Best Stage Lighting for Churches

Like it or not, your lighting setup makes a statement about your worship service long before your team takes the platform. Traditional or contemporary, lighthearted or liturgical, your house and stage lights are the lens through which new faces and regular attenders will view your service. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of the impact of good lighting.

What Is the Role of Stage Lighting in a Church?

New to stage lighting? It’s not as overwhelming as it seems. Lighting serves two major functions: visibility and atmosphere. Some lighting fixtures, like spots and PARs aimed at the stage, help the congregation stay tuned in to what’s happening onstage. And atmospheric wash lights and uplights utilized in the background can complement the stage or architecture of your space, and they go a long way in enhancing beauty, promoting reverence, and providing comfort. So whether it’s sight lines or ambience you’re after, choosing the right lighting setup can help you create an effective and engaging environment for worship.

Are Stage Lights Right for My Church?

If the idea of stage lights calls to mind laser light shows and out of control concert productions, you’re not alone. Many smaller and traditional churches are understandably hesitant about investing in a modern lighting setup. If this describes you, we invite you to consider the following:

Good lighting is timeless. Music styles and furnishings (wood pallets, anyone?) will come and go. But with a versatile LED lighting system, you are safeguarding your church against transient lighting trends.Good lighting is affordable. Compared to traditional fixtures, a modern system of cool-running LED lights can save money year over year (with as much as 85% savings on reduced electricity costs). And that is just good stewardship.Good lighting is available for all sizes and budgets. Stage lights aren’t just for megachurches. As you’ll see in our recommendations, a modest lighting setup can be built for well under $1,000.Good lighting is easier to incorporate than ever. Modern fixtures, sound-activated programs, and app-based controls are empowering volunteers to get involved in lighting design even without prior experience. This means that creating a sharp-looking environment doesn’t require hiring dedicated personnel.

Here are Sweetwater’s recommendations for the best lighting fixtures, controllers, and accessories for churches.

Chauvet DJ SlimPAR Pro W USB Variable White PAR

This compact PAR slips into the tightest spaces to deliver high-quality lighting directly onto your stage. SlimPAR Pro W USB’s 3-in-1 LEDs provide a versatile range of lighting color temperatures (warm white, cool white, and amber) without gels. DMX and D-Fi compatibility provide wired and wireless control. The 6-color SlimPAR Pro H USB is also available. These fixtures provide a lot of flexibility, and can be added to nearly any space around the church that would benefit from stage lighting including Childrens’, Student, and Youth areas.

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Chauvet DJ COLORband Pix USB 40″ RGB LED Bar

With pixel mapping, remote control, and D-Fi USB compatibility, the COLORband Pix USB could be the blinder/wash light your rig is missing. This strip light uses 12 tri-color LEDs to create a vivid range of colors, without multicolor shadows. You’ve got chases, color mixing, and more onboard, plus preset programs for easy setup. And with flicker-free operation, the COLORband Pix USB looks great even on camera. It’s a great way to highlight special architectural features of your room or to easily “paint” large walls with light.

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Chauvet DJ Freedom Par Tri-6 RGB Wireless Par

For portable churches without permanent spaces, a handful of these wireless wash PARs can go a long way. You can uplight drapes, fixtures, and walls remotely by using the onboard D-Fi transceiver and Chauvet FlareCON app or by enabling the built-in sound-activation mode. It’s also a quick and easy way to add special ambience to rooms for special occasions such as weddings or banquets.

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Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 260 75W LED Moving-head Spot

This motorized LED fixture has what it takes to get people engaged and on their feet. Between its powerful 75-watt LED lamp, eight gels, seven gobos, 3-facet prism, and strobe options, you can create tons of cool effects with the Intimidator Spot 260. There are nearly endless creative ways to use this fixture to highlight specific features of a room. Try using the built-in gobos to create special looks on the stage or dramatic effects on organ pipes. The 100-watt Intimidator Spot 360 is also available.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R1 Wash RGBW LED Moving Head

The Rogue R1 Wash proves you don’t have to spend thousands for a high-quality, sophisticated, reliable moving-head wash fixture. Unique are the convex bubble lenses covering each of the 7 quad-color LEDs, which help the Rogue R1 Wash achieve superb color blending and dramatic (11–48 degree) zoom effects. It’s particularly useful for eliminating harsh shadows on stage.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R1X Spot 170W LED Moving Head

The Rogue R1X Spot casts up to eight brilliant colors onto your stage or platform, courtesy of its powerful 170-watt white LED and continuously variable split-color wheel. Motorized iris and focus give full control over the shape of your beam; DMX and RDM protocols give you remote control from your booth or desk.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R2X Wash RGBW LED Moving Head

Durable, dependable, and extremely versatile, this workhorse fixture delivers impressive quad-color lighting with five zones of pixel-map control and a broad 12- to 49-degree motorized zoom. The Rogue R2X Wash’s controls include selectable pan/tilt ranges and dimming modes, while automated programs make setup extremely simple.

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Chauvet DJ EVE E-100Z 100W Warm White Ellipsoidal Spot

If your stage calls for the hard-edged, focused beam of a traditional theater spot, but without the heat and power consumption, consider the Ellipsoidal 100Z. This super-bright mounted LED spot gives you manual zoom and framing shutters and a warm white light that takes well to standard gels and gobos (not included).

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Chauvet Pro Amhaze Stadium Tour-ready Haze Machine (14,000 cfm)

Creating ambience is quick and easy with the Amhaze Stadium. This 14,000 cfm haze machine requires just 30 seconds of warm-up time. Its DMX-controlled output and blower speed give users exacting control from afar. The rugged road case and M12 rigging make the Amhaze Stadium perfect for portable and permanent churches alike. Using haze is a lighting technique that’s been around for over 100 years. It provides a harmless, sparkling contrast in the air that’s designed to enhance the beauty of the light traveling through it.

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Chauvet DJ Hurricane Haze 4D DMX Haze Machine (4,300 cfm)

Smaller spaces that call for a versatile high-powered hazer will find their match in the Hurricane Haze 4D. Controls for output, fan speed, and scoop, accessible via onboard controls, DMX, and an included wired remote, equip this haze machine for sophisticated stage programs. Its compact size is perfect for mounting, too.

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ADJ Mega Flat Pak 8 Plus RGB+UV PAR Package (8-pack)

As an affordable turnkey lighting solution, the Mega Flat Pak 8 Plus is tough to beat. These eight multicolor LED fixtures bathe your stage, platform, or walls in brilliant, programmable light. You get seven DMX cables (for daisy-chaining) and a padded soft case with enough room for lights and accessories.

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Chroma-Q Vista EX 1,024-channel DMX Lighting Controller

Whether you’re lighting a small show or a major Vegas-style extravaganza, you want immediate and comprehensive hands-on control. The Chroma-Q Vista EX delivers exactly that. Harnessing the power of the latest Vista 3 lighting and media control software, the Vista EX features 12 customizable playback faders, 60 assignable buttons, and eight encoders; giving you masterful physical control for even the most demanding applications, while providing the flexibility to adapt to any type of production or event. It offers up to 1,024 onboard DMX channels, and up to 8,192 with the addition of an optional Ethernet-to DMX node. With its delightfully compact footprint, the Vista EX qualifies as carry-on luggage, so you’ll always be able to zip through airport lines and make your connecting flight. And at just 21″ wide, it has no trouble squeezing it into virtually any booth or onto any work surface.

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Chamsys QuickQ 10 1-Universe Compact Lighting Console 

With 512 DMX channels available, this compact QuickQ 10 console can easily tackle any small lighting rig as well as larger rigs with a slew of moving heads, PARs, and maybe even a hazer or two. This console offers incredible operational flexibility, RDM compliance, and even remote-control smartphone/tablet capability for the console itself. A large touchscreen provides a graphical interface and allows users to easily view their fixtures, groups, scenes, colors, effects, and more. Many enjoy the QuickQ 10’s easy-to-master software and operation that make it a stellar choice for venues with lighting volunteers that require a console with a minor learning curve.

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We hope this feature has shed some light on the topic of church lighting setups. Sweetwater Sales Engineers are always eager to help our customers get the best gear for their needs and budget. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (800) 222-4700 to discuss your specific lighting needs.
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