Media Workshop

A few thoughts - First of all I would encourage you to look at software other than PowerPoint, if that's indeed what you are using. PPT was created for businesses, not the church. There are a number of excellent worship based programs available. We use Media Shout at our church. I'm often asked to incorporate PPT into it, and for the most part find it an inferior product.
Second - any chance you can get to the Calvin Symposium on Worship in January? There will be 3 workshops offered there that all relate to the use of media in worship. I'm leading one of those, and will be touching on some details like you mentioned. If you can't get there, it may be that once it's over, I'll have something in written format to pass on. Perhaps the other presenters might as well. I have some serious misgivings and butterflies about the thought of presenting, but I agreed to do it, because like you, I'm convinced there hasn't been enough training about how to use such tools effectively for worship.

Now that you mention it, my wife and I were just looking over the sessions for Symposium this year.  I noticed at least three that looked like they might help with what we've been looking into.

Don't worry about the presentation part.  Remember, you'll be among friends, the room will be full of folks who are interested in the same subject you are, and we will be there to listen, share and learn.  You're going to enjoy this!  Trust me!

Thanks so much for your encouraging words! Everytime I get nervous as I prepare, I'll go back and read this for a morale boost.

I look forward to meeting you in January and to sharing with you and others.

We use Easy Worship which is more affordable than Song Show Plus.  EW allows you to also import video, DVD, and Power Point if you put sermon notes on like I do.  It is versatile and is specifically designed to use for worship.  Media Shout works well too.

You are looking for something data base driven so once you import a song either from CCLI Song Select or type one in yourself, it is forever there and you just have to drag and drop it into your order of service.

I wanted to say Thank-you to Wendy and Steven Koster for their presentations at Symposium.  They had some great material!  I presented a report to our Worship committee, and we are looking to hold our own Media workshop soon.  Thanks!

Thanks Duane. I'm glad it was useful to you. I had to smile at the way you wrote your note, so just to make sure there are no misunderstandings, it's "Wendy de Jong and Steve Koster." :-) Steve did a summer internship at Jubilee, so he was once my "boss," but is not my husband.

I love the idea of a Media Workshop - the Symposium has a lot of great stuff, but seems to be short on the tech end of things.  Its great to see some in the CRC are starting to come together on this. 

Its hard to tell the interest on a forum like this, but if anyone is interested in either starting some type of gathering or even a free workshop event, post to this forum and lets see where it goes.  I am sure we at Evergreen Ministries in Hudsonville, MI would love to host it.