Media Ministry Made Easy

MMMadeEasy3 3/28/03 7:57 AM Page 1
“This easy read is full of practical answers to the usual set of questions real
practitioners ask about media ministry. A valuable contribution to the mission
of media in the church from one of the most pioneering, knowledgeable, and
affable servants we know.” —Len Wilson and Jason Moore
Jason Moore and Len Wilson have been media ministry pioneers since 1993 in such
places as Ginghamsburg Church near Dayton, Ohio and Lumicon Digital Productions in
Dallas. Their current ministry, www.MidnightOilProductions.net, aims to provide teaching,
speaking, and resources for churches using media in ministry.
“Many of us fear the unknown...if we don’t understand it, we’re not sure we can
implement it. Tim’s work gently allays the fears around media ministry and
creates an environment of understanding. You’ll come away from this book
thinking, “Hey, we can do this!” —Kim Miller
Kim Miller is Creative Director at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio where she
and the worship team work to create an atmosphere where people can experience God.
“In a world of visual learners, sound bytes, and shortened attention spans,
media is a non-negotiable. However, many church leaders don't know where to
begin. They feel inadequate and overwhelmed by the high-tech world of media.
Like an experienced "Sherpa," Tim Eason guides us through the dangers and
complexities of implementing a media ministry....” —Lance Witt
Lance Witt serves as Teaching Pastor, and Pastor of Discipleship and Small Groups at
Saddleback Church in Southern California.
“Tim Eason doesn’t cut corners in his honesty about media ministry on the
costs in time, equipment, and people or on the necessity of a guiding biblical
vision. Starting a media ministry? Read this book!” —Yvon Prehn
Yvon Prehn is a speaker, writer, and consultant who specializes in ministry-driven
Christian communication seminars and marketing. (www.cyberservant.org)
“If we’re going to reach a sight and sound generation with a message of hope,
we’ll have to use the media to do it. Media Ministry Made Easy is a great place
to start. Every church in America should be reading this.” —Phil Cooke
Phil Cooke is a producer and director who has been breaking the rules for more than
two decades in order to reach an audience with impact. (www.cookefilm.com)
“Media Ministry Made Easy provides relevant and realistic steps for churches
who are ready to take the digital dive.” —Anthony D. Coppedge, CTS
Anthony Coppedge is a renowned speaker and sought-after consultant in the church
A/V marketplace.
“In a world of increasingly image-rich communication, church leaders must

become familiar with the skills and tools of the current culture of multimedia.
This resource guide is filled with the information, tools, and directions needed to
develop a serious media ministry. Tim Eason knows his stuff!” —Rob Weber
Rob Weber is senior pastor and founder of Grace Community United Methodist
Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“This book promises to be an indispensable handbook for multisensory

worship. Both the novice and the expert will benefit from its informative and
practical counsel.” —Linda McCoy
Linda McCoy is Pastor of The Garden and The Garden at Oak Hill, Blossoms of St.
Luke’s United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Media Ministry
Made Easy
A Practical Guide to Visual Communication
Tim Eason
Abingdon Press
Nashville, Tennessee
MEDIA MINISTRY MADE EASY:

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Copyright © 2003 Tim Eason
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by
any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly
permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act and the 1998 Digital Millennium
Copyright Act, or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission
should be addressed in writing to Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South,
P. O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202, U.S.A.
This book is printed on acid-free, recycled paper.
ISBN 0-687-02578-8
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe
Elements are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Microsoft, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, and PowerPoint Viewer are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
DIRECTOR® © 1984-2000, Macromedia, Inc.
Macintosh® and QuickTime® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks
of their respective owners.
03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
This book is dedicated to hard-working media ministers

everywhere, to those on staff, to all indispensable
volunteers, and to all servants who have a genuine calling
to serve the Kingdom of God through the giving of their
technical and creative talents.
Contents
Introduction 11
Section 1:
Implementing an Effective Media Ministry 13
Chapter 1: Motivations for Using Media 15
Chapter 2: Media Ministry Involves Gear 27
Chapter 3: Building a Strong Media Team 47
Chapter 4: Action! 59
Chapter 5: Copyrights 69
Section 2:
Graphics Workshop 77
Chapter 6: Graphics First 79
Section 3:
PowerPoint® & Worship Software Workshop 95
Chapter 7: Creating Dynamic Presentations 97
Section 4:
Video Production Workshop 121
Chapter 8: Video Production 123
Appendices 151
Using the DVD 175
7
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the companies that contributed to the
resources on the DVD:
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Avenue MediaComplete Corporation
San Jose, CA 95110-2704 P.O. Box 24625
800-833-6687 Nashville, TN 37202
www.adobe.com 888-829-7168
www.mediashout.com
Artbeats Software Inc.
Box 709 Parting Water
Myrtle Creek, OR 97457 P.O. Box 53912
800-444-9392 Lubbock, TX 79453
www.artbeats.com 800-999-5266
www.partingwater.com
David Delgado
www.daviddelgado.com Royalty Free Stuff
888-937-9473
DONline Solutions www.royaltyfreestuff.com
13839 Chisom St. Suite 102
San Antonio, TX 78249 Softouch Development
877-690-4462 Softouch Development, Inc.
www.worshipbuilder.com 8023 E. 63rd Pl. Suite 255
Tulsa, OK 74133-1243
Grass Roots Software 888-876-4004
2015 Airpark Court www.easyworship.com
Auburn, CA 95602
877-274-7277 VideoAnimation
www.sundayplus.com 2269 South University Drive #132
Davie, FL 33324
Highway Video 877-259-9718
201 Castro St., 3rd floor www.videoanimation.com
Mountain View, CA 94041
800-693-4449 Video Scriptures
www.highwayvideo.com www.video4worship.com
Jim Whitmer Photography Visual Worship

125 Wakeman Ave. PO Box 2436
Wheaton, IL 60187 Evansville IN 47728-0436
888-653-1344 812-402-1237
www.worshipphotos.com www.visualworship.com
Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd WorshipBacks

1055 St. Regis Blvd. www.worshipbacks.com
Dorval, Québec
Canada H9P 2T4
514-822-6000
www.matrox.com
9
Introduction
Imagine, for a moment, that Jesus’ first coming did not

happen 2,000 years ago. From an historical point of view
we know that Jesus’ timing was perfect, but if you are con-
vinced that Christ is relevant in the present day envision
a twenty-first century version of Jesus.
Extrapolate from the Scriptures what we know about
Jesus. He was a cutting-edge communicator. He knew how
to reach an audience and hold their attention by using
parables, word pictures, and stories. He spoke of everyday
life and related to the culture at their level.
So many times we read of Jesus’ storytelling without pic-
turing what He may have been doing as He told the tales.
Jesus was obviously very creative and imaginative. Per-
haps Jesus used props to help the listener visualize mes-
sages about faith and justice. I’m confidant that Jesus was
dramatic as He captivated the audience with suspenseful
and sometimes entertaining narratives. It’s no wonder
people gathered around Jesus to hear Him speak!
So, if Jesus walked this planet for the first time today,
what would the Christ be like? I’m convinced of several
attributes that Jesus would have. He would be a fun per-
son. He would be entertaining, while at the same time he
would bring insightful and meaningful messages that
relate to people. Jesus would definitely have a first-rate
website. He would take advantage of every visual technol-
ogy available. He would be toting a laptop computer and
video projector to relate the messages. He might even be a
movie producer!
Take a close look at our culture and the dominant forms of
communication in our world. Television, movies, the Inter-
net, and music each play vital roles in our society. These
powerful methods of telling stories have influenced human
11
Media Ministry Made Easy
lives more effectively than any other means of communica-

tion ever known to humankind. The Church has the awe-
some responsibility of taking the message of Christ to all
nations. If we are going to accomplish this great commis-
sion, we must take advantage of the tools available to us
that will allow us to communicate more effectively and in a
way that is relevant to our society.
In recent years, churches all over the globe have imple-
mented video projection into their worship services. Just
as Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized the distribu-
tion of the Bible, video projectors are revolutionizing com-
munication in the Church. The cost of the equipment needed
for creating and displaying media continues to drop, making
media ministry affordable for almost any size church.
Although the technology has become more accessible,
many churches using media are not taking full advantage
of the potential of this powerful form of communication.
This book is intended to equip and motivate you to effec-
tively use media as a tool for ministry, just as I believe
Jesus would do if ministering in the flesh on earth today.
12
Section 1: Implementing an
Effective Media Ministry
Chapter 1
Motivations for Using
Media
Media is a broad term and can mean anything from print

to broadcasting to journalism. For the purposes of this
book, we have defined media as computer-generated
slides, graphics, and videos to be shown on a large screen
via a video projector. The methods described may also be
applied to broadcasting on television. The focus, however,
will be on incorporating these techniques for in-house
applications within the church.
There are several key motivations for using media in the
church. First, visually reinforcing the spoken word can
increase retention. Without thinking too hard about it, do
you remember what last week’s sermon was about? I ask
this question at my seminars and seldom get more than
two or three people who can remember the sermon topic
from a few days earlier. What is even more disappointing
is that those two or three people are the pastors that
preached the sermons! The sad fact is that most people
cannot remember a sermon the day after it is preached.
What a loss! Pastors may spend hours praying and prepar-
ing for a message, only for it to be a vague memory the day
after it is delivered. Numerous studies have shown that
using visual media to reinforce a message can increase
retention by over fifty percent. At the same time, it provides
a more dynamic environment for learning and worship.
Media is the ultimate tool for communication in today’s
culture. I believe that never before in the history of the
Church have we had access to such powerful means of
communicating. The projector may be used as a conduit for
art and the screen may be thought of as a blank painting
15
canvas—a canvas that may be used over and over again

and change at a moment’s notice. The projection screen
has also been compared to a modern-day stained glass win-
dow. In earlier era, stained glass windows were used to tell
stories, particularly Bible stories, to the vast majority of
the population who could not read or afford to buy a copy
of the Bible. Our modern-day version of the stained glass
window can tell a multitude of stories, all with action and
even sound. Once mastered, using media can deliver a mes-
sage with tremendous impact.
It is a popular belief among those involved in media min-
istry that media is the language of our culture. My parents,
Thomas and Betty Eason, are originally from Alabama in
the “Deep South.” Like any area of the country, the South
has its unique culture. Generations of Easons were born
and raised in the South, and this way of life was all that
my parents knew. In 1967 they felt a call into mission work
and specifically to work with Spanish-speaking people at a
time when there were virtually no Hispanic populations in
the South. Imagine two Southerners wanting to reach a
culture that they knew nothing about, including the lan-
guage. To learn to communicate, my parents spent a year
in language school to learn Spanish. They moved to a part
of the country that was completely foreign to them (New
Mexico). They left behind everything that they had grown
up with to reach this specific culture. It was definitely not
an easy thing to do, but in order to reach the people you
must speak the language.
The language of media is foreign to many pastors who may
have not been exposed to this method of communication in
their training. If the church wants to reach new generations
of believers, it must learn to speak this new language flu-
ently. Just as it was a big step for my parents to leave the
South behind, church leaders must also step outside their
comfort zone to effectively communicate using media. Though
change is not easy, the rewards will prove to be great.
16
Chapter 1—Motivations for Using Media
Cost and Benefit

Motivations for using media in ministry should be carefully
examined. In many cases, churches do not consider the real
reasons that they begin to incorporate media in their serv-
ices. One unrealized motivation may be church modeling.
Church modeling was very big in the 1990s, and churches
everywhere were copying mega-churches such as Willow
Creek and Saddleback. As I have interacted with houses of
worship, I have encountered a number of churches that
tried to model other ministries without great success. The
churches being modeled stress the fact that God gave them
a specific vision, and as a result their ministry grew. Many
churches tried to mimic these ministries so closely that
they failed to seek or discern a unique vision for their
church. The projector revolution in the 1990s occurred
partly because implementing media was part of the popu-
lar church model. Making sure that media is right for your
church is important; it is a mistake to implement projec-
tion simply because other churches are doing it. A media
ministry based on church modeling will most likely be inef-
fective, because there is no specific spiritual motivation to
drive its success.
Another benefit of using media is the potential for church
growth. A strong incentive for implementing media is that
more people may attend a church that appears to be rele-
vant to them. This is, of course, a desirable effect! A church
that effectively applies media to its services is sure to
attract new visitors. Be aware, however, that media is not
merely a gimmick to bring more people through the church
doors. Growth should be both physical and spiritual.
Though media may increase the physical numbers, it should
primarily be used as a tool to promote spiritual growth and
enrichment. Balanced application of media can help you
achieve both types of growth. I would personally rather
attend a small church striving for spiritual maturity than a
large church that is merely “a cool place to go.” There is
17
unquestionably an element of entertainment when using

media. Some churches try to shun or ignore the entertain-
ment factor, while others may abuse it. Media should not
be used as an instrument for pure entertainment; nor
should it be relegated to a mere support mechanism for
church as usual. Since this can be a major point of con-
tention, it deserves special attention. We will discuss
entertainment in greater detail in Chapter 4.
Church modeling, church growth, and visual entertain-
ment are not inherently bad motivations for incorporating
media in ministry. Many valuable lessons can be learned
from other churches. Physical growth is certainly not
something to avoid. Entertainment can be an effective
communication technique. The key to implementing an
effective media ministry is balance. When these funda-
mentals are reasonably applied to a specific church situa-
tion, media will work wonders.
Having served on staff at several churches, I have noticed
that new concepts tend to be introduced to a congregation
either at light speed or at a snail’s pace. The pendulum of
change either swings too drastically or not at all. A church
that goes full bore with new ideas will find that the pendu-
lum will swing so far as to disrupt the growth of the
church. It may even cause members to leave the church.
Eventually the pendulum will swing back toward the mid-
dle, restoring balance, but at a high cost. Other churches
introduce change so slowly that they never gain any momen-
tum for making lasting, concrete changes. Neither scenario
represents a balanced approach, yet many churches tend to
repeat these patterns of implementing change.
Concerns About Starting a Media Ministry

You may have already started a media ministry of some
kind in your church. If this is the case, these ideas and
principles may help you focus or re-start your ministry.
18
Since media ministry is still a relatively new field for the

church, many churches simply did the best they could—
making it up as they went—without really understanding
or utilizing the full potential of media. Only now are they
able to see in hindsight what they should have done when
starting a media ministry. If you find your own media min-
istry in a similar place, I hope that reading this book might
challenge you and provide you with the opportunity to
rekindle and reshape your ministry.
If, however, you are in the initial stages of considering a
media ministry, you no doubt have many concerns. Imple-
menting a media ministry—gaining congregational sup-
port, finding money to purchase equipment, and finding
volunteers to do the work—can be a big step for some
churches and a scary proposition. I will describe several of
the main apprehensions and then offer one word that will
dissolve these fears.
The first concern is how the addition of media will be per-
ceived. What will the congregation think when a worldly
device is installed in “their” sanctuary? I once was asked to
explain to a general assembly in a church why their staff
wanted to purchase projection equipment. A video compa-
ny had set up a demonstration for that Sunday morning. I
enthusiastically explained to the church the benefits of
using media to expand the church’s ministry. At the end of
my presentation, I asked if there were any questions.
Immediately an older woman stood up and said, “I’m
extremely offended that you would bring the world into my
sanctuary! It disgusts me!” Another member chimed in, “Is
it supposed to replace our hymn books? What’s next—do
away with the Bible?” And another, “We need to be less like
the world, not more like it! We’ll lose our heritage!” Need-
less to say, I went from excited to terrified. Although I han-
dled the situation with as much grace as possible, I later
realized that I was battling preconceived notions about
media and its effect on a traditional church. Many churches
19
will encounter this problem. People may think that adding

a media ministry is equivalent to “going Hollywood” or
wanting to be like the church down the street. It may
appear to be a huge compromise to some and a very fright-
ening prospect to others. This does not have to be the case.
One word will help to erase a congregation’s apprehensions
about using media in worship….
Another concern is the time and effort involved in
installing a projection system. “It’s a hassle!” Just as it is
difficult to “retrofit” a traditional church with new ways to
communicate, it is very often a challenge to integrate a
projection system into a building that was not designed for
it. It can take a considerable amount of time to determine
the proper equipment and method of installation. Money
can be a source of contention in many churches, and a new
projection system can be a strain on any church’s budget.
Some churches may feel anxious about the video company
that they work with, wondering if they are being taken for
a ride. One word will make the work involved in integrat-
ing a media ministry seem effortless….
Fear of being taken advantage of by a company selling pro-
jectors leads us to the next concern: “It’s a hustle!” During
the aforementioned church-modeling period in the 1990s,
video projectors were becoming affordable for many medi-
um-sized churches. Projector manufacturers and audio/
video companies quickly caught wind of the evolving
church-projection market. Born from this “projector revo-
lution” was a new marketplace. Since then, countless mar-
keting campaigns to churches have been launched, new
video companies dedicated to churches established, and
specialized church divisions created within some of the
larger projection manufacturers. After working on the sell-
ing side of media ministry for several years, I know that
the projection and video industries see the church market
as the largest vertical (niche) market, and everyone wants
a piece of the pie. This is a valid concern when starting a
20
media ministry. It is important to work with a company

that has some concern for your ministry and does not
merely see you as a marketing target. One word will help
you determine whom to work with….
Once a system is in place, the next concern is that “It’s a
headache!” A media ministry introduces a whole new facet of
church operations. People are needed to prepare the media
and run the services. Advanced preparation time will be
needed to create the material; therefore, music leaders and
pastors must adjust their own preparation schedules. Equip-
ment must be maintained and upgraded. Then there is the
major fear that something will go wrong during a service, or
a piece of equipment will not work come Sunday morning.
One word will act as a mega-aspirin for this concern….
Finally, many churches may wonder, “Where am I going to
get my M&Ms?” Money and Manpower can be scarce com-
modities in many churches. It takes money to purchase the
equipment and manpower to run it. One word will attract
both….
The Answer to Potential Problems

The one thing that a media ministry must have in order to
cope with these concerns is VISION. If there is one major
problem with existing media ministries, it is the lack of a
well-defined vision. The Bible says that without vision the
people perish. I would paraphrase, “Without clear vision
your media ministry is powerless.” In many churches the
media ministry is the equipment—the projector and the
computer—and PowerPoint® is the driving force behind it
all. Church members will quickly associate a media min-
istry with the equipment involved and seldom will be able
to see past the surface. This lack of vision among the
church staff and the congregation will bring to life all of
the aforementioned concerns. The first step is to ask God
for a clear vision and genuine enthusiasm for using media
21
as an effective tool for ministry. Some church leaders and

laypeople already possess this kind of vision and are well
motivated. In many cases these people could be making six
figures in a secular job, but would rather use their talents
for the Kingdom. They usually have a knack for all things
technical and a creative side to be reckoned with. As you
are reading this you may be thinking, “That’s me!”
Whether it is you or someone else, it is crucial to have a
key individual who will move the vision forward.
Once you have identified this leader, it is his or her
responsibility to take this passion to the pastor and staff of
the church. One major job of the pastor is to seek direction
from God and then lead the church on that route. If the
pastor does not fully grasp the potential of using media to
equip the church and enhance the worship experience,
then the media ministry will be doomed to mediocrity. It
may take some time to generate the essential enthusiasm
in some church leaders. Remember that this is a new lan-
guage, and the world of media is a foreign country to some.
However, it is vital that the pastor understand and take
ownership of this vision so that it may filter through the
church body.
Even if the vision for media ministry reaches the church
staff level, seldom does it work its way to the congregation.
This is a crucial step to resolving the concerns described
above. If the congregation is only exposed to the money-
raising and purchasing process of media ministry, then
that is all it will mean to them. They will only see the pro-
jector as another piece of equipment and not the powerful
tool it can be. To them it might as well be a copy machine
hanging from the ceiling. Most people do not attend church
for media or to be entertained. People go to church for spir-
itual reasons. For a church body to embrace media in min-
istry, it needs a spiritual motivation. Members must believe
that media will help foster spiritual growth for themselves,
their families, their church, and their community.
22
I highly recommend setting aside an entire Sunday to com-

municate your vision for media ministry to the church. Dur-
ing this service the pastor should express enthusiasm for
this method of communication. The church should be made
aware of the practical benefits of using media as well as the
advantages for physical and spiritual growth. Several real-
life examples of media implementation should be employed
throughout the service. By using media to communicate
during this service, the message should speak for itself.
To help both leadership and church members catch a vision
to effectively use media, I have taken the liberty of writing
a short sequel to one of Jesus’ most popular parables.
There is an accompanying PowerPoint presentation on the
DVD to be used with this narrative.
“The Sower and the Seed” Part II

I often think about what Jesus was like. We know who
Jesus was and we know a lot about His character, but what
about His personality, the way He talked, His tone of voice,
His inflections, His body language? These are all things
that are not specified in the Bible. Throughout the years
Jesus has been depicted in art and in drama and on film.
Most of the time He is represented as a lofty intellectual—
His words floating through the air—and in an English
accent, of course. But I don’t think that’s the way He was….
Jesus loved to tell stories. In church lingo we call them
parables, but they were stories. Jesus used them to communi-
cate deep truths while, at the same time, relating to average,
everyday people. Go back and read one of His stories again.
This time, picture Jesus as a man who is passionate about
the story He is telling. Maybe He picks up a stick and uses
it as a prop. His voice is dramatic. He draws the people into
the story and captivates them with the tale. You might even
call Him entertaining. No wonder people gathered around
to hear Him speak!
23
Jesus liked to give analogies of farm life. In this way, He

related to the people and their everyday lives. So, in that
spirit, I want to tell you a story based on one of Jesus’ most
popular analogies. You could call it “The Sower and the
Seed Part II.”
There were two farmers who lived in a valley. The soil there
was rich and fertile. The ground almost begged for seed.
Each farmer planted the same seed in his fields. Yes, it was
the same seed, but each farmer used a different method of
planting, cultivating, and harvesting the crops. The first
farmer did some research and discovered the most effective
techniques for growing a crop. Using these techniques meant
that the costs were higher, additional learning was neces-
sary, and taking a certain amount of risk was involved. The
other farmer saw no need for new-fangled machines and
fancy equipment. He had been using his old push plow for
years and it seemed to work just fine.
When harvest time came around, both farmers yielded a
crop, but the farmer who took advantage of more productive
farming techniques produced far more than the farmer who
refused to give up his push plow.
Here’s what the parable means. The soil represents people
who are ripe to receive Christ. The seed represents the
unchanging message of salvation that Christ brought to us.
The farmer who used outdated farming techniques repre-
sents the church that is unwilling to seek out the best meth-
ods of communicating the gospel: this will still yield some
results, but not nearly as much as possible. The farmer who
used modern farming methods depicts the church that
learns to communicate in a way that is relevant to contem-
porary society. These churches connect with their commu-
nity and make many disciples. This is the kind of church
that we want to become….
This presentation should help you lay the basic ground-
work for why your church should start a media ministry.
24
By the end of this special service, the congregation should

be well motivated. Be sure to set some goals before the
church body, including financial goals and building a team
of workers. When the members of your church understand
the spiritual motivations for using media, the major fears
and objections about starting a media ministry will be qui-
eted. There will likely be fewer misperceptions because the
underlying motivations were explained. There will be less
hassle because people will be excited about contributing to
the fundraising and design process of the projection sys-
tem. Finding a video company that understands your
vision for a media ministry will help eliminate the hustle
involved in purchasing. Your headache will be cured by the
dozens of church members who are eager to give of their
talents and be trained to support your media ministry. And
the media ministry’s appetite for M&Ms will be satisfied
as the church body gives of its time and money to support
a ministry it knows will ultimately benefit the Kingdom.
25
Chapter 2
Media Ministry Involves
Gear
Designing a Media System

As we discussed in Chapter 1, the concern about purchas-
ing the equipment needed to implement a media ministry
can often overshadow the spiritual benefits of using this
method of communication. This is a natural reaction,
because this type of ministry requires specialized tools to
carry it out. The “gear” involved is a major factor in a media
ministry and can ultimately influence the effectiveness of
the ministry. It is important to know what tools will be
needed to establish and grow a successful media ministry.
Establishing your vision for media ministry is an impor-
tant first step in the design and purchasing process. I sug-
gest that you develop and document your goals in a vision
statement, so that this statement can be a guide for the
development of the media ministry, both regarding spiri-
tual goals and equipment needs. Vision statements often
begin with a basic statement summarizing the ministry in
a few sentences and then move to a more detailed section
that that resembles a business plan. This plan should out-
line some specific objectives, deadlines to meet those goals,
and the equipment needed for the tasks. An example of a
vision statement might be: “Our ministry would like to
produce video content such as testimonials, interviews,
metaphors, and other material. Using video we will be able
to enhance, support, and sometimes carry the message
that is delivered. We will need a computer capable of edit-
ing video, a video camera, lights, and some audio equip-
ment. We would like to have this system in place by August
27
of 2004.” Each facet of the media ministry should be

detailed in the plan. The first draft may only contain gen-
eral information, but can be augmented as more details
become available.
Equipment Needed: The Basics

Since equipment should be
selected based on your
needs, we will explore the
most basic methods of
using media in ministry.
The first application most
churches consider is the
ability to project song
lyrics, which is a great way
to introduce media to your
church. Other basic appli-
cations include projecting
announcements and ser-
mon notes, and using video
clips for illustrations. The
basic equipment required to accomplish these tasks
includes a video projector, screen, computer, VCR, and all
of the necessary cabling and installation hardware. From
the computer to the screen, each piece of equipment is an
important link in a projection system. The overall quality
can be drastically affected if any of these components are
substandard to the others. We will discuss factors to con-
sider when purchasing each of these components, starting
with the computer and working our way toward the screen.
The Computer
Many churches devote most of their time and money to the
projector without giving much consideration to the com-
puter, which is the source of the images being projected.
Although a vital link in the chain, the projector may be
equated to the “eyes” of the system, while the computer is
28
Chapter 2—Media Ministry Involves Gear
its “heart.” The temptation may be to upgrade the church

secretary’s computer and move their old one to the sanc-
tuary, but that would be a major mistake. The computer
needs to be a near top-of-the-line model with plenty of
horsepower, dedicated solely to the media ministry. Here
are several key factors to consider:
Macintosh or PC? My personal recommendation is to buy
a PC-based system. I have no bias against the Macintosh
computer. In fact, Macintosh systems have been advanced
in the area of media and graphics for years. However,
according to an informal, ongoing survey at ChurchMe-
dia.net, 90 to 95 percent of all churches using media in
ministry are PC-based. This also concurs with our visitor
statistics at ChurchMedia.net and polls at my seminars.
Most churches use PC systems because of their general
popularity, lower costs, and the vast amount of software
available for the Windows platform. Today, Windows-
based systems can contend on every level with a Macin-
tosh system. The Windows XP platform, in particular, is
enhanced for working with media, and a multitude of
media software and hardware is available for the PC. But
in the end, it comes down to personal preference, since
either type of computer will do a good job.
Laptop or Desktop? In general, a desktop computer is a
better value than a laptop. Desktops have more flexibility
in design choices and can usually be loaded to the teeth for
less money than a laptop. The only obvious benefit to a
laptop is its portability. If this is a major factor, the good
news is that laptops have recently made strides in the
area of graphics power. It is now possible to buy an ade-
quate laptop for less than $2,000.
The Graphics Card/Chip. This is arguably the most
important component in a computer designed for media.
Since the graphics card connects to the projector’s com-
puter (or data) input, an inadequate card will act as a bot-
29
tleneck in the whole system. Graphics cards have their

very own memory (RAM) on board. Having lots of memory
gives the card plenty of breathing space for quickly dis-
playing graphics and animations. A card with at least 32
megabytes (MB) of RAM is recommended. Other specifica-
tions to look for include 3-D acceleration and MPEG-2
(DVD) decoding. Dual graphics cards are suggested and
are explained in more detail in Section 3 of this book. We
can thank the video game industry for driving the quality
level of graphics cards, which has in turn improved the
quality of cards included in basic computer configurations.
System RAM. System RAM (random access memory) refers
to the main computer system memory. Like graphics RAM,
system RAM gives the computer the headroom needed to
quickly accomplish tasks. Operating much like our short-
term memory, the RAM keeps the operating system, appli-
cations, and data being worked open so that the processor
can quickly reach them. The more RAM you have, the
more information can be held in short-term memory and
the faster this information can be accessed. The current
price of RAM is very affordable, so you should get as much
as you can possibly afford (or will fit in your system). I rec-
ommend that your system is equipped with at least 512
MB of system RAM.
Processor Speed. Believe it or not, the processor speed of a
computer gets more attention than it deserves. While it is
important, its benefits are mainly only noticed when seri-
ous number-crunching is involved. A faster processor will
be of great benefit for editing video, 3-D animations, or
very large graphics files. Though less crucial than you
might think, having a higher processor speed does enhance
performance. I recommend an Intel® Pentium III or IV
processor with a speed of 1.3 GB or higher. Celeron chips
should be avoided. Though AMD chips are fine, I have
found the Intel chips to be a bit more stable, especially
when editing video.
30
Hard Drives. There are two considerations when choosing a

hard drive: size and speed. For graphics-only applications,
30 GB or larger is recommended and speed is not as crucial.
But for working with audio and video, these specifications
become more important. Hard drive recommendations for
audio/video are detailed in Section 4 of this book.
Motherboard. The motherboard hosts or connects all of the
components in a computer and helps them communicate
with each other. The speed at which the components speak
to each other (bus speed) is determined by the mother-
board. The type of motherboard also usually dictates the
type of processor and RAM to be used. There are also
upgrade considerations when investigating motherboard
specifications. You will want to determine if the mother-
board can be upgraded with more RAM, a second video
card, and a video-editing card. Consult with a qualified
computer expert to decide which motherboard is right for
your application.
Projectors
The projector quickly becomes the focus (no pun intended)
of most media ministries, and is usually the most expen-
sive component. Projection technology continues to
improve with each passing year. Projectors are becoming
lighter, brighter, and more affordable. Here are some basic
considerations when shopping for a projector:
Brightness. The biggest challenge that most churches will
encounter with using a projector has to do with interfer-
ence from the existing light situation in the area where it
is used. In many cases, an abundant amount of light is
already present from windows and any stage lighting.
Although there are several techniques for minimizing this
problem, the most obvious solution would be to employ a
high-brightness projector. The brightness of a projector is
measured in ANSI lumens. There is no magical number of
ANSI lumens that will solve any lighting problem. The
31
appropriate number of ANSI lumens needed will vary

greatly from church to church. As with most things techni-
cal, more is usually better. Projectors equipped with 2,000
or more ANSI lumens have become affordable enough for
many churches.
Resolution. Resolution measures image quality and size.
Projectors have a native resolution, which is its true reso-
lution. Many projectors on the market today have a native
resolution of 800 x 600 (or SVGA). While these projectors
may handle higher resolutions such as 1024 x 768 (XGA),
they will compress a larger image area to fit into their
native format. In most church applications, a native reso-
lution of SVGA or XGA is sufficient. More detailed infor-
mation about resolution will be covered in Section 2.
Contrast Ratio. The contrast ratio represents the difference
between the brightest and the darkest portions of an image.
Higher contrast ratios will usually yield a more colorful,
detailed picture. Most projectors available today have more
than adequate contrast ratios of up to 350:1 and higher.
Exchangeable Lenses. Many projectors come with only one
lens option, though some situations may require a differ-
ent lens. Various lenses are designed to focus and zoom at
certain distances from the screen. The projector lens will
not focus or size the image appropriately if it is out of its
focus/zoom range. In these cases, a different lens must be
installed in the projector. For example, a long-throw lens
may be necessary when installing a projector at the back
of a room. A short-throw lens may be needed when using
rear projection. If you do find that the standard lens will
not work, the first and most desirable option would be to
get an optional lens directly from the manufacturer. If one
is not available, it is sometimes possible to find an after-
market lens for the specific situation. Keep in mind that
changing the lens will usually change the brightness of the
projector as well. If there are no available lenses, the only
option would be to explore other projector models. Make
32
sure you understand the “throw distance” specifications of

the projector you are considering and make sure that it
will focus and zoom from the location where you plan to
install the projector.
Input Connections. Current model projectors have stan-
dard computer and video connections. The computer
input (sometimes called the data input) is a 15-pin con-
nector, which looks like the end of a monitor cable but is
female. There are one or two of these inputs on the projec-
tor. The computer’s graphics card output is connected to
the projector’s computer input with basically a very long
monitor cable.
The second standard input on a projector is the video
input. A VCR may be connected to the projector via the
familiar RCA-type input (composite) or an s-video input.
Using s-video will yield better results. Naturally, a VCR
with an s-video output is required to use this connection.
Most S-VHS VCRs on the market feature an s-video output
and can be obtained for less than $200.
Finally, some projectors have a component input. The
term “component” is sometimes referred to as “RGB-5.”
Using this type of connection will result in the best overall
picture quality. A component input separates a video signal
in up to five parts: red, blue, green, horizontal sync, and ver-
tical sync. To use this input, the graphics and video signals
need to be converted at the sending end using a special piece
of equipment or sometimes using a simple cable adapter.
Once converted, the signal is sent over five cables, usually
bundled together, and into the five corresponding connectors
on the projector. This method is usually more expensive,
since conversion equipment is needed, and the cable costs
more. But the resulting difference in quality is well worth it.
Running Cables and Amplifiers

At minimum, two of the following types of cable need to be
run from the media control area to the projector: a com-
puter (15-pin or component) and a video (composite or S-
33
video) cable. For longer cables over seventy-five feet it may

be necessary to add a signal amplifier at the sending end
of the cable to help boost the signal. Remote control cables
for the projector and screen may also be installed at the
same time. In many cases the cables may be run through
a conduit, which is basically a pipe inside a wall, under a
floor or above a ceiling. The size of conduit installed for
cables should be big enough for additional cables to be
added later if the system is expanded.
Screens
The final destination of the image is, of course, the screen.
It is important to understand that a screen is needed in
every projection system: a wall should never be used as a
substitute. Screens reflect back light and are designed to
give an accurate representation of the colors in an image.
(Walls are for paint and wallpaper!)
Front or Rear Projection? Because it is generally accepted
that projecting from the behind a screen results in a better
image, you should first determine if rear projection is pos-
sible. In many cases rear projection will not be possible
because of structural limitations since a room dedicated to
the projector needs to be located behind the screen. Most
churches will not be able to accommodate rear projection
because of this requirement. If, however, rear-screen pro-
jection is possible, mirror systems can be obtained that will
reduce the amount of throw distance (distance from the
projector to the screen) needed, thus reducing the size of
the room. When building a new church, rear projection
needs to be considered in the early stages of design.
Types of Screens. If rear projection is not possible, you will
need to determine the most suitable type of front projection
screen. Many churches opt for a motorized, retractable
screen that can be put out of sight when not in use. Another
option, a permanently tensioned screen, simply attaches to a
wall and will always be visible. In either case, a front pro-
34
jection screen can be built into the existing church décor.

With a little imagination and the talent of a carpenter,
screens can often blend in and add to the ambiance of an
auditorium. If you are a “church on the go,” then there are
also several portable screen types to choose from.
Screen Surfaces. Without going into great detail, both front
and rear projection configurations come with several dif-
ferent surface options. The most common type of front pro-
jection surface is matte white and has a reflection gain of
1:1, meaning that it reflects back the same amount of light
that it receives. A high gain screen will actually amplify
the light that it receives, but has a much narrower viewing
cone, meaning that you cannot see the image as well as you
move away from the center of the screen. A high gain screen
works well in churches that are not incredibly wide.
Screen Placement. The placement of the screen is a crucial
consideration. The screen (or screens) needs to be installed
in an area where there are no line-of-sight problems and
where it does not take up stage space. The screen should
be located in a dark area so there is little or no light hit-
ting the screen except for the projector image. Stage lights
should be directed away from the screen.
Screen Size. The basic calculation used to determine
screen size involves measuring the distance from the row
of seats farthest from the screen and dividing by six. This
will roughly give you the width of the screen needed. Stan-
dard screens sizes are 6 x 8, 9 x 12, and 12 x 14. The ratio
of the width and height of these screen sizes is 4:3. There
is slightly more width than height. Currently, this is the
standard screen aspect ratio. However, in the near future,
all screens will be a 16:9 aspect ratio or widescreen format.
See Appendix A for more information on the widescreen
format and its benefits to a church.
35
System Design: Beyond the Basics

After purchasing a standard projection system, I have
found that many churches discover certain limitations of
their setup. Many of these drawbacks manifest themselves
as distractions during a service. Here’s a typical scenario.
The song service has just finished and it’s time to switch
the projector’s input so you can show that wonderful video
that took you all night to finish. The congregation sits in
silent anticipation. You grab the remote and press “Video
1.” The blue screen of death flashes up with the words
Video Input 1, and Play from the VCR. The mood set by the
worship team has been broken (or at least interrupted) by
the very devices that helped create the atmosphere in the
first place. To make things worse, the video image is dark
and the colors are dingy.
Limiting distractions during worship should be a prime
consideration when using media in the church. Exposed
computer programs, blue screens, and onscreen displays
should be avoided at all costs. Media ministers worldwide
dream of seamless switching, and even fading, between
computer and video sources. Many do not know what
equipment is necessary to provide a distraction-free envi-
ronment. However, several manufacturers have developed
products to provide solutions to these vexing distractions.
Below we’ll consider each of these problems and offer a
solution.
Problem: When I show videos, the image is dark and
dingy.
Solution: Scale up or double the video signal.
A projector’s native “habitat” is high-resolution. The technol-
ogy that a projector uses to display images is at the same res-
olution level as a computer monitor. Many make the mistake
of assuming that a projector is more like a television, but
they are very different types of display devices. A standard
36
video signal from a VCR is roughly half the scan rate of a

computer signal (the output from a graphics card). In order
for a projector to display a video signal at a higher resolu-
tion, the signal needs to be stepped up, or scaled, which will
maximize the image quality capabilities of the projector.
Devices known as scalers and scan-line doublers will take a
composite or s-video signal from a video source and convert
it to a high-resolution, VGA signal. The output from a scaler
is usually a 15-pin connector (like a VGA cable), though
some have component outputs, which are more desirable.
Keep in mind that the projector must also have component
inputs if the scaler has a component output. In either case,
only ONE cable run to the projector is required.
Problem: I want to SWITCH between computer and video
quickly and without any distractions.
Best Solution: Use a
scaler or doubler with
multiple inputs and
switching capabilities.
Some scalers and dou-
blers include several
video inputs and a
computer input, which
are switchable via but-
tons on the front of the unit. In a church application, an oper-
ator could perform a “hard” switch (or cut) between a Power-
Point slide and a video clip on a VCR by simply pressing the
corresponding input button. Depending on the capabilities of
the equipment, there may be a slight flicker when switching.
Budget Solution: Use a simple converter and switcher.
If scalers are out of reach financially, several converters
are available. These products do not increase the resolu-
tion of the video, but merely convert the signal into a type
that can be displayed though a projector’s computer input.
The output of this converter is a standard VGA connector.
37
This output and the output

from the graphics card of a
computer may be connected
to a standard VGA monitor
switcher, allowing an opera-
tor to quickly switch between
video and computer. Again,
only one cable run to the pro-
jector is needed in this situa-
tion.
Problem: I want to MIX or

cross-fade between computer
and video.
Best Solution: Dig deep and use a high-resolution mixer.
Scalers and doublers
with switching capa-
bilities have been
available for some
time. Recently, several
companies have
released products with
the ability to mix video and computer signals at the high-
resolution level, allowing for cross-fades and other effects
between a video and computer source. This would allow
a media operator to seamlessly fade from a PowerPoint
slide to a video clip on a VCR. A dream come true? That
depends on your budget! Since these products are fairly
new and still developing, the cost of the equipment may
be out of range for some churches.
Budget Solution: Lower the resolution of your computer
signal and use a standard video mixer.
If mixing computer and video is a feature that is a must-
have but also a can’t-afford, a less expensive solution
would be to use a scan-converter and video mixer. Scan-
38
converters are available at many different quality levels.

The price usually is indicative of the quality.
A scan-converter will lower
the resolution of a computer
signal to match that of a video
signal. The output of the scan-
converter can then be fed into
a video mixer along with other
video signals. However, this
solution should be avoided
unless absolutely necessary.
When a scan-converter is
introduced into a projection
system there is a noticeable
loss in image quality. I highly
recommend avoiding scan
converters if at all possible.
Remember that projectors are
more like computer monitors than televisions, and they pre-
fer a high-resolution signal.
Problem: My VCR displays Play and Stop and shows an
ugly blue screen.
Solution: Use a different VCR or master cueing and
switching.
The easiest way to avoid on-screen displays is to use a
VCR with the ability to switch that feature off. Refer to
the VCR manual or explore the menu functions to find
out if a VCR has this ability. As a general rule of thumb,
a VCR with an s-video connector will most likely allow
the on-screen display to be switched off. Since using s-
video is more desirable that a standard composite signal
anyway, the advantages of purchasing a new VCR with s-
video capabilities would be well worthwhile. These VCRs
also will usually display a black screen instead of blue
when no video input signal is detected.
39
If you must use a VCR that doesn’t have the option to

switch off its onscreen display, another solution would be
to learn how to cue videos and master timing when
switching. For instance, if the word Play appears for five
seconds, cue the video to five seconds before the beginning
of the clip to be shown. When the onscreen display disap-
pears, switch to the video source. Keep in mind that you
will need a video monitor for this. Also realize that if there
is audio during the five-second lag, it will need to be
muted during that time. To avoid seeing the word Stop,
simply switch back to the computer signal before pressing
Stop on the VCR.
IMAG
A colleague of mine was throwing around the word IMAG
during a conference call with several other media “gurus.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. Embarrassed to
ask, I did some research and finally found out that IMAG
stands for Image MAGnification. It basically means live
video. I had never encountered the term because I rarely
work with a church that is large enough to need to display
live video on the sanctuary screen. Live video should only
be used by churches with auditoriums so large that it is
difficult to see the people on the stage. IMAG should not
be implemented “just for fun” or because the church down
the street is doing it. There is no room for error when
using cameras for live video. Smaller churches that do not
need IMAG support will find it to be more of a distraction
than a benefit. This does not necessarily mean that a
media ministry should not employ two or three cameras to
tape a service; it just means that the material being
recorded does not need to be seen on the big screen.
40
Purchasing Equipment
Hire a Consultant!
Although we have covered the basics of system design, we
have really only scratched the surface. Unforeseen chal-
lenges are often encountered when installing a projection
system. If possible, these challenges need to be identified
before determining a budget and the specific equipment
needed. Because a certain amount of expertise is required
to recognize potential problems, hiring a consultant who
specializes in projection systems for churches is prudent.
Unfortunately, most churches skip this essential step in
the design process.
Churches that have not sought outside help in the area of
technology have already paid dearly. For example, during
the past fifty years, churches have become dependent on
sound reinforcement as a means of amplifying the spoken
word and, more recently, for supporting praise bands with
a full complement of instruments and vocalists. As new
churches have been built and older churches modified,
proper audio design has largely been neglected. Church
leaders have relied too much on second-hand information
or have not sought any audio consultation at all. As a
result, a multitude of poorly designed worship auditoriums
with inadequate audio systems still exist. These mistakes
are usually costly in more ways than one. Not only is money
wasted on insufficient equipment, poor building design is
usually irreparable. The cost of bringing in an expert will
usually be offset by the money and headache that will be
saved by making proper decisions from the beginning.
For instance, I once visited a church that was starting a
media ministry. The company they had been working with
had recommended that a small projector be placed on the
floor at the front of the auditorium and projected onto a
screen that would take up most of the stage space. The
room was rather small but had a high ceiling. I wondered
41
why the company had not suggested shooting the image

from the back of the room onto a screen above the stage.
“They told us we could not afford to do that,” was the
response. After having the bid reworked, the church was
able to purchase a system that was within the budget and
that worked better for their particular setting. Hiring an
independent consultant is always a good idea, since he or
she will likely have knowledge of a wider range of options
and products. There is also less likely to be a conflict of
interest when the company selling the product is not also
making the recommendations for installation.
When designing a new building, it is crucial to bring in an
audio/video consultant very early in the process. I have
heard countless stories of how an architect designed a new
auditorium without seriously considering the audio and
video needs. In such cases, a great deal of friction generally
occurs when the A/V consultant is finally contacted because
of the many changes that need to be made to accommodate
the audio and video equipment. In the worst cases, the
building may already be under construction when the A/V
consultant is hired. To avoid these situations, a consultant
should be contacted before or at the same time as the archi-
tect. Though style and aesthetics have traditionally been
the paramount consideration when constructing a church
building, audio and video requirements are at least equal in
importance for churches seeking to use media as a prime
means of communication.
Shop, Shop, Shop!

After a consultant has provided the proper guidance, it is
then time to pull out the checkbook. There are three types of
shopping that should be considered. The first is price shop-
ping. Pricing for electronics is extremely competitive, espe-
cially in the area of video. The team members in charge of
purchasing should make sure they have done their research
and are getting a great price on the equipment needed.
42
Price is not always the prime consideration, however. A

church should also service shop. Sometimes it is worth-
while to buy from a company that charges more but offers
more valuable services.
Important questions to ask about any company you are con-
sidering are:
• Do they install the equipment?
• If so, do they warranty their work?
• If the projector breaks, will they take care of the
warranty procedure?
• Will they offer a loaner or rental while the projec-
tor is being repaired?
• Are they available for assistance on weekends?
Finally, a church should knowledge shop. During my time in

the projector business, I quickly learned that there are more
salesmen than qualified experts in the field of “display tech-
nology.” It is very important to work with a company that is
not just interested in selling something, but rather in sell-
ing the right equipment for the church’s situation. Some
salespeople may tell a buyer what they want to hear in order
to make a sale. It is a good idea to test the salesperson. Find
out the answer to a fairly complicated technical question
and ask the salesperson the question. If he or she gives an
incorrect answer, find another company to work with. If the
salesperson gives a correct answer or says, “I don’t know,
but I’ll find out,” then that should be a good company to deal
with.
Demonstrating the Equipment

Once an A/V company has been selected, arrange for a
four-week demo of the equipment. Often the company will
rent the equipment and allow the church to apply the
43
rental fee toward a purchase. Using the equipment for four

weeks in a row will give the church a chance to become accli-
mated to media and to see the benefits. The four services
should be well planned and show various ways that media
can be used in ministry. At the end of the demo period,
remove the equipment and put the old overhead projector
back in place. The church will immediately see the differ-
ence and dig deep to help pay for the new system as soon as
possible. This technique is a great motivator to start a
fundraising program for the system.
Most churches make extra efforts to raise the initial chunk
of money required to install a projection system, but fail to
see the need for future funding of a media ministry. There
will be software upgrades, projector bulbs, new technolo-
gies and better equipment to consider for future purchas-
ing. Therefore, it is important to start a media ministry
budget. Many times the media budget is lumped in with
the music ministry line item. The media ministry needs its
own line item even if it is small to begin with. This will
give the media department more validity and its own iden-
tity. It will also give those in charge of finances an idea of
how much money is involved in growing a media ministry.
Don’t Be a Gear Junkie

“Hello, my name is Tim Eason, and I’m a gear junkie.” It’s
true, I love buying and playing with all things electronic.
While I’m willing to admit my addiction, I’ve learned some
valuable lessons to pass on to other gear junkies. Back in
the early 1990s I desperately wanted to be the next
Michael W. Smith. I was a keyboard player and during
those days the keyboard revolution was in full swing. Key-
boards were obsolete literally before they hit the market.
At the time I worked at a pro music shop just so I could buy
equipment at wholesale. I bought keyboards and sold them
for pennies on the dollar so I could always have the latest
and the greatest. There came a time, however, when I just
could not afford to keep upgrading. With my credit maxed
44
out, I had to sit down and just work with what I had. Iron-
ically, during that period I produced the best material of
my short-lived music career!
Media ministers who are gear junkies may fall into the
same rut, always feeling that they need more equipment or
better software to do their job. Throughout this book I dis-
cuss various levels of gear that can be used, while keeping
in mind that most churches do not have a large budget.
Though I often challenge churches to spend more on media
ministry, I am constantly amazed at what people can
accomplish with what would be considered primitive soft-
ware and equipment. The key to getting the most out of
the resources available to a church is stewardship. I hon-
estly feel that if a church uses what it has to the best of its
ability, God will bless its efforts and provide better
resources in time. A media ministry that actively uses
what is available will be far more effective than a media
ministry that is dormant because the church feels that it
does not have the proper equipment.
45
Chapter 3
Building a Strong
Media Team
Acquiring the appropriate equipment needed to reach

your vision of a media ministry represents only part of the
bigger picture. If media is seen as an art form and the
equipment likened to brushes and paint, then the quality
of the art will lie in the hands of the artists. Many church-
es may rely on only one such media artist to generate cre-
ative media content. Putting this responsibility on the
shoulders of one or two people will usually result in media
that continually has the same flavor. Both the congrega-
tion and the artists themselves may burn out unless the
workload can be distributed. To avoid this potential problem
a church should assemble two media ministry teams, each
with a distinct function—a vision team and an action team.
The Vision Team

The vision team should consist of at least five types of peo-
ple. As we discuss each member, try to think of someone in
your church that best fits the description. Write down his
or her name, and by the end of this section you will have
the list of your vision team members!
The best person to lead this team will be the media minister
or person with the most passion for using media in min-
istry. We described this person in Chapter 1 when explain-
ing the process of taking the vision to the church. To recap,
the leader of the vision team usually has a great deal of
technical and/or creative talent and is convinced that
using media is the best way to communicate God’s Word.
There has been some mild debate about what title to
47
assign this person.1 Some argue that calling this person a

“Media Minister” or “Media Pastor” borders on heresy. Per-
sonally, I think it depends on the person’s calling. If the
person sees his or her role as merely technical support,
then a ministerial title probably isn’t appropriate. I would
also suggest that having a serious passion for using media
to further the Kingdom of God is a necessary qualification
for a team leader. Having traveled the country and con-
versed with countless people in the field, I have found that
genuine media ministers are those who feel a literal call
from God to work in this area of ministry.
I personally can attest to the legitimacy of the term “Media
Minister.” I have always known that I would be involved in
full-time church work. I delivered my first sermon at age
six in my family’s living room. With a TV tray as a pulpit,
I held a service complete with music and even multimedia
(puppets). At the time, I think I just wanted to be like my
Dad, but the desire to work in church never left me.
Throughout the years I explored every possibility of minis-
terial work and at different times of my life I wanted to be
a pastor, music minister, missionary, Christian counselor,
and even a Christian rock star! When none of these areas
of ministry seemed to gel for me, I became discouraged.
Growing up I also had been developing a talent for things
of a technical nature. I assumed that these skills in com-
puters, graphics, and video only amounted to hobbies that
would distract me from the rigors of church work. Then,
during the 1990s when media started to become more
prevalent in churches, it became obvious that God had
been preparing me for the media ministry. Then my life
came into focus and started to make sense. (After serving
as a media minister for a time I felt another call to equip other
churches. It was then that I became one of the first “media
missionaries.”) I have heard similar stories from numerous
media ministers throughout the country.
48
Chapter 3—Building a Strong Media Team
Once you have identified your leader, you should consider

hiring her or him as part of your church staff.2 With the
majority of the media support relegated to a volunteer
base, the amount of time dedicated to the implementation
of media may be limited and adversely affect the quality
and effectiveness of a media ministry. Though it is not
realistic to expect most churches to hire several people
dedicated to media ministry, any church serious about
media should hire at least one person to head up this area.
This may be a full- or part-time hourly position or salaried.
The media minister leads both the vision and the action
teams. Media ministers coordinate and train the volun-
teers, make creative decisions, and manage the equipment
involved. They are also heavily involved in supporting or
driving every aspect of a worship service, from the music
to the sermon.
A common question is how much a media minister should
be paid. Because of dramatic variations in church budgets,
no standard salary can be suggested. The important thing
to remember is that people involved in media are worth a
great deal of money in the secular field. They should be
paid as much as possible and given adequate benefits. The
title of “Media Minister” is fairly new and a growing posi-
tion. Some church bodies may have a hard time accepting
this as a ministerial job and question the importance and
value of the position. Again, bringing the vision to the
church will help with this potential dilemma when hiring
a media minister. In the world of media, formal education
is not as crucial as talent, experience, and commitment.
While some seminaries have begun to recognize this new
calling, it is still difficult to find a course of study in the
area of media ministry. Formal education, whether secular
or from a religious institution, is desirable, but should not
be the main factor in hiring a media minister or in deter-
mining her or his salary level.
Even if the media minister is on staff, the next person to
recruit for the vision team is a senior staff member. Having
49
another staff member on the team will ensure that the

vision of the media ministry is in constant sync with the
overall vision of the church. With two staff members on the
team there will be less confusion, better communication,
and more accountability. Usually this person will be the
senior pastor or music minister.
Next on the list of vision team members will be someone with
a creative mind. I’ve always said that there is a fine line
between being creative and being deranged. Every church
has this type of person in their midst. These creative persons
are usually full of energy and often involved in drama. The
creativity and wealth of ideas flowing from these people
make them an invaluable part of the vision team. They also
help add excitement and energy to the media ministry.
A technical person will also be needed to help bring cre-
ative ideas to fruition. For instance, when the creative per-
son dreams up a grandiose concept for a Christmas pro-
duction full of video and lighting effects, the technical
person can let the team know what is necessary to accom-
plish the task. A person who is very familiar with the tech-
nical arts will make sure that the direction that the media
ministry takes is realistic and can be accomplished with
the tools available to that church. This team member can
act as a ground wire (pun intended) for the vision team
and provide invaluable insight into what a media ministry
can achieve.
So far we have identified four people for the vision team:
the media minister, staff member, creative mind, and tech-
nical person. Even if you happen to find one person who
possesses all of these attributes, the vision team still needs
to have several people. Even the most talented of media
ministers needs others to help generate ideas and keep the
ministry fresh and dynamic.
The final vision team member is often overlooked. When a
church first considers a media ministry, many times there
50
is an unspoken fear of the senior members in the church.

Pastoral staff may think, “If anyone is going to object to
this new technology it will be our older members.” While
we have already discussed ways to circumvent mispercep-
tions, the temptation may be to ignore the senior crowd
and deal with problems as they arise. An effective way to
communicate the vision of the media ministry to the older
congregation is to include a senior member on the vision
team. Find a person who understands the vision of the
media ministry and can act as a liaison with his or her
peers. This team member is crucial to any church with an
established older congregation. By including them in the
vision of the media ministry, many seniors will surprise a
church with unexpected enthusiasm and support. See
Appendix B, “No Room for Traditional Worship Anymore?”
Developing the Vision

Once the vision team members are in place, they should
begin to develop the higher-level, more cerebral and spiri-
tual elements of the media ministry. The initial mission for
this team will be to formulate a vision statement for the
media ministry. As we have already noted several times,
the vision of this ministry will drive everything from pur-
chasing to implementation. Therefore, this team should be
assembled and establish a plan before any action is taken.
Once the vision is solidified, it is very important to stick to
that plan. During the mid-1990s when vision statements
were becoming more prevalent in churches, every depart-
ment in my church was asked to develop a vision state-
ment (except, ironically, the media department). Each min-
ister prayed earnestly for specific goals and carefully
crafted a finely tuned vision statement, sometimes agoniz-
ing over the choice of a single word in a phrase. The vision
statements were then presented to the church body during
a special service. They seemed to signal a new beginning
for the church, and the air was filled with anticipation of
51
great things to come. A year went by, and while some of the
short-term goals of the church were met, most of the aspi-
rations and objectives put forth in the vision statements
disappeared, never to be realized. The reason for this unfor-
tunate outcome is simple to explain and fairly common
among churches. The church experienced a short period of
vision and motivation, only to fall back into the rhetoric of
“doing church.” All of the things that have to be done in
order to run a church and conduct worship took precedence
and eventually snuffed out the vision.
To help keep the vision of the media ministry alive, the
vision team should gather regularly for vision-check meet-
ings every four to six weeks. Those who wear glasses know
that they must return to an eye doctor on a regular basis
because their eyes may continue to grow out of focus. Sim-
ilarly, the vision team should get together to make sure
that the vision of the media ministry is still in focus and
has not veered from its original course. The team may also
discover that the media ministry vision may need a new
“prescription.” Regular meetings therefore provide an
opportunity to adjust the vision if necessary. If part of the
original plan is not working, then it is best to explore other
avenues. A certain amount of experimentation will be part
of the growth process; however, any changes should be well
planned and not executed frivolously. Too much experi-
mentation can be detrimental to many congregations.
The Action Team

Once the vision team is in place, you will want to begin
assembling the action team next. The action team does the
“grunt” work of producing the media and running the
equipment during the service. If a church wonders where
to get people for this team, one only needs to look out into
the congregation on a Sunday morning. Media ministry is
fun; you will no doubt find dozens of people who would love
to be on the team.
52
An Effective Team Begins With the Coach

As with any group, the person in charge can make or break
the team. It is essential that a media minister not only have
technical and creative skill, but also possess the qualities of
a good leader. In high school I was a member of a champi-
onship football team…a flag football team. I played in a
Christian league for the school that I attended, and we
were undefeated for two years in a row. Our team, the “Son-
Blazers,” was the team to beat! This wasn’t always the case,
however. In our first year, the team won only one game dur-
ing the whole season. We were terrible! The following year
the school hired a new coach, Coach Cline, who proved to be
a tough coach. He trained us like a regular tackle-football
team. Our calisthenics program was rigorous; I’ve never
been in better physical shape since. But Coach Cline knew
that being physically fit was only half the training. He also
concentrated on building us into a working unit and
increasing our self-esteem. He may have been handed a
losing team, but he saw winners in all of us.
One boy on the team couldn’t throw or catch and did not
seem to be a natural athlete. The ball would bounce off his
chest every time. He seemed hopeless. Though he tried to
quit the team several times, Coach Cline wouldn’t let him.
This kid did have one talent: he could outrun anyone on
the team and would have made a great receiver…if he
could only catch. Rather than giving up on him, Coach
Cline decided to capitalize on the boy’s speed. If he could
develop this kid’s ability to pull flags from the opposing
team, he would be a valuable asset. The coach ran special
drills just for the boy, and his skill at capturing flags even-
tually matched his talent for speed. He became a star
defensive lineman in the league and was a formidable
opponent to any offense attempting to cross the goal line.
Coach Cline could have easily said, “This kid isn’t made for
sports,” and let him go. I was that kid. Coach Cline had the
vision to work with my skills and develop me into a valu-
53
able athlete. If he had not, I never would have played on a

championship football team. I would not have tasted victory
as a result of hard work. I learned that every member of
the team is extremely important, even if his position is not
as glamorous as others. Most of all, I base my fundamen-
tal principles for building a media ministry team on this
foundational team experience.
The leader, or “coach,” of a media team needs to have the
vision to see beyond the surface and the ability to recog-
nize potential team members. For example, let’s suppose
that someone enthusiastically approaches the media min-
ister after a service about the presentation software used
during worship. He asks, “What do you do for a living?”
She says, “I’m a housewife with a ton of time on my hands.
I’m into decorating, but I don’t know a thing about com-
puters.” That’s when he introduces her to the “Compu-
Geek”3 on the team. The CompuGeek is a great whiz kid
who speaks in acronyms and knows everything about com-
puters. By combining their gifts and talents, these two
very different people become valuable team members. The
housewife has an eye for design and color, while the Compu-
Geek knows the ins and outs of the software. If the Compu-
Geek teaches the housewife how to operate the software,
then the media ministry now has an extremely powerful
team member!
The success of that flag football team exemplifies the
importance of quality leadership. All team members—even
those whose talents seem less suited to the task—can
become potential champions in the hands of an effective
leader. Remember that a media minister leads one of the
most visual and crucial aspects of a worship service. He or
she should be a strong and compassionate leader, able to
see the potential in team members and help them develop
their natural skills. In time, any group can become a cham-
pionship team!
54
Train Them Up
With this concept in mind, find willing volunteers and
train them. In addition to one-on-one guidance, a regularly
scheduled training day every four to six weeks will keep
the team sharp. There is nothing more detrimental to a
media ministry than complacency. Continual training will
challenge the team to constantly strive for a higher level of
quality. There are several good magazines dedicated to
church technology, such as Church Production and Tech-
nologies for Worship. (See Appendix D for additional
resources.) Each team member should receive a copy.
There are also a number of church technology conferences
and training workshops held throughout the country.
Many of these workshops may be integrated into larger
conferences about a related topic such as music ministry.
The National Religious Broadcasters association has
recently added sessions dedicated to in-house media min-
istry. Sometimes audio/video companies will sponsor work-
shops to help promote their company. While these types of
workshops are not held on a regular basis, there are several
training events that occur each year (See Appendix E).
These events provide great opportunities to equip a media
team and network with other media ministries.
Because 99 percent of the equipment and software that
churches use in their media ministry was not designed
specifically for church use, there are also countless secular
resources for training. While technical training with a
church slant is more desirable, other opportunities for edu-
cation should not be ignored. A listing of helpful magazines
and training events not specifically related to church work
can be found in Appendix F.
Make It an EVENT!
Creating an atmosphere of excitement surrounding the
media ministry will not only help attract volunteers for the
action team, but will also help create team cohesiveness.
55
As with any recruiting process, better results will be

achieved when the task is presented less like work and
more like play. You might try giving the team a clever
name relating to technology in ministry. Matching shirts
with the team name on them will help unify the team and
identify them as valuable contributors to a worship serv-
ice. Team members who show hard work and dedication
should occasionally be recognized. All members should be
constantly encouraged. The team should sometimes get
together just to get to know one another and share
common interests. Creating a fun and rewarding environ-
ment will promote commitment and diligence within an
action team.
Recruit Youth
Youth are a natural goldmine for media ministry. Young
people often have more time to dedicate to the ministry,
and a natural enthusiasm and talent for working with
computers. They also are apt to catch on to new technology
very quickly. A marketing director for a company that pro-
duces video editing equipment told me that it takes two
hours for an adult to teach another adult how to use their
product. He went on to say that it takes thirty minutes for
a young person to teach another young person the same
thing. Having grown up in a technological environment,
this type of work is second nature for many youth. While
youth definitely need some supervision when using equip-
ment, adults should not be overly cautious or hesitant to
let younger team members handle expensive gear. Heavily
involving youth in the media ministry gives them an
important role to play in the life of the church. This will
create strong church members, future church leaders, and
perhaps future media ministers. As with prospecting in
any goldmine, some digging may be needed to find the gen-
uine article, but the time and effort involved will pay off in
the long run.
56
Dealing with Difficult Team Members

Inevitably a media ministry team will have to deal with
difficult interpersonal issues. Sometimes a team member
may lose sight of the fact that he or she is participating in
a ministry team, and let his or her ego and pride get in the
way. This may manifest itself as a desire to control things,
which can cause disruption not only among team mem-
bers, but also getting the work accomplished. Ultimately
this can affect every part of a worship service because that
person may be a spiritual drag on the worship team and
church staff. Many times leaders may be reluctant to
address this situation, especially if the person causing the
problems has been in a position for a long time. No matter
how painful, the situation needs to be discussed with the
person in a loving way, and an effort made to improve the
situation. If things do not improve and a person continues
to be a disruption, then it may be necessary to ask the per-
son to take a break from the team. In essence, the team
member should be “benched,” strengthened, and then put
back on the field—just as any good coach would do.
Techies Need Food Too

One way to ensure that the team is spiritually on track is
to turn the action team into a small group. Oftentimes the
spiritual life of those who are heavily involved in prepar-
ing and supporting worship services may inadvertently be
neglected. Being caught up in the mechanics of running
the technical side of a church service can frequently inter-
fere with a team member’s ability to plug in to other areas
of church life. This may be overlooked because the team
member is consistently present in services. However, I can
speak from personal experience that supporting a worship
service is not the same as participating in one. Turning the
action team into a small group that meets one evening
every week will give the members an opportunity to bond
and grow together spiritually. This type of training is just
as vital to the overall health of the team.
57
Finally, it is important to keep the vision in front of the

action team at all times. When the team takes ownership
of the media ministry vision, then every aspect of their
work will be tempered with that understanding. This will
give a greater purpose to what may seem like work for
some. The small group is a great place to reinforce the
media ministry vision.
When these concepts are put into practice, a media ministry
action team can be up and running in no time. A finely
tuned and well-conditioned team will propel a media min-
istry to continual success.
58
Chapter 4
Action!
The equipment is in place, the vision established, and the

teams have been formed and are poised. Time for the cur-
tain to be raised and the media ministry put into action!
Introducing media to a church can be both simultaneously
exciting and terrifying. This chapter will give some practi-
cal tips on how to side-step potential problems and make the
transition as smooth as possible.
Take It Slow
Especially in long-established churches, it is important to
integrate a new media ministry slowly. I remember the
first service utilizing media at Calvary Baptist Church in
Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I first served as media
minister. Calvary was a very cutting-edge church circa
1996, complete with a full praise band, four services, and
two pastors—each with his own dynamic brand of preach-
ing. Initially I had been hired as publications director. My
duties were expanded to include media when our church
purchased a new projection system. I was so excited! I
spent a solid month preparing for the first service. Finally
the day came. The screen lowered, the projector fired up,
and the colors flew! I had a different background for each
song. I also had a unique font for each song and tried to
match the font style and colors to the feel of the song. Dur-
ing the sermon there were animations galore. After the
services that weekend I learned that I had put my church
into serious shock! Everyone—not just the older congrega-
tion members—had been overwhelmed. I asked a friend of
mine who was my age what he thought. “I don’t know,” he
responded. “There was just something not right about it.”
59
I learned the hard way that I had simply introduced too

much too soon, even for our cutting-edge church.
Media should be gradually introduced to a church. The
congregation should be given time to get used to the idea
of having a screen in their auditorium. It can be a big
adjustment for everyone. The staff needs to ease into
implementing this new form of communication as well. All
of the proverbial cards do not need to be shown at once. In
time, the church members will become accustomed to, and
even crave, more media in their services.
The Entertainment Factor

Part of people’s initial unease with media has to do with
the feeling that it is inappropriate—too entertaining or
irreverent—for the church. This is a natural reaction for
many churched people. We briefly brushed against this
subject in Chapter 1. There are two main keys to under-
standing and dealing with the concern about worship
becoming entertainment. The first is that every person has
a “line” when it comes to media—a line between what feels
worshipful or what feels like distraction or entertainment.
When trying to use media effectively, there will always be
a risk of crossing someone’s line. This line is different for
each person. The “fun” part of media is somewhat like
sugar in tea: Some like a lot of sugar, while others don’t
like any. The perceived amount of entertainment value in
a church service often simply comes down to a matter of
taste. Even so, it is important to determine where the
entertainment line (or sugar level) is for the church as a
whole. While it is impossible to please everyone, there
needs to be a strong sense of what the general tolerance
level is. As you try to determine this, be aware the people
who object the most will also be the most vocal. To get a
realistic pulse, you will need to gather a great deal of feed-
back from all types of church members. This will help
determine where that line is for the majority of the con-
60
Chapter 4—Action!
gregation. Some church leaders do not ask questions about

new concepts because they are afraid to hear what people
think. Or worse, they guess at what people are thinking.
Perception is everything, so it is critical to find out what
the perceptions are. Adjustments to the media ministry
vision may be made after hearing the various opinions of
the congregation. If the vision team perceives that the
church is not ready for all it has planned, but also feels
strongly about implementing the vision, then the team
needs to make a conscious effort to work on gradually
“moving the line” so that the vision may be carried out.
Second, finding the appropriate balance between worship
and entertainment requires understanding the nature and
purpose of the worship service. There is a time and a place
for everything during the course of a service. To determine
where the entertainment element of media fits in, we will
examine two basic aspects of a service, giving and receiv-
ing. During worship, media should be used to support the
service and enhance the worship experience. Worship is a
“giving back” time, not a receiving time. Any media used
during worship should not distract people from focusing on
God. In my opinion, media should be used with caution
during the time in the service dedicated to the giving of
tithes and offerings. Because this time is an integral part
of worship, it is not appropriate to flash the announce-
ments on the screen. The receiving parts of a service, such
as the sermon, announcements, and special music, are
great times to exploit the power of visual communication.
When the implementation of media is balanced in this way
is when it will be most effective.
There are times when media may not be used at all.
Although I am obviously a huge advocate of using media
during a church service, sometimes technology just needs
to be switched off. Because of the work, manpower, and
money involved in developing a media ministry, some
churches may believe media should always be used or they
61
won’t be getting the most for their efforts. It is important

not to forget about other means of communication such as
using props, lighting, and even silence (on which every-
thing is built). I have heard it said that a screen should
never go black; however, in my opinion the screen repre-
sents only one component in an array of communication
tools. Blacking out a screen can redirect attention to
another part of the auditorium. A church service is a live
event, not a movie. If the screen is always filled, the even-
tual tendency may be to ignore it as it blends in with the
rest of the church décor. The only situation when the
screen should be on at all times occurs when using IMAG,
or live video, in a large church. In this case, having con-
tinuous projection is necessary to help people see what is
happening on stage.
The Three P’s of Implementing Media

There are three key elements required for successfully
using media in your church. The first is Planning. Gone
are the days of finishing a sermon on Saturday night or
throwing together a worship service at the last minute.
Using media takes forethought, planning, and work. A pas-
tor once told me that he just could not change the method
he used to prepare services. “It’s just the way God made
me,” he said. “I finish my sermon Saturday night or Sun-
day morning.” I suggested that he take extra time one
week and prepare two sermons. That way he would be
ahead by one week from then on. Another possibility would
be to let someone else preach one week in order to get
ahead. If a pastor or music minister is not willing to make
extra efforts to give the action team time to prepare quality
media, then that church will never experience the full
potential that visual communication has to offer.4 It is sim-
ply not possible to rise above mediocrity without adequate
time to develop a quality presentation. Therefore, the
church leadership needs to decide if they want to simply
62
Chapter 4—Action!
support “church as usual” with a glorified overhead projec-

tor, or if they want to be a church that utilizes media to its
fullest potential. The latter choice will ultimately yield a
bigger crop.
The second P is Patience. Ask any megachurch about what
it takes to get to their level, and they will tell you that it
was a long process for them. No church will transform into
a Willow Creek or Fellowship Church overnight. Develop-
ing the skills and acquiring the proper equipment to
achieve a quality media ministry take time. It should be
expected that mistakes will be made and that not every
production will be an award winner.
Finally, using media in ministry also takes Practice. As
with anything, it takes training and experience to develop
an effective media ministry. With each passing service the
action team will continue to improve its skills, whether in
graphics, video production, or even in something as simple
as the timing of switching slides. Those involved in run-
ning media should spend time with the pastor to become
familiar with his or her sermon. The person running the
software for showing songs during worship should defi-
nitely attend rehearsals to practice along with the group
(more on that in Section 3).
Know Your Limits

Most of us ignore the credits that zoom by at the end of a
television show or movie. At the next opportunity, take a
moment to look at how many people it takes to put together
a half-hour program. Sometimes hundreds of people have a
hand in the production of a single show, even poorly pro-
duced ones! Though some have said that churches bear the
responsibility of keeping up with the status quo in terms of
production quality, it is unrealistic to think that the major-
ity of churches have the resources to meet the standards
set by production studios with hundreds of employees. A
63
media ministry team should always strive to do its best,

but also understand its limitations. The work involved in
creating electronic media may seem easy to those who do
not comprehend the complexity of production. Knowing
what the team is capable of will help avoid conflict and
misunderstanding when the team plans various media
projects. Once the team members know what they can
achieve, they can always strive to reach beyond that level.
This way, expectations will always be met and sometimes
exceeded.
There may be some occasions when it is best to outsource
the production work. For instance, if the church would like
to air a television commercial but does not have the proper
equipment to produce a quality commercial, they should
hire a professional to do it for them. Any advertising efforts
exposed to the general public should be top-notch. There is
a flood of poorly produced Christian programming in the
public marketplace. A high-quality commercial will set the
church apart and achieve better results.
Strive for Excellence, Standing in Grace

The word excellence has become a staple in church lingo
over the past ten years. We have come to believe that
everything from church administration to worship services
should be executed with excellence, insinuating “without
flaw.” Some may be surprised to learn that the concept of
excellence came from a business paradigm called “Total
Quality Management.” Excellence as defined by the Total
Quality Management model is not necessarily a Biblical
principle. The Bible refers to the excellence of God and
charges us to strive for moral excellence, but nowhere in
Scripture does it command us to conduct a flawless service.
(In fact, according to a ChurchMedia.net poll, the majority
of media ministries make up to five mistakes relating to
media in each service.) The idea that excellence is a neces-
sary component for achieving a growing and effective min-
istry has put a great deal of pressure on church leaders
64
Chapter 4—Action!
and laypeople. This demand is dramatically compounded

for someone in charge of a media ministry.
Personally, I called excellence the “E word” in my tenure at
Calvary Baptist Church. The word was used extensively
and permeated every aspect of church operation. As a
beginner with limited resources with which to work, the
idea that I could achieve the production excellence expect-
ed of me was almost laughable. Being in charge of the most
visual aspect of a worship service places a tremendous
demand on any media minister. The weight of this existing
pressure and the expectation of excellence became too
much for me bear. I became very self-conscious about my
work and felt that I was never quite meeting the expecta-
tions of the staff. I began to doubt my abilities and started
to think that I was inadequate for the job. When church
employees begin to feel that they are failing the church
staff, it is easy for them to start to believe that they are
failing God as well. When I realized this was happening to
me, I began to strongly resent the concept of excellence in
the church. This was obviously not healthy, and did, in fact,
affect my work. Because the demand for excellence was so
high, it actually had the reverse effect in my situation.
For years I hung on to this “anti-excellence” attitude. Once
I was explaining my stance on the topic to a friend, and he
said, “Sounds like grace was not in the picture.” I discov-
ered he was right. Though I’m sure it was not intentional,
the staff never balanced the concept of excellence with the
grace that we all experience as Christians. This revelation
caused me to completely reconsider the idea of excellence.
Only when excellence is tempered with grace will the pres-
sure that striving for excellence naturally creates be
relieved.
When assigning a task to media ministry team members,
it is perfectly acceptable to ask that they do their best and
even use the “E word.” After all, God definitely deserves
our excellence. I also believe that most people want to
65
achieve excellence in everything that they do. However,

when placing this challenge before someone, a church
leader should always lace his or her statements with
encouragement. Team members should feel that the
church leader has confidence in their abilities. They
should also be assured that there is forgiveness if they fail.
Here are some examples of how to temper excellence with
grace when speaking to someone:
“I really want this video to look like the show we saw
on TV last night, and I know you will do your best.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I envisioned, but you did a
good job. What would it take to do this…?”
“Hey, the media team really didn’t do so hot last week.
There were several distractions that I’m sure we can
avoid in the future. I know your team is capable of
more. They did a great job a couple of weeks ago. Is
there anything I can do to help?”
“Great job last week! I really appreciate the dedication
and hard work that you put in. Your ministry adds so
much to our church.”
Using this type of language will reinforce confidence in
staff members and laypeople in a media ministry. Too
much emphasis on excellence without enough encourage-
ment will drive people away and out of ministry—perhaps
even out of church life. A church that creates an atmos-
phere of excellence balanced with grace will generate a
healthy and powerful team of ministers. This team, in
turn, will help foster spiritual growth within the church as
it strives to achieve a higher standard of quality in every-
thing that it does.
Always Have a Backup Plan

Disaster is inevitable when using technology in ministry.
It is not a matter of if it will happen; it is just a matter of
66
Chapter 4—Action!
when. The day will come when the projector will not fire up
or the computer will not boot up. On occasion, the video
may not be cued to the right place (even though it was
checked five times) or a song scheduled to be sung myste-
riously disappears from the program. Knowing and expect-
ing that something will eventually go wrong gives the media
ministry team the opportunity to plan for such occasions.
A well-formulated backup plan will get the team through
those rough times. Files should be backed up to another
computer every week, perhaps on the secretary’s computer.
That old overhead projector should be ready for action if
needed. The most useful talent for surviving a disastrous
service is one’s ability to “wing it.” Church leadership and
the media team need to be able to smooth over mistakes
with charm and a determination to make the best of it.
Above all, every person involved in conducting the worship
service must keep his or her cool when disaster strikes.
Showing distress or losing one’s temper as a result of tech-
nical problems completely negates one’s witness. Anyone
seeing this type of behavior would (and should) question
the spiritual maturity of that person. God can be wor-
shiped with or without technology. With a good backup
plan in place, church leaders can avoid any tendencies to
become upset and continue with the service.
No Compromise
Finally, never compromise the Word of God for the sake of
using media. Media ministry is still a new and growing
field. Quality pre-made resources can be hard to find.
Although up-and-coming companies are generating new
material, the choices are still rather slim. When selecting
media for use in church, always closely examine its theology.
Make sure that what is being used falls in line with the
beliefs of your church and does not conflict with Scripture.
67
It’s About Communication

When applying the ideas in this book, always keep in mind
that media ministry is primarily about effective communi-
cation. The tools of media should be used in concert with
other traditional elements of worship with the goal of hav-
ing a greater impact for the Kingdom of God. It can be
easy to get caught up in the money and equipment needed
and forget this basic principle. The concepts presented
here will have more stability when built on this root idea.
68
Chapter 5
Copyrights
I always have a built-in alarm in my conscience when it
comes to copyright issues, and could detect when it was
wrong to copy something without actually knowing the
law. Up until a few years ago, my convictions about copy-
ing material amounted to no more than just another opin-
ion. But when I created my own graphics, the copyright issue
became very personal to me when I released a collection of
my work for the church market. There was a period of time
when the sales from this collection were my sole income and
support for my family. Any sharing or copying by churches
would literally take food out of my children’s mouths.
Copyright laws are often misunderstood or unknown by
churches using media. They can be difficult to interpret.
Below are twenty common questions that will help clear
up some of these issues. I have purposely left out the “Fair
Use” provision in the 1976 and 1998 Copyright Acts,
which is a complicated subject and should be explored in
detail by churches to see if they fall under this protection.
In most cases, churches do not qualify for Fair Use. This
act is often misinterpreted and may be abused by church-
es that do not want to take the time to make sure that
they are following the law.
As a disclaimer, please be aware that laws can be subject
to interpretation and sometimes change. These questions
have been answered according to my understanding of
copyright laws, and do not constitute legal advice. The
number-one way that a church can make sure that they
are not breaking any laws is to ask permission from the
author or copyright holder when using their material. Sev-
eral resource websites for finding out copyright informa-
tion are listed in Appendix G.
69
The next time that you consider sharing a piece of materi-

al, whether it is a video, graphics, music, or otherwise, just
remember that it does affect the creator of that work. A
real person will lose money as a result. (If it helps, you can
think of me!) However, I believe most church leaders and
media ministries want to follow the law, so let’s take a look
at the top twenty copyright questions.
Top Twenty Copyright Questions

1. What type of license do I need to show songs in
PowerPoint or worship software?
Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)
issues licenses to churches that display Christian song
lyrics. A church must have this license and display the
copyright information on at least one slide for each
song. The copyright information and CCLI number for
the church must be legible. Keep in mind that CCLI
covers approximately 50 percent of popular Christian
music. Not all music is covered.
2. What type of license do I need to show movie clips

in a service?
For churches to show clips from popular movies, a
motion picture license must be obtained. The Motion
Picture Licensing Corporation is working with CCLI to
provide a Church Video License through a new compa-
ny called Christian Video Licensing International
(CVLI). This license will cover the public display of
movies from a large number of movie companies.
3. Can I digitize the movie clip I would like to show

on Sunday so I can play it back from within my
presentation software?
70
Chapter 5—Copyright
Unfortunately, no you can’t. Although it would certainly

make it more convenient, you are technically making a
copy of the movie when it is digitized, and that is illegal
if permission is not obtained. The clip needs to be played
back from the original source (videotape or DVD). With
a little practice, cueing and playing movies can become
second nature.
4. Can I show a clip of something that I recorded

from television?
Although it is legal for you to record the broadcast, you
must obtain permission to show it in public. Television
studios are very reluctant to give permission, so don’t be
surprised if your request is denied.
5. Can I use a clip from a movie in my video

production?
No. Most movies stipulate that they cannot be trans-
ferred or altered in any way from the original. Taking
out a portion of a movie to use in a video production
alters the context of the movie and therefore constitutes
a change. This also means you cannot edit out the bad
language in a clip to use in church. Footage to be used
in a video production must be royalty-free. There are
many companies that offer royalty-free footage, includ-
ing some very old movies.
6. I want to produce a video parody on a movie or TV

show. Is that okay?
Parodies are covered under Fair Use and do not require
permission. However, keep in mind that there are limi-
tations. Material that could be considered slanderous or
libelous is not protected.
71
7. Can I use company logos in my graphics or video

productions?
Not usually. Almost every company with a logo will
require permission to use their logos in any video, pres-
entation, or printed material. You should always
request permission.
8. I took my video camera and did some “man on

the street” interviews. Do I need permission to
use the footage?
Whether you interview someone on the street or as part
of a specific project, it is prudent to have him or her
sign a release statement, allowing you to use the
recording. A sample release is in Appendix I. At the
very least you should ask, “May I ask you a question?”
when approaching people on the street.
9. We videotape our services. Is it okay to duplicate

and sell them, give them away, or stream them
from a website?
If your recording contains any copyrighted material,
such as a recording of a soloist, then you must obtain
permission from the owner of the material. In the case
of special music, the producer of the soundtrack and the
songwriter each have separate copyrights. The songs
sung during worship are covered about 50 percent of
the time under the CCLI license. There are some
restrictions, however. Check with CCLI for details.
10. Can I save something off the Internet and use it

in a presentation?
Not usually. The Internet is not fair game for free
graphics. Most websites have a copyright notice that
covers the entire site, which includes the protection of
72
its images, text, design, and source coding. If a graphic

is free for use, the website owners will usually make it
a well-known fact. You should assume that copyright
law protects all graphics on a site. When in doubt, ask
for permission.
11. Can I scan a picture out of a magazine and use it

in my presentations?
The content of magazines is covered by copyrights in the
same manner that a website is. You need permission.
12. Can I take a picture of any object and use it in a

graphics project or presentation?
You cannot, of course, take a picture of a picture,
including famous paintings. You can take pictures of
objects that you own or are on public property and use
them in your graphics projects.
13. I have a great library of graphics. Can I share my

graphics collections with other churches?
In most cases, the answer is no, not even one image.
When a collection is purchased, each image is subject
to the licensing agreement of the collection. Most of
these license agreements state that you may not trans-
fer images to anyone else. Read the licensing agree-
ment that comes with your graphics for details. If there
is not a license agreement, you should contact the com-
pany and ask about it.
14. I created some graphics of my own. Can I share

or sell them?
That depends. If you created the graphics completely
from scratch (that is, took the pictures yourself or gen-
73
erated some graphics electronically), then the answer

is yes. You may sell or give away graphics that are 100
percent original at your discretion. However, any
images that include photos of people or objects on pri-
vate property may be a violation of copyright law. It is
best to get permission in these cases.
When you use images from other commercial graphics
collections, make sure to check the license agreement
to find out what is and is not allowed. Many royalty-
free photo collections, for example, grant you a license
to modify a graphic, but do not allow you to distribute
the files electronically. Some even stipulate that you
acknowledge their copyright license to material used in
your graphics. Selling a collection of graphics created
from source material that is copyrighted (this would
include clip art and royalty-free graphics) is definitely
prohibited because you would, in turn, be in competi-
tion with the company. If you want to sell your graphics,
you should create them entirely from scratch.
15. I would like to put copies of all of our media soft-

ware on several computers for my media team
members. Is that legal?
This is legal only if you have obtained what is called a
“site license.” Buying a single copy of a program does
not include a site license. However, you should consult
the software license agreement for details about exact-
ly what is allowed. For example, many of the worship
software companies allow you to load copies onto mul-
tiple computers as long as you are using the software
on only one projector.
16. Can I make backup copies of my software?

In some cases the software license does allow you to do
this. However, you should check the license agreement to
make sure.
74
17. My presentation has copy-protected material in

it. Can I share it?
If the copy-protected material in the presentation can
be extracted or altered in any way, you will need per-
mission. If the presentation can only be seen with a
viewer program and cannot be edited, then you do not
need permission.
18. What if I ask for permission to use something and

never get an answer?
Assume that you do not have permission.
19. I’ve created some of my own graphics or videos.

How do I protect them?
As soon as you create an original work, copyright law
protects it. You do not have to put a copyright symbol on
your work, but you may do so at any time. For further
protection and to fix the exact date of creation, you
should register your work with the U.S. copyright
office.
20. We are just a small church without much money.

God doesn’t mind if we bend the rules a little,
right?
I think you know the answer to that one! CCLI and
CVLI use a sliding scale according to church size for
their fees. How much is it worth to know that you are
complying with the laws of the land?
75
Section 2:
Graphics Workshop
Chapter 6
Graphics First
Every visual aspect of a media ministry has one common

element: graphics. Graphics are the building blocks for
PowerPoint presentations, video productions, websites,
printed material, and more. When a media ministry team
learns to master the art of graphic design, everything the
team creates will look more professional. The overall quality
of media can dramatically increase its impact in a church. In
this section, we will explore some basic technical principles
that are important for building graphics. I’ll leave most of
the creative process to you and your team. After reading
this section, try out the graphics exercises included on the
DVD.
I have found that most people in charge of media spend
more time developing the presentation than creating quality
graphics. Many also rely solely on PowerPoint for creating,
editing, and delivering graphics for their presentations.
However, PowerPoint’s graphic capabilities are limited.
PowerPoint should primarily be used as a vehicle to dis-
play high-quality graphics that are developed in another
program. By using the techniques described in Chapters
6 and 7, you will learn how to spend more time on graph-
ics and less time in PowerPoint, which will result in better
presentations.
There are three reasons for spending more time on graphics.
The first reason is that, “Clip art is easy, but it’s also kind
of cheesy.” Most professional publications and presenta-
tions do not include clip art. Although it is easy to type in
a keyword and insert a cute cartoon into a presentation,
most clip art lacks the professional look that people are
accustomed to seeing. Though clip art can be a useful tool
79
when used in moderation, businesspeople and media min-

isters alike are guilty of overusing clip art in their presen-
tations. Using photos and other graphic design elements
will take presentations to a higher level.
Second, “Word Art is old news.” Microsoft Office Word Art
provides a simple and fast way to spice up the text in a
presentation, but it has been so overused that it is readily
apparent where it came from. Using a professional graphics
program to generate text for PowerPoint will give presen-
tations a unique look. People who are familiar with Power-
Point will wonder how you did it! To PowerPoint’s credit,
however, the Word Art feature in the XP/2002 version is
more robust and has a cleaner look.
Finally, “It’s not hard to look like a pro.” Several years ago,
my own work was amateurish and lacked professional
flair, but with practice I learned to create great-looking
graphics for my presentations and website. Graphic design
can be learned. If I can do it, anyone can!
Create Professional Graphics With 3 Techniques

Adding three basic elements to your graphics will help give
them a professional look. The first is transparency. When
several pictures are inserted on one PowerPoint slide,
their shape will almost always be rectangular. The result
will be a slide simply filled with box shapes overlapping
one another. For instance, a picture of a person usually has
an unwanted background. There is no easy way to remove
that background and make it transparent using Power-
Point alone. PowerPoint does have a transparency tool, but
using it will not only change your image to a lower resolu-
tion GIF format (explained below) but will also make only
one color transparent. Even if there is a solid color that can
be made transparent, this tool usually leaves a jagged edge
around the image. By using an image-editing program you
can make selected parts of an image transparent before
80
Chapter 6—Graphics First
bringing it into PowerPoint, yielding better results. Images

created with transparent attributes will blend into the slide
and look less blocky. Images that are semi-transparent will
show objects placed behind them for a unique look.
The second professional technique is the addition of a drop
shadow. Shadows are very important in graphic design.
Shadows give depth to an image and can help elements
stand out from the background. They also add a level of
realism that cannot be achieved by any other method.
PowerPoint does have a very limited shadow function for
text, but the shadow it creates cannot be blurred or dis-
torted in any way. If the shadow is moved too far away
from the text, then the text becomes unreadable. Again,
using an external image-editing program to generate
images and text with shadows (also with transparency)
will give PowerPoint presentations more depth.
The final pro element for graphics is actually a group of spe-
cial effects. These “layer effects”—which include effects such
as beveling, outlining, and glowing—are described in more
detail in the DVD exercises. These advanced effects allow
you to add dramatic and unique properties to a graphic lay-
out. All of these effects will be maintained with their trans-
parencies when they are brought into PowerPoint.
When I show a presentation, I want to make people wonder,
“Is he using PowerPoint? I didn’t know it could do that!”
Applying these techniques will ensure that people will
more likely pay attention to the presentation precisely
because it will not look like an average PowerPoint
slideshow. Eyes will be drawn to the screen to see what
comes next when these pro graphic elements are used.
Time Savers
Although I highly recommend that you spend as much
time as possible to prepare the media for a service, I real-
ize that most church workers are usually in a time crunch
81
every week. Many people not only do not get the material
for the service very far in advance, but they also may be
able to devote only several hours to creating their presen-
tations.5 With this in mind, I’d like to suggest three ways
to save time and still create quality media.
Build a graphics library. There is a plethora of high quality
graphic resources available on the market. Having a com-
prehensive library of graphics on hand can save hours of
searching for just the right image. It is also much faster to
use a pre-designed, professional graphic rather than trying
to create one yourself from scratch. Appendix J includes
a list of recommended resources that offer material
designed for both general use and also specifically for
church use. Also listed are some popular websites that pro-
vide downloadable graphics. When searching for graphics
on the Internet, use terms like “stock photos” or “stock
images” in your search to bring up high quality sites that
offer photographs. Once you’ve built a library of graphics,
you should catalog them using some type of image cata-
loging program for quick retrieval.
Learn keyboard shortcuts. Believe it or not, I’m old enough
to remember when the mouse was invented. I started out
using an old IBM 8088 computer running DOS and two
floppy drives. At that time, the main program I used was a
MIDI sequencing program called Cakewalk (remember, I
used to want to be a Christian rock star). I had learned all
of the keyboard shortcuts for getting around the program.
When I saw a friend using Cakewalk with this weird little
gadget with a ball and two buttons to get around the pro-
gram, he seemed to be moving in slow motion! I could liter-
ally accomplish two or three times as many tasks using
keyboard shortcuts. Since its introduction, we have a
become mouse-dependent society. However, almost all mod-
ern programs still incorporate keyboard shortcuts. I have
compiled the more useful shortcuts for the programs covered
on the DVD in Appendix K. Learning and using keyboard
shortcuts can literally save hours of preparation time.
82
Take your own pictures. Even with a vast library of images

at your fingertips, you may still find it faster to take your
own pictures in some cases. For instance, if the pastor is
using a stoplight as a metaphor in a sermon, it will proba-
bly be quicker to step outside and take a snapshot than to
search the Internet or browse through countless CDs. You
may also have difficulty finding an appropriate royalty-
free image at the right resolution for a reasonable price.
Taking your own pictures with a digital camera can be a
fun and rewarding alternative.
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras continue to improve in quality and have
become very affordable in recent years. Every media min-
istry should have a digital camera on hand. Digital images
provide perfect source material for creating custom graph-
ics for projection. Here are some specifications to consider
when choosing a digital camera:
Megapixels. The number of megapixels in a digital camera
determines the resolution at which the images can be cap-
tured. The higher the megapixel count, the higher the pos-
sible resolution. The number of megapixels you will need
depends on how the images you take will be used. In most
media ministry situations a camera with at least 2
megapixels is adequate for projection use. If the images
are to be used for printing purposes, then a camera with a
higher megapixel count should be considered.
Resolution. Digital cameras originally specified resolution
rather than megapixels. Some cameras still carry this
specification and are usually capable of images that are
320 x 240 or 640 x 480 pixels. Cameras that do not carry a
megapixel rating are usually not adequate for media min-
istry use and should be avoided. (Resolution is explained in
more detail on page 85, “Understanding Resolutions.”)
83
Storage Medium. The next consideration is the type of

storage medium that the digital camera uses. There are
several popular types of “digital film.” Although the type of
storage medium will not affect the quality of the images
taken with a digital camera, each different type of storage
has its own advantages and disadvantages. In the end, it
comes down to personal preference. The number of images
that can be stored on any of these formats depends on both
the capacity of the medium and the resolution of the pic-
tures. Sony cameras incorporate the Sony Memory Stick®,
which is about the size of a piece of stick gum and comes in
capacities of up to 128 MB. CompactFlash® cards are larg-
er than Memory Sticks but have a capacity of up to a whop-
ping 1GB. The SD™ Memory Card from Panasonic is a
small, thin medium similar to Sony’s memory stick with up
to a 256 MB capacity. (A 1 GB card was in development at
the time of this printing.) Finally, the Smart Media™ for-
mat comes in capacities of up to 128 MB.
File Transfer Method. Once the pictures have been taken,
they need to be transferred to a computer for editing and
displaying. So another important consideration when
choosing a camera is how the image files can be trans-
ferred. At the very least, most cameras include a cable that
attaches to the USB or serial port of a computer for trans-
fer. Or simply removing the storage medium from the cam-
era and inserting it into the computer also provides a con-
venient way to transfer images. Most notebook computers
are equipped with a CardBus (PCMCIA) slot. CardBus
adapters are available for most of the aforementioned
memory types, making file transfer quick and easy. Some
notebook computers feature multiple slots for various
forms of media. External memory card readers that con-
nect to a USB port are also available for desktop (as well
as notebook) computers. Some read only one type of media
while others include multiple slots. Quick transfer is
important to a media ministry. One reason is simply to
save time. Another would be the ability to take pictures
before a service or during fellowship and transfer them for
immediate display during a service.
84
Lens. The lens is arguably the most important part of a

digital camera. A 3-megapixel camera equipped only with
a small lens will simply produce high-resolution, substan-
dard images. When choosing a camera, look for a larger,
glass lens. Some higher-end cameras feature “name brand”
lenses. Expect to pay more for a quality lens, but the dif-
ference is well worth the extra expense.
Zoom. There are two types of zooming on digital cameras:
optical zoom and digital zoom. The optical zoom is the real
zooming capability of the camera, while any zooming
beyond that is magnified digitally. For instance, if the cam-
era has an optical zoom of 3X and a digital zoom of 20X,
anything beyond the 3X point would be digitally magni-
fied. Using the digital zoom usually creates undesirable
artifacts in an image. The image will not be crisp and will
look distorted. These effects are usually not noticeable on
the small camera LCD screen. It would be disappointing to
discover that after taking a bunch of pictures they were
unusable. For this reason, I highly recommend turning off
the digital zoom on any camera. So make sure you find out
the optical zoom capabilities of a camera, particularly
since the digital zoom specification is often what is most
clearly labeled on the camera.
Understanding Resolutions
After you have acquired the proper camera, you will need
to set it to capture images at an appropriate resolution.
The numbers relating to resolution represent the number
of pixels wide by the number of pixels high. More pixels
will yield a more detailed picture. To understand resolu-
tions, consider your own experience with the evolution of
computer monitors.
640 x 480 (VGA). When you owned a 14-inch computer
monitor, the resolution of your computer graphics card was
set to 640 x 480 to accommodate the resolution capabilities
of your monitor. This is also the still the resolution of stan-
dard video and television.
85
800 x 600 (SVGA). When you ran out and bought a 15-inch
monitor, hopefully you changed the resolution settings on
your graphics card to 800 x 600. Everything on your screen
seemed to shrink, but you just gained more desktop space.
1024 x 768 (XGA). Then when 17-inch monitors became
affordable you wanted the extra two inches. You may have
tried to change the graphics card settings to 1024 x 768
only to discover that your graphics card could not output
resolution that high. So, you either bought a new card or a
new computer so that you could take advantage of the bigger
monitor. Again, the icons on your screen seemed smaller, but
you soon became used to the new look and the extra space.
1152 x 864 (SXGA). Finally, you settled on a 19-inch mon-
itor and changed your graphics settings once again, this
time to 1152 x 864. Satisfaction at last!
Coming Soon: 1366 x 768 (Wide XGA). One day the
widescreen format will become standard in our society.
Read the “Go Wide” article in Appendix A for more details.
Because projectors are high-resolution devices, it is impor-
tant to understand what is meant by these resolution des-
ignations. The ability of a projector to display images in
higher resolutions means that projectors are more like
computer monitors than televisions. This is why computer
images look much brighter and more colorful when pro-
jected than a video, which often looks dingy and colorless.
Projectors, like computer monitors, have a native resolu-
tion at which they will best display computer graphics.
Many projectors on the market today have a native resolu-
tion of SVGA (800 x 600) or XGA (1024 x 768). After learn-
ing the native resolution of a projector, set the graphics
card output to match the projector’s resolution. To change
the resolution setting in Windows, right-click on the desk-
top, select Properties, and then click the Settings tab. The
output resolution can be adjusted here. These same set-
tings may be adjusted on a Macintosh by choosing Control
Panels > Monitors and selecting the matching resolution
from the list.
86
Understanding resolution is also important as it pertains

to taking digital photos and creating images for projection.
The resolution setting on a digital camera should match or
exceed the native resolution of the projector being used.
For instance, if the church owns a XGA projector, the cam-
era’s resolution should be set to 1024 x 768 or higher. If you
are designing a graphic layout from scratch, you will also
need to set the blank canvas or document to 1024 x 768.
The resolution of an image can always be lowered, but it
cannot be increased without noticeable image distortion.
In other words, bigger is better.
One last setting to understand in relation to resolution is
DPI, or dots per square inch. Without going into much
detail, the DPI for images destined for the projection
screen should be set at 72 or 96, while images for print
should be set at 300 DPI. To fully understand how resolu-
tion and DPI are applied in a practical media ministry sit-
uation, be sure to go through the DVD graphics exercises.
Graphic Formats
Images may be saved in a variety of file formats. The
extension or ending of a file name indicates its format. The
file name is followed by its extension, which is separated
by a period (e.g. filename.extension, pastor.jpg). It is
important to understand graphic formats because each for-
mat has its own application. When you create graphics,
you can save the same image in a variety of formats. For
instance, a graphic designed for a sermon theme could be
saved in one format for PowerPoint, another for printing,
and yet another for the church website.
Your computer may be set to hide file extensions from view.
To show these extensions, start Windows Explorer by hold-
ing down the Windows button on your keyboard and
pressing E. Click the Tools menu and then Folder
Options. Now click the View tab and uncheck the box
next to “Hide extensions for known file types.” Click OK.
All file extensions will now be shown.
87
Formats for Web Use: Most of images that appear on web-

sites are GIF (pronounced like gift without the t) and JPG
(pronounced J-peg) file formats. The GIF format was
designed specifically for web use and will download very
quickly. GIFs will maintain transparency, even in Power-
Point, though the number of colors and levels of trans-
parency are limited. JPGs, however, may be saved at a
variety of quality levels, making it the most versatile and
most common format. When used for the Internet, JPGs
are usually saved with more compression, making the file
sizes smaller for quicker downloads.
Formats for Printing: When saving a file for print use, the
best format to use is TIF (sometimes TIFF). A high resolu-
tion TIFF image saved at 300 DPI will look great when
printed. Most commercial printers prefer TIFFs though
JPGs saved at a higher quality level also work well for
printing in many cases.
Formats for Video Use: Still images to be used for video
production should be saved as a medium- to high-quality
JPG or TGA (pronounced targa) file format.
Formats for Presentations: JPG images also work well for
presentation use. A more useful file format for presenta-
tions is the PNG (pronounced ping).
The Best-Kept Secret

When used in combination with Adobe® Photoshop® or
Photoshop® Elements (described below), the PNG file for-
mat is PowerPoint’s best-kept secret. PNG files saved in
Photoshop will maintain all transparency attributes of an
image when used in PowerPoint. The best way to under-
stand the power of the PNG format is to see it in action. In
your Graphics Workshop folder, open the png Examples
folder, and then the file called png.ppt (PowerPoint 2000 or
XP is recommended for best results). Start the presentation
and click your mouse to bring in each object. Notice the
detailed transparency in each picture. Even small areas
such as the spokes in the wheels of the old farm equipment
88
are transparent. The edges around the rose are very clean.
The glow around the text maintains a transparency that
actually fades into the background. The shadow of the cow-
boy is overlaid on top of the entire image and is semi-trans-
parent. All of these images are PNG files created in Photo-
shop. Stop the PowerPoint presentation and move the
images around on the screen. Try resizing them as well.
Notice that they maintain transparency no matter where
you place them, and that they do not pixilate or distort
when resized.
Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop has become the standard program in
image editing. For years I resisted using Photoshop
because of the price and the learning curve. Both of these
problems have recently been alleviated. Photoshop versions
6.0 and 7.0 are much more intuitive and include more stan-
dard user interface components. The full version of Photo-
shop 7 currently retails for approximately $600, which may
make it cost-prohibitive for many churches. The solution is
Photoshop Elements (2.0), which is a scaled-down version
of Photoshop that retails for about $100 (not including
available rebates). Photoshop Elements has been hailed as
a breakthrough in consumer-level image editing. The look
and feel of Elements is identical to Photoshop in many
ways and provides a no-compromise alternative. Photo-
shop and Photoshop Elements files are interchangeable;
someone could create a project in Photoshop and someone
else could work on the same file in Elements. The native
Photoshop file format is PSD, which keeps all of the layers
of the image separated and allows for further editing.
When saving images for different applications, you should
start with the original PSD file.
To maintain transparency with PNG files in PowerPoint, the
images must be saved using Photoshop or Elements. To date,
I have not found another image editing program that main-
89
tains this transparency. Although there may be others that

will keep the transparent attributes of a PNG file, it is still a
good idea to learn and use Photoshop for image editing. It
will continue to develop into a more powerful program and is
the standard application used by graphics professionals.
Three Key Design Concepts to Remember

Before diving into the exercises on the DVD, there are
three key concepts to remember when designing graphics.
Share your original graphics with other churches. First, be
sure to read over the copyright guidelines in Chapter 5 to
understand what the word “original” means. Once you are
sure that you legally can do this, you should network with
other churches that use media and share your work with
them. It is a shame that hours of work may be put into a
project only to be shown once and then sit dormant on a
hard drive forever. Sharing original work with other
churches will save them time and give them an opportuni-
ty to experience your unique style and giftedness. It is also
a great way to fellowship with other media ministries and
to learn from each other.
See each project as a work of art. Many times the graphic
design process can seem like a chore. It can be tedious and
time consuming. To create quality material, it is important
to put on an “artist’s hat” and see things from a more
creative point of view. When graphic design is seen as a
creative process it becomes less like work and more like art.
“Projects are never finished, just abandoned.” No one
knows for sure who said this first, but filmmakers such as
Spielberg have subscribed to this idea that no project ever
seems to reach perfection. When working on a graphics
design project, keep in mind that you will probably never
get it to look exactly the way you want. You will need to
learn to when it is time to abandon a project and move on.
90
DVD Exercises
Time to try out the exercises! You will probably want to
install the trial version of Photoshop before viewing the
workshop videos on the DVD.
Although all of the workshop exercises demonstrate PC
versions of the software, you will find that most of the tech-
niques shown are easily transferable to the Macintosh
platform. (PowerPoint XP is the only real exception; Power-
Point XP contains features not currently available in any
Macintosh version of PowerPoint.)
Windows: To install the Photoshop trial, simply click the
Software Trials button on the Main Menu. Then click the
Install Adobe Photoshop Trial button to launch the
installation program. Follow the onscreen prompts to com-
plete the installation.
Macintosh: Click on the button at the bottom of the
screen for Install Trial Software to open the Adobe
Software Trials folder. Double-click the Install Adobe
Photoshop file to launch the install program. Follow the
onscreen prompts to complete the installation.
Be sure to wait until you are ready to go through the train-
ing before installing the trial software, because the trials
are limited.
The exercise called “One For All” can be used for Easter or
any time of the year. This project carries over into the Power-
Point exercise and must be completed before going on to
the PowerPoint training.
Photoshop Basics
Below are some of the technical concepts learned in the
graphics workshop that you may need to refer to from time to
time.
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There are many tools to choose from in Photoshop. Located

below is a layout of the main tools that are used in the
exercises. The letters in the parentheses are the keyboard
shortcut keys. Simply type the letter to select the tool to
use. These shortcuts work for both Windows and Macin-
tosh versions.
92
Unlike most Microsoft programs, layering objects is quick

and easy in Photoshop. Rather than using a “move to
front” or “send down one layer” type of system, Photoshop
shows all layers in a hierarchy. Layers are simply dragged
up and down the list to move from front to back. Note the
other functions in the layers box.
Saving individual layers as PNG files:
1. Right-click the View icon beside the
layer to save and choose “Show/Hide all
other layers.”
2. Under the Image menu click Trim.
Click OK.
93
3. Press Shift+Ctrl+S on your keyboard for Save As.

4. Choose PNG under Format, name the file, and click
Save.
94
Section 3:
PowerPoint and Worship
Software Workshop
Chapter 7
Creating
Dynamic Presentations
PowerPoint XP—It’s a Whole New Program

In the Graphics Workshop exercise on the DVD, we cre-
ated a graphic theme with a collage of pictures. We saved
the individual pictures as PNG files; maintaining their
transparency, drop shadows, and effects such as bevels and
glows. We learned that PowerPoint should be used as a
vehicle to display rather than create our high-quality
images. In this section we will cover some presentation
basics and also learn about special software designed
specifically for use during worship. After reading through
this section, try out the exercises on the DVD, which uti-
lize the graphics designed in the graphics workshop. Be
sure to also try some of the demo worship presentation
software included on the DVD.
As I have mentioned, this book and the workshop exercises
are presented from a PC perspective. For the most part,
the principles and techniques presented are relevant for
all media ministry teams, no matter which computer plat-
form they use. However, many of the new features included
in PowerPoint XP are simply not currently available in any
of the Macintosh versions of PowerPoint.
PowerPoint Grows Up
According to an informal poll I took, 90 to 95 percent of all
churches using media use Microsoft PowerPoint as their
main display software.6 Since PowerPoint comes as part of
the Microsoft Office package, many churches already own
it. As a result, churches all over the world have been using
PowerPoint in innovative ways for years, bending this
business application to meet their needs.
97
At my first post as media minister in 1996, I used a pres-

entation software application called Astound® Presenta-
tion. I compared it to the PowerPoint of its day and found
Astound to be superior in many ways. It had advanced
animation control and interactive programmability. For a
number of reasons I eventually switched my loyalties to
PowerPoint, but longed for the advanced features I had
utilized in Astound. With each passing upgrade to Power-
Point I looked for these features to be included. Finally,
with the XP (also known as 2002) version of PowerPoint,
my dreams came true.
PowerPoint XP represents a huge leap from previous ver-
sions. So much so that it is almost like a new program. It
features an advanced visual timeline for complete control
of animating objects on a slide. Objects can enter simulta-
neously and even exit before the end of the slide. Dozens of
new, professional transitions and effects have been added.
The entry and exit path of objects may now be literally
drawn, giving complete control over the position of an
object and its path animation. There is also a “presenter’s
view” included for dual monitor setups (explained later).
All of these new features are demonstrated in detail in the
DVD exercises.
Every church doing media in ministry should strongly con-
sider PowerPoint XP for announcements, sermons, and
special presentations. Churches with an older version of
PowerPoint can upgrade to the XP version for around
$100.7 The upgrade is available at most office and computer
stores. PowerPoint can be upgraded independently of other
Office programs, so an Office upgrade is not necessary. If
your church does not already own a version of Power-
Point, Microsoft has started a charitable pricing program.
Contact your denomination or conference head office and
inquire about potential group licensing that they may have
in place. The charitable price on Microsoft Office XP is
unbelievably low, making it affordable for any size church.
98
Chapter 7—Creating Dynamic Presentations
The animations in PowerPoint need a certain amount of

computing and graphics power to work properly. Refer to
Chapter 2 for suggestions on computer specifications for
a media ministry computer. Having a robust graphics card
and plenty of system RAM are the two most important sys-
tem requirements for using PowerPoint XP. If the computer
is lacking in these areas, elements on a slide may not tran-
sition quickly or smoothly.
The PowerTeam
In Chapter 3 we learned about the importance of building
a strong media ministry action team. For churches that
extensively use PowerPoint, an action team of no less than
three people should be employed. Because there are three
distinct elements that make up effective PowerPoint pre-
sentations, you will want to look for team members who
excel in each of these areas.
The CompuGeek. Many times, all of the tasks of using Power-
Point in church are assigned to the resident computer nerd.
CompuGeeks play an essential role in a “PowerTeam”
because they know all of the nuances of the program. They
can get inside of PowerPoint and make it do things it wasn’t
designed to do. However, many CompuGeeks lack an eye for
graphics and colors.
The Artist. That’s where the artist comes into the picture
(bad pun, I know). Most churches have at least one person
with a knack for color coordination and gifted with a cre-
ative flair. With the CompuGeek at their side, the artist
will make presentations look fantastic while getting the
most out of PowerPoint.
The Musician. The third member of the PowerTeam
should be a musician or vocalist. Ideally, the musician
will actually run the presentation (be it PowerPoint or
another application) during the song portion of a service.
People who are familiar with the music are the best
equipped to run the presentation because they know the
sequencing of song and have a better sense of timing and
rhythm. One effective way of filling this role would be to
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rotate a member of the worship team into this position

once a month. This member of the PowerTeam does not
have to be technical or artistic; he or she only needs to
know the music well and have at least two fingers—one
finger to press the key to advance the slides and another
finger as a backup in case the first finger malfunctions.
One caution, however: musically inclined people love to
worship. You’ll want to make sure that they have the
ability to focus on doing their job. For example, I was at
a rather large conference once and everyone noticed that
the slide was not changing during a song. We all turned
and gave the computer operator “the look” (you know,
“the look” that you give sound and media people who are
not doing a good job), but she didn’t notice because she
was praising God at full steam with her eyes closed and
hands in the air.
Presentation Tips for Songs

Timing Is Paramount
Another extremely important responsibility of the person
running the computer during worship is attending
rehearsals. The computer operator is a vital member of
the worship team and handles the most visual aspect of a
worship service. Unrehearsed computer operators can
cause major distractions in the worship service. The com-
puter may be seen as an instrument that they must prac-
tice and then play during worship. As with any musical
instrument, timing is paramount. In the case of the “com-
puter instrument,” the timing relates to when slides are
advanced during a song.8 Everyone has a different opinion:
“You advance right on the beat.” “No, you advance right on
the last word of the slide.” “No, it’s the first word of the next
slide.” “No, it’s three words back from the last word on the
slide.” And so on. There is simply no one right answer since
the right time to advance the slide depends on several factors.
100
Here are a few tips for determining what works best for
each situation:
• The rhythm of the song plays a big part in advancing the
slides.
• Try to advance at a time that “feels” right and gives the
congregation enough time to find their place. Only a good
musician has this sense of timing.
• If there is a musical pause between slides, do not
advance too quickly. This will make the song feel rushed.
• If there is no musical pause between slides, be sure to
advance a bit early to ensure that no one misses any part
of the lyrics.
• If there is a long musical interlude before the singing
begins or between slides, either wait to advance or
insert a blank (not black) slide during the musical part
of the song. If the next verse shows during this time,
the congregation will be concentrating on when to sing
rather than appreciating the music. Another suggestion
would be to display a slide with a Bible passage that
pertains to the song or the theme for the day during the
interlude.
Keep It Simple
Choosing which colors and fonts to use for song slides is
another area of heated debate. Recall the story in Chapter
4 where I described how I overwhelmed the congregation
at my first media service. Obviously, I once held the opin-
ion that you could enhance a song by dressing up the lyrics
on the screen. After a couple of years of experimentation I
decided that “simple is better” when it comes to displaying
songs. The lyrics need to be read quickly and easily. The
font should be a sans serif typeface like Arial or Tahoma.
Serifs are the little “tags,” or short decorative lines at the
start or finish of a stroke on a letter, in serif typefaces like
Times New Roman. Sans serif fonts make reading words
on a big screen easier.
101
If the projector being used in the church is not as bright as

it should be (as many church projectors aren’t), you will
want to use a contrasting color combination—one color
should be dark and the other light—so that the text can be
easily seen. A medium-blue background with white or yel-
low letters works especially well. This color combination
will make the text easier to see. However, if the projector
is bright enough, I suggest an “in between” solution. Try to
use a background image that relates to the theme for the
service. If the background is too busy, place a semi-trans-
parent box on top of the image so that the text will stand
out. Transparent boxes are a new feature of PowerPoint
XP and are easily added and adjusted to any background
(see PowerPoint exercises for instructions).
Using drop shadows and outlines on the text provides
another method of making text stand out. This can be done
in PowerPoint with Word Art, or in Photoshop by saving the
text as a PNG file with transparency. The third and easiest
option for adding outlines and drop shadows to text is to use
a worship software program that incorporates this feature.
Fixing Mistakes
A time will come when every media minister will misspell
something on a PowerPoint slide. Even with a spell-checker
mistakes can be made. My biggest blunder was in the song
“Higher Ground.” To my horror, I had typed “where rears
abound” instead of “where fears abound”! I quickly fixed
the word for the next service. What was worse, however, is
that I forgot to fix it in the original presentation and
showed it again the following week. The moral of the story
is to make sure that errors are fixed in the original song
file when they are discovered. This is not an issue if worship
software is used to display songs, because the songs are all
in one database instead of several different files.
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Worship Software: A Teaser

The best tip I can give concerning song presentations is to
use worship software instead of PowerPoint. Worship soft-
ware programs are designed specifically for church use
and are more efficient than PowerPoint for displaying
songs and Scriptures. More details on worship software
are covered later and several reviews of these programs
may be found in the appendices. These programs do not
replace PowerPoint for other presentation applications,
however, so let’s cover some other presentation tips before
going into more detail on this subject.
Presentation Tips for Announcements

Is Anyone Watching?
I have some sad news for churches that spend most of their
time creating dazzling pre-service announcements—no
one watches them. After the initial “wow” factor of
onscreen announcements wears off, people go back to their
usual routine of fellowshipping with other church mem-
bers and ignore the images on the screen.9 One problem is
that many media ministers assume that a church is like a
movie theater and everyone will be glued to the screen in
anticipation of the service. We know that this is not the
case, however. People at church generally like to catch up
with other church members during the pre-service time.
There are several solutions to this problem. One unique
solution is to not run onscreen announcements at all. This
was the option that Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque,
New Mexico took. They noticed an interesting phenome-
non when running announcements before a service. Not
only were people ignoring the announcements, it would
take at least two worship songs before the congregation
settled down and entered a “worship mode.” It seemed
that the announcements were helping to create the wrong
atmosphere for worship. They decided to try displaying
103
only one slide as people came in. This slide contained a

Bible verse and perhaps an image relevant to the theme
for the service. They noticed an immediate improvement
in the quality of worship. The congregation entered into
worship more quickly because they were more focused on
God and the service theme.
Add Audio
For those who would like to make the announcements
work onscreen, adding audio to a PowerPoint slide is an
easy way to attract attention to the screen. Every church
has at least one person in the congregation with a good
speaking voice, whether she or he knows it or not. Iden-
tify that person and have her or him come in to read a
short script about an announcement. The narration can
be recorded directly into a computer using a standard
computer microphone and the Sound Recorder program
included with Windows. The sound file (with a .wav
extension) can be attached to a PowerPoint slide and will
automatically play when the slide is shown. Using sound
effects can also draw attention to the announcements.
For instance, an advertisement for a youth car wash
could include bubble noises. The amount of audio used
will depend greatly on the type of church and the prefer-
ence of what kind of atmosphere they would like to
establish before a service. Many churches play praise
music during this time, so any audio used in a presenta-
tion would have to complement the style of background
music being played. A voice-over playing while someone
is singing would, of course, be a disaster.
Figure 1: The Windows Sound Recorder program can be found in the

Entertainment folder.
104
Print Is Also Media

Several years ago I went to a church in Texas to help them
with their first media service. A new two-projector system
had just been installed. Among other things, they handed
me a stack of papers with announcements and Sunday
school class schedules with room numbers. “What do you
want me to do with this?” I asked. “Put it up on the
screen,” replied the music minister. “First of all,” I
responded, “I don’t want to do it because it looks like a lot
of work; but more importantly, don’t you have this stuff
printed in your bulletin?” “No,” he said. “We told our board
that we wouldn’t have to print anything anymore and
that’s how we persuaded them to approve the video pro-
jectors.” I explained that a person would have to be watch-
ing the screen at just the right moment to know where to
go for Sunday school and everyone would need a photo-
graphic memory to recall all the announcements pertain-
ing to the week’s events. The music minister realized that
materials would still have to be printed for the church.
This is an extreme case. Most churches realize that
onscreen announcements will not replace printed material.
However, many churches do not expend much effort on
creating their printed material. The same principles
learned in the graphics workshop can be applied to church
bulletins. The good news is that any graphics generated in
Photoshop for use in PowerPoint can also be used in print.
Using the same graphics for presentations and in printed
material is a great way to reinforce messages and provide
a consistent look.
Advertising Rules
When creating and presenting announcements, be sure to
follow standard advertising rules. If there is an important
event that needs to be emphasized, incorporate this infor-
mation several times throughout the presentation. Both
radio and television advertising effectively employ the
105
technique of repetition. Though you may think a commer-

cial or its jingle is annoying, the message conveyed is diffi-
cult to ignore.
Also be sure to include all the important details of an
event: what, when, where, and what to bring. Include the
day (Tuesday, etc.) as well as a date. For times, always
include AM or PM. Even if it is an announcement for a
men’s breakfast at 6:00, someone will invariably ask, “Is
that 6:00 in the morning?”
Reinforce announcements with an appropriate image.
Take care not to include irrelevant graphics such as cute
cartoon characters that do not pertain to the announce-
ment. Also avoid text-only announcements, because they
are difficult to remember. An image that directly relates to
the event will help people retain the information.
When Not to Show Announcements

I’ve seen some churches show announcements at auda-
cious times during a service. One church showed
announcements during the offertory. I suppose they
thought this was a good way to make sure that people
would see them, but I think it detracted from the spiritual
nature of giving as a time of worship. Another church
showed its announcements during special music behind
the soloist. I’m not sure if she even knew that they were up
on the screen, but as a former performer I know that it
would make me furious to know that the Ladies Luncheon
was being announced while I poured my heart out in song.
Rather than displaying an announcements presentation at
an inappropriate time to get people’s attention, adding
sound and high-quality graphics is a better way to encour-
age people to watch the announcements.
106
Video Announcements
Promoting events in the church need not be limited to
using PowerPoint. Occasionally an announcement may be
produced as a video instead. Video offers a wider array of
tools for communication than PowerPoint. Consider pro-
ducing a short “commercial” for special events. More infor-
mation on video production can be found in Section 4.
Sermon Note Tips

Go Beyond Text
Putting sermon notes in PowerPoint in text format is quick
and easy. Onscreen sermon notes that correspond with a
printed fill-in-the-blank handout help increase attention
as people refer to the screen to get the next “answer.” Once
this type of system is in place, the pastor and the media
ministry team should strive to go beyond text-only and
include pictures in sermon presentations. Just as with
announcement slides, sermons with relevant graphics will
help people retain and recall the sermon as they associate
the points with the images.
As you come across various graphics, try to catalog the
images according to how they might be used in a sermon.
Building a database of where the images can be found and
what themes they may relate to will help immensely when
searching for appropriate graphics for a sermon.
Use Thematic Backgrounds

Rather than using one background for all PowerPoint
slides—or worse, a different background for every slide—
consider using a background theme-set. A theme-set is a
group of graphics with the same basic design and colors,
but with several variations on the master graphic.10 Take
a look at the example set called “Hotline” in the Bonus
Resources > Kick Starters folder. Here are the types of
backgrounds in this set:
107
Master Graphic. This graphic displays the main design on

which the others will be modeled. “Hotline” shows a red
phone with a cord fading into clouds. Notice that there is
not much room for adding any other text.
Title Background. The title background differs from the
main graphic by having just enough room for a sermon
title to be added. In our sample set, the sermon has been
called “Connecting With God.” The title background intro-
duces the sermon and the basic graphical design to go
along with it.
Note Background. These graphics have plenty of room for
sermon notes. Use one background for main points and a
different one for sub-points. After a while, the congrega-
tion will subconsciously shift gears when a new point is
introduced and the background changes slightly.
Scripture Background. This background contains a picture
of the Bible in the corner and has enough space for dis-
playing Scripture passages.
Song Background. This background has a tint over it so
that text will be easier to read for songs. Using a song
background during worship that corresponds to the theme
of the service will set the stage for the sermon topic.
Welcome Background. This background may be shown
during the greeting time. It will also help prepare people
for the theme of the day.
Using the principles learned in the graphics workshop,
anyone can create his or her own theme-sets. Thematic
backgrounds give each Sunday a unique look and feel. At
the same time, these backgrounds provide a consistency in
the overall style for the service. This technique will
enhance the overall quality of the message and help the
congregation relate to the topic.
108
Planning and Practice

Let me reemphasize the importance of planning and prac-
tice. The pastor needs to give the media ministry team
plenty of time to develop the graphics and presentation to
support the sermon. I guarantee a noticeable improve-
ment of the effectiveness of a message backed by a power-
ful metaphor and quality graphics.
Just as with the song presentation, practicing the timing
for sermon notes is very important. The pastor should
spend some time each week with the person who will be
running the presentation so that they are familiar with
the sermon. Many preachers may be concerned that the
wrong slide is showing behind them, causing a sometimes-
noticeable paranoia during the sermon. Devoting an hour
or so to review with the PowerPoint operator will help
alleviate this concern. Another option would be to have the
pastor control the advancement of the presentation with a
handheld remote mouse, as long as he or she is comfort-
able doing so.
109
PowerPoint Exercise
Now is a good time to try out the PowerPoint exercise on

the DVD. To complete the exercise, you will first need to go
through the graphics workshop if you have not already
done so. The graphics created during that exercise will also
be used in the PowerPoint training.
Following are some highlights of the exercises that you
may need to refer to from time to time.
Working With the Advanced Timeline

To make the advanced timeline show up in the animation
task pane, there are two necessary steps:
1. Right-click each of the animation lines and choose
“Start with previous.” Each animation line must be set
this way for the timeline to show up for all of the images
on the slide.
2. Right-click one of the animation lines and choose
“Show advanced timeline.”
110
After performing these two steps, the timeline will be visible

as shown above.
Place your mouse pointer in the middle of a transition and
click/drag to move it forward or backward on the timeline.
Move your mouse to the edge of a transition and click/drag

to increase or decrease the timing.
To attach a sound file to a slide, choose Insert > Movies

and Sounds > Sound from File. Answer “Yes” to the
popup question. Move the speaker icon completely off
the slide.
111
Worship Software
After going through the PowerPoint exercise, you will see
that the XP version has become a powerful tool for deliv-
ering high-quality presentations. However, PowerPoint
has always had one major weakness: its linear nature has
made it difficult to prepare and operate presentations in a
way that allows for the spontaneity that songs (and some-
times Scriptures) need. In order to deal with this short-
coming, churches have developed elaborate and innovative
systems to make PowerPoint more worship-friendly. Even
in churches that have mastered the use of PowerPoint for
worship, there is still a possibility of error or delay in dis-
playing songs that were not originally planned.
The XP version of PowerPoint has a new feature called the
“presenter’s view” that will show thumbnails of all of the
slides and allow the operator to choose any slide at any time.
This feature requires a dual-monitor setup, which is explained
below. This is a step in the right direction, but it still does not
provide a comprehensive solution for worship use.
Worship Software: A Brief History

When churches first began to use projectors to display
song lyrics, PowerPoint’s limitations during worship
quickly became obvious. It was difficult to navigate and
could take hours to prepare. Taking a vested interest in
this problem, church-going computer programmers in all
parts of the country decided to step up to the plate and
design programs that would do a better job for worship
purposes. As a result, there have been numerous presen-
tation applications developed for churches. Some of these
programs have matured into sophisticated applications
that are the cornerstones for many media ministries.
Key Features
When I discovered this phenomenon in 1999, I took it upon
myself to review as many of these programs as I could find
and educate churches as to how these programs can be of
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benefit. After becoming familiar with the benefits and

drawbacks of various programs, I have discovered several
key features to look for when choosing worship software.
User friendliness. Naturally, the worship software needs to
be very easy to use. Some programs are more intuitive
than others, and they all have varying types of user inter-
faces and methods for displaying songs. There will
inevitably come a Sunday morning when the person
assigned to run the software will not show up for one rea-
son or another. The most important question to ask is,
“Can someone learn the basics of this software in ten min-
utes or less?”
Flexibility. Not all churches follow a set order of worship,
and even those who do plan their music occasionally veer
from the program. The worship software should be flexible
enough for an operator to search for a song and quickly dis-
play it at a moment’s notice. The quality of the search
engines varies from program to program. This feature
should be explored thoroughly to make sure that the wor-
ship software is flexible enough to meet the needs of your
church.
Bible access. Another valuable feature of worship software
is the ability to display Scripture from the program. Simi-
lar to the song-search feature, this feature allows an oper-
ator to look up a Bible verse or verses and immediately dis-
play them. Most worship software includes this feature.
The number of Bible translations included with a program
varies. Programs that include only one or two translations
usually offer additional versions for a small fee.
Nursery alert system. Many churches incorporate some
type of system to notify parents if they are needed in the
nursery. Some churches use a number system with a dis-
play attached to a wall while other use pagers. Many wor-
ship software applications have a call system built right
into the program. They will allow a number or short text
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message to be displayed in a corner of the screen. This

number will remain visible until removed even as the song
slides are changed. Some programs also have a messaging
system that allows for longer lines of text to be displayed.
Video and audio support. As computer power continues to
increase there will be many opportunities to incorporate
video into worship software. Several of these programs
already allow moving video backgrounds to be inserted
behind text. In order to accomplish this composite of text
and video, the computer being used needs to have ade-
quate processing power, RAM, and graphics card power.
Some worship software supports audio files as well. Sound
effects, music files, and CD tracks may be accessed with-
out the need to switch to another program.
PowerPoint integration. Some worship software will
import a PowerPoint presentation and allow an operator to
control the slideshow, usually with a thumbnail view of the
show. There are advantages and disadvantages to this fea-
ture. The obvious benefit is that a PowerPoint presenta-
tion may be integrated with the song service without hav-
ing to switch to PowerPoint. The downside to this feature
is that most of the worship software uses the Microsoft®
PowerPoint® Viewer, which is a 1997 version, to allow
PowerPoint presentations to be viewed outside the pro-
gram. Because this viewer uses technology from several
generations back, it lacks many of the features of the cur-
rent version of PowerPoint. Since Microsoft does not plan
on releasing an updated viewer, my recommendation
would be to have both PowerPoint and your choice of wor-
ship software open at the same time. Switching between
the two programs is seamless and will allow you to take
advantage of the full benefits of PowerPoint XP as well as
the flexibility of the worship software.
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Dual-screen operation. All of the worship software I have

reviewed incorporates a dual-screen system to operate.
Some will work with only one screen, but the programs
really need dual outputs to get the most out of them.
Dual Screens
The majority of computer systems include a single monitor
connection. Since Windows 98, however, the operating sys-
tem software can actually support multiple video cards
that allow more than one monitor to be connected to a com-
puter. Software programmers creating worship applica-
tions have leveraged this feature to the advantage of
churches using media. A computer equipped with two
graphic outputs will be required to effectively use worship
software. One output is connected to a standard computer
monitor (a 17” or larger screen is recommended) while the
second output is connected to the projector. The worship
software will detect this configuration. The computer mon-
itor will display a control screen that only the operator can
see allowing him or her to choose songs, verses, choruses,
Scriptures, and more without the congregation ever seeing
the program. On the projector the congregation will see the
full-screen results.
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Graphics Cards for Desktop PCs

A desktop or tower computer to be used with dual-monitor
worship software must be running Windows 98 or higher
(XP is recommended) and be equipped with two graphics
cards or a single card with two outputs. Current model
computer motherboards come standard with an internal
expansion slot designed specifically for graphics cards,
called AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port). Other slots on the
motherboard are called PCI slots. A computer using two
graphics cards would incorporate an AGP graphics card
and a PCI graphics card. A computer already equipped
with an AGP card would need to have a PCI graphics card
installed for the second output. Since the AGP card is
superior in performance, it should be the card connected to
the projector. The full-screen output will be doing more
work than the control monitor. The PCI card should be
connected to the control monitor.
Most computers will tend to boot up from the AGP card,
and Windows will use it as the primary monitor. This is
undesirable in a church setting since the AGP card is con-
nected to the projector and will expose the boot-up screen
to the congregation. Many motherboard BIOS settings can
be adjusted to tell the computer to boot up using the PCI
graphics card instead of the AGP. Ask a qualified computer
expert to check the computer’s BIOS for this option. In
Windows XP, the primary monitor can be set to the PCI
card in the Display Settings properties (see below). Mak-
ing these two adjustments to the computer’s software will
ensure that the congregation never sees an unwanted
computer screen.
Another solution would be to have an AGP card that has
two monitor outputs. When using this option, it is impor-
tant to find a card with plenty of graphics RAM and equal
power on both outputs. Some dual-head cards lack 3-D
acceleration or DVD decoding on the second output. Also,
keep in mind that the graphics RAM will be split between
the two outputs. Therefore, a card with 32 MB of RAM will
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yield 16 MB on each output. There are several models that

are basically two graphics cards on one board. All features
like 3-D acceleration and DVD playback are available on
both sides. Since the graphics card is the heart of a media
ministry computer, it is prudent to spend extra time find-
ing the appropriate graphics card and perhaps budgeting
extra money for a more powerful card.
Dual Screens for Laptop Computers

Churches using laptop computers with worship software
have two options for using dual screens. The first and most
desirable solution would be to purchase a laptop with ade-
quate graphics RAM and built-in dual screen capability. In
a laptop with dual screen capability, the screen attached to
the laptop acts as the control screen while the monitor out-
put, connected to the projector, displays the full screen
graphics. Not all laptops are capable of this configuration,
but most current model laptops do come with the dual
screen feature. To determine if a laptop has this feature,
check the Display Settings. If a picture of two monitors
is showing (one will be grayed out), then the laptop
includes the feature. Clicking on the grayed out monitor will
activate the second display.
To check and adjust your display settings, right-click the

desktop and choose Properties.
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Click the Settings tab to configure your display settings.

Notice that you can set either graphics card as the primary
monitor.
As with desktop machines, the graphics resources on a lap-
top will also be split between the displays. You will there-
fore want to use a laptop with an ample amount of graphics
RAM. At least 32MB of RAM is recommended. There are
various brands of graphics chips available for laptops. The
type of chip in a laptop is usually labeled somewhere on
the laptop case or can be found in the display settings.
If the laptop cannot support dual displays, the second
option would be to get a third-party graphics card that
may be plugged into the CardBus slot of a laptop. Because
currently the maximum RAM available on one of these
cards is only 4 MB, adding a second card is not the most
desirable option. However, if getting a new laptop is not fea-
sible, then a CardBus graphics card will work. In this case,
I recommend using the 4 MB card for the control screen and
connecting it to an external computer monitor. Then you
may use the laptop’s graphics output for the projector.
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Appendix L lists information on several worship software

programs worth looking into. Try each program out in a
worship setting to see which one works best for you. A com-
parison chart of programs and reviews may be found
online at www.MediaMinistryMadeEasy.com.
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Section 4:
Video Production Workshop
Chapter 8
Video Production
Convergence
At my seminars, eyes start to glaze over during the video
production workshop. For many churches, just getting a
media ministry to a basic level of competency with Power-
Point can be quite a challenge. The prospect of producing
videos for church use can be overwhelming. In this section
we will learn how easy and affordable video production can
be. More importantly, however, let’s first explore why a
church should even make the effort.
To understand why one should learn video production, it is
important to note the convergence of communication tech-
nologies in our society. Those who keep up with company
mergers may have noticed that communications companies
in the telephone, Internet, and entertainment industries
seem to be interested in combining forces. These industries
are looking closely at one another because they know that
eventually there will be another type of convergence—the
convergence of how communication data is transmitted.
Put simply, there will come a day when all types of com-
munication methods (e.g. audio, video, computer data) will
be transmitted together through the same type of commu-
nication conduit. We have already seen the emergence of
high-speed communication through DSL, cable, and satel-
lite. These and other technologies will continue to improve
to the point that all of our communication may be conduct-
ed through one device, which brings us to our third type of
convergence—the convergence of communication devices. A
good example of this type of convergence is the recent com-
bination of PDAs (handheld computers) and wireless
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phones. With a single piece of equipment you can manage

your schedule, check your email, and make phone calls. All
of this is done through one device, via one type of commu-
nication conduit, through one company. Eventually your
computer will be your telephone (or videophone) as well as
your movie and music on-demand entertainment center.
The possibilities are almost limitless.
If communication companies, transmission, and equip-
ment will eventually converge, how will this revolution
affect the church? The next time you go to a computer
store, notice the selection of video editing software. I think
you will be surprised at the selection. Software companies
are meeting the demands of the general public for applica-
tions that make editing home videos easy and fun. The
extent to which the public is using camcorders is constantly
rising. The number of amateur videographers who cap-
tured the tragic events of September 11, 2001 on tape is
evidence of this trend. Their footage was invaluable in
helping the world see the reality of those events. When
convergence matures and high-speed data transmission
becomes a reality for most people, many will be streaming
their video productions over the Internet in full-screen res-
olution. In other words, in addition to websites, many peo-
ple will be running their own virtual television stations.
Since we know that communicating through video will
eventually become a major part of our society, the church
has the opportunity to master this form of art before the
real revolution is underway.
Not only is mastering video production important because
of the upcoming changes in communication, it also simply
provides a more dynamic way to use media. Despite the
new animation power in PowerPoint XP, presentations
seem to stand still compared to video productions. In this
section as well as in the training exercises on the DVD, we
will look at a number of examples and ideas for using video
effectively in a church setting.
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Chapter 8—Video Production
The Six Talents of Video Production

There are six areas of video production to master. As we
have already learned in the section on teambuilding, a
media ministry should not rely on only one person for a job
requiring multiple talents. If necessary, six people should
be recruited for a video production team, though one per-
son may possess talents in several of these areas. Each of
these positions is vital to producing quality videos that will
stand out from average “point and shoot” videos. Substan-
dard productions will only distract from the message,
while videos that show creativity and attention to detail
will communicate volumes of information in a way that no
other medium can.
Drama director and coordinator. If there is any acting
involved in a video production, the resident church drama
person should be recruited to help. Having a drama direc-
tor will be immensely helpful for any project that incorpo-
rates a script. A person trained in the dramatic arts can
provide guidance on speech inflections and on improving
voice clarity and projection. This person may also have a
knack for coordinating the many elements—both people
and locations—involved in a video project.
Video director. Good video directors are also usually big
movie buffs. They do not go to movies simply for enter-
tainment, but to rather critique the cinematography and
other aspects of a film. They pay attention to production
details like camera angles, framing, editing techniques,
sound effects, and music. They may even closely examine
character development, foreshadowing, and other methods
of building a good movie plot. Having this person on the
production team will help add creativity and professional-
ism to a church video production. He or she will want to
create a video that not only has character in its message,
but also in the delivery of that message.
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Camera operator. Often, the video director will also be the

camera operator. Whether or not this is the case, the cam-
era operator needs to be trained about how to properly use
a video camera. Camcorder marketing campaigns have led
us to believe that anyone can pick up a camera and look
like a pro. While that message may help sell camcorders,
the truth is it takes practice and knowledge of basic video
principles to properly use a video camera. A camera opera-
tor who does not have adequate talent and skill can ruin
even the very best concepts.
Lighting director. Lighting is considered an art form in
and of itself. You should recruit someone who is both expe-
rienced and zealous about lighting. We will discuss light-
ing in more detail below.
Makeup/wardrobe designer. Makeup and wardrobe are
important aspects of any production, even for something as
simple as an interview or testimonial. For instance, if the
person being videotaped is bald, a little powder will help
keep lights from reflecting and causing distraction. For
clothing, bright reds should be avoided because they tend
to “bleed” and streak. Striped shirts are also undesirable
because they can create strange moiré patterns on a
screen. These are just a couple of tips that a person quali-
fied in these areas can help with. Many times a person
involved in drama or theatre will be the best to put in this
position.
Video editor. A good editor can take hours of raw footage
and craft it into a coherent and artful whole. Like the video
director, the editor usually loves movies and DVDs with
behind-the-scenes footage. Good editors pay close atten-
tion to detail such as sound, background action, and even
the rhythm of the transitions.
Video Production Prelude

Before going into the details of the equipment and tech-
niques involved in video production, let’s quickly cover a
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few basic ways that video may be used in a church. The

most obvious use would be to videotape worship services
for distribution. Producing service videos not only allows
members to review the information, but also is very help-
ful for reaching shut-ins and those who are homebound.
Videotaping special church events such as musicals and
dramas is a great way to capture and relive these events.
Selling copies of these productions can also be a means of
fundraising. (See Chapter 5 for copyright issues.) Offer-
ing video production for weddings is also a valuable serv-
ice that a church may provide.
Capturing testimonials on tape is another potentially pow-
erful use of videography and has several benefits. Some
people may feel more comfortable sharing their stories in
front of a camera rather than a large crowd. As people artic-
ulate their thoughts, they have the unique opportunity to
re-tape any part of the testimony that they would like to
clarify. An editor can later insert music and cross-fades to
add more emotion to the testimony. The length of the testi-
mony may also be controlled with editing. A properly taped
and edited testimonial can have a major impact.
Taking a video camera to the streets and asking people
what they think about church or who Jesus was is a great
way to bring the community into the church. Conducting
these “man-on-the-street” interviews can help keep the
congregation from becoming disconnected from their com-
munity and unaware of what the average un-churched
person thinks regarding religion. The answers to these
questions can be very revealing and will hopefully pro-
vide motivation to the congregation for reaching out more
effectively to the surrounding community. Giving these
videos a professional look through editing will give them
even more impact.
Other ideas for using video include recording missions
updates, building project progress, video skits or
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vignettes, teacher recruiting, camp recaps…the list of

ideas goes on and on. You are only limited by your imag-
ination!
Equipment Checklist
Producing quality video requires a variety of tools. Listed
below are items you will need as well as an estimate of
basic costs. We will cover each piece of equipment in more
detail later.
Equipment Recommended Starter
Digital Video Camera $2000 $ 500
Quality Tripod $ 450 $ 150
Lighting Kit $ 400 $ 50
NLE Computer or Standalone $2000–$4000 $ 800
Audio Equipment $ 500 $ 50
Total $5350 $1550
Video Production Is an Art

As with any art form, video production requires careful
attention to detail. There are three areas of video produc-
tion that are often overlooked:
Lighting. Proper lighting plays a major role in producing
great-looking videos. Unfortunately, lighting is usually
completely ignored when recording video. Learning some
lighting basics will make a big difference.
Camera support. Sometimes the method of supporting the
video camera is neglected. The quality of the tripod or
other support mechanism can make or break a video pro-
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duction. Most tripods found in department stores are inad-

equate and should be avoided.
Audio. George Lucas once said that sound quality accounts
for at least 50 percent of the overall quality of his Star
Wars movies. Believe it or not, videos with great sound will
actually look better!
Attention to these three elements—lighting, camera sup-
port, and sound—will enhance the overall quality of your
production.
The Production Process

Video production requires a certain amount of preparation.
The temptation may be to just pick up a camcorder and start
recording, but a well-planned production will be easier to
create and will more effectively communicate your message.
There are four basic steps in the production process: brain-
storming, storyboarding, recording, and editing.
You will first need to determine the main message to be
communicated through the production, and then decide
what type of video would best convey this message. Mem-
bers of the production team as well as the vision team
should gather for a brainstorming session to determine
how the week’s theme can best be communicated. For
instance, if the theme is “Trusting God,” there are several
directions that the production could take. If the goal is to
explore what most people trust in, the video could be a
“man on the street” production asking people, “What do
you trust in life?” On the other hand, if one wants to
demonstrate the benefits of trusting God, then a testimo-
nial video would be best suited for this task.
Once the goal and type of video is determined, the next
step in production would be to storyboard the video. A story-
board is simply a written plan of the production. Story-
boards will save time at taping and act as a guide at the
129
editing stage of production. I was once given the task of tap-

ing and editing a video to illustrate how my church meets
the spiritual needs of children in various stages of life.
There were three brothers in the church who were about
three years apart in age and who all had similar features.
The concept for the video was to show the youngest broth-
er running down a track, have him freeze in mid-air, then
have him age by morphing his image into those of his older
brothers. The voice-over would talk about our programs for
children through youth during each segment. Rather than
just winging the video taping, I first developed a storyboard
so I had a guide to go by when we met at the track. Devel-
oping the storyboard forced me to think creatively as I
planned each shot. This preparation also helped me save
time as I checked off each shot that needed to be recorded.
Having the storyboard also proved to be an invaluable
guide when I later edited the footage.
Below is an example of a simple storyboard I developed. A
blank storyboard is included on the DVD in the Video
Production Workshop folder. The file is called Story-
Board.tif, and you can print out a copy to use in creating
storyboards for your own productions. A storyboard can be
simple or complex. There are also some storyboarding pro-
grams available for those who are artistically challenged
(like me!). The software will automatically put figures into
the scene according to the instructions of the director.
130
Act 1—“Give Me Input!”

Video Cameras
Acquiring a quality video camera is the first step in creat-
ing great-looking productions. The final product will not
exceed the quality level of the original footage recorded
with the camera (garbage in = garbage out). Most con-
sumer cameras process images with only one imaging chip.
Although these cameras are usually cheaper in price, they
produce video of a much lower quality than what is con-
sidered broadcast quality. A three-chip camera will yield
the highest quality results. Three-chip cameras process
the colors red, blue, and green separately, resulting in a
sharper image and more vibrant colors. Having vivid color
is an important consideration since projected video typi-
cally loses color. The more color you have to begin with, the
better. Three-chip cameras have dropped dramatically in
price and now start at less than $2,000.
Regardless of the number of chips, the camera you pur-
chase should record tape digitally. Most digital video cam-
eras at the consumer or prosumer level use the Mini-DV
format, which is a tape cartridge that resembles a minia-
ture version of a VHS tape. Some consumer video cameras
use the Digital-8 format, which records digital video onto
standard Hi-8 tapes. Although these cameras may appear
to be similar to a VHS-C or 8mm camera, they record video
using a digital rather than analog method. Since the video
will be edited in the digital realm, it makes sense that the
original footage should be acquired digitally. Digital cam-
eras also have a small jack for transferring the digital
information to and from computers. This connector is
called a FireWire port, and may also be referred to as
IEEE-1394 or iLink.
All video cameras feature many automatic functions, such
as focus, exposure, and white balance. Because these
automatic features may also be an annoyance, you may
131
want to choose a camera that allows the automatic func-

tion to be turned off. Cameras are not always as smart as
people! Adjusting certain functions manually is a sure
way to produce a great-looking image. On that same note,
many cameras boast great zoom levels up to 64 to 128
powers or more. The truth is that many cameras have an
optical zoom power of only 16 to 24. Anything beyond that
is digitally zoomed, and digital zooming almost always
looks terrible (similar to digital still cameras, which we
discussed in the Graphics Workshop section). Turning
off the digital zoom feature will help ensure that the pic-
ture is always sharp and clear.
Tripods and Camera Support

Though many people spend a great deal of money on a
camera, they often attach it to a flimsy tripod. What they
end up with is shaky video footage that is distracting and
unprofessional despite the great image quality. Quality
tripods are rarely found at local electronics franchises. If a
tripod costs less than $150, it will likely not meet the stan-
dards of professional video. Your local pro camera or video
shop, or a mail-order camera company is the best source
for finding a quality tripod. One of the main features to
look for in a quality tripod is a fluid head. But “buyer
beware”: many inadequate tripods claim that they feature
a fluid head. A true fluid head will operate very smoothly
with no slack as it pans and tilts the camera. Another
important feature to look for in a tripod is solid yet light-
weight construction.
In addition to tripods, there are also many other means
available for supporting a video camera. Hollywood-style
shots may be achieved using dollies, tracks, and cranes.
A dolly is simply a stand with wheels that is attached to
the tripod. It allows you to physically move the tripod
while taping. A track takes the dolly method one step fur-
ther, by allowing the dolly to be guided along a set of
rails. Using a crane, the camera can be lifted high into
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the air to create dramatic and professional-looking shots.

The Steadicam®, which is a camera support system that
is worn like a harness, is another example of a support
device. The camera is attached to this device and “floats”
on the support. In recent years, low-budget versions of
the Steadicam, have been designed for smaller cameras.
In addition to these support devices there are attach-
ments for cars, helmets—and just about anything. You
could even use a wheelchair as a makeshift dolly. Not
only do these tools give video a polished look, they also
tend to expand the limits of creativity and spark new
ideas.
Audio Equipment
As we mentioned earlier, adding quality audio to video
productions is often neglected. Although we can only
scratch the surface of this complex subject here, I do
want to offer a few basic equipment and recording sug-
gestions. The on-board microphones on most camcorders
are inadequate. When producing “man-on-the-street”
interviews, a handheld microphone should be used. This
will help with clarity and keep out background noise.
Some microphones are designed to connect directly to
the camcorder’s microphone input. There are also
adapters for camcorders that will allow virtually any
standard microphone to be used. For testimonials, it is
recommended to use lavaliere microphones. Lavaliere
microphones will make the audio recorded more intelli-
gible because they are worn on the lapel and closer to the
person speaking. An audio mixer may be required in
some instances where multiple microphones are used.
When recording a musical, it is best to place several
microphones around the room as well as tapping into the
church soundboard. Using headphones, an audio techni-
cian can mix a balance between the live sound and the
feed from the church mixer.
133
Act 2—“Let There Be Light”

Though often overlooked, quality lighting is probably the
most crucial element required for making great-looking
video. Without proper lighting, subjects look flat and unat-
tractive, colors are not reproduced accurately, and image
graininess is increased. Using proper lighting separates
the amateurs from the pros.
The basic lighting method, called 3-point lighting, consists
of using a trio of lights to illuminate a scene: a key light, a
fill light, and a backlight. The key light, usually the bright-
est, is positioned in front and to the side of the subject
being taped. The fill light is offset opposite the key light.
Less bright than the key light, the fill light helps diminish
the shadows created by the key light. Finally, the back-
light, located behind the subject, helps define shape and
create depth. An example of how a backlight functions can
be seen in situations where the outline of a person wear-
ing black can be clearly seen even though the person is
against a black background. Even big-budget movie sets
start off with this basic lighting method.
134
To make it easier to set up and use proper lighting, I highly

recommend buying a lighting kit. These kits include the
proper type of lights as well as adjustable stands for them.
Most also come with a case to house and transport the
lights and stands. There is a wide variety of choices and
prices for lighting kits, and they may be found at pro video
shops and mail-order companies. While some built-in
lights on a camera can help with lighting, a 3-point light-
ing kit is a must-have for producing high-quality videos. If
you cannot afford a lighting kit, you can construct one
using work lights from a hardware store. These are the
bright halogen lights you might use when painting a room.
Many come with their own stands and some come with
clamps for attaching the lights to almost anything.
Experimenting is the best way to master lighting. Have
someone sit on a couch and read a book while you try dif-
ferent lighting positions and intensities. Write down the
positions of your lights as you videotape the subject. This
is a great way to understand the nuances of lighting and
how your camera reacts to different lighting situations.
Act 3—The Shootout

Most people are familiar with the image of a director using
his hands to “frame” a shot in a movie. This is actually a
useful technique and will help the director visualize what
the final product will look like on a screen. Framing and
composition are very important aspects of creating quality
productions. There are a variety of framing techniques.
The next time you watch a movie or television show or a
commercial, pay close attention to the camera angles and
where the main focus of attention is on the screen. Try
mimicking some of these techniques as you prepare your
storyboard and shoot the video.
Some basic camera techniques are listed in Appendix M.
One of my favorite techniques is the point of view shot.
This simple method will spice up any production. For
135
example, if the person being videotaped is looking out a

window, cut to a shot aimed out the window for a moment
and then back to the person. This will show the viewer the
perspective of the subject, allowing them to “see” what the
subject sees. Creating effective video is all about adding
details like this.
Act 4—Making Magic: Nonlinear Video Editing

Editing video is my favorite part of the production process.
In the past, video editing usually required expensive
equipment, involving multiple tape recorders and mixing
equipment. It was a time-consuming and labor-intensive
process. Today, almost any church can afford editing
equipment that will yield high-quality video productions.
What used to take a whole room full of equipment can now
be accomplished with one computer. Editing video on a
computer is referred to as nonlinear editing (or NLE). The
term “nonlinear” refers to the fact that a computer is not
limited to the linear limitations of tape. Video clips cap-
tured into a NLE computer may be accessed randomly and
reused in a number of different ways without any signal
loss or degradation.
Many turnkey NLE computer systems are available on the
market today, or one may be custom built. Most off-the-
shelf computers are difficult to configure for nonlinear
editing, though the expandability and compatibility of
these machines are improving. The computer specifica-
tions that we discussed in Chapter 2 are also very rele-
vant to an NLE computer, though having a fast processor
speed is generally more important in an editing computer.
The most recent video computer hardware devices rely
heavily on processor speed for maximum functionality. For
instance, the editing ability of some recent editing cards
improves with faster processors. In other words, faster
processors will allow the editing hardware to do more.
Another prime consideration in an NLE computer is the
136
hard drive capacity. Digital video takes up five megabytes

of hard drive space for every minute of recorded video.
Large capacity drives are very affordable and a must for
an editing computer. A standard IDE ATA-100 drive spin-
ning at 7,200 RPM is more than adequate for digital video
editing. The drive for video should be set up as a separate,
dedicated drive for best results.
The heart of a video-editing computer is the video capture
card. The capture card acts as an interface between the
camera or VCR and the computer. It digitizes the footage
and saves it to the computer hard drive. There are many
varieties of capture cards available at varying levels of
quality and features. In general, the price of a capture
device is usually indicative of its abilities and value of its
bundled software.
As we mentioned earlier, many digital video cameras fea-
ture a FireWire connector. Most capture cards include a
FireWire connector as well, allowing the camera and com-
puter to interface with each other. A FireWire cable carries
the video footage in a digital format (simply called Digital
Video or DV). The cable is bi-directional and transfers the
video and audio information to and from the computer and
the camcorder. Traditional analog video requires up to six
cables (one video and two audio for both input and output),
whereas a FireWire cable carries all of this information
along one cable in both directions. Since it is digital infor-
mation, there is virtually no signal degradation. Some cap-
ture cards also contain standard analog inputs and out-
puts in addition to the FireWire connector, which is handy
for capturing footage from a VCR.
The software bundled with a capture card can often be just
as valuable (and sometimes more valuable) than the card
itself. For instance, the most popular program for video
editing is Adobe® Premiere®, which currently retails for
$550. The full version of Premiere comes bundled with
many cards, including the some that are in the $300 price
137
range. The benefits of spending a bit more on a card for its

software bundle quickly become obvious. Capture cards in
the $1,000 price range offer even more software and bene-
fits. For example, in addition to Premiere, many mid-
priced cards include DVD authoring software, music soft-
ware, and extra video effects. However, their cost-benefit is
even more apparent in its hardware abilities, which enable
them to perform many real-time effects.
Whenever two captured video clips are combined—in a
cross-fade transition, for example—most capture card
hardware will require that the transition be rendered.
That is, the computer will calculate each frame where the
two clips intersect to create a new video file. This, of
course, takes time and computer resources. The more
complicated the transition, the longer it will take to ren-
der the effect. A real-time capture card will perform tran-
sitions, effects, and graphic overlays without the need to
first render them. Real-time capture hardware will dra-
matically speed up the time it takes to edit video produc-
tions. The price difference between a $100 FireWire card
and a $1,000 real-time capture card is well worth the
money considering the time saved, better quality video
produced, and amount of bundled software included.
Some recommended companies that manufacture real-
time cards are listed in Appendix N.
There are a number of real-time cards available from var-

ious companies. As you consider which model to purchase,
pay strict attention to the system recommendations that
138
the company specifies for its hardware and make sure that
your computer meets or exceeds these recommendations.
Video editing puts a great deal of strain on a computer and
can make it temperamental. Also be sure to read the fine
print to determine exactly what a real-time card can actu-
ally perform without rendering. Not everything can be
accomplished in real time with every card. There will
inevitably be some rendering required in more complicated
projects.
These capture cards may also be purchased in turnkey
computer systems. This is a great alternative for media
ministries that are not comfortable configuring their own
systems. A turnkey system is built specifically for video
editing and tested with the most compatible hardware for
the capture card being used in the system. Although they
cost more, turnkey video editing systems are designed for
maximum performance with minimal hassle.
Another option for editing would be to purchase a stand-
alone nonlinear video editor. Sometimes called “video-edit-
ing appliances,” these units do only one thing: edit video.
They are very easy to use and require little training.
Although they usually have fewer features than a computer-
based editing system, they do include the basic tools needed
for video editing. Stand-alone editors work very much like a
VCR and are designed with ease-of-use in mind. A media
ministry wanting to start a video ministry without a great
deal of effort should look into video editing appliances. (See
Appendix N for a listing of available vendors.)
The Editing Process

Capturing
Capturing the raw footage or unedited video material to
the computer hard drive is the initial step in the nonlinear
editing process. First, connect the camera to the capture
card via a FireWire cable. Many capture cards include a
video capture program designed specifically for that card
and include some advanced features. The software allows
139
you to not only transfer the video and audio information

via the FireWire cable but also to control the camcorder.
With one press of a button, the program will rewind the
Mini DV tape in the camcorder and capture the entire tape
in real time. The program will detect when the camera was
started and stopped and create a separate video file for
each clip. The clips may then be quickly renamed for
organization, and unwanted clips easily deleted.
Capture cards that do not include a software capture util-
ity can capture footage through Premiere’s built-in capture
feature, which is very intuitive and has VCR-like controls.
If the footage being captured comes from an analog source,
such as a VCR, the capture process is not automatic as
described above. Since the source device cannot be con-
trolled by the program (because it is not FireWire), the
capture process must be started manually by clicking the
Record button in Premiere after pressing Play on the
VCR or camcorder. Pressing Escape (ESC) on the key-
board will stop the capturing.
Editing
Once all of the raw footage has been captured and trans-
ferred to the computer, you no longer need the camcorder.
This could give someone else an opportunity to start
another video project while the current project is being
edited. The video exercise on the DVD goes into detail on
how to edit clips using Adobe Premier, so we will not cover
this information here. Since video production and editing
is such a wide topic, some additional recommended read-
ing is listed in Appendix P.
Rendering and Exporting

As we have already discussed, the amount of rendering
time required during editing depends on the hardware
being used. Even with the best real-time capture cards,
some rendering may be required. Fortunately, the days of
waiting all night for a project to render are over. Usually
140
the edits will be completed within minutes. Projects that

include a great deal of layering, graphics, and complex
transitions could take as long as several hours depending
on the overall length of the video.
Once all rendering has been completed, the video needs to
be exported from the computer. Although the video may be
played back from the computer through Premiere, the video
information naturally cannot remain on the computer for-
ever. The hard drive will eventually need to be freed up for
other projects. There are also some concerns about playing
the video from the computer during a service. Though the
computer may perform flawlessly fifty times in a row, the
possibility of encountering a glitch on Sunday morning
always exists. Therefore, I recommend using a more
dependable playback source. Here are some options for the
video’s final destination:
Export back to Mini DV. The simplest way to archive a
completed video project is to record the finished project
back to tape. By using the “Print to Video” feature in Pre-
miere, the video will automatically be recorded back to the
camcorder via FireWire. The video may be then played
back from the camcorder and stored for future use. Since
FireWire is used, virtually no signal loss occurs during the
transfer.
Create a DVD. DVD burners have become very afford-
able in recent months. Many capture cards include soft-
ware for creating a DVD complete with menus, and are
very easy to use. The edited video must first be rendered
into a format that the authoring software can recognize.
The native format for DVD is called MPEG-2. This ren-
dering process can take anywhere from minutes to
hours, depending on the computer hardware and length
of the video. Once it is in the MPEG-2 format, the mate-
rial can then be “authored” using the DVD software and
burned to a writable DVD (DVD-R). Most current DVD
141
players will be able to read DVD-R and the video can

then be archived and played back from a standard DVD
player.
Export to MPEG-1. Exporting your video in MPEG-1 for-
mat produces lower-quality video that can be played back
from within PowerPoint and some worship software. This
option is generally undesirable for archiving since it
degrades the video quality. However, since it will yield a
smaller file size, MPEG-1 files work better for web use,
allow for easy access from within PowerPoint, and may
also fit on a standard writable CD-ROM.
Export for web-streaming. In addition to MPEG-1,
there are a couple of other formats suitable for posting
to a website. The most common are QuickTime,® Win-
dows® Media Player, and RealPlayer® formats. Projects
can be converted to one of these formats using Premiere
6.5 (or a plug-in for older versions of Premiere) or other
stand-alone programs. These programs will usually
walk the user through choosing options for quality level
and video size. Naturally, higher-quality video files will
be larger, which is undesirable for websites.11 The three
main formats mentioned above require that the person
browsing the site have a player that will read the video
file. Most browser software will have the plug-ins for
these players already included, and those that do not
may easily download the free players so that the videos
may be viewed.
Top Ten Editing Tips

1. Transitions
Most capture cards come bundled with a surplus of fancy,
high-tech transitions. The temptation is to pack a video
project with these cool features to show off what can be
done. It is important to remember that 99.9 percent of all
transitions are cuts; that is, no transition at all. Cross-
142
fades are the next most commonly used transition. Fades

should be used during video pieces involving emotion and
soft music, such as testimonials. The more fantastic, 3-D-
type effects are perfect for introducing or exiting a video
piece. These exciting transitions may also be used more
liberally for youth-oriented videos.
2. Titles and Text

Using text not only helps make the viewer aware of the
title of a video or the name of a person, it can also reinforce
the message of the video. For instance, if a testimonial
video emphasizes trust in God and the interviewee uses
the word “faith” in a sentence, an effective editing method
would be to fade the word “faith” into the frame for a
moment. This underscores the theme of the testimony and
the topic for the day and helps the viewer focus on the
main points of the testimony.
3. 3-D Animation
We have become accustomed to
the professional 3-D effects seen
on television programs such as
newscasts and sporting events.
However, creating 3-D anima-
tion cannot be learned
overnight; It can take years of
training to truly master the art
of 3-D. There are, however, sev-
eral programs with automated
“wizards” that will walk a user
through the process of animat-
ing text and 3-D objects. These
programs can help add profes-
The Video effects tab in Pre-
sional flavor to a video project
miere reveals folders with
with minimal effort. So, while it various effects that may be
may not be possible to become simply dragged onto a clip.
143
the next Phil Vischer (computer animator and creator of

VeggieTales) overnight, one can create some simple 3-D
animations with minimal effort.
4. Colorizing and Distorting Video

“Treating” footage with a color or distortion provides
another way to spice up a video. For instance, an editor
could use the color balance video filter to tint a portion of
video to any color. This interesting technique will add per-
sonality to a video and works particularly well with “man-
on-the-street” videos.
Video may also be distorted in a variety of ways for inter-
esting effects. Most of these filters may be found under the
Video tab in Premiere. You should simply experiment
with the Distort and Perspective effects available in
Premiere to understand how each of these filters affects
your video.
5. Moving and Resizing

Video can be rotated and resized using one of the Per-
spective effects available in Premiere. The video may also
be moved around the frame, creating interesting effects.
To access this feature, right-click the clip you would like to
manipulate, choose Video Options, and then Motion.
Using the motion settings, the clip may be moved around
the screen, rotated, resized, and distorted.
144
6. Bluescreening or Keying
The technique used to display a map behind a weather per-
son involves having the person stand in front of a blue
screen. This technique is referred to as keying, because the
color blue is keyed out to reveal the graphic of the map.
This is actually a fairly simple process. To make this effect
hassle-free, be sure that the color background behind the
subject is evenly lit. This will make the keying process eas-
ier for Premiere. The video to be shown behind the subject
in front of the blue-screen should be placed on the Video 2
track above the Video A track. Right-click the video on the
Video 2 track and select Video Options and then Trans-
parency from the menu. Under Key Options, select the
appropriate type (usually color-key) and make adjust-
ments until the desired effect is accomplished. This tech-
nique will probably make more sense to you after complet-
ing the DVD exercise.You can also use this method to
create a glowing effect for angels by using a yellow cloth
behind a person in an angel costume. Using the color-key
effect and a picture of stars, experiment with the adjust-
ments until a soft halo effect surrounds the person.
7. Stock Footage and Animations

An entire production can be created even if you don’t own
a camcorder. Using stock footage and animations combined
with text, music, and voice-overs, professional videos may
be put together with minimal effort. Appendix O lists sev-
eral sources for purchasing footage and animations for
editing. Several samples of these types of products are
included on the DVD.
8. Voiceovers
Every church has at least one person with a very interest-
ing and professional voice. They most likely do not even
realize it. Wander around during church fellowships or
other church events and try to locate this person. Having
145
someone for narration and voiceovers really helps take

your production to a higher level. When recording, keep in
mind that people tend to “drop off” the end of their sen-
tences. Act as a vocal coach and help your readers keep
their volume, pacing, and enthusiasm consistent through-
out the whole recording.
9. Background Music
Adding background music provides the “finishing touch”
that will bring a production to life. Choose your music
carefully and be sure not to violate copyright laws. There
are literally hundreds of sources for royalty-free music
(see Appendix Q). There are two main things to keep in
mind when selecting and adding background music. First,
avoid music with vocals if any other talking is involved in
the video segment because this makes it difficult for the
listener to distinguish between the lyrics and what is
being spoken. Second, adjust the volume of the back-
ground music to a lower level than what you (the editor)
are comfortable with. Because it is difficult to discern the
appropriate volume level when you are editing, set the
level a little lower than what “sounds right.” This will
most likely be the best volume level.
10. Sound Effects

Hundreds of detailed sound effects are added to a movie
production during editing. Adding subtle sound effects to a
church video production can make it come alive. For
instance, if you are shooting a segment in a park, add
some birds or children laughing in the background. Incor-
porating these details will give a professional flair to a
production. It can be a lot of fun and does not take much
time. Sound effect CDs may be purchased at almost any
music store.
146
Premiere Basics
Below are a few basic steps for getting started with Adobe
Premiere:
The first step after capturing footage is to import elements

for editing into the project bin. Right-click in the bin area
and choose Import. You may then navigate to the desired
files, folder or project and bring it in for editing.
147
Next, double-click a clip in the bin to “trim” the parts of the

video that you do not need. Click the desired starting point
and ending point, and the rest of the clip will be ignored.
Note that the original clip will not be permanently
changed and may still be manipulated again for a different
purpose. Once trimmed, the clip may then be dragged onto
the timeline on either video track A or video track B.
Finally, export the footage to a new file for playback, DVD

authoring, or posting to the Internet. Note the options for
MPEG, Windows Media, or RealMedia, all formats that
are great for website use.
148
Endnotes
Endnotes
1 One such debate can be read in ChurchMedia.net’s online commu-

nity archives.
2 According to an online poll at ChurchMedia.net, 75% of the people
involved in the media ministry of churches worldwide are volun-
teers. Only 10% are paid as full-time media ministers and another
15% on staff have other duties besides media.
3 I use this term with love and affection since I consider myself one
of these! Embrace your geekiness!
4 An informal poll at ChurchMedia.net showed that nearly 65% of
people preparing media receive their material two days or less
before a service and 22% have up to five days.
5 In fact, according to a ChurchMedia.net poll most people do not get
their material until two days before a service. Our polls also show
that almost half of media ministers only spend two to five hours
preparing media.
6 Data based on an ongoing informal survey at ChurchMedia.net.
7 It is not necessary to upgrade to Windows XP to run PowerPoint

XP, although the Windows XP platform has many advantages for
media ministries. Windows 98 or better is recommended.
8 In the ChurchMedia.net community archives you will find an inter-
esting thread on this question of when to advance to the next slide
during a song.
9 A ChurchMedia.net poll shows that in only 16% of churches using
media do most people pay attention to the announcements.
10 I designed a graphics collection called Kick Starters Background
Sets specifically for this purpose (similar packages are available
from other companies as well). My theme-sets include several
types of backgrounds.
11 However, according to research at ChurchMedia.net, web users
with high-speed Internet access are on the rise, making the larger
file sizes less of an issue.
149
Appendices
Appendix A
GO W I D E!
Keep a close eye on your televisions and computer moni-

tors. The day is fast approaching when you will notice a
strange phenomenon: the screens you stare at day in and
day out will start to s t r e t c h! The advent of HDTV and
the convergence of media distribution will make the
widescreen format a standard. Sooner or later all image
displays will have an aspect ratio of 16 by 9, including the
projection screens found in churches. At present, most
screens have an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that a pro-
jection screen that measures 9 feet by 12 feet will stretch
to 9 feet by 16 feet. Of course, these screens are not going
to grow by themselves. They will eventually need to be
replaced with wider screens. Don’t run out to your favorite
video dealer right away, however. It will be years before a
widescreen becomes an absolute necessity. But if you want
to take advantages of the widescreen format right away,
there is no real reason to wait. If you are planning to build
a new facility with a projection system, you should defi-
nitely consider going W I D E!
To understand widescreens, you must comprehend how the
original material for widescreen is created. Movies to be
shown in a movie theatre are filmed in widescreen format.
When renting a video, you may have noticed a message at
the beginning of a movie that says, “This movie has been
modified from its original format to fit your screen.” When
the movie was transferred to video, the original film was
manipulated to fit the size of a television. Some parts of
the movie may be “artificially” panned from side to side so
the viewer will not miss any action that does not fit on a
standard television screen. This is called “Pan and Scan.”
Everything outside this window is then cropped off so that
153
the image will fill a standard 4:3 aspect ratio television

screen. The viewer will not experience the movie as it was
originally intended because almost a third of the original
image is missing. Serious movie buffs and DVD enthusi-
asts will therefore opt for the “letterbox” format when
watching movies on tape or disc. This method adds a black
border at the top and bottom of a standard 4:3 screen to
achieve the original 16:9 aspect ratio. Many video cameras
will also create the letterbox for 16:9 videotaping, which
would allow a letterbox image to be projected on a 16:9
screen using a standard projector. The black portions of
the image would overshoot the screen and hardly be
noticed.
Letterboxing involves taking a widescreen image and
reducing in proportion to fit a 4:3 display, leaving a black
border at the top and bottom. “Pan and scan” is the crop-
ping method described earlier. Either option is not the
most desirable, and ultimately both methods will become
obsolete. The problem is that the size of the original source
material does not match the size of the output display
device. At present, most television programs are video-
taped in 4:3 formats. All of the equipment used to produce
the programs is designed for 4:3. This, too, is changing.
Ultimately, all original material will be created in the 16:9
format, meaning that your favorite sitcom will get wider
as your television also stretches. This also means that the
equipment used to create the programs needs to be 16:9
compatible. Many television stations and studios will need
to upgrade their equipment to comply with the new stan-
dard. Projectors, cameras, and playback devices with
native 16:9 capabilities will become more prevalent and
affordable, thus allowing churches to also “keep up with
the times.” Many manufacturers are adding native 16:9
product lines at the 1366 x 768 resolution while most
screen manufacturers have had 16:9 aspect ratio screens
available for years.
154
Appendices
So far we have discussed video and film output in the 16:9

format. Most churches will be mainly interested in
widescreen computer output. Again, there are two ways of
accomplishing a 16:9 format. The first is to “letterbox”
your slides in PowerPoint. Under File > Page setup the
height of the slides may be reduced to create this effect.
When the presentation is shown on a 16:9 screen, the
black bars at the top and bottom will overshoot the screen
and the slide will fill the widescreen area. The second and
more desirable method is to use a graphics card capable of
16:9 output and a projector with a native 16:9 display. At
present, XGA resolution is 1024 x 768. Widescreen XGA is
1366 x 768. A projector with a native resolution of 1366 x
768 combined with a computer equipped with a graphics
card capable of 1366 x 768 output will result in a complete
16:9 system.
One of the biggest motivations for going wide is the advan-
tage that a 16:9 screen provides for laying out text. Rather
than having to split sentences into two lines, song lyrics
may be displayed a full sentence at a time. Full verses and
choruses will fit on a single 16:9 slide without having to
break them into multiple slides. (See examples below in
Figure 1 and 2.)
All hail the pow'r

of Jesus' name,
Let angels prostrate fall,
Bring forth the royal
diadem.
Figure 1
This is really only half of a verse and does not really flow
with the music.
155
Now look at the whole verse on a 16 x 9 screen:
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name,

Bring forth the royal diadem.
And crown Him, crown Him,
Crown Him, crown Him,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Figure 2
What a difference! Now the whole verse may be displayed

without having to break up the lines.
Equipment Considerations for Widescreen

The benefits of using widescreens
Reasons to Go
in the church will become more
WIDE
evident as churches find creative
• Eventually we will be
ways to implement them. There a widescreen society.
are a number of larger churches
• Widescreen equip-
already using 16:9 displays. With- ment is becoming
in the next five to ten years there more affordable and
will be a growing number of smaller more prevalent.
to midsize churches that will add • Song lyrics may be
widescreens to their ministries. displayed in a more
logical manner.
There will come a day that all
churches using projection systems • Side-by-side displays
will need to convert to 16:9. of video and computer
information allow for
Church leaders with vision and greater flexibility in
foresight will strongly consider communicating mes-
going wide as soon as possible. sages.
Who knows? Perhaps your church • It would make you
will help start a new trend and the coolest church
around!
change public perception of the
church: The church could become
known as being ahead of the times!
156
Appendices
Appendix B
No Room for Traditional
Worship Anymore?
A friend and I once had an online debate on Ginghams-

burg’s media ministry forum about traditional worship.
My friend made a very bold statement, saying that he
did not see the need for any traditional style worship
services anymore. I have always had strong convictions
about this, so I stepped up to the plate to present my
views. I argued that there are two big reasons to contin-
ue traditional worship: my mom and my dad. In a tradi-
tional service that would put me to sleep, I look at my
mom and she is worshiping God like nobody’s business.
But when my mom attends a Gen-X style service where
I am thriving in worship, she wants to run, duck, and
cover! God made all of us with unique personalities and
tastes. Just because we feel that a certain way of con-
ducting a service is out of date does not mean that it
should be doomed to extinction. Remember that the sen-
ior members of a church should be respected and not
ignored. Many older members are the cornerstones of a
church. In fact, they may just be ones who pay for the
equipment for the media ministry! Many churches that
face potential problems with seniors will start a contem-
porary service to be held at a different time from the tra-
ditional service. This is a great idea and will give every-
one the option to worship in an environment that is best
suited for her or him. If a separate traditional service is
to be held, as much effort should be exerted for this serv-
ice as for the contemporary service. The traditional serv-
ice deserves just as much attention to detail as the con-
temporary service. The danger of splintering the church
by segregating the congregation should be avoided by
occasionally having joint services with a “blended” style.
This will give a unique opportunity for both groups to
experience a taste of each type of worship.
157
Appendix C
DYS Video Stage Monitors
Song lyrics generated by worship software or PowerPoint

and displayed on a large screen through the projector can-
not be seen by those on the stage, leaving them oblivious
to what the congregation sees. For instance, you may have
noticed in a service that some of the choir members on
stage are not in sync with everyone else. For this reason,
many churches have installed video stage monitors. Just
as audio stage monitors have become a vital part of a
sound system, video monitor play an important role in a
video system
Building a video monitoring system is fairly inexpensive
and easy to put together. The components needed should
be available locally. Select one or more televisions that
have at least a 25” screen. The RF modulator, RF amplifier/
splitter, and coaxial cable you will need should be avail-
able at a local electronics store like Radio Shack. The scan
converter can be found at most computer stores or ordered
online.
How It Works
Duplicating the image seen on the big screen to the video
monitor involves a couple of signal conversions. The scan
converter transforms the computer signal into an image that
a TV can display. The RF modulator converts the output of
the scan converter to a signal that can run through a long
cable and be split into several signals, which in turn can be
displayed through the standard coaxial inputs of a TV.
158
Appendices
Connections
The graphics output on your computer is usually connect-
ed to your projector through a long cable. Take that cable
and connect it to the Monitor Out port on the scan con-
verter. (It may also be labeled Thru or Loop.) Using the
short VGA cable supplied with the scan converter, connect
the monitor output on your computer to the input of the
scan converter. Using a composite video cable, connect the
video output from the scan converter to the input of the RF
modulator. Connect the long coaxial cable to the output of
the RF modulator and run it to the input of the RF ampli-
fier/splitter. Finally, connect the outputs of the splitter to
the coaxial inputs of the televisions, using the shorter
coaxial cables.
Build cabinets for the televisions to give them a finished
look. You might want to use the same type of carpet or fin-
ish as your audio monitors.
Another solution is to place a large mirror in front of the
stage and teach your worship team to read backwards.
However, I would suggest building this video monitor sys-
tem to keep your choir on cue.
159
Appendix D
Technology & Media Magazines
Specifically for Churches
(All prices are in US dollars and subject to change.)
NRB (National Religious Broadcasters)

www.nrb.org
703-330-7000
Free subscription
Church Business Magazine

www.churchbusiness.com
480-990-1101
1 Year (6 Issues): $24.95
Church Production Magazine

www.churchproduction.com
919-677-4000
Free subscription for US and Canada
Church & Worship Technology Magazine

[email protected]
Fax: 480-585-0456
Free subscription (12 issues per year)
Christian Computing Magazine

www.ccmag.com
800-456-1868
1 Year (11 Issues): $19.95
2 Years (22 Issues): $34.95
Technologies for Worship Magazine

www.tfwm.com
905-473-9822
1 Year (6 Issues): $29.95
2 Year (12 Issues): $49.95
Your Church Magazine

www.christianitytoday.com/yc
800-632-2738
Free Subscription (6/Year)
160
Appendices
Appendix E
Media Training Specifically
for Churches
(All prices are in US dollars and subject to change.)
Note: This list does not include audio training, nor does it include
conferences that have media tracks. It only includes conferences dedi-
cated exclusively to media.
Digital Storytellers—Len Wilson and Jason Moore

www.midnightoilproductions.net
One-day events at various locations around the US
$89/first person, $69 each additional
Inspiration Conference—Technologies for Worship Magazine

www.tfwm.com
905-473-9822
An annual one-week event with over 100 sessions
Prices vary, based on programs, etc.
Lumicon Institute
www.lumicon.org
866-LUMICON (toll-free)
A year-long certificate program in “Digital Culture Ministry”
$1,995 Tuition
Media Ministry Made Easy—Tim Eason

www.churchmedia.net
800-220-2923
One-day seminar and workshop in various locations in the US and
Canada
$99/person. Group rates available.
National Religious Broadcasters Convention

www.nrb.org
703-330-7000
An annual one-week event focusing mainly on broadcasting
Prices range from $70 to $525 based on programs, etc.
161
Appendix F
Training Events & Magazines
(Not Church-specific)
Infocomm Presentations Magazine
www.icia.org www.presentations.com
800-659-7469 847-647-7987
Projection and display systems Free subscription
training and trade show
Videography Magazine
NAB—National Association www.videography.com
of Broadcasters 323-634-3400
www.nab.org Free subscription
202-429-5300
The biggest annual convention Digital Publishing Design
on video, audio, and lighting Graphics
technology. www.designgraphics.com.au
800-688-6247
Computer VideoMaker 12 Issues: $69
Magazine
www.videomaker.com Computer Graphics World
800-284-3226 http://cgw.pennet.com
13 Issues: $14.97 (847) 559-7500
Free subscription
DV Magazine
www.dv.com Photoshop User
888-776-7002 www.photoshopuser.com
12 Issues: $19.99 800-738-8513
$99 Annual Membership Fee
162
Appendices
Appendix G
Copyright Websites
Christian Copyright Licensing International:

www.ccli.com
Christian Video Licensing Inc: www.cvli.org
Church Copyright Administration:
www.churchca.com
Copyright and Fair Use, Stanford University
Libraries: http://fairuse.stanford.edu
Microsoft: www.microsoft.com/permission
Motion Picture Licensing Corporation: www.mplc.com
US Copyright Office: www.loc.gov/copyright
163
Appendix H
Quick Tips on Movie Clips
Movies have become an integral part of our society and are very
influential. Using a movie clip to illustrate a point is a fantastic
way to communicate in a way that almost anyone can relate to.
Here are three tips to help maximize the use of movie clips:
Choose your movie carefully. As we mentioned, the media being

used should not compromise the Word. There are many movies
that can have a great impact when used cautiously. There are
others that should not be used at all. If a clip from a
questionable movie is being shown, be sure to add a disclaimer.
For instance, “We are showing this clip because it does a great
job of illustrating our point, but we don’t recommend that you
rent it as it contains….” I have seen some churches print this
type of disclaimer in their bulletin, which is a good idea.
Remember that when a movie is shown during a service, the
church indirectly endorses that film. Clarifying the church’s
stance on a movie will help avoid misunderstandings.
Keep it short. The length of the clip should be limited to one to

three minutes. Longer sequences will become more of a
distraction than an enhancement. Before showing the clip, it is
helpful to “set up” the scene by giving some background on what
is happening in the movie. This will also help cut down on the
length of the clip.
Make your point stick. On more than one occasion I have seen a
pastor show a movie clip and then say something to the effect of,
“Wasn’t that a relevant parable?” The problem is that the clip
was never referred to again. The next time I saw the movie I
remembered that a clip was shown in church, but still could not
remember the sermon or how the movie applied to it. Make sure
to refer to the clip or a character in a movie several times during
the sermon. The reason for showing a movie clip is this: the next
time a person sees that movie, they should recall the sermon
and how it applies to their lives
Using these tips for showing movie clips will help ensure their
effectiveness.
164
Appendices
Appendix I
Release Form for Video Productions
Individual Release Agreement
The undersigned enter into an Agreement with Video/Audio Media Production
as representatives for ______________________________. I have been informed
and understand that Video/Audio Media Production is producing a videotape
program on location and that my name, likeness, image, voice, appearance,
and performance is being recorded and made a part of the production.
I grant Video/Audio Media Production and its designees the right to use my
name, likeness, voice, appearance, and performance as embodied in the Product
whether recorded on or transferred to videotape, film slides, photographs, audio-
tapes, or other media not now known or later developed. This grant includes
without limitation the right to edit mix or duplicate and to use or re-use the
product in whole or in part as Video/Audio Media Production may elect.
Video/Audio Media Production or its designee shall have complete owner-
ship of the Product in which I appear, including copyright interests and I
acknowledge that I have no interest or ownership in the Product or its copyright.
I also grant Video/Audio Media Production and its designees the right to
broadcast, exhibit, market, sell and otherwise distribute the Product, either in
whole or in parts and either alone or with other products for commercial or
non-commercial television or theater, closed-circuit exhibition, home video dis-
tribution or any other purpose that Video/Audio Media Production or its
designees in their sole discretion may determine. This grant includes the right
to use the Product for promoting or publicizing any of the uses.
I confirm that I have the right to enter into this Agreement, that I am not
restricted by any commitments to third parties. I hereby give all clearances,
copyright, and otherwise for the use of my name, likeness, image, voice, appear-
ance, and performance embodied in the Product. I expressly release and indem-
nify Video/Audio Media Production and its officers, employees, agents, and
designees from any and all claims known or unknown arising out of or in any
way connected with the above granted uses and representations. The rights
granted Video/Audio Media Production herein are perpetual and worldwide.
In consideration of all the above, I hereby acknowledge receipt of reasonable

and fair consideration from Video/Audio Media Production.
I have read the foregoing and understand its terms and stipulations and agree to all of
them.
Print Name___________________________________________________________
Signature_____________________________________________________________
Address (City, State, Zip)_____________________________________________
Social Security #_____________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________________________
Program Name_______________________________________________________
* More forms may be found at www.videouniversity.com/releases.htm
165
Appendix J
Recommended Graphics
Resources
Religious:
GoodSalt—www.goodsalt.com
Kick Starters*—www.kickstarters.net
The Media Collection*—www.themediacollection.com
Midnight Oil Productions—
www.midnightoilproductions.net
Parting Water*—www.partingwater.com
Visual Worship*—www.visualworship.com
WorshipBacks*—www.worshipbacks.com
Worship Photos*—www.worshipphotos.com
General:
AbleStock—www.ablestock.com
Comstock—www.comstock.com
Corbis—www.bizpresenter.com
Digital Juice—www.digitaljuice.com
FotoSearch—www.fotosearch.com
*Free Samples of these resources are on the DVD in the

Bonus Resources folder!
166
Appendices
Appendix K
Most Used Shortcut Keys
General Windows Shortcuts
ALT + Tab: Switch between open applications.
Ctrl + Tab: Switch between open documents.
Windows + E: Start Windows Explorer.
Windows + M: Minimize all open Windows.
Windows + F: Find a file.
ALT + F4: Close current Window.
ALT + C: Copy something to the clipboard.
ALT + V: Paste from the clipboard.
ALT + X: Cut something (puts it on the clipboard).
Ctrl + N: Create a new file.
Ctrl + O: Open a file.
Ctrl + S: Save a file.
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action.
Print Screen: Copy a picture of the screen to the clipboard.
Alt + Print Screen: Copy a picture of the selected window to
the clipboard.
Esc: Cancel a menu or dialog box action.
PowerPoint Shortcuts
F5: Start a presentation.
F6: Move between panes.
Ctrl + D: Make a copy of the selected slide.
Right Arrow, Down Arrow, Spacebar or Mouse Click: Per-
form next animation or advance to next slide.
Left Arrow, Up Arrow: Perform previous animation or return
to previous slide.
167
Number + Enter: Jump to the slide number.

B or Period: Toggle between black screen/un-black screen.
Esc: End slide show.
Ctrl + H: Hide the mouse pointer and navigation button
immediately.
Photoshop Shortcuts (See page 92 for toolbar shortcuts)

Enter: Complete the edit (crop, transform, etc.)
Arrow Keys: Nudge the position of a layer by 1 pixel in any
direction.
Ctrl + T: Free Transform
Shift + Ctrl + N: New Layer
Ctrl + J: Copy Layer
Double-click a layer: Open Layer Effects
Ctrl + D: Deselect Layer
Shift + Ctrl + I: Invert the Selection
Alt + Ctrl + D: Feather Selection
Ctrl + +: Zoom In
Ctrl + - : Zoom Out
Premiere (Premiere has a TON of shortcuts! Explore the program for more.)
V: Selection Tool
M: Range Selection Tools (toggle)
C: Razor Tools (toggle)
U: Fade Adjustment Tools/Link Tool (toggle)
N: Mark In/Mark Out
Ctrl + / (Backslash): New Bin
Ctrl + I: Import a file.
Ctrl + M: Export timeline to a movie.
Ctrl + Shift + V: Paste to fit.
Ctrl + Alt + V: Paste attributes
Ctrl + Shift + /: Duplicate clip
Ctrl + B: Clip transparency
Ctrl + Y: Clip motion
Enter: Preview/Render
168
Appendices
Appendix L
Worship Software Companies
EasyWorship*
Softouch Development, Inc.
www.easyworship.com
918-250-1493
MediaShout*
MediaComplete Corporation
www.mediashout.com
888-829-7168
Presentation Manager
Creative Lifestyles, Inc.
www.presentationmanager.info
248-685-8179
Prologue Sunday Plus*

Grass Roots Software
www.sundayplus.com
877-274-7277
SongShow Plus
R-Technics Inc.
www.songshowplus.com
888-225-8054
WorshipBuilder*
DOnline Inc.
www.worshipbuilder.com
877-690-4460
Worship Him!
Freedom Software
www.worship-him.com
* Demo versions are available on the DVD.
169
Appendix M
Camera Techniques
Pan: A camera move that pivots the camera horizontally—

right to left or left to right—from a stationary position. Use
this technique to follow one subject to another, show rela-
tionships between subjects, or scan subjects too large to fit
into one shot.
Tilt: A camera move that pivots the camera vertically, up or
down, from a stationary position and height. Follows move-
ment, contrasts differences in size between two subjects, or
gives viewer point-of-view sense of a subject’s height.
Tracking: Lateral camera movement aligned with moving
subject; subject background appears to move. Camera
should maintain regulated distance from subject.
Zoom: To change the focal length of a zoom lens, from
wide-angle to telephoto, and vice versa. The technique of
“Zooming in” increases the focal length toward the tele-
photo setting. “Zooming out” means to decrease the focal
length toward the wide-angle setting.
Point of View (POV): Shot perspective in which the cam-
era assumes the position of an actor, allowing viewers to
see what the actor sees as if through his or her eyes.
Framing: Act of composing a shot in the camcorder’s
viewfinder for desired content, angle, and field of view—
overall composition.
Abbreviations used in storyboarding:
LS: Long Shot
MS: Medium Shot
CU: Close-up
POV: Point of View
FX: Special Effect
170
Appendices
Appendix N
Video Editing Cards
& Appliances
Matrox Graphics, Inc.—www.matrox.com

Pinnacle Systems, Inc.—www.pinnaclesys.com
Canopus Corporation—www.canopus.com
Avid Technology, Inc.—www.avid.com
MacroSystem—www.casablanca.tv
Applied Magic—www.applied-magic.com
NewTek—www.newtek.com
171
Appendix O
Recommended Video
Footage Resources
Artbeats*—www.artbeats.com
Highway Video*—www.highwayvideo.com
Fresh Out of the Box—www.abingdonpress.com
iWorship—www.integritymusic.com
North American Mission Board—
www.namb.com/essentials/
Video Animation*—www.videoanimation.com
Video Scriptures*—www.video4worship.com
Worship Scapes*—www.royaltyfreestuff.com
* Free samples are available on the DVD in the Bonus

Resources folder.
172
Appendices
Appendix P
Recommended Reading
Media Ministry
Fields, Doug and James, Eddie, Videos That Teach, Volumes 1 & 2
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1999 and 2002).
Miller, Kim, Handbook for Multisensory Worship, Volumes 1 & 2
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1999 and 2000).
Slaughter, Michael, Out on the Edge (Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1998).
Wilson, Len and Moore, Jason, The Wired Church (Nashville: Abing-
don Press, 1999).
Wilson, Len and Moore, Jason, Digital Storytellers (Nashville: Abing-
don Press, 2002).
Wilson, Len and Moore, Jason, Fresh Out of the Box, Vol.1 & 2
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002).
PowerPoint
Lowe, Doug, PowerPoint 2002 for Dummies (Hoboken: John Wiley &
Sons, 2001).
Perspection, Inc., Microsoft PowerPoint Version 2002 Step by Step
(Redmond: Microsoft Press, 2001).
Photoshop
Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book
(Adobe Press, 2002). (www.adobe.com)
Kelby, Scott, Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Down & Dirty Tricks (Indianapolis:
New Riders Publishing, 2002). (www.newriders.com)
Matthews, Lisa, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 Idea Kit (Adobe Press,
2002). (www.adobe.com)
Premiere
Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Premiere 6.5 Classroom in a Book (Adobe
Press, 2002). (www.adobe.com)
Morris, Tee and Oakley, Steve, Premiere 6.5 Power! (Boston: Muska &
Lipman). (www.muskalipman.com)
173
Appendix Q
Royalty-Free Music
Resources
David Delgado—www.daviddelgado.com
SmartSound—www.smartsound.com
Music2Hues—www.music2hues.com
Media-Tracks—www.media-tracks.com
Network Music—www.networkmusic.com
Sound Dogs—www.sounddogs.com
Sound FX—www.soundfx.com
174
Appendices
Using the DVD

Playing the DVD
Windows: To begin playing the DVD, simply insert the disk into your
drive. The program should automatically launch and go to the Main
Menu. The Main Menu provides the main tool for navigating and access-
ing content on the DVD. Click the gold buttons located on the left of the text
to initiate an action (the text itself is not “hot”).
If the disk does not begin playing for some reason, you can manually
launch the program by locating it on the disk. In Windows, go to Windows
Explorer, locate the disk icon, and select it to see the contents of the
DVD. Find the mmme.exe file and double-click it to launch the program.
Macintosh: Double-click the disk icon and locate the mmmeOS9 and
mmmeOSX files. Double-click the version you need to launch the program.
For Technical Support, call 615-749-6777, Mon.–Fri., 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M., CST.
System Requirements
The DVD was created using Macromedia® Director® The following are the
recommended minimum playback requirements for using the DVD:
Windows Macintosh
• Pentium II, 600 MHz or higher • Power Macintosh G3 or higher
• Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP • MAC OS 9.x to 10.x
• 128MB of RAM; 256 recommended • 128MB of RAM; 256 recommended
• DVD-ROM drive • DVD-ROM drive
• Apple QuickTime® 5.x or higher • Apple QuickTime® 5.x or higher
Monitor Resolution
For best performance, your monitor resolution needs to be set at 1024 x
768. To change your monitor setting on your computer, refer to the help
file or the documentation for your operating system.
Installing the Workshop Files

The workshop files contain files that you will use to complete the
workshop exercises. Installing these files will provide you with the source
material (graphics, PowerPoint files, sound files, and video clips) to create
the projects demonstrated on the videos. You should install these before
beginning work on the exercises. In Windows, a self-extracting zip file
(.exe) will be launched when you click Install Workshop Files. Follow the
onscreen instructions to complete the installation. These files will be saved
on your hard drive in a folder called Media Ministry Made Easy.
On the Macintosh, a self-extracting Stuffit® file will be launched, and

the Save dialog box will be opened. Choose the location where you want
the folder to be saved (the default folder name will be Media Ministry
Made Easy and the default location will be the desktop). Click Save to
continue unstuffing and copying the files to your hard drive.
175
Playing Movies
The DVD contains three practical, hands-on videos that take the user
step-by-step through the primary software tools used in media ministry.
To play the movies, you will need to have the Apple QuickTime® player
(version 5.x or higher), including the Authoring Support component,
installed on your computer. If this component is not present on your
computer, you will be alerted when you try to play a movie and be
prompted to update the QuickTime player with this component. Click OK to
enable QuickTime to install Authoring Support from the Apple website.
If you do not have QuickTime installed, it has been included on the DVD.
Simply browse to the folder QuickTime 5 Installers by using Windows
Explorer or by double-clicking the DVD icon on your desktop (Macintosh).
Open the folder and select the folder inside that contains the installer for
your computer platform. Double-click the QuickTime Installer to begin
the installation. Note: During the installation process, be sure to select the
Recommended installation, which is the default. If you would prefer to
use the Custom installation option, you will need to include the
Authoring Support component in the installation in order to play the
MMME movies.
Installing Trial Software & Bonus Resources

Trial versions of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere have been included
on the DVD. Trial versions of some of the leading worship software and
presentation packages have also been included on the DVD. (All worship
software trials included are for Windows. Only Prologue SundayPlus has an
available version for the Macintosh platform. You can obtain a trial version
by contacting the company.) These trials are fully functional, but are
operational for a limited period. Make sure you do not install them until
you are ready to work on the exercises or evaluate the software.
Note: If you encounter a problem installing any trial software

included on the DVD, please check the company’s website for
information about available support for trial versions; Abingdon
Press cannot provide support for software from other companies.
Windows: To install a trial, click the button beside the corresponding

software program to launch the installation program. Follow the onscreen
prompts to complete the installation.
Macintosh: Click the Install Trial Software button at the bottom of the
screen to open the Adobe Software Trials folder. Select either the
Photoshop or Premiere installer to begin installation of the trial. Follow the
onscreen prompts to complete the installation.
The Bonus Resources folder contains sample video clips, audio files, and
graphics you can customize for your own presentations. Like the workshop
files, this folder will be installed using a self-extracting zip file (Win) or
Stuffit file (Mac). See the paragraph on “Installing the Workshop Files”
above for more information.
176

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What is the book about?

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MMMadeEasy3 3/28/03 7:57 AM Page 1

MMMadeEasy3 3/28/03 7:57 AM Page 2

“In a world of increasingly image-rich communication, church leaders must

“This book promises to be an indispensable handbook for multisensory