And now, a new, emerging (and profitable) market. Churches are using presentation displays and are beginning to realize the advantages of multimedia presentations on many levels. Not that presentation displays aren't familiar to churches, but it has only been in the past couple of years have they realized the advantages of computer-based presentations.

Why are presentation displays used in churches? Well, there are several reasons…

1- Large auditoriums present many challenges in the visibility of the stage.

Many churches have long, narrow auditoriums or sanctuaries, making it extremely difficult for people in the back of the auditorium to see what is happening on stage. The view from many seats in larger auditoriums is obstructed by columns, balconies, or other obstacles, making it impossible to see certain areas of the stage.

A technique called IMag, or Image Magnification is used to display the live action occurring on stage onto one or more projection screens. Multiple cameras may be used to provide different angles to the action, and provide a "made-for-TV" appearance on the large screen.

2- The average age of many church congregations is getting older.

Unfortunately, as we get older, our eyesight does not get any better. Many churches are not growing in numbers, and if they do not grow in numbers, they get older. As the audience gets older, the eyes and ears start to get worse, and it becomes more and more difficult to see and hear what is happening on stage.

3- Many churches are running into overflow situations.

Almost any church expert will tell you that once a church is filling 70% of their auditorium space, that people will not feel comfortable attending on a regular basis. People don't like to be crowded. Because many churches will reach that critical mass soon after occupying a space or building a new sanctuary, it doesn't make sense to spend hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on renovating or building new space. It makes better sense to make use of "overflow" areas, such as gymnasiums, libraries, classrooms, or lobbies to seat additional people.

To accomplish this, projection displays or direct-view monitors are used in conjunction with a camera system to provide a video feed to these rooms. Even though overflow rooms do not provide the same atmosphere as the auditorium or sanctuary, use of these rooms is much less expensive than new construction projects, and allows churches to continue growing.

4- The Generation X issue.

As I pointed out earlier, the attention span of Generation X is short. That's why churches are gravitating towards more modern music? They have found that to capture the "non-committal" Generation X, they must provide a familiar element similar to the everyday life of this and future generations. Unfortunately, that element (television, the Internet and everything else that has contributed to information overload) has contributed to this shorter attention span. Generation X has come to expect the use of technology in every aspect of their life, and the church is forced to acknowledge that fact.

In addition to music, a few churches have adopted the use of presentation technology for every aspect of the worship service, not just the music. For example, Zan Churchwell, pastor of Cross Community Fellowship (http://www.xcf.org) in High Point, NC has started using PowerPoint to develop his sermon for Sunday morning worship services. Using the same techniques that a professional presenter would use, Reverend Churchwell incorporates detailed headings for each subject that will be addressed during the sermon, in addition to a complete scripture reference. Utilizing a portable projector, notebook computer and wireless mouse, this church is able to target a younger generation, which has come to expect this use of technology in every aspect of their lives.

The presentation display is playing a vital role in the transition away from the use of hymnals in churches. Initially, churches used overhead projectors and transparencies, but as computer projectors improved and computers became less expensive, church found that this solution eliminated the ongoing expense of printing transparencies and greatly simplified the process of updating the order of the worship service.

Although many churches will transcribe the words into PowerPoint, or other traditional presentation software, there are several software packages available that specifically address the church market. These packages include HymnShow from Tempo Music (http://www.tempomusic.com) and SongView Video Projection from Integrity Music (http://www.worshipsoftware.com).

The Future?

Well, anyone who could accurately predict the future wouldn't be writing articles for an AV Web site (he'd be sitting on the beach sipping cocktails), but here it goes:

1- The Internet will dominate the next phase of the information age. That one was easy, huh?

2- Presentation technologies will continue to grow in popularity and move from a luxury to a necessity for all travelers with laptops over the next 18-months and everyone will be carrying one.

3- Videoconferencing will migrate from something that only a corporation can afford to the home within the next 18 months.

4- The PC will become an active participant in the house (controlling and monitoring things like what's left in your refrigerator-generating live grocery lists, watching for intruders in your house, warning you not to miss your favorite episode of Oprah, automatically turn lights on and off as you walk through the house, saving you money by monitoring energy usage, and toms more).

When? Well, if you're Bill Gates, you can do it now. For the rest of us, we'll be able to afford it as soon as the phone companies and cable TV companies start offering it as a service.

Oh, one other thing, the Internet will dominate the next phase of the information age. Did I already mention that?

---

Gary Kayye is Principal of Kayye Consulting a firm that specializes in providing marketing consulting, telephony integration and training development to the professional audiovisual industry. He spent 12 years at Extron and AMX as VP of Sales and Marketing before founding his own firm. He can be reached at www.kayye.com or via e-mail at gkayye@kayye.com. He is also the volunteer chairman of the PETC. He also founded KNews.