Multimedia Weekends

It is one thing to purchase a data projector and quite another to use it effectively. In many churches the use of such equipment depends on the skills of just one person. When they are away then the equipment simply doesn’t get used.

Unfortunately letters in the Church Press would seem to indicate that the equipment is not always being used well. The trust knows that when projection is used well it will gain almost 100% support and is passionate about ensuring that churches do use it effectively.

For this reason the trust offers a range of workshops and can help churches who feel they need to take the plunge into data projection to those that have a system and want to be able to use it better.
The aim is also to help a church broaden the number of people who can use the equipment effectively.
The weekend can be booked by an individual church or group of churches as required.

The different workshops

The following half-day workshops are available:

Buying and Installing a Data Projector: This gives essential information about purchasing and installing an LCD Projector and is ideal for those who must make purchasing decisions. Helps a church to explore a range of Key Questions that affect the type and power of projector that will be installed. Also explores other knotty issues such as the placing of a screen.

Basic PowerPoint Training Course: Any church running multi-media will need a host of people proficient in using PowerPoint. This course goes through the basics of producing and running a presentation. It is a very ‘hands on’ session and unlocks the fun of using animations. This is ideal for those who will build and run presentations.

Using Projection well: Learning PowerPoint is only half the battle. To gain wide acceptance the equipment has to be used really well. This course first of all runs through an "MOT" of your installation so that you can sure that you are using it effectively as possible. Then it develops the skill of producing interesting presentations that are still very readable. Also explores what works and what doesn't.

PowerPoint tasks: A workshop that covers the quickest method of copying the words of a hymn into PowerPoint and building a library of words. Also covers building a meditation of images and background music.

PowerPoint Operators: Covers setting up PowerPoint to work in twin screen mode with the presentation control screen. Also looks at using Zionworx to project the words of hymns etc.

Using music in multi-media: This workshop explores how to take music from CDs, edit them and then build them into PowerPoint presentations. The course focuses on how to do this smoothly and without errors. Participants will need a working knowledge of PowerPoint.

Using video in multi-media: This workshop explores how to take video from tape or DVDs and build them into PowerPoint presentations. The courses focusses on how to do this smoothly and without errors. Participants wll need a working knowledge of PowerPoint. Explores how you can make your own videos for use in PowerPoint.

Sunday: When a course is run over a weekend Mike will usually lead an All Age service on the Sunday morning and a multimedia Communion Service in the evening.

Building your Course

The are 3 options:

A weekend: Pick 2 workshops for the Saturday and 1 for Sunday afternoon. If you pick the Friday evening option you can pick another workshop for then.

A day: Pick 2 workshops for the Saturday. Remember that on the whole Mike prefers to lead a whole weekend so that a church gets the opportunity to see the equipment being used in worship. You can also book a single day during the week - and they are cheaper!

A series of days: It might be possible to pick a series of days in a week, This would work well during a half term or for retired members of a church. Remember that days in the week are cheaper.

Mike will bring all the equipment needed to run the course. All he needs are the tables to place the laptops on and access to a 13 amp socket.

Do remember to book Mike. His diary can be found on this website and so a free date can be found very quickly. The course can then be booked on-line. The trust does ask for a small deposit at time of booking.

Click here to see the prices and explore possibilities of grant funding

Now also available as a Residential Courses at Willersley Course.

Thanks very much for all that you brought to last weekend.

Everybody seems to have had something positive to say. Thanks for the technical expertise thst you brought to the workshops from which we all benefitted. Thanks for the way you conducted worship which was appreciated by the younger members who attended and also those in their 90s.

But thanks also for being you as many were pleased just to spend time in your relaxed company. We now await the further reflection of those who will consider the future for Stanford Avenue to see what role the technology, enthusiasm and skills that were evident over the weekend will play in that future.

Mike Dennis (Stanford Av. Methodist Church, Brighton)