At a similar church the singers had their eyes glued to a TV set at the foot of the stage (more on confidence monitors in another post). I’ve walked into many churches where the band is frowning, looking down at their music stands, and generally seem distant from what’s going on. It is very important that we exercise good stage presence. From the bass player hiding in the back to the soprano in the front that thinks she’s all that – everybody is being observed. Whether you like it or not the congregation is looking at every single person on the stage. Now I’m not suggesting that leading worship be performance-driven and have the flare of a concert, but I am suggesting that we at least realize that there is more going on than just the aural portion of your worship.
EasyWorship began as a software solution for churches to amplify the worship experience from the sound booth to the stage. A basic rule of thumb is “the more light, the better,” but if you’re ready for a more in-depth look, check out DaCast’s Cheap Lighting for Video guide. Candle light and shadows can be great for establishing a consecrated atmosphere, but not so much for lighting a set.
MediaShout for about 2 1/2 years, EasyWorship for about 2 1/2 years, and ProPresenter for about 6 months. As a church worker/minister, I’ve used each one of these extensively. The 3 biggies are ProPresenter, MediaShout, or EasyWorship (at least in the area of the US where I live and in the denominations where I have served).
ProPresenter 7 Tutorial: Your first presentations (and the announcements layer) PaulAlanClif Screencast, Screencasts There’s a lot of new stuff in ProPresenter 7, but if you’re new to it, there’s even more that you need to know about how to create presentations and show them during church. They are not just musicians, they are performers. They are being paid not only for their talent, but also for their stage presence. In a concert or on a TV show, have you ever seen some seasoned, fantastic musicians playing behind some snot-nosed 17 yr old girl? Do they look bored with the generic “teenie-bopper” music? Do they ever laugh and snicker at each other when they play those 3-chord songs? No, usually those guys are dancing to the music while keeping the coolest look they can muster on their faces.