COLUMBUS, Ga. – While many churches struggle to attract new members or keep current ones, Cascade Hills Church in Columbus, Georgia, has found success by keeping things fresh and presenting church as more than just an hour-a-week event to endure. With the knowledge that AV and dynamic lighting systems can positively impact the overall worship experience, Cascade Hills chose a flexible Elation stage lighting system to raise its profile and help grow its ministry.
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Cascade Hills personnel called on local Columbus-based Absolute Audio Systems for a lighting solution that would enhance both the live and broadcast aspects of their worship services. “Cascade Hills is an active church that was in need of a lighting upgrade so they could improve the look of their weekly services and TV broadcasts, as well as special events like musical performances,” explains Todd Buckner, owner of Absolute Audio Systems.
The Absolute Audio team identified what production technology changes to undertake and delivered a dynamic lighting rig that complements the wide variety of events the church presents in its main sanctuary each week. “We did comparisons in the venue with various products and they chose an Elation lighting package because, simply put, they looked the best.” The lighting upgrade in the 2500-seat main sanctuary, which came on the heels of a video, camera and house lighting upgrade late in 2017, consists of 8 Platinum Beam 5R Extreme™ moving head beam lights, 9 Chorus Line 16™ LED battens, and 4 Fuze Wash Z350™ single source PAR moving head luminaires. The Platinum Beams provide powerful solid beam looks or splayed prism effects that look great live or on camera while the Fuze fixtures lay down a coat of uniform color wash across the stage. The linear Chorus Line pixel bars with zoom have use as a stage wash or foot light.
Cascade Hills is a unique place of worship whose focus lies with those unfamiliar with church or those who might not even like church, a “church for the unchurched.” The new lighting system provides a stimulatingly fresh yet relevant visual experience that is key to connecting with a congregation that might not have looked on church as a favorite pastime, helping to engage parishioners by involving them in the experience.
Used for weekend services as well as “Cascade TV,” a broadcast/streaming form of worship that has become increasingly popular, the new lighting also provides a more professional environment for musical performances via the church’s Musical Ministry.
“With so many applications the setups can change often so they like the flexibility of the fixtures as well as the output,” says Buckner of the lighting, adding that the church is looking to add to the system and will be renting Elation Fuze and SixPar 200 fixtures from Absolute Audio over the Christmas season. Product support on the project was provided by Elation manufacturer rep firm Freed Sales.
By finding ways to differentiate themselves from the more traditional houses of worship, such as a customizable dynamic lighting system, Cascade Hills continues to add new members to its inclusive congregation.
