3. If someone cannot hear the verbal message or read the text, will they understand the theme or sermon truth by the visual design?

4. Is the multimedia appropriate for your congregation, for traditional, blended or contemporary settings?

5. Is the digital art visually attractive and spark spiritual reflection?

6. Video clips: does the clip strongly illustrate the truth of the scripture? If you wonder what the point of that clip was, so will others!

7. How realistic is it that your volunteers can create original theme media, week after week?  A sizable photo library will be needed to draw upon.

8. Does the digital media on a CD include many themes, or several themes with many different colors and variations of light and darkness? Often times, CDs contain many variations of the same picture, not such a good value after all.

9. While nature pictures are pretty, does an ocean or forest scene visually reinforce the truth that God forgives us? Nature scenes visually reinforce themes of God’s creation, the environment and stewardship. Save them for that purpose!

10. Visit www.ministrydepot.com for multimedia to empower your worship and sermons in a variety of settings. Our media has been intentionally designed by a pastor for scripture and sermon themes.

Summary:

Just like a picture in a book reinforces something that is happening in the story, multimedia should reinforce the worship and sermon theme of the day. Create or purchase media that empowers a specific theme. Do not use meaningless backgrounds or “wallpaper.”

Not too long ago, I received an email from a Methodist church member who was asking for help in persuading his congregation to move towards "multimedia worship."

He went on to say, “ we are convinced that digital worship is what we need in order to revitalize our church, but we have met a strong opposition from members that feel we are going to ruin their traditional church.”

This church member portrays a bird’s eye view of what is happening in the wider church. Often there are several camps in every church with different ideas on what the church needs to do to solve it’s problems. I would caution anyone if he or she is convinced that multimedia in worship is the solution for increasing membership and revitalizing the church.

When I returned the call to the pastor of that Methodist church, I asked her, “if she or the worship committee has explained to the others, the whys of including visual communication"? As I shared with her the changes in our culture, the importance of using technology for ministry purposes and mission, she realized that she had not been able to verbalize why changes were needed. Therefore, the congregation did not have an understanding of how this could help them be more effective in their mission. She decided to work on an educational process with the congregation.

When one is considering using media & technology in your worship, questions that are important to address are:

1. Will these changes help us to be more successful in communicating the Good News?

2. Will these changes help us to reach out to those in our community more effectively?

3. Will these changes further the spiritual growth of our people and those we want to reach? 

As you consider new directions and pray for God’s guidance, remember this:  truth does not change, the biblical message has not changed, yet, the way we deliver that message must be constantly updated to reach each new generation.

Tim Eason, author of Media Ministry Made Easy, says this: “When the members of your church understand the spiritual motivations about changes in worship, there will be far less fear and objection, fewer misperceptions because the underlying motivations are explained.” (p. 25)

1. What do independent reviews say about the advantages, disadvantages?

2. How often do they provide software updates, is there a cost?

3. How easy or difficult is the software to learn? Get feedback from several other churches who have a volunteer or staff situation similar to yours.

4. Are there any compatibility issues with other software that you may be using?

5. What type of training is provided or technical support?  What is the cost?

6. What is your budget?

7.  Major software choices include: Easy Worship, Media Shout, Power Point and Song Show Plus.

8. Visit www.ministrydepot.com for multimedia to use with your software.

4.  Where should the projector and screen be located? Front or rear  projection? Projector distance from the screen will effect the type of lense.

5.  Is more than one screen or monitor needed?

6.  Where will the projector be used? One room or several? Portable or permanently installed?

7.  What type of screen: glass bead, fabric, LCD or plasma monitors?

8.  What is your budget?

9.  What features, terminals do you need for usability going forward?

10.  See Fowler on the left side bar to request a free planning kit.

Visit www.ministrydepot.com for multimedia to use with your projector.

2. Thou shall not use nature imagery for every theme.

3. Thou shall not use psychedelic light images unless the theme is the Sixties.

4. Thou shall not jam as much text onto one slide as possible.

5. Thou shall not use text that is difficult to read.

6. Thou shall not use a video clip only because its entertaining or funny.

7. Thou shall not use the same design with different colors, Sunday after Sunday.

8. Thou shall not use an image unless it reinforces the spiritual truth or theme.

9. Thou shall not use the large screen as a huge bulletin, to place lots of text.

10. Thou shall not distract worship with meaningless multimedia.

© 2008  Ministry Depot

2.  Thou shall use video clips that strongly illustrate the theme or spiritual truth.

3.  Thou shall uplift and inspire with appropriate imagery.

4.  Thou shall give staff and volunteers adequate time to pray, plan and prepare worship.

5.  Thou shall choose a scriptural truth and theme.

6.  Thou shall do a few things well rather than a lot of things poorly.

7.  Thou shall trust the Spirit to work thru inspired advance planning.

8.  Thou shall train volunteers adequately and provide support.

9.  Thou shall remember that the WOW is God’s grace thru Jesus Christ and not the biggest and best of technology.

10. Thou shall recognize the importance of team work.

To see more images like this…

Our worship media themes are $5.99… affordable for churches of all sizes!  Video and website “rights” are extra. 

Visit the Gallery to see unique media for contemporary, traditional or blended worship!