Production
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated: August 29, 2021
If you’ve been attending Vineyard Columbus for a while, you may have noticed that the way we operate cameras, audio, and lights during our in-person services has changed over the past couple of years. These changes are strategic and purposeful, so if you have any questions or concerns about our production operations at VC, you’ve come to the right place. We hope these FAQs will help answer some of the questions you may have been asking or wondering about!
Why do you play secular music before the service starts?
If you arrive to service early, you may notice we use a playlist that includes non-Christian songs. Church can feel intimidating, so we open our services in this way in order to give first-time visitors a sense of familiarity and normalcy. Some of our visitors have never stepped foot into a church before and hearing a familiar song can help them feel more comfortable and at-home. We are essentially meeting people where they are and welcoming them onto our front porch before bringing them inside our home where much of what they will experience will feel new and different.
Paul often built bridges like this, using pagan poetry to make connections and help people find God. He wrote this to the church in Corinth:
1 Corinthians 9:20-23
“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak, I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
The pre-service playlist is one way we hope to connect with those who have never experienced church before. After we begin like this, we always take people on a journey to meet with God through worship, the word and prayer. Then, we end with communion: the reminder of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Our post-service playlist includes only Christian music! We hope that through our service from beginning to end, people have gone on a journey with us to Jesus.
Why is the music during worship so loud?
Our Weekends team is committed to providing the most impactful worship experience for everyone. We hope to set the table for us all to respond and focus on the Holy Spirit together and hear from God’s Word. The way audio is heard and felt is a top priority for our staff and volunteer teams each week as we aim for the best experience overall for our entire church body.
Sometimes these powerful moments may seem too loud (or too soft), and we completely understand that. If you need earplugs, we have them available! Please stop at the info counter or ask an usher. We encourage those who prefer softer volumes to consider sitting at the back of the 1st floor or in the balcony for an ideal worship experience. For those who prefer louder volumes, consider sitting towards the center and front of the 1st floor.
We are making an earnest effort to honor God in all we do – committed to excellence in serving all, whether that be in-person or online.
Philippians 2:3-5
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
Why are there people with cameras walking around on stage?
Have you seen our new camera team or noticed the recent changes from our lighting team? This committed group of staff and volunteers works hard behind-the-scenes to provide an impactful online and simulcast worship experience for those in our community who are unable to join us in person or who are attending another location for worship. Each week we have over 2500 people experiencing our church through our online broadcast! We’re committed to providing for and including all who prefer to join our worship services from home, so we put tremendous thought and effort into that service experience.
At Vineyard Columbus, we see this as new missional ground. We want to care for the whole church that God has entrusted to us, so we are always holding in tension the experience of those attending in-person and those experiencing our services online. And in a season of declining church attendance where many are deconstructing their faith, the online broadcast can be an easy way to help people experience God.
As it says in Acts:
Acts 13:47
“For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Even as people return to in-person services, we want to continue to reach people with the message of Jesus through our online campus! Whether in-person or online, our prayer is that everyone would be free to worship Jesus, hear God’s Word, and get connected to the people of God through this church body.