Worship Musician MayJun16 | Page 18

EQUIPPINGTHECHURCH
IS OUR WORSHIP MEDIA RELEVANT ?
I was talking to one of our customers yesterday and he mentioned that his traveling music team often visits churches that are still rocking the old school overhead transparency projectors ! This may sound funny , but I kind of miss those days . Back then the most technical thing to know was that to move the lyrics up you had to pull the page down . And if the bulb burned out you could make a quick trip to Radio Shack for a replacement at a cost of under $ 10 .
But then I got to thinking about how the use of old technology can potentially create a disconnect with a younger demographic . So my question is this . Is what we project in our church services accurately representing our church culture ? I ’ m not saying that in order to be relevant you have to have the most cutting edge technology . In fact , implementing technology for the mere sake of having cool technology will more often backfire than be helpful . I had a friend once describe church media like ketchup . If it ’ s not used correctly it can be a put-off . “ I like ketchup on my fries , but not in my Coke ,” he explained . What a great analogy .
With this concept in mind , let ’ s look at what we are communicating on our screens . A simple example would be using media that ’ s disconnected with the lyrics on the screen . Once I was leading a worship rehearsal and we were singing the song “ Let It Rain ”. At one point I turned to look at the projection screen and there were the lyrics of the song with an image of a flower behind it . I ’ m pretty sure I rolled my eyes and made a comment to the media tech about finding a more appropriate background – perhaps one with rain or water .
... look at your media through the lens of the message you are trying to share and the audience you are communicating to .
At the end of the day , is the background really a big deal ? In my humble opinion , if it distracts the people from worshiping , then yes .
Now , let ’ s take that same thought process a step further . At my church we have a “ Traditions ” service that specifically caters to the older folks . In that service we intentionally keep the house lights brighter , the music is quieter , and the graphics on the screen are simple . In our main service we have the lights down , the stage is bright and colorful , and we use plenty of video . It would be inappropriate for me to use the same media format for the older saints than it would be the millennials that make up the main service congregation .
So my challenge to you would be to look at your media through the lens of the message you are trying to share and the audience you are communicating to . The way you present your message is just as important as the message itself . If you ’ re singing traditional songs and you use hymnals , then using video backgrounds may not be appropriate . Conversely , if you are singing modern worship choruses and you ’ re still using an overhead transparency projector , what message are you sending about the relevance of your ministry ?
BRIAN GRAVES Worship pastor in Nampa , ID . Technical Support Supervisor and conference clinician with www . GoFishMedia . net
18 May � June 2016 WorshipMusician . com