and could include whatever is appropriate to your audience and message. However, video that is meant as a background for worship serves a significantly different purpose, and its purpose should be reflected in its content.

Jesse Lewis is president of WorshipFilms.com.