When Is Too Much, Too Much?
When production starts competing with the message, it’s time to ask hard questions.
Churches have more production tools than ever. Moving lights. LED walls. Haze. Concert-level sound systems. Used wisely, they can create an environment that removes distractions and helps people engage in worship.
But I visited a church recently that made me wonder if anyone had stopped to ask a basic question: When is too much, too much?
The stage looked spectacular. Lights swept the room. Haze filled the air. The sound system shook the seats. Then the pastor stood to read Scripture, and I noticed something odd.
The congregation couldn’t see their Bibles because the house lights were so dramatically low.
During the sermon, members of the worship team casually walked across the stage, adjusting equipment as the pastor preached. Every movement pulled attention away from the message.
Technology should serve the mission. It should never compete with it.
Every production decision sends a message about what matters most. If people leave talking about the lighting cues instead of the truth they heard, something has drifted off course.
A good example: haze or fog should never be seen. It’s about defining the light. The smoke should be invisible. If you can see smoke or haze, it’s a distraction, and you’ve failed.
In the same way, great church production should be invisible. It creates clarity instead of calling attention to itself. The goal isn’t to impress people with our technology. It’s to remove obstacles so people can focus on Christ.
Sometimes the most spiritual production decision is simply turning up the lights.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
