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When my husband started pastoring our previous church, there was no projection system. Everything was done with paper or by memory. This led to a lot of paper waste and confusion for unchurched people coming to their first church service who had no idea how to use a hymnal or didn’t know the “proper responses.”
When my husband started pastoring our current church, there was a projector, but it was about 20 years old and was on its last legs. We had a nice, large screen, but the image quality was subpar, the setup was shaky, and sometimes the projector decided it wanted the Sunday off entirely and wouldn’t turn on no matter what we tried…
In both situations, we were tasked with finding the best projector for the space. Selecting the right projector felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are an overwhelming number of options available, each boasting different features and price points.
If you identify with either situation – either you’re ready to install a brand new projection system or you want to replace an existing one, we’re here to help navigate through the maze of potential best projector options, and find the perfect fit for your church’s needs.
Why Investing In Projection Is A Great Option
Having a projection system for your church service has a wide range of benefits.
If your church tradition includes calls to worship, calls and responses, or other forms of “audience participation,” having the words on the screen that the congregation is supposed to say not only helps people keep track of where they are, but also allows visitors to feel confident in what they are supposed to do or say.
Almost all worship services involve singing. While many churches still have hymnals available, not everyone knows how to read music or understands how to use the hymnal. The more contemporary worship songs don’t typically follow the “verse-chorus-verse-chorus…” format (if you’d like an entertaining monologue, just ask our worship leader started on bridges, tags, instrumentals, interludes, intros, outros, and refrains!). When you have the song lyrics projected on the screen, it makes it easier to keep everyone on the same page about what you’re singing (and, if the Spirit moves you to repeat a part of the song, it’s more doable to make that switch appear on the fly on the screen).
Having a screen allows your pastor to include visuals, sermon notes, highlight Bible verses, and add other visuals to more clearly communicate their message. Many people are visual learners, so being able to follow along with their sight in addition to sound really helps further retain the message.
Remember, you don’t have to go from having nothing to having everything in one Sunday. It’s okay to start with using the screen only for worship lyrics then slowly add other components as you get familiar with the technology. Whether you want to start by dipping your toe in the water or dive into the deep end, it’s worth the cost, time, and effort to add some kind of projection to your worship service.
The Different Types Of Projectors
Long throw. Short throw. Rear projection. LCD. LED. Ceiling-mounted. Stand-mounted. Television.
A quick internet search will reveal that there are so many different types of projection options, and every one boasts that they’re the best choice for you. Here’s a brief idea description of some of the varieties out there.
Long Throw Projector
A long throw projector is great if you have to put the projector far away from the screen. These are the types of projectors you often see in large churches. They’re one of the most common types of projectors and tend to be less expensive.
Short Throw Projector
Conversely, a short throw projector works better when you have to keep the projector really close to the screen. Many times, these mount to an arm at the very top of the projector screen and stick out less than 2 feet from the wall.
Rear Projector
You use a rear projector when you want to put the projector behind the screen. Usually, in order to use this type of projector, you need a semi-translucent screen that can be situated somewhere that there’s space for the projector to sit behind it.
LCD Or LED
Long throw, short throw, and rear projectors can all be LCD or LED. Projectors that are LCD (which stands for Liquid Crystal Display) tend to offer vibrant colors and sharp images, making them ideal for displaying song lyrics and visual presentations during worship services. Light-Emitting Diode (LED) projectors tend to be more energy-efficient with long-lasting bulbs, making them a cost-effective option for small churches with limited budgets.
Just about any long-throw or rear projector can be mounted from the ceiling, a stand, or set on a table. Typically, a ceiling-mounted projector tends to be more permanent and runs less risk of having someone trip over the cabling. However, if your worship center has a high ceiling, it may be difficult to install or require too long a pole that it makes your image shaky. A stand or table-mounted projector is a little less permanent if you need some flexibility with your space or have high ceilings, but you have to account for people potentially walking between the projector and the screen, which will block the projected image.
Sometimes the best church projectors aren’t projectors at all. Televisions are getting bigger and bigger and cost less and less to purchase. 20 years ago, getting a TV big enough to fill a space was either impossible or so outrageously expensive that it may as well have been impossible. But now, you can get a TV that is similarly sized to a projection screen for about $1,000. They often offer crisp images that are easy to see regardless of how bright or dark your worship space is. With the technology available to us now, for most smaller churches, a TV is going to be the best and most cost-effective option.
How To Know What Projection Is Best For Your Church Service
Each church is unique and has different needs, expectations, and worship spaces which is why I’ve explained the basics of different projection options. When deciding on what type of projection you want to pursue, it’s important to consider factors such as screen size, aspect ratio, image quality, and budget.
Determine The Size Of Your Congregation And The Layout Of Your Space
Determine the size of your congregation and the layout of your worship space to gauge the appropriate screen size and aspect ratio for optimal viewing. Determine how much space you have for a screen (whether that’s a projector screen or a TV screen). A longer or larger worship space is going to need a bigger screen than small spaces.
That being said, even a larger space can get away with a smaller screen if the main use is to display text. Just put fewer words on each slide and make the font bigger. The two most common aspect ratios are “full screen,” which is 4:3, and “widescreen,” which is 16:9. If you have an older screen that you plan to keep, chances are it uses a 4:3 ratio. If you’re going to purchase a new screen or use a television, these are usually in the 16:9 ratio. Most projectors can project to either ratio.
Consider The Lighting Conditions
Consider the lighting conditions in your church, as well as what you mainly intend to use the projector for. If your worship space is brightly lit, you’ll likely want to use a television or a more powerful projector. A shorter throw would also be more ideal. If you plan to show a lot of videos, you’ll likely need something that can display more vibrant colors than if you mostly intend to display song lyrics and sermon slides.
Establish A Realistic Budget
Finally, establish a realistic price range based on your church’s financial resources and long-term goals. You can spend as little as a few hundred to several thousand on a projector or TV, so you need to consider what will be the best stewardship of the funds people have entrusted to your church.
While I cannot make a broad, sweeping declaration and say that “all churches should get ____,”, I want to emphasize that a television is generally going to be the best option for large, crisp, versatile displays that work well in a wide range of lightings while being extremely budget-friendly. Installing and wiring the TV generally is no different than a projector, maintenance is easier, and TVs have no fan noise.
Best Projector Options For Small Churches
Because every church, worship space, and budget are different, it’s hard to say “Go buy this projector/TV.” Within a few weeks or months of publishing this blog post, there will be new projectors and TVs on the market and this list will be irrelevant. That being said, here are some “best pick” generalizations to point you in the right direction.
1. The Biggest TV You Can Get At Your Local Walmart
Shipping a TV can be challenging and costly. The screens are fragile, so having a television shipped directly to your church tends to come with a higher cost. However, your nearest Walmart will generally have a wide range of large TVs at a better price because you don’t have to factor in shipping costs. They’re already in the store. You just have to get them to your church. If you’re really looking to save money, wait until around football championship season. Big TVs tend to go on sale around the end of January/beginning of February!
TCL and VIZIO are good brands that cost less than the better-known name brands like Sony or Sharp. You can opt for a smart TV (often at little-to-no extra cost any more), which will allow you more flexibility in ways you can connect the TV to your computer for projection purposes. Right now, you can get a 75” VIZIO from Walmart for as little as $600, making it extremely affordable.
Every TV currently in production has HDMI ports, which are also a very common output for most computers. If your computer doesn’t have an HDMI output, adaptors are readily available for whatever output your computer does have.
Unless your worship space is massive and you’re planning to display things that have a lot of detail, this is probably your best option. Our current church has a well-lit, long sanctuary (at least 75 feet long), and we use two 75” TVs on either side of the stage. We’ve been comfortably able to display music lyrics, videos, sermon illustrations, bible verses, and sermon notes, and they’ve been easy to see from every pew.
An added benefit of a TV, especially if the walls at the front of your sanctuary are not well-situated for having any kind of screen mounted on them, is that they can be hung on rolling stands and moved as needed.
2. Bigger TVs From An Electronics Store Or Online
If you’ve decided you need something larger than 75” (which is currently the biggest size places like Walmart or Target offer in-store), you have other options. If you’re close to an electronics store like Best Buy, you may be able to pick up a television as large as 85” in-store. If you’re not close to an electronics store or getting the television from the store to your church isn’t feasible, you can always purchase and ship the television from an online retailer. As stated before, directly shipping a TV to your church can be costly, but may be the best option if your space requires a larger screen.
Once you get past the 85” screen size, the price of the televisions goes up exponentially. Yes, you can get a 98” television from Best Buy, but it’ll cost you closer to $2,000 and you’ll likely need to call in professionals to mount it, thereby adding even more to the cost.
In terms of ease of use, there isn’t much difference in how easy or difficult a bigger television is versus a smaller one. They’ll have the same ports and functionality. They’ll offer a crisp display that is easy to see in a wide range of lighting that is easy to see from close or far away. They require little-to-no maintenance once hung.
As long as you pick a big enough TV, your church will generally receive it well, especially if you’ve been using a projector that is getting old at this point. The crisp, vivid colors offered by any television on the market are almost guaranteed to elevate the worship experience of those who attend your services.
3. An Epson Projector
Epson is one of the most reliable projector brands. They often offer easy setup and a user-friendly interface. They offer a wide range of options at a wide range of prices, but most are quite affordable. You can pay as little as a few hundred for a more basic long-throw projector up to about $1200 for a projector with a wider range of inputs, a shorter throw, or more lumens (how bright it can get).
Epson Projectors tend to offer crisp image quality, vibrant colors, and versatile connectivity options (HDMI, VGA, USB, wireless, etc). One of the major limits of an Epson (or really any projector) is that it isn’t always bright enough for well-lit environments. The more lumens the projector has, the better it’ll display in well-lit areas, but you also tend to pay more when the lumens are higher.
Across the board, Epson projectors come highly recommended for their reliability and performance during worship services.
The Key To Your Choice
Many people (myself included) are visual learners. We like to be able to follow along with our eyes with what is happening for our ears. For guests, having the cues on the screens of what is going on and what is happening next helps them to feel like they’re a welcome part of the church even if they walked in without any understanding of what would happen in the service that day.
As you consider what is going to be best for your church in terms of what you need for screen size, aspect ratio, image quality, and budget, don’t forget that even a decision about a screen is one that you can take before the Lord in prayer.
I know it probably seems like a bait-and-switch to say, “What kind of projector should I get?” “A television!” But for most small churches, the television is going to be a versatile, high-quality option that won’t break the bank but will allow for visual people to engage more fully with your service. Many blessings to you as you seek to be good stewards of the resources with which God has blessed your church while also seeking to reach and engage those who come to your church!
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