The House of Worship, or “church market,” is one of the least understood and underserved vertical segments of the audio/video/lighting industry. Over the years, manufacturers and systems integrators have had a wide range of experiences with many of the varying denominations and associate this market with a 1950’s view of church. However, of the approximately 330,000 churches in the United States, only about 20 percent today are mainline denominations (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ). This is down from over 80 percent of the churches in the United States less than 30 years ago.

This rapid shift is both a cultural change and a change in how these churches are operating. For those providing products and services to the House of Worship market, this shift is a clarion call to re-engage this vertical with fresh eyes.

THE NEW CHURCH MARKET

According to trend data, many churches are growing at a double, triple or even quadruple percentage annual pace. These churches represent not only the early adopters, but are also part of the early majority. They understand that in order to reach a visually-oriented society, leveraging display technology is now the norm in their churches.

Surveyed churches have reported the rate of numeric growth is impacting the rate of technology adoption. Those who have sold to churches know this market has typically had buying lead times from 12 to 18 months. Yet the surveyed churches expressed that 11 percent now buy within three months, 9 percent purchase within three to six months and a whopping 26 percent now procure within six to 12 months. That represents a huge increase in purchases and a significant decrease in the buying cycle for the House of Worship market.

VIDEO IS NOW EXPECTED IN CHURCHES

In the not-too-distant past, only the largest churches (termed ‘mega-church’ for attendance over 2,000 weekly) could afford to spend the money on large-scale display technology. Yet with the significant advances in brightness, resolution, contrast ratio and multi-view signal flow and switching options, the barrier-to-entry dropped price points to where even mid-sized churches could afford to join the fray.

Fast forward to 2012, and even new church plants, which are brand new churches often meeting in temporary locations until they purchase their first permanent venue, are being led by young, technology-enabled pastors eager to create their own video environments to reach their communities.

BIG GETS BIGGER

In the 1980s and early 1990s, video in church meant a service was being televised. The first major use of video displays came when church venues grew to sizes too large for congregants to easily see the pastors and music leaders on the stage. Called IMAG (Image Magnification), these larger-than-life videos consisted mostly of tight shots to re-create the sense of intimacy experienced by those sitting in the first few rows.

IMAG is still used today in large venue churches, but a trend seen more is in the use of either multiple screens and/or extreme wide-screen aspect ratios using edge-blended projection and high-brightness rear projection. A far cry from the overhead transparencies projected onto a wall of less than two decades ago, these churches are leveraging display technologies to create visually engaging content in concert with worship music, sermon graphics and stage elements.

CHURCHES AND SET DESIGN

Inspired by shows like American Idol and The Voice, more churches are adding stage elements, including projection and displays, to create interchangeable themes. Though a few churches have been doing this for years, the trend has increased dramatically, with younger pastors and congregations welcoming the balance of production value with the integrity of a worship service.

The pictures below are from one church that uses a large center stage screen that is 80’ wide by 30’ tall Stewart Filmscreen with four Christie Roadster 16k projectors, edge-blended. The content is controlled by two Coolux Pandora’s Box media servers. The side screens are used for lyrics and tight shots (IMAG).

At times, the church even uses battens to reduce the screen height, for an even thinner, wider look.

The church technical director, Shaun Miller, shared his thoughts on the value of moving to a large stage display.  “My church used to rely heavily on built sets for sermon series in our auditorium. We’ve disassembled and reassembled a bi-plane on our stage and even built the front of a two-story house, with real bricks and windows. We also built a two-story riser system for the band,” he says. “As we began using video heavily in the previous auditorium, it became evident that a large enough screen could take some of the load off of building actual sets.” The ROI for this screen was justified by the saved man-hours and materials for set construction throughout the year.

MORE, NOT BIGGER

Another trend is the use of multiple projector or flat-panel displays. These can be configured in multiple setups and orientations, providing churches with flexible, interchangeable set designs. Less expensive than edge-blending, the use of multiple screens and projectors is a cost-effective method for driving content for both a scenic treatment and support graphics for the music and sermon.

Another example, shown below, includes 27 flat panels controlled by nine Mac Minis, each with a Matrox Triple Head To Go adaptor and a single Macbook Pro for control, allowing for one large image or 27 unique videos or images (and anything in between) to be displayed.

A simple variant is the same image displayed across multiple displays simply for effect.

Educating churches to the possibilities of multiple displays as set pieces, scenic design and content enhancement should be on the radar of both manufacturers and systems integrators.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MANUFACTURERS

Most manufacturers don’t even realize this kind of sophistication is happening in churches, nor do they realize the potential for selling into the House of Worship market. While a few manufacturers have products that fit these examples well, the bigger potential is in the combining of existing technologies as churches merge the use of multiple display types along with the switching and routing needs for relatively simple volunteer operation. The curation process alone for managing content for these church environments is a sub-market all unto itself!

While many manufacturers will leave the integration of multiple technologies up to the systems integrators, there is obvious synergy to be had by continuing the convergence of technologies. For example, the content on the stage may have the primary focus, but much of the content can be repurposed into simultaneous digital signage or an Internet live stream, even potentially pulling from a shared media server.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR INTEGRATORS

Churches are looking for solutions, not just components. The integrators that create programs with these solutions will sell more than the hardware and software; they’ll sell the solution, including stage design options, media management and curation and even special service and rental contracts. Just as in the secular marketplace, the more complex these environments, the less tolerance for failure or downtime. By building a solid relationship with these churches, integrators can provide peace of mind service options that keep the church up-and-running with proactive maintenance, loaners and rentals for special occasions.

Says tech director Miller, “Having a good relationship with your installer is crucial. I seek out relationships and work with companies that want to work with me. As the TD for Northview, I have to know how every aspect of how our tech systems function, and our integrator has been there with me every step.” Miller’s sentiment is representative of churches experiencing rapid growth, bringing technology to the forefront. This trend exemplifies the huge value-added reselling opportunity for systems integrators.

Five years ago in 2007, I helped co-author a scientific study on the use of technology in churches. The early trends of yesterday are already the norm for today. Churches are investing in technology at an unprecedented pace, but working with churches is largely the same as it’s been for the past two decades: relationships with value-added solutions combined with service will continue to be the key to tapping into this strong vertical market.

A former staff member at three mega churches and church technology consultant, Anthony Coppedge has developed a respected reputation as a leader in technical and communications circles within the church marketplace. Reach him at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anthonycoppedge