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Optimizing Your Church Presentation for Visitors
By Brandon Hadley Seeing your church through the eyes of a first-time visitor is an important discipline. It enables you to ask valuable questions like: Does this make sense to someone new? Does this practice serve attendees at the expense of visitors? How can this element be improved in order to make them feel
11 Reasons to Invest in Church Presentation Software
By Dan Willard You know the saying, “Remember the good old days when…”? Like, “Remember the good old days when you could buy a Coke for a nickel?” Well, I’m not quite old enough to remember that, but when it comes to displaying song lyrics in church, I remember the old days, which are not
Attract Families to Your Church with Child-Friendly Décor
By Dave Nolan Churches today must compete for the attention of young families. The good news is that you can stand out and attract and retain more families to your congregation by enhancing your church with child-friendly activities and décor that can turn your location into a destination. Creating a space that appeals to
10 Tips to Make Your Church Media Ministry More Effective
By Agustin Cruz The goals of a church media ministry are to effectively communicate the church’s message to its members and the community, provide a visual and auditory experience that enhances the worship service, and create an environment that is welcoming and conducive to learning. The objectives of a church media ministry are to
NorthPark Presbyterian Church Live Streams to a Global Audience
Blackmagic Design recently announced that NorthPark Presbyterian Church, the first Presbyterian church and the second ever house of worship built in Dallas, Texas, is using ATEM SDI Extreme ISO live production switcher to expand its digital presence by live streaming its worship services to attendees across the United States, Canada, South America, Asia and
Church Stage Design 101
By David May When thinking about church stage design and church presentations, it can seem like there are endless elements you need to think about. It may even be overwhelming looking at the countless church stage design ideas and different possibilities online. But it’s important to remember that every church is different, and you
North Phoenix Baptist Church Sees the Light with Severtson Projection Screens
October 17, 2021, marked a very special day for North Phoenix Baptist Church (NPHX Church) in Arizona. Seventy-five years prior to this very significant date, the congregation was founded. Two decades ago, NPHX Church brought in a team to renovate and update some of the facility’s production systems. At the time, budget and technology
Create a Cohesive Look with Your Worship Presentation Software
By Ben Wagner No matter what operating system you use or whatever projection software your ministry is taking advantage of for your church services, creating a cohesive look and feeling for that presentation is a key proponent to a successful “big screen” display. As many know, PowerPoint has long been a staple in presentation
Customize Your Church Space with Moveable Walls
By Katie Albrecht As a church leader, there’s always a variety of factors to consider when it comes to your facility. Regardless of the size or style of your space, facility managers likely face something new every day. For this reason, there are several lines of portable partitions to help churches and other facilities
St. Richard’s Episcopal Church
St. Richard’s Episcopal Church has been a part of the Round Rock, Texas, urban fabric for decades. It is a well-established entity in the city’s community, known by many as the “Pumpkin Patch Church” because of the 10,000 pumpkins that decorate its front lawn facing Hwy 79 every October. This annual fundraiser pumpkin sale
Creation Care at Church: Ministry That Makes Cents
By Nancy Sleeth “Am I supposed to say anything?” I whispered to the woman who had invited us to the meeting. “That’s why you’re here!” she responded. Yes, it was a setup—in the best sense. My husband Matthew and I had been asked to lead a retreat on stewardship of God’s creation. The church
Lake Pointe Church
Buildings don’t grow churches, but a well-crafted building solution can have a huge impact on a church’s ability to effectively carry out its mission. As one of the fastest growing and largest multi-site churches in America, Lake Pointe Church had found significant success in growing its ministry across multiple communities. In the growing Dallas
How to Hold Successful Simultaneous Church Services In-Person and Online
By Bob Pritchett Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, churches across the country have struggled to feel like they’re “getting it right.” Remain online for too long, and some congregants are critical of the leadership’s respect for biblical fellowship. But resume in-person church gathering too soon, and just as many if not more attendees are disgruntled
Using Wireless Microphones for Indoor and Outdoor Church Activities
By Don Roth Since the development of wireless microphones some 60 years ago as a novelty-convenience item, their performance and use have grown tremendously. A wireless microphone, combined with the right public address system that can receive a clear signal from the microphone and broadcast the sound strongly and without signal interference, can be a
Crosswater Church
Crosswater Church in Nocatee, Florida, had been worshiping in a 600-seat auditorium constructed as Phase 1 of a multi-phased project. Crosswater Church recently partnered with LIVE Design Group to design the next phase of their facility. The primary feature of the project, opened in June 2020, is a 1,200-seat Worship Center with stadium seating
3 Ways to Build Community with Your Church’s Live Stream
What if people who came to your live stream service felt like they were a part of it? Felt connected? From that live stream connection, you could build an online church community that engages all week long. The foundation for that is making your live stream service feel more like an in-person service. Here’s
How Online Giving Can Stabilize Your Church Budget
By Bob Pritchett As the economic fallout caused by COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, churches, along with all businesses, are being noticeably affected. Aside from the fact that some church members are furloughed from work and have less financial facilities with which to give, many individuals who prefer to give in-person or
How to Select Projection Screens for Your Church
By Dave Rodgers This simple task will become a big deal if you do something wrong. Here’s some advice from a professional manufacturer. Hint – You don’t need to pay the most to get the best. A church’s projection display is as important as the pulpit is. Count on it; the congregation’s eyes will
How AV Technology Is Reshaping the Modern Church
By Warren Osse For many years, traditional churches were built with the goal of reinforcing natural speech. But as audiovisual (AV) technology has advanced, modern churches are being created with more auditorium and presentation-centric technology to aid both attendees and the worship leaders in the delivery of the message. In today’s contemporary worship service,
Why You Should Be Using Presentation Software
By David May If you’re not familiar with church presentation software, you probably wonder if there’s a better way to display lyric slides, scripture text, and other media for your services. Maybe you’ve not even thought about software for the purpose of church projection being available. Well, it is available and has been for
AmpliVox Helps Illinois Church Overcome Acoustic Challenges
Today, churches are increasingly built with acoustics in mind, to address the acoustic challenges associated with larger and more complex structures featuring high angular ceilings, tall blank walls, large windows, decorative architectural features, and significant variations in size from one room to another. And, in addition to the challenges of the church structure, today’s religious
Church Internet Marketing: How to Do It Right
By Asaf Darash Church content marketing is a form of marketing that isn’t just having a Facebook page (though you should have one!), creating Facebook events or ads, posting photos on Instagram, or updating your blog. Content marketing is not just content, but creating content that is meant to engage with its readers and build
Church Directories: More Than a Roster of Names and Faces
This article originally appeared in the April 2005 issue. By Frances Putman Most growing churches know they need a membership directory to help everyone in the congregation put names and faces together. Directories also help chronicle a church’s history and record the ministries and activities taking place within its walls and through its outreach in
Security Access Control for Churches
By Keith Shaver Access control – the term used to describe a security system that manages entry into a facility. For churches, access control is becoming an increasingly important security tool, as it allows the church to manage a person’s entry by using programmed schedules to control access to perimeter doors and specific areas of
8 Church Technology Trends in 2017
By Abby Kahler Though small churches rule the world at the moment, there is a lot of change going on in terms of church tech that affects even the tiniest church. It’s definitely important to have a strategy in place to implement these trends, but at the same time it’s easier than ever to access
17 Church Fundraising Ideas
With church fundraising so often falling on the shoulders of the staff and elders, don’t overlook the opportunity to get all church members to be involved! Below, you’ll find strategies that are church-led, those that individuals can take the lead on, as well as ideas for small groups, youth groups, and families. 1. Start a
Beyond the Stage: A Holistic Approach to Church Design
By Ryan Nelson As the former art director at Mars Hill Church, Eleazar Ruiz is sensitive to how physical elements of a room or a service affect our posture towards God, our attitude towards worship, and our experience of a sermon. “I visited an Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, and the design and silence of the
7 Design Principles for Powerful Presentations
You don’t need a professional designer on staff to craft an elegant presentation. We’ve pulled together 7 principles that you can use to build powerful presentations—the kinds of presentations that pull people in and help them focus on your worship and message. 1. Fewer words, more attention It’s tempting to fit as much text onto
7 Tips for High-Quality Streaming
Over the last 15 years and certainly during COVID-19 in 2020-2021, online streaming has helped ministries sustain the delivery of the Gospel and, for the physical church, grow attendance. Despite the counterintuitive nature of that statement, we’re seeing church growth supported through streaming services happen more and more. Online streaming for churches has become
7 Ways to Use Portable Staging and Risers to Impact Worship
Churches are not just places of worship; they are vibrant community hubs where every event, ceremony, and gathering holds significance. Portable staging and risers enhance these experiences, offering versatile, dynamic solutions that cater to various needs. Add Space for Worshipers Including modular stages in church settings ingeniously expands the available space, accommodating more worshipers
Religious Product News February 2024
The February 2024 edition spotlights on Children & Youth Ministries, with tips for recruiting long-term kidmin volunteers. This issue also includes the Church AVSL special feature, which focuses on lighting upgrades. Other article topics: Improving Communication Optimizing Presentations for Visitors Advanced Network Solutions for Security Benefits of Global Travel Using Modular Walls for Humanitarian Efforts
Is the Bus Company You’re Chartering Licensed and Insured?
Why you should thoroughly vet your bus company before you take a trip By Amy Nixon Your church group is going on a trip, and you are looking for a bus service to take you where you need to go. So, you Google “bus companies in XX city” and watch as various bus “companies”
The Gathering
The Gathering was one of the first newly constructed church buildings built within the St. Louis city limits in decades. Thoughtful functionality and flexibility are key to this church design—the worship space can be configured to accommodate either a morning worship service or an evening community event. The central Gathering Space allows for milling
Advances in Multimedia Technology
By Jim Bask As a value-added reseller of video production and live streaming equipment, we have been providing production tools to houses of worship for almost 30 years…just a bit longer than Religious Product News has been your go-to resource. I am happy to write about how much church AV has changed in the
Our Best Tips for Outdoor and Drive-In Worship Services
Parking lot services. Drive-through worship. Whatever you call it, these outdoor events that largely started during the pandemic have stuck around, due to their popularity with worshippers. With the weather warming up, you’re probably ready to take Sunday mornings back outside. Use a Mobile Stage While simple outdoor services can be held in drive-in
Celebration Center Integrates Cutting-Edge A/V and Acoustics
Originally built in 1917, First Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota, has served as a rock of solace, inspiration, spiritual training and community service for more than 100 years. In 2017, continued parish growth and a need to modernize its original facilities inspired Senior Pastor Corey Biertness and his dedicated assembly of pastors to
Mobile Stages for Outdoor Ministry
By Todd Allison Outdoor services have always existed, but the recent pandemic has given them a new revival. Meeting in the open outdoor spaces is one of the few ways believers could gather without running afoul of COVID restrictions. That said, outdoor services have become quite popular for reasons beyond following the CDC guidelines.
Getting the Right Lighting for Your Worship Space
By Scott Kinnebrew I remember the early days of making copies of sermons on cassette and learning just how many people benefitted from having access to them. It wasn’t always the kinds of restrictions you would think might keep a person from attending church in person, but having access to these recordings helped so
Elevating the Worship Experience
In 1998, Connect Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, began under the leadership of Pastor Kyle Horner and his wife, Danielle. With a foundation focused on multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-generational worship, this high-energy, contemporary church continues to grow and evolve to support the community. Part of this evolution is not just adjusting to how
3 Key Processes for KidMin
By Dale Hudson Effective children’s ministries have processes in place for their key areas of ministry. They don’t just “wing it.” They know ahead of time what the steps will be for ministry situations. Let’s look at three of the key areas for which you need to have a process. Volunteers How you bring
Religious Product News November 2021
The November 2021 issue is the Finance & Fundraising edition, with a feature article outlining the difference between giving and stewardship. This edition also has a special section on Transportation, detailing ways to buy a church bus and how to protect congregation members on the road. The Church Sports & Recreation special coverage focuses on
4 Ways to Enhance Contemporary Worship with Technology
Do you see glazed-over eyes and drooping heads when you look into the congregation during your church’s worship services? Corporate worship is one of the most important markers of what a church is, yet it can be easy to get into a groove . . . that turns into a rut. However, there are
LED Lighting Enhances Your Worship Services and Your Bottom Line
By Jeff Carey LED lighting has become a focal point of the visual aspect of churches, along with the benefits of energy and maintenance savings. Many churches are now open seven days a week, and effective LED lighting projects can offset a good portion of these costs. Enhancing the worship experience has become a
Fundraising in a Pandemic
When the pandemic hit, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Whitestone in Queens, New York, was in need of emergency fundraising. For a solution, they turned to Cave Company, a 116-year-old company based in New York, run by third-generation owner Gregory Cave for the past 40 years. They selected the company’s flagship product, Tree
4 Steps to Establish Vision in Your Worship Team
By Willy Counts It’s no surprise that the Worldwide Church is transitioning the way that they approach church as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or “these unprecedented times.” Local churches everywhere are in need of strategies to help them understand what works and what doesn’t work post-COVID. If you need a strategy that
The Importance of Children’s Ministry Theming
By Scott McLean The day has arrived. You heard about it from a friend, you read a great review, so you came to experience it. As you enter, you look around, soaking in the ambiance — the decorations, the wall colors, the lighting, the other people. Memories of favorite places emerge. Everyone’s seated, the
The Vital Role of Staging in a New Era of Live Events
By Cindy Albrecht Due to the heavy impact of COVID-19 on the live events industry, spatial distancing will likely play a major role in how people attend sports competitions, theatrical productions, worship services, business conferences, classes and other in-person presentations in the coming months and years. In fact, it is quite possible that the
3 Ways to Add Function and Flexibility to a Worship Space
The role of the modern church is evolving with places of worship expanding their reach and impact by serving as gathering places outside of the traditional Sunday morning service. In fact, the new role of the church building expands far beyond the classical context of religion. When the time comes, many churches will once
Religious Product News January 2020
The January 2020 issue is the annual Buses & Vans focus. Find out why your congregation needs a church bus, in addition to information about insuring the vehicle and choosing a driver. The Ministry of the Month column identifies four questions you should ask when choosing new gym flooring. Read about how Crown Design Group
Today’s Choices in Pulpits, Podiums, and Lecterns
By Don Roth Today’s choices in pulpits, podiums, and lecterns have expanded along with churches’ congregational styles, ranges of activities, types of facilities utilized – indoors and out, and, of course, budgets. The once traditional stationary wooden pulpit, perched in front of and above the congregation, is now sometimes replaced by more sleek and
9 Tips for Choosing a VBS Program
By Janelle Hoos VBS is an important part of children’s ministry. It is an opportunity to reach out to the children in your community. It’s a chance to build relationships. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity to share the gospel with children. How do you choose a VBS that will help you do that? How
Religious Product News November 2019
The November 2019 issue is the annual Church Finance spotlight. Find out how to simplify expenses through business prepaid cards, in addition to learning how to keep indirect spending in check. The Ministry of the Month column provides the benefits of buying a used bus. Read about how Life Church implemented VITEC house of worship
10 Things to Do Before You Start Streaming
By Mindy Worley Does your church want to stream but doesn’t know where to start? Decide on your purpose and content. The first thing to figure out is the purpose of your stream. Do you want to use your stream as a general broadcast, or would you like to set it up as an additional
AmpliVox Sound Systems
AmpliVox Sound Systems is a leading U.S. manufacturer of portable sound systems, lecterns, and multimedia workstations. Their goal is to provide top-quality professional presentation equipment that sets up easily, delivers perfect performance, and stands the test of time for reliability and durability. . Using Wireless Microphones for Indoor and Outdoor Church Activities Today’s Choices
Developing the Right Stage Design
By Steven Hall Creating an excellent atmosphere for worship is pivotal in our new visual culture. Increasingly in our culture, people communicate and connect through visuals in everything they do. Worship is no different. This creates a need in the modern church to create a visual experience in our worship services. We are blessed to
The Benefits of Projecting Hymns
This article originally appeared in the February 2013 issue. By James Tackett James Tackett is with The Paperless Hymnal, www.paperlesshymnal.com. When most of us went to church not many years ago, we expected to sit in a pew, take a hymnal from the rack in front of us, and sing along with the song
Versatile Lecterns for Every Speaking Need Enhance Meaningful Services and Events
By Don Roth For all the activities that take place in your church – worship, education, or social – presentation tools can make the difference between satisfying and frustrating experiences. It is vital to have equipment that ensures all participants can hear and share comfortably, and it is equally important to maintain the tone and
Vacation Bible School for All Ages?
This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue. By Jonathan Norris Jonathan Norris is marketing coordinator for Regular Baptist Press, www.rbpstore.org. Are you looking for an event that brings the whole church together and results in spiritual and numerical growth in one week’s time? Consider Vacation Bible School for all ages! The benefits
Extend Your Voice with Portable Sound Systems
By Don Roth The ability to hear well is central to most day-to-day activities in any church, from the sanctuary to the classroom to the fellowship hall. Groups large and small are able to participate more fully when sound is amplified to all corners of the room. Fortunately, this vital enhancement is easy to achieve
8 Practical Ways Lyric Operators Can Prepare for Sundays
By Jeff McIntosh The role of a lyric operator in worship services is extremely important. You are so much more than a button pusher – you lead people in worship visually. Providing lyrics for your church not only enables regular attendees to worship more freely, it allows newcomers to comfortably join in on the experience.
AmpliVox Technology Helps Engage Audiences for Celebration of Cultures
When the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit invited the public for a celebration of international cultures this spring, AmpliVox Sound Systems didn’t hesitate to be an integral part of the festivities. AmpliVox donated the sound equipment and the expertise to help make the event a success. Over 500 guests including attendees from Russian, Islamic,
Love Finds a Way: LED Signs and Permits
By Jess Bern Outdoor LED signs appeared in the mid-1990s. Churches quickly realized how this cutting-edge technology supports an ageless message. The content on an outdoor LED sign inspires and informs church members and nonmembers alike. An LED Sign—Part of the Ministry An LED sign gives passersby some insight into all the good things going
Video Security Systems: DIY with Your Own Membership
By Michael Bailey Places of worship find themselves today at the center of a perfect storm, a collision of seemingly unstoppable forces. Growing security challenges, tightening financial resources and revolutionary technologies are converging. The rising threat to the safety and well-being of our congregants, staff and facilities is all over the news. Tithes, gifts and
Reinventing Sunday School for the 21st Century
This article first appeared in the April 2006 issue. By Roger Theimer and Mike Heinz Dr. Roger Theimer is the author of Kingdom Quest, a children’s ministry curriculum available over the Internet, www.kidskountpublishing.com. Mike Heinz is the director of family ministries at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. When you hear Sunday
