Why Multimedia in Worship?
Sound Advice
by EXW Staff
July 22, 2009
By Don Wuebben
Multimedia incorporates several elements of communication: text, graphics, animation, sound, and video. When properly used, these elements enhance the total worship experience and give new freedom to the worshipper. While using multimedia in worship may be considered "pioneering" by some and "radical" by others, it is not just a fad. Thousands of churches are already using multimedia to take worship to new levels.
Multimedia in worship is a combination of art, technology, and spirit. Every church has a unique personality. Multimedia, when used properly, complements this personality instead of working against it as technology alone can do. But multimedia should not be confused with contemporary worship. While they often go hand in hand, many churches use multimedia with a traditional style of worship and music.
That's the beauty of multimedia. It is easily customized to meet the dynamic needs of your church. And if your church has a vision to change it's style of of music or worship, multimedia is a great tool to help create that change.
MUSIC
Most people assume that multimedia is a replacement for hymnals or synonymous with "contemporary worship." That's not true. Hymnals can continue to be used with multimedia and hymns can be included in multimedia. Multimedia does, however, mean improved flexibility.
- Hymnals do not allow us to "Sing a new song to the Lord" as written in Psalms.
- Chorus books are full of new songs but quickly become outdated.
- Song sheets are helpful, but must be prepared weekly and take time and money to print and distribute.
- All of the above occupy your hands which hinders some people in their praise and worship.
GRAPHICS
Communicate more effectively with the use of graphics.
- Add graphics to any slide.
- Create a theme that you use throughout a sermon series. For example, include a compass on each sermon slide for a series titled "God's Direction for Our Lives." Add a baseball diamond for the series "Church Membership is a Team."
- Use standalone graphics, such as a church logo, to create recognizable separations between different parts of the worship, such as between the Sermon and Offertory.
- Reuse graphics from your web site to reduce the amount of art required.
SERMON HIGHLIGHTS
Maximize the opportunity for God's Message to make an impact.
- Create sermon highlights to draw attention to key points.
- Display Scripture verses so that everyone can read along from the same translation. This is especially helpful to Seekers and New Believers who may be unfamiliar with the Bible.
- Use graphics, charts, maps, and pictures to provide illustrations.
ANNOUNCMENTS
Make use of otherwise "dead" time, such as before or after worship, to communicate to the congregation.
- Make announcement slides for activities that didn't fit in your bulletin or missed the printing deadline.
- Show Sunday School classroom changes and minimize hallway confusion.
- Welcome your visitors. (This doesn't take the place of a personal greeting!) Don't miss this opportunity to tell visitors who you are and what you believe.
- Have visually stimulating announcements aimed at your youth. Remember, you are competing with M-TV!
- Display people's names as they are introduced, such as new members or baptismal candidates. You can even add names as people are being introduced.
- Place video monitors in your foyer and communicate with people as they come and go.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Use multimedia to promote the prayer life of your congregation.
Let the congregation share each others' prayer needs.
Share answers to prayers. Let people know that God is alive and well!
Use WorshipLeader to lead a time of quiet prayer with prayer slides.
AND MORE!
WorshipBuilder lets you customize it to create your own libraries. It grows with you as you develop more ways to use multimedia in and around your church.
Please visit WorshipBuilder for more information on video in worship.
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.