Lighting in the Church

Lighting plays a crucial role in the church setting. It's not just about visibility; it’s about creating an environment that supports worship without drawing undue attention to itself. Here's how to ensure your church's lighting serves its intended purpose.

Lighting as a Tool

Proper lighting should enhance the worship experience, not distract from it. If lighting isn't contributing positively to the environment, it’s better not to use it at all rather than risk a setup that's distracting or unprofessional.

Common Lighting Issues and Solutions

Often, church lighting can appear flat because it lacks depth and dimension. Here’s what to consider to improve it:

• Placement and Angle: Position lights to highlight the area of focus, ideally at a 45-degree angle to avoid washing out the background while adequately illuminating the subject.

• Backlighting: Use backlighting to add depth and separate the subject from the background, preventing a two-dimensional appearance.

• Side Lighting: Side lights should be used to soften shadows on the speaker's face and add depth to their appearance.

Implementing three-point lighting—front, back, and side—can create a balanced and dynamic environment.

Using Color in Lighting

While LED lights offer a spectrum of colors, discretion is key:

• Background Colors: Blue is often a safe choice for backlighting, providing contrast without being overpowering.

• Uplighting: Be cautious with uplighting to avoid harsh shadows. Soft washes and diffusion are essential for a more professional look.
  

The Pitfalls of Inexpensive LEDs

Cheap LED lighting can be tempting, but it often produces poor color quality and can come with a host of other issues, including inadequate cooling systems. Invest in quality to avoid these problems.

To sum up, lighting should be approached thoughtfully and strategically in a church environment. Quality, placement, and balance are key to creating a space conducive to worship and reflection.

As a reminder, these are best practices, but that doesn't mean you have to do them. When we talk about lighting we are talking about an area of church that is extraneous. Therefore, if the Lord has provided the assets and ability for your church to do lighting then do everything you can to make sure you are doing lighting to the best of your ability. However, if the Lord has not provided you with enough fixtures to do a perfect 3-point setup, or your church has no lighting at all, don't take these concepts as a push to go out and do so. Production is never going to be one size fits all. Rather each church needs to wrestle with the role production as a whole will play in who they are as a church. From there it is easy to make decisions on what steps to take in implementing those goals in your church. If you have questions or would like further guidance on how to think through these issues, get in touch with us and we would be happy to assist!