Anthony Coppedge on why you should be using the wide screen format for your church projection:

Back in 2002 I wrote a widely-publicized article about all churches needing to make the move to 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen. Almost 11 years later, it turns out I was almost right.

The idea that 16:9 aspect ratio allows for the width to type in song lyrics “more like they’re sung” without as many odd carriage-returns is still true today. It’s as if 16:9 was made for church song lyrics, nevermind the change from Standard Definition television to Widescreen TV. But what I didn’t see happening as much as it has is the use of even wider screens than the new 16:9 standard. The creative minds in churches have been adding more impressive display technology as it improves and the price drops. Well beyond 16:9, superwide edge-blended screens and even environmental projection (which 10 years ago was reserved for only churches with massive tech budgets) are a rising trend.

For those churches still in the 4:3 screen mode, here’s some help to show your leadership how 16:9 (or wider) is where you need to be. I’ve included some very basic examples below (thanks to ProPresenter, a favorite of mine) to help serve as visual examples of my now decade-old advice to churches.

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Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources:

I remember the first time I went to a mall. Raised in a small town in the southeastern section of Alabama, I was amazed when I went to the “big city” mall in Montgomery. All the stores were under one roof. They were new and shiny. The venture became an adventure for me.

But that was fifty years ago. Things have changed. Things have changed significantly.

As Jeff Jordan notes in The Atlantic Cities, the future of American shopping malls is tenuous.

As Jordan says in his prescient article, the trends are gloomy for malls. Sales are down. Numbers of malls have closed or they are on the precipice of closing. Vacancy rates are up. Jordan notes “there are more than 200 malls with over 250,000 square feet that have vacancy rates of 35 percent or higher, a clear marker for shopping center distress.” He further provides data that indicate over 10 percent of malls will close in the next five years.

Of course, the declaration of the death of American malls is an overstatement or, at the very least, a premature obituary. Many malls will remain open; a number will remain viable and growing. Still, the trends are unmistakable and unavoidable. Only those who deny reality will fail to note the implications of this issue.

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The following material was presented in the doctoral colloquium at Southwestern Baptist Seminary on October 20, 2012. Do you think there’s hope for organs? I doubt it – they’re too expensive, few musicians can play it properly and, most importantly, the average person simply doesn’t like organ music.

What are some of the reasons for the decline in organ usage in many churches today?

I. Shortage of qualified organists

A. Limited access to the instrument; fewer and fewer organs available, since so many have been discarded.

B. Lack of exposure to the instrument; not many children are being exposed to the instrument, plus the fact that it is often difficult to obtain permission to practice on a suitable organ. Smaller and more portable instruments are desired.

C. Lack of teachers that are qualified and/or willing to teach the organ to students who have the prerequisite piano skills.

D. Students who study music are influenced by popular culture, media, etc., in which the organ is totally foreign; it’s not “cool” to learn the organ.

E. The amount of time and dedication it requires to master the organ.

F. The pedals are intimidating!

II. The instruments themselves

A. Initial purchase too expensive for many churches; expense cannot be justified in light of other financial pressures.

B. Even if there is an organ in working order, it might be of poor quality.

C. Neglected maintenance and expensive repairs.

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Dr. Thom S. Rainer on paying pastors:

In many churches, the pastor’s salary is a quiet issue. There is a sense of discomfort from both the pastor and the members when the topic is broached. Such discomfort is unfortunate, however, because a number of churches will not seek every year to make certain the pastor is paid fairly.

A couple of prefatory comments are in order. First, we all know of the extreme examples of pastors living lavishly or mismanaging money. Those stories, though true, represent a small minority. Most pastors are not overpaid. And most pastors manage their limited finances well. Second, I am aware that many people are unemployed and that anyone who has a job should be grateful. That is still not a good reason to pay a pastor unfairly. As a final note, this brief article is relevant to all paid church staff, though my focus is here on the pastor.

In my 25 years of consulting and working with churches, I have discovered five common issues that are not always known by most church members. And lack of awareness of any one of these issues can have a detrimental impact on fair compensation for the pastor.

1. A pay or compensation package is not the same as a salary. I cringe when I hear churches state a package to be the pay for the pastor. The package includes benefits such as health insurance and expense reimbursements such as business use of the automobile. No worker in a secular company adds their benefits and expenses and calls it their pay. Anything other than the cash payment (before taxes) the pastor receives should be reported in a totally separate category.

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