Southeast Christian Church

From Stale to Stunning

The youth group can be a fickle bunch. Into one thing at any given moment and changing seemingly overnight; it's hard to keep their attention. So how do you combat the forces of instant gratification and consumption? How you do keep hundreds of teens focused? Southeast Christian Church, in Louisville KY, had a vision to keep their attention and create a place of safe harbor, while still appealing to teenage taste. The student ministry team turned to Mankin Media Systems to help create the dream of relevant and captivating content.

The youth space needed an updated and edgier feel, and MMS provided ideas and support. Tired of using a single screen in the same spot for six years, they needed something new, something vibrant, and something eye-popping. Southeast wanted their timeless message to be delivered in a relevant and exciting method. We designed a multi-screen system allowing them to use five screens and multiple streams of content. They delivered videos and motion graphics on a large encompassing center screen and lyrics and I-mag each on a pair of smaller side screens. The new look brought energy to the room and delivered the messages in up-to-date, relevant ways.

With the success of the upgraded video system, MMS has worked on both audio and lighting systems in the youth space, further enhancing the experience in the room. Our work has allowed the Southeast youth team to create an acoustically immersive environment with the ability to change the set look throughout the service with our upgraded video and lighting systems. The youth group received a witnessing tool centered on excellence and creativity.

The unexpected results for Southeast Christian was a significant upswing in volunteers. The students were interested in contributing to the production and running of the services increasing the opportunities for ministry. This positive trend allows the staff and the students to interact in meaningful ways creating an environment where lives could be changed.

Southeast loves the MMS team so much that once leadership decided to begin construction on a new youth building, with a 1200 seat main room, they selected MMS to dream, design and deploy their new production systems. We've partnered with the Southeast team to create a compelling space, from the gathering areas to the main auditorium. The new venue will open Spring 2009.

Resources

• Southeast Christian Church: YAC Case Study (104 KB PDF)