workshop | ClaytonFaulkner.com

On Saturday, August 9, 2014, the TUNE UP worship band gathering was held. Over 100 worship musicians, sound techs, and video techs assembled on the campus of Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire, TX (Houston) for a multi-denominational training event. Hosting over 100 participants for the second year in a row, the event was organized by the Worship Excellence Team of the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod (ELCA) to improve the quality of band-led worship in smaller churches.

The assembled musicians and techs represented 20 congregations including Lutheran, Nazarene, Presbyterian, United Methodist, and Non-Denominational churches. Churches that participated were both from the Houston vicinity and rural parts of Texas.

_DSC6729 The schedule included times of worship, instrumental/vocal/tech tracks, and conceptual tracks. A team of track leaders with main speaker DeAndre Johnson (Westbury United Methodist Church) led worship. The instrumental tracks were divided by specific area (worship leader, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, vocals, sound tech, and video tech). Each group gathered together for training and instruction specific to that instrument. Conceptual track offerings included sessions on arranging hymns for worship band, multicultural worship, and renewing the arts in worship. Additionally, a “Coaching for Bands” track was offered in which two church bands received feedback and help with their music from a panel of track leaders.

One attendee commented, “Once again, my team and I have learned and grown through your gathering.” Another responded that the information they received in their track was, “Incredibly useful.”

After a second successful gathering, we will likely offer the event again in the future. Watch the event website for details: TuneUpGathering.org.

(On Saturday, May 12, 2012 I gave a workshop at the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod Assembly. These are the notes/images from that workshop!)

Introduction

The video screen has become the new stained glass in 21^st Century churches.
Why projection?
- We live in a visual culture. The common currency for communication has shifted from text to images.
- “It’s not either image, or text. It’s both/and, image and text. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was a man (image) living among us. He was also text (the Word become flesh).” ~ Leonard Sweet, The Gospel According to Starbucks

Basic components

Projector – projectorpeople.com, iavi.com, tigerdirect.com ($500)
Computer – upgraded RAM, hard drive, processor, video card ($400)
Optional – screen, mounting hardware, cables, presentation software

How to make a great looking PowerPoint slide

Don’t just throw a Times New Roman font on a white screen! Creating beautiful slides is intensive and time-consuming.
Helpful Guidelines:
- Don’t overload the slides with content (MAX: 6 lines of lyric, 6 words to summarize point).
- Limit your font choices to 2. Choose fonts that are easy to read and use the styles consistently throughout your presentation.
- Backgrounds:
  - Not distracting, but not too simple.
  - Choose a background that will attract the viewer’s eye to the words. If your background requires the words to have an outline and a drop shadow to be readable, it is no longer attracting the viewer’s eye to the words.
  - Use the negative space (Dark background/light text; light background/dark text).
  - Use imagery that tells the story of the text.
  - Avoid clipart at all costs. Use stock photography or artwork.
- Use simple transitions (cross fade).

The move toward presentation software

CCLI integration, Bible integration, moving backgrounds, announcements, real-time editing, PowerPoint integration, etc.
EASY WORSHIP, ProPresenter4, MediaShout, ProWorship, etc.

Web resources for graphics