Southeast Christian Church – The Block
The neighborhood hangout doesn’t exist any more. Obliterated by social media, hectic schedules, and increasing pressure to achieve, the places where kids used to hang and interact are gone. The classic arcade — gone. The sandlot — gone. The neighborhood rec center — gone.
To battle ever-increasing social pressure and foster real relationships, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY envisioned a youth space that could unite the student community and create a place where teens can experience God. Creating a media rich, blues club-style environment to connect with students takes thoughtful planning and careful design. Southeast Christian Church selected Mankin Media Systems to design and solve the technical challenges associated with creating a compelling space.
Video is the communication medium of youth culture. They have never experienced a world without it, so MMS recognized that video components of the technical system had to be superior both in operation and display. The new building required a new video system so there wasn’t a compelling reason not to implement an HD infrastructure. The ministry team at Southeast believes in and relies on its student volunteers to operate the equipment so each component of the video system was evaluated not only on it’s visual impact and technical capability but also for it’s user friendliness. After listening closely to the Southeast team MMS created an HD video system that can capture, route and display HD video content throughout the building even if a 13 year-old volunteer is running the system. This gives the Southeast team the ability to capture in classrooms throughout the building and display the content on the visually stunning 26’ wide screen in a 1200 seat auditorium. The team is delighted with the capabilities of their new video infrastructure and components.
The same key infrastructure components, like routing and a dedicated control room, that benefit the video system also pay dividends for the audio system. The audio signal can be sent to the ceiling speakers in any room or venue in the building to complete the immersive environment. Mankin Media also knew the audio quality in the auditorium would be critical to the experience in the venue. To make the best decision based on performance and budget concerns the Southeast team traveled to Nashville to audition speaker systems. Amazed by the presence and clarity of their new line array they knew MMS found a great sounding system that fit their budget. Combined with the new digital audio console the line array in the auditorium provides the Southeast team with remarkable control and impact for the audience while still remaining true to the value of being user friendly.
To save money and ensure key infrastructure improvements and components were put into the overall system, MMS recommended parts of the lighting system be brought over from the previous student venue. MMS selected a new console and designed the new dimming infrastructure. The lighting system installed gives the team the ability create the custom looks needed for their events from day one, but is also setup for future expansion without incurring expensive infrastructure upgrades. The Southeast team is thrilled with the delivered capabilities of the lighting system and how it compliments the new audio and video systems.
Creating a new performance space in a brand new building will always be a daunting task; creating a space through the lens of teen sensibilities adds another layer of complexity. By balancing the cool factor with functionality without breaking the bank the Mankin Media team help create a technology platform for ministry that will serve Southeast Christian team for years. The Southeast team is excited to know The Block is now the place to hang out in the cafe or climb the rock wall with a friend in a teenage environment unlike anything in Louisville.
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