Production Matters I - Mindset Transformation

by C. Andrew Dunning

Part 1 of 3 - Originally published in the September 2006 issue of Church Production Magazine.

Click HERE for Part 2 (Immersion and Unity) or HERE for Part 3 (Risk Taking and Communication).

Have you ever had your mindset unexpectedly transformed? I have. It is humbling. It is scary. In the end, though, it can result in incredible joy. Transformation has been (and, continues to be) the story of my life in recent years.


For several years I have had the privilege of creating the lighting for many of the top names in Christian music, as well as for numerous conferences and special events throughout the country. Though I have also had several very satisfying projects in and for churches, I was guilty of being pretty cynical when it came to the quality of church production. Now, I find myself really enjoying working in churches - and not with cynicism, but with the knowledge of being immersed in excellence.


My transformation started when Mike Walker, technical director at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas invited me to join the production team at his church for the opening of a new sermon series a couple of years ago. I accepted his invitation with more than a little skepticism. In my first days there, I was very pleasantly surprised. Contrary to my expectations, what I found was a production team as committed to providing as high (if not higher) a level of production for weekly services as my colleagues and I have been pursuing for tours and other projects. Through this team's creative implementation of staging, lighting, audio, and video, I was shown what some of you already knew - that excellence can exist in the church realm. Equally impressive is that they, and many of you, are implementing world-class production on a weekly basis to enhance the eternal message - without watering it down.


Starting with this article, I will be sharing with you some things I frequently explore with Fellowship and with other churches. Some are things I've learned from years of being around the stage. A few are things I've learned by paying a lot of "stupid tax." Many are things I've had the pleasure of learning from some of you.
My intent is not to create clones of other churches, but to give you an idea of the mind-set behind the "hows and whys" various production techniques, and to challenge you with some of the philosophy behind others' approaches. Therefore, as you read this, try to embrace the philosophy - not the particular implementation.

Though not openly states, when it comes to production, many churches have the attitude of "It's okay if it isn't good. We're a church, people will understand." That mindset seemed to me to go against the message that was being shared from pulpits. Walker puts it very well: "We have the opportunity each and every week to tell the greatest story ever told. Why can't the presentation come up to the level of the story we are telling?"


Although every church is unique, four concepts tend to rise to the top when wrestling with the role of the production arts in the church:

  1. The use of production arts to improve the impact of a service is appropriate regardless of a church's budget or service style.
  2. The worship service is to be an experience, not a performance.
  3. The presentation is to be unified.
  4. Communication is incredibly important.

Style and Budget

The first concept in this list is a good starting point for this look at mindset transformation. Budget and service/worship style are two of the biggest perceived hurdles for churches trying new and different things. Both have a huge impact on their attitude of excellence in production.


Let me say one thing before I go on: I am not at all trying to oversimplify what I know are often very intricate and fairly difficult issues that face many churches, or to criticize you or your church as you struggle with them. My goal is to encourage the huge amount of currently unrealized potential that is in many churches today.

The Budget Misperception


Let's look at the first misperception that is often found in churches: "We don't have the budget to do any interesting production. Now, if we had the budget that 'Mega Church of the Anointed' has, then we could do some cool things."


Sound familiar? The problem is that a lot of people simply stop there. Lacking a big budget, they don't even try. Here's a suggestion: Stop worrying about equipment. Don't get all hung up on particular gear or on what you don't have. Look instead at the resources you do have.


For example, let's say you visit "First Contemporary Church of the Amplified" that has 100 moving lights, and you see a look or an effect that you like. Don't just go back to your pastor and say that you need moving lights. Go back and ask yourself "With the resources at hand, how can I create a similar result, and if I can't, what's going to be the approach that makes the most sense?"


One church I visited recently has a nice facility with a good selection of "conventional" fixtures (PARs and ellipsoidals). All of the production duties are handled year-round by a small team of dedicated volunteers. The main worship room has walls that beg to be brought to life - lit with texture and color. Each year at Christmas time, I consult with them to do just that, with rented intelligent fixtures. On my last visit, the worship pastor and I spent some time together in the room, sharing vision about bringing the room to life, visually, year-round, with the inventory that they own. I was able to show him what can be done by their volunteers, with the church's ellipsoidals - techniques that approximate the effects we were getting with the more expensive intelligent fixtures - but without the expense.


Part of the budget/money question often involves personnel: "We don't have the money to hire a technical director or lighting designer." I know that a lack of skilled staff is a very real issue for most churches, but I'd argue that volunteers with the right mindset can do some absolutely amazing things. A part of this is making sure that your equipment selections don't outpace your volunteer base's capabilities. This goes a long way in enabling a volunteer-intensive ministry to achieve excellence.

The Style Misperception


The second misperception that limits churches is along the lines of "Our church is pretty conservative. That technology is all well and good for 'First Contemporary Church of the Amplified', but it would never fit in here."


As to this excuse, whether your church is a "coat-and-tie" or "blue jeans" church (or, somewhere in between), multiple technologies and media tools can be used in a unified way to enhance the worship experience-it is simply their specific application or emphasis that is different for each situation. Don't write off a particular piece of equipment or a certain concept just because someone else's application of it feels high-tech or flashy.


Intelligent lighting technology is a great example of this. Let's say you go to see Third Day or Kenny Chesney. At different times in the concert you'll see bright, saturated color; dramatic, moving shafts of light; and clearly seen, animated patterns. At other times, you might see softer, more subtle color-or moments with little or no obvious movement and less noticeable textures. Before you're tempted to write any of it off, ask yourself how what you're seeing, applied differently, can enhance even a conservative service? Is it a certain color or texture? Is it a scenic element? How can you use the same technology, but with a slightly different outcome?


On one occasion, I was part of the team that produced a conference on creativity in the church. Most of our lighting was fairly edgy and was created utilizing higher-end technology. One of the sessions, however, was intentionally produced with a less flashy, anyone-can-do-this style. We did this to demonstrate some visuals that could be achieved using simpler resources. We were trying to point out the concept, not the piece of equipment producing it. We were also making a similar point to one I'm making here: just because a given piece of equipment will do something, that does not mean that it necessarily has to. Embracing the concepts and using technology is about tastefully enhancing your message and your church's personality - not necessarily changing either. Just remember, there is often a fine line between enhancing and distracting. This line will be in different places for different churches.

My hat is off to those of you who have not let these things hinder to you. For those who have been snared by them, I hope that you've gotten a taste for how churches of differing budgets and differing styles can share a mindset, can use the same tools, can create some beautiful things. The specific methods, emphasis, and technologies used may simply be different.

Click HERE for Part 2.

C. Andrew Dunning is a lighting designer and owner of Nashville-based Landru Design - www.landrudesign.com.