Multimedia in ministry

[spurly]

How much multimedia do you all use in your services?  Videos, words to the songs projected on a screen, etc.  Last Sunday we used a video produced by Highway Video that went over great.  It was an excellent lead in to the worship service.  After the video was over the people were to find two or three other people and talk about their impressions from the video.  That went so well, I hated to stop their fellowship.

At my previous church we had a team of people who made videos that went along with the theme of the sermon for that day.  Some were serious, some were comical, but they were all great.

What do you all do?

[boringoldguy]

Not a preacher here.

We have the song projected up on a screen,  and sometimes some stuff from the lesson.

It always reminds me of being at some kind of meeting or seminar or something.     Or worse,  high school where they always made you look at the overhead projector.     I don't like it.

[Weeble]

Powerpoint for songs, sermon notes, and announcements. It has really helped our visual learners and the auditory ones (like BOG) don't pay it much attention.

[HRoberson]

Powerpoint for songs, sermon notes, and announcements. It has really helped our visual learners and the auditory ones (like BOG) don't pay it much attention.

Ditto.

[DCR]

Most of the churches (larger ones anyway) use Powerpoint for singing around here now.

Even my grandmother, who didn't like it at first when they introduced it in her church, prefers it now that she has become used to it.

Bog, you sound like my dad.  He says the same thing about Powerpoint.  They don't have it where they attend though.

[Bon Voyage]

but I must ask this Just:

What about Nadab and Abihu?

[Jimbob]

If you're going to do it, do it well.  Get a mac, too.  I'm serious, the graphics are smoother and the fonts more legible in presentations, and that means fewer distractions.  Don't use cheesy colors, bright annoying combinations, complicated transitions, or anything else that screams "kid with a new toy".  K.I.S.S.

And, don't use Powerpoint to make up for good speaking/teaching skills...it won't. 

[Jimbob]

JAIA, I found this an interesting post on PowerPoint:

http://presentationzen.blogs.com/presentationzen/2005/09/living_large_ta.html

[DCR]

but I must ask this Just:

What about Nadab and Abihu?

Their example, like all of the Old Law, has been nailed to the cross.  If you use their story to imply something about authority in the New Testament Church, then you have fallen from grace and now have to bring back sacrifices, incense, etc. etc.

[Weeble]

JAIA, I found this an interesting post on PowerPoint:

http://presentationzen.blogs.com/presentationzen/2005/09/living_large_ta.html

That won't work for us.  I don't know Japanese.

[Jimbob]

[kanham]

We use MediaShout for our music. It is nice because you can insert clips from a DVD right into the system.

I create videos for about 75% of our Sunday messages. Some are funny and some are serious. This morning I shot the intro outside of a local school to tie into what I was saying.

It doesn’t take a lot of work and I have found that it draws people into the message. Now I have worked on commercials professionally so maybe that makes it seem easier than it would for someone who doesn’t have the background.

I create all of my own graphics for the messages and so we can seamlessly connect everything. I would recommend any church engage believers with artistic talents to help with look and feel.

We also have banners on the outside, entryway and the hall that tie everything together. I realize that Jesus is the message and only Jesus matters but if I value something I put effort into it. If Jesus matters than I would think I would work as hard on how I present His message as I do my own home.

[spurly]

Kanham, I would love to do more videos in our worship here.  Maybe one day we will find the right people to pick up that ministry at the church where I serve God and his son Jesus Christ.