Three things to consider before upgrading your worship space with a video wall
As technology advances, houses of worship face the challenge of meeting increasingly greater expectations. In the past, compelling speakers or basic audiovisual tools may have been enough to hold a congregation’s attention during worship services. Today, providing an inspiring multimedia presentation as part of an immersive spiritual experience has become more essential to attract and engage worshippers.
Everyone from preschoolers to seniors routinely enjoy videos and other content on smartphones and all of the other screens in their daily lives. It’s a sensible step for religious leaders to adopt display technologies to tap into this digital world. These tools can help boost engagement and make the worship experience deeper and more memorable.
Taking Advantage of the Benefits of Video Walls
Although video wall installations still require a significant investment, recent advances in the two basic types of technologies — LCD (liquid crystal display) and dvLED (direct view light emitting diode) — have made them more affordable options for an increasing number of houses of worship. Technology directors and congregation leaders who are considering equipping their facilities with a video wall should keep these three key considerations in mind:
1. Think about how your spaces are used.
When planning a video wall installation, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate the different physical spaces in your facility.
The main sanctuary will likely be your primary focus because it’s the largest room in your building and the setting for your core worship services. A video wall in your sanctuary will provide eye-catching visuals, helping you connect with congregants and visitors. A video wall is also the perfect solution for overflow rooms, in case a service or event attracts a larger crowd than your sanctuary can accommodate. A live video feed from the sanctuary will allow worshippers in this room to participate in the spiritual experience.
Video walls are also appropriate in other areas in a house of worship. Think about how you can integrate a video wall into educational and multipurpose rooms, as well as in lobbies and as exterior signage.
In addition to using the sanctuary and other rooms for regular religious services, teaching, and other uses, an increasing number of houses of worship are opening their spaces to host a wide range of neighborhood gatherings. By enhancing the availability and functionality of their facilities, these houses of worship are advancing their missions by expanding their reach into their communities. A video wall will make these spaces more desirable and practical for these purposes. For example, you can transform an underused meeting area into an effective venue for teaching, presentations, and other functions.
2. Identify how you will use your video wall.
When evaluating the benefits of a video wall, it’s important to consider how it will be used in your facility.
Video walls are well-suited for sanctuaries or public spaces because they provide bright, crisp images with excellent viewing angles. Their high brightness means that neither abundant natural light streaming through large windows nor stage lighting will wash out their vivid images. For services and other religious events, a video wall can display a live feed, videos, images, song lyrics, text, or any other type of content you create. They can help set the proper mood and hold the attention of your worshippers, creating an unforgettable worship experience and enabling spiritual messages to shine through.
A video wall in education and multipurpose rooms can enhance religious teaching sessions and supplement the goals of other events and activities. A video wall can also be used as signage for welcome messages and wayfinding in your lobby and to convey information effectively in other areas. Likewise, an exterior video wall can publicize religious services and other events, as well as help you connect better with your neighborhood.
For weddings, movie screenings, charity events, and community meetings, a video wall’s eye-catching images will amaze your congregants and visitors, elevating these occasions to a new level.
3. Embrace the versatility.
One advantage of video walls is easy to overlook. Flexibility. The modular nature of LCD and dvLED walls enables houses of worship to get creative with installations. You can configure a display in almost any size and shape to meet your specific needs.
A single large wall in your sanctuary will provide an immersive worship experience for your congregation. Or you can use two or more walls — options include installing a wall on each side of the pulpit to show the same or different content or placing installations on different walls to ensure that everyone in the sanctuary has a perfect view of your content. You can even start with a small video wall and enlarge it as your needs or your content goals change. Video walls can be lowered into a stage when not in use, expanding the potential uses of the stage and room.
Video walls also open up a world of new possibilities for presenting content. Advanced software makes it easier than ever to control what’s happening across your wall.
Even better, adding a video wall doesn’t mean you will have to discard AV technologies that you’re already using or may use in the future. For example, a projector can work alongside a video wall to enhance the worship experience. You could present a film on your video wall while a projector displays a complementary background.
Enhancing the Worship Experience
Video walls enable houses of worship to present dynamic content to connect with congregants and more effectively convey spiritual messages. By taking these three considerations into account, you’ll have a better sense of where and how to use video walls to reach your worshippers and visitors.