The Brighter the Better? Maybe. By Brandon L. Smith

Modern day worship has proven itself a great marketing tool in churches across the nation.  Many times it's the very thing that attracts people to the church.  Churches on the cutting edge leave nothing to spare when it comes to theatrics while others take great lengths to remain nostalgic.  Both paths to attracting people have their own merit, but whether or not this new age of technology is marketing a pure heart of worship that exalts the almighty God is a topic for another post.  My focus here is to concentrate on how the lights, the camera, the great, or the small have potential to pull us away from the reason we gather to worship.  It's so easy to get caught up in the next best thing.  Better lights.  Better media.  Better gear.  Worship leaders and pastors have such a great responsibility to make every effort in keeping the main thing, the main thing.  As long as the focus remains on Christ everything else will fade away as merely a backdrop.  Here's a few things to think about when trying to figure out what effects to add to the worship scene in your church.

1.  Congregation

Every expression of the body of Christ is different.  Age and demographics can play a major role into what makes up the characteristics of a particular congregation.  These things should be looked at carefully.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't try new things or color outside the lines.  I am saying that when we do we should keep in mind the personality of our congregation.  A slight change in scenery can be an effective tool in worship to help people engage in a way they haven't before.  Just keep in mind who's worshiping with you to insure that everyone has a chance to participate.

2.  Media

There are so many graphic ideas and tools we can add to our worship in this category.  I expect that most churches don't have multiple screens for backgrounds, video, and lyrics.  Adding some color or a moving background to compliment the lyrics is a great way to engage worshipers if you only have one screen.  If a moving background is the choice for you then please make sure you can clearly see the lyrics over your graphic choice.  This same concept should be applied to still backgrounds.  The point of suggestion is to not add so much color and movement that it distracts people from worshiping God.   

3.  Lights

LEDs, moving lights, and color panels are all the rave these days.  I sometimes think we are of the mindset that if it's brighter, moves, and has more color options it's better.  Well this is true some of the time but not most of the time.  If your church has this capability keep in mind that less is more.  The mood of the lights should compliment the media.  What I mean by this is to match the colors of the media and lighting.  This will help keep a general theme through the worship experience and help people not get distracted with too much change during a set.  If your church doesn't have the latest in lighting gear try dimming or turning out a couple rows of lights to create a more intimate atmosphere during worship.  You'll then want to turn them back on for the message so people can read the Bible and see their notes.

Technology is a wonderful tool to have in the church.  Let's make sure that the message and worship of Jesus Christ stays at the forefront.  We do this by not allowing all the bells and whistles to dictate our plans for the Gospel.  Technology is a tool to compliment and reinforce the message of Jesus Christ which should be the main attraction and marketing tool we use in the church today and forever.  Knowing Christ and making Him known is something you can't go wrong with.