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Digital Signage Resources for Places of Worship | ScreenCloud

Church leaders understand the importance of nurturing a strong, growing community of believers and the sacrifices, labor, and toil it requires. That is why the challenges of attracting new members while retaining existing ones can feel overwhelming.

The health and vitality of your church depend on the strength of relationships within the community, and it often comes back to giving people reasons to stay within that community.

The solution often involves identifying strategies leaders can use to reach new members and show them the beauty of their community while also helping current members grow within the family.

Growing your church means you’re looking to show even more people the benefits of fellowshipping with you; your congregation has found a community that supports their faith, and you want more people to benefit from that.

Maintaining this perspective can go a long way when implementing plans to increase church attendance. Here are some specific steps you can take.

A strong, supportive community is often the cornerstone of church growth and the reason why many people love to come back. When people feel valued and seen, they are more likely to stay and invite others.

So, a good place to start is fostering genuine relationships within your congregation. Encourage small group activities where members and young families can connect on a personal level. These groups can be based on interests, life stages, or specific ministry areas.

Additionally, consider implementing a mentorship program where seasoned members guide newcomers, helping them integrate into the church family. This not only encourages more people to join the community but can also ensure that everyone feels included and valued.

Effective communication is key to attracting people, whether you run a business or a place of worship. If you develop a targeted communications plan for your church that addresses the needs of your audience, you can find new ways to increase church attendance.

Your key audience - Who they are and what they are interested in

Your key communications channel - Where your target members spend their time

The key message - The special thing about your church that makes people want to become members

People can also be a huge part of your communications plan. Encourage church members to invite friends and family to in-person worship services in the church building and to share information about programs and service times on social media. You also want to segment your communication to ensure relevance.

For example, young families might appreciate updates on children’s programs, while seniors may be more interested in Bible study groups.

Church digital signage screens play a significant role here, where they can help increase your communication efficiency and eventually contribute to church growth.

For example, they can help target new prospective members by displaying available church groups and helpful programs. Then, there are external facing digital screens that target the wider local community with tailor-made messaging like:

It sounds obvious, but encouraging people to attend church could actually get them to come. Often, the key is to highlight the benefits that await members – a sense of belonging and responsibility towards the church community.

Your church could also host regular membership classes where prospective members can learn about the mission statement, values, and various ways they can contribute.

Here’s another place where communication is key. It’s important to share the benefits of memberships in a way that prospects can resonate with, such as enjoying a sense of belonging within the community, tapping into and improving their spiritual experience or simply being part of local events.

You can also use your church LED signs to encourage membership among people who already stepped into your church. This could involve displaying welcome messages or the events, communities, and activities you have in store for new members.

Simply attending church is the simplest way to join your flock. But there are many other ways to appeal to potential members and grow your church attendance.

This can include volunteer opportunities, ministry groups, scripture study, social events or concerts. Another idea that many churches use is an onboarding process that guides newcomers from their first visit to active involvement. This might include:

Introductory meetings with ministry leaders

Ensure that there are diverse opportunities available so that everyone can find something that suits their interests and talents.

Recognizing and celebrating your members can have a profound impact on church growth. People want to feel appreciated and valued for their contributions, and regularly acknowledging the efforts of your volunteers, donors, and active participants can help grow your church over time.

Consider implementing a system of recognition, such as annual awards, shout-outs during services, or member appreciation events. Celebrating milestones, such as anniversaries or significant contributions to church projects, also reinforces a sense of community and belonging.

If you want to make member recognitions even more impactful, use your church digital signs to share their achievements with the whole congregation.

Apps like Canvas let you create simple recognition board slides in minutes, and you can add these to your service playlist to applaud exceptional volunteers, give other members something to aim for, and show prospects the amazing church culture.

6 strategies to retain your church members

We should remember that retaining church members is about more than just keeping numbers up; it’s about expanding the reach of your supportive community and making sure people can continue accessing a space where their faith can flourish.

Here are some church growth strategies that can help.

The larger an organization grows, the easier things can slip through the cracks. In a church where a cohesive community is a big part of why people stay, it is important to maintain that strong community; otherwise, people will start to feel left out.

This is why fostering a supportive community is part of the mission statement of many churches. Some steps to consider include:

Create smaller cells: Here, members can look out for each other and easily find someone to talk to

Offer regular member check-ins: Church leaders or volunteers can regularly check in with members, especially people at risk of feeling isolated or those going through hard times. Offering the opportunity to discuss problems or issues can be one of the strongest opportunities to build a strong church community.

Implement a buddy system: The buddy system is an even smaller and more focused version of the cells. Pair new members with established ones, ensuring that they always feel a personal connection to the church from the start.

Ask for feedback: Asking members for feedback about their experiences can also reveal room for improvement.

Community events: A community event is great way to engage with more people, and also potentially raise money too. Whether it's a bring and buy sale, a concert or an event for younger people to get involved, think outside the box for the best results.

Youth are the church’s future, and keeping them engaged can provide healthy channels for their energy while helping maintain strong Christian relationships.

These programs should be spiritually enriching, fun, and relevant to their lives. An example is Sunday School, which can provide a place for kids and teens to reinforce and discuss spiritual truths they've learned and actively participate in the church's activities.

Youth groups: Regular meetings where young people can connect, share, and grow in their faith.

Service projects: Opportunities for youth to get involved in community service, which helps them put their faith into action.

Social events: Fun activities like game nights, retreats, and sports events that help build a sense of community.

Sports teams: A church sports team can be an excellent way to attract younger members and build a strong sense of belonging. Whether that's soccer, softball or even chess...

People can often feel left out when they can’t find ways to contribute and achieve their full potential. Empowering the congregation with leadership roles is a great way to tackle this. Your congregation could access several leadership opportunities, including volunteer opportunities, leadership training skills, mentorship programs, youth sports programs, and home fellowship cells.

Often, members who can’t be present physically will follow the church online to join the fellowship. They are still members who can make meaningful contributions to the church’s growth, and it’s important to accommodate their needs.

Consider providing options that let people join virtual Sunday services, such as live streaming services, online Bible studies, and digital communication platforms like social media and email newsletters.

Your church can incorporate different kinds of tools into services to make them more dynamic and engaging. You probably already do some of this, with lights and an acoustic sound setup.

These engaging experiences can retain members who seek a more modern church atmosphere. Here are some more ideas you could explore: 

Diverse music: Incorporate different styles (and maybe languages) of music to cater to varied tastes within the congregation.

Interactive elements: Include moments for congregation participation, like open prayers, testimonies, and Q&A sessions.

Visual aids: Use church TV screens and bulletin boards to display videos, slides, and other cues to enhance the worship experience.

Adapt to your congregation’s changing needs

While faith remains steadfast, your congregation’s needs may change in regard to the worship experience. Church services have certainly changed from what they used to look like several decades ago, both in terms of the overall ambiance, and how congregations followed the sermons.

Things will likely continue to change, so it’s helpful to regularly assess what your members need and be willing to adapt programs and services accordingly.

One easy win could be to take some surveys and get feedback. Ask members what they hope to see in services, and why. Then, discuss with church leadership if it aligns with the church's goals and mission.

How to use digital signage to attract and retain members

Digital signage can help in many ways in the church, both with overall communication and with simpler tasks like announcements. But if you want to get the most out of digital signage in your church, it’s important to take advantage of everything it can do. 

We’ve already given hints throughout this article, but here’s a more thorough breakdown of everything you can achieve if you integrate digital signage in your church.

Pro Tip: Find great church signage tips and ideas here.

The digital screen is versatile – it allows organizations to change their messaging at a moment’s notice. Rather than spending hundreds of pounds printing and distributing flyers, you can simply change the slide or image on screen to send out a new message. 

First and foremost, this makes your church seem more reliable! No one turns up at the wrong sermon time, visitors are warned in advance of time or location changes and meanwhile, you can advertise all of the fun stuff too.

Plus, with a good digital signage software system such as ScreenCloud, you can personalize your message depending on the day and time by creating different playlists and schedules for different days. The result is that visitors get the information they need more quickly.

For churches that struggle to attract the college crowd (according to studies, 70% of young adults stop attending church between the ages of 18-22), digital screens could be your secret sauce. Young people today are ‘born digital,’ meaning they adopt the use of digital screens, mobiles, tablets, and TVs from a young age (as young as age seven, according to one source).

When anyone, young or old, visits your church, it’s essential that they have a great first experience. Your digital screens can be your welcome message. You can create messages that highlight your church’s youth programs, drawing in that age group.

Similarly, if you’re struggling to attract a different cohort, you can tailor your digital signage to speak to them instead. Perhaps a notice on a mother and baby group for young moms or an index of local business meetings to entice professionals.

Social media is home to many of your potential members. Your church probably already has social media accounts that allow you to reach a wider audience. Digital screens can work in sync with your social media efforts to extend your conversation’s reach. 

All you have to do is create live dashboards of your social messaging on Facebook and Instagram. What that does is turn your digital screens into rich social media hubs for all to see.

This allows your physical members to immediately see where they can find you online. It also increases the chances that people will interact with the church community even when they are outside the church doors.

Communication plays a big part in church growth because it allows them to show who they are and what type of work they do. Your church could take this approach one step further and share the amazing stories of some of your existing members.

Perhaps your congregation was the source of a member's faith. Or maybe a sister notes your church as a place where they’ve healed and restored family relationships.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful means of communication, and digital screens can increase the message’s reach. You could use our Meet the Team app to create simple and impactful member stories and share them with the community through your digital screens. 

What are the best ways to reach out to the community and grow your church attendance? Find out how to attract more church members in our guide.

How To Attract Church Members and Retain Them

Digital transformation is not just a buzzword but a necessity. Churches increasingly need to pivot and adapt to the changing digital landscape.

Today, modern churches require an array of software tools to enhance their operations, promote their services and sermons, and also, to improve their cash flow.

From church management software to communication tools, there are many options for church administrators. So we've picked the best tools to help you manage the day to day operations of your church and ensure your members get the best experience.

Church attendance has been in decline for decades, with the rate of decline at around 10-15% per year according to studies.

And in the post-pandemic era, churches and other centers of worship have been slow to recover, with most below their pre-COVID attendance levels.

While there are many reasons that people might leave church, there is certainly a case for using software to improve church attendance and attract new members. Or even retain those who might be thinking of leaving.

Churches and centers of worship are usually seen as a source of community, as well as a place to enjoy worship services. But unlike twenty to thirty years ago, younger people have many more ways to connect with their peers or to find an escape from their daily lives. Worship often drops down the pecking order of things to do - and can even seem like something unnecessary.

By understanding how to appeal to the modern churchgoer, ministry leaders can start to see how they can best connect better.

In addition to this, churches and worship centers also often provide facilities and services, beyond prayer and sermons.

So many churches provide one or more of the following:

And of course, many more... As such, with churches needing to coordinate events, manage financial reporting and even market upcoming events, it makes sense to use specific software for church use.

Read more: How to attract and retain church members

What are the best church management software solutions?

One of the cornerstones of any church's digital toolkit is a Church Management Software (ChMS).

Planning Center is a robust church management solution that offers a suite of applications designed to support every facet of church management—from membership and event scheduling to check-ins for safe child drop-offs.

Its scalable feature set caters to churches of all sizes, ensuring that congregation management is seamless, secure, and centralized.

For churches looking to streamline their accounting processes, Aplos offers a comprehensive solution.

Tailored explicitly for the unique financial needs of churches, this cloud-based software simplifies fund accounting, donation tracking, and financial reporting. Aplos helps ensure financial accountability and transparency, essential for building trust within your church community and with external stakeholders.

Visual communication is more important than ever, and digital signage stands out as an increasingly crucial tool for churches. ScreenCloud allows you to manage digital signs effortlessly across your church, from welcoming messages and announcements to sermon schedules.

The user-friendly interface ensures you can update content in real-time, and the selection of templates and presentation ready Bible quotes make it easy for anyone to create engaging digital signage content.

Read more: Church digital signage use cases

Churches thrive on donations, whether that's for upkeep or to donate to local charities. Tithe.ly sets the standard for donations management, offering a suite of tools designed to make giving simple for your members. With features such as text-to-give, custom church apps, and online giving, Tithe.ly not only enhances the giving experience but also assists churches in increasing their donations through seamless technology.

Its integration capabilities with popular ChMS platforms further streamline the giving process, making it a must-have for churches looking to grow their resources.

Social media has emerged as a vital channel for churches to connect with their communities and promote their services. Buffer is a popular and intuitive social media management tool, enabling churches to schedule posts, analyze performance, and engage with their audience across multiple social media platforms.

Offering the ability to streamline social media tasks, automate scheduling and track engagement, Buffer is a valuable asset for churches aiming to connect with their congregation online.

Communication with your congregation doesn't end at social media. Email marketing remains a powerful tool for churches to disseminate information, share inspiring stories, and promote events.

SendPulse provides an easy-to-use email marketing platform offering custom email templates, audience segmentation, and detailed analytics to measure engagement. As well as email, SendPulse actually offers a broad suite of online tools such as chatbots, SMS text messages and even online course building.

So, whether sending out weekly newsletters or special announcements, SendPulse ensures your messages reach your congregation effectively.

An online presence is an important element for any organization, including churches. WordPress, with its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, enables churches to create and manage professional-looking websites without needing expertise in coding.

Wordpress is the choice of the majority of websites on the internet, with around 63% of all websites built on the platform. It's an all in one solution for website building, offering many advanced features such as integrations with other software solutions such as payment processing apps.

(If you're looking for other options, Cybernews has a great guide on cheap website builders.)

And so, whether it's a simple landing page, access to sermon archives, event calendars or donation portals, WordPress provides all the functionalities required to make a church website both informative and engaging.

With the rise of online worship, live streaming has become an essential tool for churches. OBS Studio offers a free, open-source solution for live streaming and video recording.

Compatible with popular platforms like YouTube Live and Facebook Live, it allows churches to broadcast their services and events to a wider audience. It's also possible to stream OBS Studio to digital signage displays such as ScreenCloud, improving the reach within your church venue.

9. Sermon Preparation: Logos Bible Software

Preparing sermons that are insightful, engaging, and enlightening requires thorough study and research. Logos Bible Software equips pastors with a comprehensive suite of study tools, including commentaries, dictionaries, and theological resources, all integrated into a single platform.

The powerful search features ensure pastors can find the necessary scriptures and scholarly work to craft sermons that resonate with their congregation.

Volunteer management is crucial for the smooth operation of church events and services. SignUpGenius simplifies the scheduling process, allowing volunteers to sign up for tasks, view their schedules, and receive reminders.

Offering customizable sign-up forms and robust reporting capabilities, SignUpGenius is an indispensable tool for coordinating volunteers, saving time, and reducing administrative burdens.

For churches that seek a specialized approach toward content management, Elexio offers a tailored solution.

Elexio is a church management system which integrates seamlessly with other church management software to provide a comprehensive platform for managing website content, sermon archives, and event information. It empowers churches to maintain an up-to-date and dynamic online presence, fostering greater engagement within and beyond their community.

Cybersecurity is a concern for business and organizations of all sizes, including churches. Any organization that offers online services such as payment processing, event or membership management or other forms of data online need to take security seriously.

Norton provides a suite of security solutions, including antivirus protection, secure VPN for online privacy, and cloud backup for critical data.

Investing in robust security measures like Norton ensures the integrity and confidentiality of church data against cyber threats.

Improving church management and engagement

Keep your church members informed and manage administrative tasks with our pick of the best church software.

When it comes to visual engagement, digital signage software such as ScreenCloud makes it easy to create everything from bulletin boards, announcements, schedules and more. Get started with a free trial, or request a demo to see how ScreenCloud can attract more members and improve your engagement.

Church management software has become an important part of the modern religious organization. Discover the best church software solutions for your community.

The church stands at the center of a community, and is also often much more than a place of worship. Many churches also offer pre-school daycare or kindergartens, soup kitchens for the homeless, local events such as concerts or open days and much more.

As part of this, providing a clear welcome is an important element of the church using signage. There are many ways to use church welcome signs, from banners to digital screens.

In this article, we'll be looking mostly at how you can use digital displays to create engaging church welcome signs.

What types of signage are used in churches?

When we talk about signage in churches, a wide range of tools comes to mind. Some of the most common and popular signs for churches include:

Outdoor digital displays: Digital signage has become increasingly popular, offering flexibility in messaging and visibility day and night.

Wayfinding signage: Used for navigation and signposting, these signs guide visitors through various church facilities and highlight certain locations. This can be signs for the restroom, or signage highlighting that a room is being used for an event.

Indoor digital signage: Often placed in lobbies or gathering areas, displaying everything from event schedules, or welcome messages to live service feeds.

Welcome centers: Including digital kiosks or banner stands with staff or volunteers ready to assist. Often found in larger religious centers as a place for wayfinding and much more.

Bulletin boards: The church notice or bulletin board is a place for everything from promoting upcoming events to scripture quotes. This can be either a digital screen or a traditional pinboard with printed materials.

Banners and flags: Outdoor and indoor flags and banners are a popular method of adding some color to the church. These can announce special events or seasons in the church calendar.

Room identifiers: This signage is used to denote specific rooms like the nursery, offices, or meeting rooms.

Informational signage: There are many fun ways to use informational signage, such as displaying historical facts about the church, its mission, or theological tenets.

While every church layout is different, sign placement needs to be accessible and visible to all visitors. These are some of the most effective locations for digital church signage.

A welcome display or bulletin board should be placed at eye level on entry to the main foyer area. This allows visitors to see the welcome sign and orient themselves within the building. Using digital welcome signage means that the display can cycle through a welcoming message, and then offer directions or details of upcoming events.

This might also be the best location for a church bulletin board, depending on the size and layout of your church.

Within the main church area the focus will be on the sermon. Digital displays can be used to display religious imagery, lyrics to hymns or quotes from the Bible.

Many modern churches will have a cafe for visitors to grab a drink and to mingle with other members of the congregation. They might also have an area for either socializing or for events, which could be a large meeting room or even a garden area.

These are also excellent places for sign placement. The church cafe can display menu items on a digital menu board, or place digital signage around the social areas with relevant information and inspiring scripture quotes.

What kind of information should be displayed on church signs?

As there is usually more than one type of sign that visitors encounter, there are different opportunities to display content.

Many churches will display an external message, for example using a banner, billboard or large sign in their window or on their lawn. This will tend to be an inspirational or motivational call to worship, catching the eye of passing foot or vehicle traffic.

External signs might also include up and coming services, or advertise community services such as child care or adult education classes.

Once visitors step inside the church, this is where other forms of communication become more important.

Service Times and Welcome Messages: Essential information for new visitors.

Event Announcements: Upcoming events, workshops, or group meetings.

Inspirational Messages: Quotes, Bible verses, or contemplative questions.

Seasonal Content: Messages pertinent to the liturgical calendar or holidays.

Safety Information: Evacuation routes, child pick-up policies, etc.

Wayfinding: Directions for navigating the church facilities.

The digital signs app from ScreenCloud features a selection of Bible quotes ready to use for church signage.

When crafting messages for church welcome signs, variety and relevance are key. There are many things you could share, and there is certainly scope to get creative.

These are some simple content ideas to inspire a warm and enlightening welcome:

Warm Greetings: Personalize your welcome message with phrases like “Welcome Home” or “We’re blessed to have you with us today!”

Scripture of the Week: Share an impactful Bible verse that resonates with the current sermon series or seasonal theme.

Thought-Provoking Questions: Pose questions that encourage reflection, such as "What are you grateful for today?"

Church Vision and Mission Statements: Remind your community of the shared vision and purpose that binds you.

Service Themes: Highlight the focus of upcoming services to pique interest.

Announcements of Community Activities: Shine a spotlight on after-service gatherings, volunteer opportunities, and small groups.

Seasonal Imagery and Quotes: Embrace the liturgical calendar with relevant verses and images for Advent, Easter, etc.

Notices of Charity Drives and Outreach: Inform congregants of ways they can participate in the church’s charitable work.

Celebrations of Church Milestones: Mark special anniversaries or achievements within the church family.

Weather Updates and Safety Tips: Provide information that helps in planning and preparedness for the service day.

Testimonials and Stories: Feature brief testimonies from members to foster connection and shared experiences.

Interactive Elements: QR codes linking to detailed event information or a church app, and social media integrations to encourage engagement.

Using ScreenCloud for church welcome signage

Setting up a digital signage network within a church can be done with consumer grade hardware such as standard TVs and a wireless internet connection. Once you have installed your TV screens, you simply connect them using devices such as an Amazon Fire stick or Google Chromecast and manage the information with digital signage software.

ScreenCloud digital signage software is designed to be user friendly, allowing church administrators to easily manage and update content. No need for a specialist IT team to update your message.

Find out how ScreenCloud can help you get the message across to your congregation easily and clearly.

Sign up for a free trial, or schedule a demo today.

Spread the good word with digital signage for churches. From inspiring quotes to bulletin boards, there are many ways to create welcome signs for churches.

Tips and Ideas for Church Welcome Signage

Welcome to Church Signage: Tips and Ideas

We come to church, in part, to disconnect from our daily lives and connect with those around us in our community. Phones silenced, ears open.

Screens, though, are an inescapable part of modern life—at places of worship as much as in the rest of our lives. They’re the first thing your congregation sees as they walk in the auditorium and one of the last things they’ll notice before leaving their seats. Welcome messages before the service, song lyrics and scripture readings during the service, and reminders about upcoming events at the close. They can help focus everyone’s attention and tie the service together.

Your church needs signage that simplifies your AV team’s jobs and makes your content legible from every seat—without screens going to sleep or showing HDMI signal issues during your service.

Churches began using the earliest signage decades ago, starting with overhead projectors and transparencies for song lyrics, and slideshows to share mission and outreach details or add story details to a sermon. Digital projectors were a drop-in replacement but came with their downsides. Projectors require a dark room, and their low contrast rates and washed out projections can make them a less-than-perfect solution for churches. Plus, you don’t want your projector bulb to go out during a service.

Video walls are the next best option. From a simple TV on either side of the pulpit to stage-width LED video walls, with today’s tech you can incorporate visual effects and the written word into services to enhance the message and engage your audience.

Your church likely wants to add a video wall for lyrics and presentations, but the greatest value digital signage brings to a church versus standard projectors may come before and after the service. You can welcome visitors with event-specific greetings, with scheduled content in your signage software. 

You could show today’s date, weather, and upcoming events—or even turn your video wall into an advent calendar—with details that will make your congregation want to check the screens. And you can show donation info, social media info, or volunteer opportunities after the service, for a final call to serve. Those and more popular ways to use digital signage in church can help your worship team make the most of your investment.

And the benefits can go beyond the auditorium, with smaller signage throughout your house of worship. “Digital signage has just taken our campus to the next level in terms of aesthetics, communication, and professionalism,” North Valley Baptist Schools media advisor Leslee Hussin shared. No more last-minute connecting laptops via HDMI cables—a video wall is what can make your church more professional, and your pre-service time less stressful.

The best digital signage options for churches

The best signage for your church can be as unique as your ministry. Church signage comes in all shapes and sizes. Legacy Church linked 60+ screens together into unique signage, while Faith Community Bible Church turned three vertical TVs into signage that shares sermon takeaways in the lobby. 

When you’re taking the time to build out custom signage for your church, you can plan around limitations and create something that fits your congregation and auditorium’s needs.

First, think about ideal screen size. How large of a screen does your church auditorium need? Live Design recommends using the rule of six to determine screen size: Measure the distance between your screen and the rearmost seat in your auditorium, and divide by six. A 3 foot or 1 meter tall screen should be easily visible by people 18 feet or 6 meters away. Level 3 recommends the 150:1 rule: If text on your screen is 1 inch tall, it should be visible by people 150 inches away. That could mean a smaller screen would work in a larger meeting room, as long as you use a large font size and, perhaps, only show one line of lyrics at a time.

Then, you need to choose between TVs or LED displays. Your ideal screen size helps determine which type of screen is best for your church. Typically, TV displays are best for up to around 100” screens, while LED video walls are better for larger screens.

TVs are the easiest option, but only work for smaller auditoriums. Among the professional TV displays we recommend, Sony BZ-series TVs max out at 85” (or around 43” tall), while Samsung’s QHB-series TVs go up to 75” (or around 37” tall). Using the rule of six, that would be easily visible around 18 feet away. You could add more TVs, and put four together for an overall height of 86”, though there would be a visible bezel line between the screens, and you would need a video controller without the plug-and-play simplicity of a single TV.

For larger screens, an LED video wall is typically a better option. You can fit together seamless LED panels to build as large of a church LED wall as you need. LED panels don’t have bezels, so there will be no gap between each video panel section. You can also build a more creative video wall with LED panels, for a curved backdrop or a sectional display. They’re more complicated to set up, and will require professional installation and controller equipment, but will give the best viewing experience for the largest auditoriums.

A few more factors to keep in mind when choosing between TV displays and LED video walls:

Brightness: TVs typically max out at around 1000 nits of brightness in HDR mode, and often run at only 300-500 nits. That’s plenty for a dim room, but TVs can be hard to read—and reflective—with bright natural lighting or spotlights. LED video walls are not reflective, and can run up to 3,500 or or more nits, enough for outdoor environments.

Viewing Distance: While large screens are great for those in the back, keep your front row audience in mind as well. LED video walls use individual LED bulbs with 2-4mm gaps (or pixel pitch) between them. Have at least 12 feet between your screens and the frontmost viewers—more for LED panes with wider pixel pitch. Or, consider using TVs instead if there’s not enough space between the platform and audience.

Controllers and Content: TVs seem the easiest to use. Just plug in an HDMI cable or use built-in Android TV apps and Chromecast to stream content. If you have more than one screen, though, you’ll need a dedicated computer to power your video wall. LED video walls are the same. They require receiving cards to control the screens, as they don’t have built-in HDMI ports.

Budget: A consumer-grade 85” TV might cost only $1,200, while a professional-grade 75” Samsung QBB TV might cost $2,300 or so. LED video panels start at $600 or so per 1.5’ square pane, plus controllers and additional hardware. LED Nation offers a six-pane, 137” LED video wall for $8,395, while Elation Lighting mentions a minimum recommended budget of $50,000, depending on size and image quality.

Installation: A building maintenance team or local TV installers could hang a couple of 85” TVs, if needed. LED video walls will require professional installation, though. With each pane weighing as much as 62 pounds (30kg), you’ll want a professional rigger who has installed signage before.

LED video walls are a great option for your church—they just need a bit more care and consideration than a TV would require. 

TVs can also be a great option to add additional signage to your classrooms or lobby, for directional signage and announcements before and after services.

LED screens are one of the best ways to build video walls for churches. Here's everyhing you need to know to choose between TVs and LED panels, and what to expect while building out a video wall for your place of worship.

Should your church buy larger TVs for your auditorium, or build a full LED video wall? Here's everything you need to know about building video walls for your place of worship

Hardware

Software

Support & Services

Places of Worship

How To Attract Church Members and Retain Them

12 Essential Church Software Tools

Welcome to Church Signage: Tips and Ideas

The ScreenCloud Guide to Church LED Video Walls

How Pflugerville Community Church Increased Major Event Attendance by 75% Using ScreenCloud Digital Signage

8 Crucial Tips for Using Digital Signage at your Church

Church Digital Signage Examples and Use Cases

How Faith Community Bible Church Uses Digital Signage

Creating a Strong Church Communication Plan