A few months ago I wrote about setting up and mixing events at your house of worship that are not the typical Sunday or Wednesday services. I also got into a discussion about outreach events and all that they can entail. I want to continue in similar direction this month.
Two scenarios come to mind. One is that there are some of you out there who set up a sound system for worship each week in a building that is not a house of worship. Another is taking a worship band on the road. I have done this and enjoyed doing it, but there is not enough space to go into that this month, so here I will focus on setting up a sound system away from a traditional house of worship.
Reaching Out
A worship service can be held just about anywhere, and it often is. God does not require a specific building in order to conduct worship. Many gymnasiums, auditoriums, warehouses, office buildings and other places become the setting for God's music and message by simply bringing in a sound system, band, singers and a preacher.
I have personally mixed worship sound in abandoned supermarkets, parking lots, tents, auditoriums and other locations. I personally enjoy setting up and mixing sound in new and different places. That is basically what I do when mixing secular sound gigs. So it is second nature for me.
Leaving the safety of your home sanctuary will require a portable sound system and some additional skills. Just getting a stage and sound into your church parking lot can be a challenge. If your house system is portable, or you have another system set aside solely for the purpose of outreach events, then your challenges may not be as great. However, if this is your worship house's first outreach/out of sanctuary event, I suggest hiring a pro sound company to deliver and set up (and possibly operate) the sound system.
Outsourcing
The advantages of outsourcing your sound system are pretty obvious. Somebody else will set up, test/tune and operate the sound. This can alleviate a whole lot of headaches. Even if you intend on operating the equipment, it's nice to have someone else deliver and assemble it for you. Should your budget only allow you to rent the equipment, be certain of your needs. How many people do you plan on reaching with the sound? How many performers and how much equipment on stage? How many monitor wedges will you need? Will you be using some of your worship house's gear? You can definitely save some money on a rental if you use your own microphones, XLR cables, mic stands, etc.
If in the future you find that you are hosting a lot of outreach events, you may want to consider purchasing a portable system dedicated to your outreach efforts. You can always augment it with gear from your church. It can include microphones, cables, stands, even monitors. Should a new system be out of your budget, look for a sound/rental company you can work with and possibly get a better rental rate on regular events.
I have a sound company myself and schedule two regular events for my church every year – a Halloween party and a New Years Eve event right on the Rose Parade route. These outreach events happen every year, and I deliver pretty much the same gear every year. I do not set up the equipment or operate it, but the guys at my church are good techs, and they have no trouble with the gear. Besides, it doesn't cost the church anything for the sound system. So you can always look for a guy with a sound company to join your congregation.
Other Worship Venues
The last scenario I want to look at is one that involves you and your worship team/band visiting various churches and performing/preaching on their stage using their sound system. I am not going to get into the potential political maneuvering at this type of event, just the practical issues you should consider before entering a foreign worship venue.
I believe preparation is everything in this scenario, so get yourself over to the other church and check out the sound system. It's a good idea to be present at a service and get an idea of how the system and the room sound. Next, make an appointment with the house sound technician and get tour of the gear. This tech should be the guy or girl who will be sharing duties with you at your event. It is very important that you develop a good relationship with him or her, and that he or she knows exactly what your needs are and how many performers you will be bringing to that church. Depending on your skill level, the house tech may be mixing the event and you may be setting up and directing. However your individual jobs break down, you will be expected to work with this other person professionally and efficiently right at the get-go.
The Plot Plan
There is a chance that you may not be able to visit the hosting house of worship for one reason or another. If this is the case, use all other communication channels available to you, and don't forget to send a plot plan. If you don't know what that is, it is a two-dimensional representation of where your performers and equipment will be placed on a stage. There are programs on line that you can download to help you lay this out. Just search "stage plot plans" and you should find something useful.
As for the other outreach scenario, taking a worship band on the road, I'll have to cover that topic in a future issue of FOH, as there is not sufficient space to address those issues here. So, until next time, I wish the best in worship mixing for all of you.
