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ABSTRACT
FOCUS: AN AUDIO-VISUAL VEHICLE FOR WORSHIP

BY

Brian K. Sheen

This thesis is composed of two parts, an audio-visual
example of a "Focus" presentation and this volume. The word
"Focus" is used because it succinctly captures in a word,
the aim of this audio-visual vehicle in a worship setting.
In contrast to the traditional opening verbal monologue--
"The Call To Worship", the aim is to focus the full atten-
tion of the individual on worship at the beginning of the
service through visual, as well as, verbal stimuli rather
than allowing for the somewhat somnolent, gradual awakening
as the service progresses. The latter attitude being
attributable perhaps to coming to Sunday worship with a
Saturday mind and which the traditional "Call To Worship"
appears to do little to change.

The Focus consists of a visual dimension through the
use of projected 35 mm slides, coordinated with a reading
in script form over a public address system with organ
music background. This writer has been involved in the

scripting, photographing and presenting of focus readings

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Brian K. Sheen

for three years. This volume deals with the methods and
equipment used to develop this concept as a meaningful addi-
tion to a worship format. There is no research data avail-
able on whether or not this concept achieves its aim and
while we would like scientific accuracy to measure the
effectiveness of the focus presentation, people's responses,
nevertheless, make a strong appeal to common sense; reveal-
ing that it does heighten interest, attract the attention

of all ages in the congregation and create a new awareness
toward worship.

This type of thesis suggests that working on a project
that required a degree of excellence for presentation to an
average of one hundred and fifty people of all ages on a
once a week basis for three years, omitting the summer
months of June through August, can provide the graduate
student with a challenge that requires practical and realis-
tic utilization of all skills acquired in the classroom

during the course of academic study.

FOCUS; AN AUDIO-VISUAL VEHICLE FOR WORSHIP

BY

Brian K. Sheen

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Television and Radio

1975

Accepted by the faculty of the Department of
Television and Radio, College of Communication Arts,
Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

fluff ém

 

Director of Thesis

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The art of appreciation is indeed an art, and one
quickly learns how he lacks expertise when faced with writ-
ing the acknowledgments for a thesis. However, as art has
as its most basic yet absolutely necessary form, the line,
so appreciation has as its most basic form, the word
"thank you".

I gratefully say thank you to my brother-in—law Robert
Keith who spurred me on to complete this project and his
wife Joanne for her help and encouragement. I am also in-
debted to my congregation for their willingness to not only
accept a new media form as part of the worship service on a
regular basis but to motivate me to continue and perfect it.
In particular, I am indebted to Marilyn Knight and Doug Peck,
script readers; Eleanor Williams, organist and Flo Benson,
audio director. I also wish to express my thanks to my
advisor, Dr. Robert Schlater, for making it possible for me
to complete this thesis and for his encouragement to develop
it in an area that will have continued purpose in my ministry.
My wife has been an unfailing source of help and encourage-
ment and I gratefully say thank you for the hours of proof—
reading, typing and motivation that have brought this

project to fruition.

iii

 

CHAPTI

II.

III.

IV.
V.

BIBLIOI

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER Page

I 0 INTRODUCTION. 0 O O O O O O C O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O I O I O O O O O 1
II. THE NEED FOR AUDIO-VISUALS IN WORSHIP........ 8
III. SCRIPTSOOOC0.0.0.000...ICOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOIOO 3O
Inspirational Thoughts.................... 30

Emphasis on Special Days on the Church
calendarOOOO0.000.000.0000.0.00.0000... 31
Instructional Objectives.................. 32
IV. EQUIPMENTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 46
V. SUMMARYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.0...OOOOOOOOOOOOO 50

BIBLIOGRAPHY...00.00.00.000...00.0.0000...0.0.0.0... 52

iv

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE Page
1. Trends in Extraschool Communications Media in
the united States 0 O I O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O O O O O O O O O I O O O 10

2. Equipment/Media Relationships and Considera-

tionSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOCOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO... 15

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Since September of 1971, I have been working to develop,
under the pressure of a full schedule and a weekly deadline
of Saturday night, a script with slides for an audio-visual
attention getter, called Focus, to begin the Sunday worship
service. I had to persuade our church board to think posi-
tively about the importance of multimedia communications and
the necessity of using them in the church; overcome the hos-
tility of some people toward bringing such an unheard of
"thing" into the sanctuary; and persuade the trustees to
invest over a thousand dollars to purchase the necessary
basic equipment. For a rural congregation of 205 members
that had done nothing more innovative than a bathrobe and
bedsheet Christmas pageant in years, this was like asking
for a Christmas spectacular of Hollywood proportions. As
the ceiling to floor curtains ruffled back and the silver
screen lit up with a breathtaking picture of mountain
grandure behind the altar on the first Sunday of the Focus
presentation, we all knew that we had moved out of the era
of bathrobe and bedsheet pageants to the threshold of new

multimedia communications.

As Ely, George and Alexander say in Audiovisual Facili-

 

ties and Equipment for Churchmen,
... in the case of religion we like to believe the
message transcends the medium, but with an inadequate
medium the message cannot be effectively disseminated
or received. Moreover, today the medium is becoming
totally comprehensive and we really do not have the
choice of ignoring it. Therefore, if the churches are
to speak the language of the generations that will be
reared on electronic information, it is essential that
they prepare now to utilize its full potential.1
The implementation of audio-visuals into the church program,
particularly in the area of worship, has been much like the
experience of the frog in a well--jumping up five feet and
falling back four. One can readily understand how this
happens when a well-intentioned minister has to present
audio-visuals in inadequate sanctuary facilities; with a
humming projector on a table in the center isle; an exten-
sion cord under the pews to the wall; a tripod screen that
tangles with dutiful attendants who must set it up and
later remove it; and lights that abruptly switch off and
later, just as abruptly, glare on.
Some people may contend that in order for the church
to appear somewhat contemporary in the media field anything

is better than nothing. But is it? People are becoming

more and more accustomed to exercising their right to be

 

1B. F. Jackson (ed.), Audiovisual Facilities and Equip-
ment for Churchmen, Vol. III of Communication for Churchmen
Series (4 vols.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970), p. 18.

 

 

 

discriminating and selective in what they choose to commit
themselves to, to see and to hear. Where an attempt is

made which denies them this right, they may determine to
exercise it by changing to another setting. The fact that
there are so many empty pews may be mute testimony to the
church that it has not kept pace with the changing character
of media-conscious America. In the March 1975 issue of

The Interpreter, official program journal of the United

 

Methodist Church, it states: "statistics showed an average
attendance of 3,612,480 at the principal weekly worship
service in the 39,195 local churches, a decrease of 18,781
from a year ago."1 I contend that in the case of the church,
nothing is sometimes better than something when that some—
thing causes the ability of the church to communicate effec—
tively through audio-visuals to jump ahead five paces then
fall back four. A five to two ratio would be tolerable,

but a five to four, only tends to heighten the impression
that so many have of the church and confirm the lack of
influence of organized religion on the nation asja whole.

In the August 1974 edition of Applied Christianity,

 

television was rated first and the church last in influence,

Leading Americans in many fields were asked by U. S.
News and WOrld Report to rate a list of 18 organiza-
tions and institutions on a scale of 1 to lO--l for

 

 

lEditor, "Membership Declines But Giving Keeps Rising,"
The Interpreter (March 1975), p. 40.

 

 

 

 

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the lowest degree of influence and 10 for the highest.

They were asked, 'For each organization or institution

would you please rate it according to the amount of

influence you think it has on decisions or action
affecting the nation as a whole?’ The results:

1. television; 2 White House; 3. Supreme Court;

4. newspapers; 5. (tie) labor unions, industry, U. S.

Senate; 8. (tie) government 'bureaucracy', U. S. House

of Representatives; 10. financial institutions;

11. magazines; 12. educational institutions; 13. radio;

14. Democratic party; 15. advertising agencies;

16. Cabinet; 17. Republican Party; 18. organized re-

ligion.1

The use of 35 mm slides in worship is nothing new.
However, their utilization as far as this writer can deter—
mine is sporadic at the best. Usually they are used for
special services presentations such as Christmas and Easter,
or by a missionary speaker to supplement his talk.

During my course work in the Television and Radio De-
partment at Michigan State University, I was repeatedly
brought face to face with the total comprehensiveness of the
media and its impact on society on the one hand, on the
other hand in my working experience in the church, I noticed
the almost total lack of its usage in any way, shape or
form. The costs of experimenting with movie film or TV in
the local church setting would have been prohibitive, so I
turned to a more realistic alternative, the 35 mm slide and

its projection.

The problem I decided to tackle was located in the

opening moments of the worship service, "The Call to Worship"

 

lEditor, "TV First, Church Last in Influence," Applied
Christianity (August 1974), p. 60.

hf-‘K

 

As any TV or film producer knows, the first moments are the
most important; the outcome of the remainder of the produc—
tion depends on whether or not those initial moments gain
and hold a persons attention. Every bit as much considera-
tion should be given to the opening moments of worship as
is given to a film, commercial or TV program. After all,
we are basically all aiming at the same thing; communicat-
ing as effectively as possible in order to bring about a
pre-determined end result. Whether that result is enjoyable
entertainment, the purchase of a recommended product or an
attempt to relate God's purposes to the life of man; the
opening approach embodies principles of expectations, af-
firmation and continuation as opposed to apathy, rejection
and cessation. Nevertheless, for years the traditional
worship opener has been for one person to step to the pulpit
and verbally exhort the people to worship amid the distrac—
tions of people checking the bulletin for what comes next
or if they know, looking up the number of the opening hymn.
In the following pages, is a report on how the focus
concept was developed, over a three year period, to make use
of what is known about the effectiveness of audio-visuals
and in particular, 35 mm slides, to heighten interest, hold
attention and create an atmosphere. The worship encounter
and religious instruction are so important, and time for
them so brief, that the church needs to be more aware of

various media methodologies and how to use them skillfully.

Attitudes form a significant part in the objectives of
worship, but it is notoriously difficult to translate
ideals and atmosphere into action through words alone. To
counteract the attitude of starting Sunday worship with a
Saturday mind, slides with readings and background music,
designed to heighten interest and gain attention to the
Call to Worship were introduced into the regular Sunday
worship outline under the title of "Focus".

Churches today cannot afford the grandeur of the
yesterdays to inspire worship, and in today's world of
duplex and conduminium architecture, gothic arches and tall
steeples mean little for people who have little time to
pause and reflect on such hidden meanings as the presence
of such structures may have suggested at one time. The
interiors of many churches have become almost indistinguish-
able from secular halls with religious symbols and furnish-
ings cut to a minimum. With a move toward multipurpose
areas in church building, the importance of visuals to
create an atmosphere of worship and communicate the message
of the church will become more valuable as the present trend
away from sanctuaries solely for worship persists.

There is no way to convey the full impact of a Focus
presentation through this volume and the audio-visual set
that accompanies it. To View the slides on a screen with-

out the provisions outlined in this thesis negates all that

we have been striving to effect, and it leaves the viewer
with just another slide presentation.

Also, consideration has to be given to what precedes
the focus reading in the service outline and what follows
it, for it operates most effectively within the total con-
text of worship.

Due to the fact that a creative thesis of this nature
is limited in its full presentation, part of which is de-
pendent upon prOperly designed facilities and smooth operat-
ing procedures, we must of necessity leave the final evalu-
ation as to the effectiveness of the Focus concept to bring
about an attitudinal change in regard to the Call to WOrship,
to the imaginative reader who can visualize from the ensuing
description the overall impress of "Focus".

This paper will not deal with any of the theological
content of a Focus presentation. It is this writer's
desire that this concept may be implemented across denomi-
national lines and developed to meet the needs of each
congregation in which it is used. The slides for the three
examples of Focus readings, along with a sound track on
cassette tape for each script, are on file with the Depart-

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CHAPTER II

THE NEED FOR AUDIO-VISUALS IN WORSHIP

We are all surrounded from birth with a multitude of
sensory experiences; however, the electronic revolution has
now produced a multi-media environment in which we live,
move and function that, without a doubt, has changed our
life style, learning and communication abilities and re-
sponses to traditional roles. "We now have a generation of
people who have a video tube for a nurse, a transister for
a companion and a computer for a teacher."1

For many young peOple, it is impossible to recall a
time when there was no television. Involved as they are in
the production of slide presentations and movies in school,
linked to the world of reality enroute to and from school
by the transistor radio, and participating in popular cul-
ture through records, cassettes, and portable televisions,
television is simply another part of their environment. As

McLuhan says, they "wear it"2 spending more time in front

 

1B. F. Jackson (ed.), Communication-Learningffor
Churchmen, Vol. I of Communication for Churchmen Series
(4 vols.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968), p. 241.

21bid.

 

 

 

of the television screen than any other occupation apart
from eating and sleeping. As long ago as 1964, United
States television households averaged six hours and four
minutes of television viewing per day. John M. Culkin has
predicted that:

By the time the average American student graduates
from high school today, he has watched more than
15,000 hours of television and seen more than 500
films.... During this same period, the average stu-
dent has attended school five hours a day, 180 days

a year for 12 years to produce a total of 10,800 hours
of school time. Only sleeping surpasses television as
the top time consumer.

Wittich and Schuller, in their book, Audio-Visual

 

Materials, say that "the interference with classroom com-
munication that derives from non-school media shows no
tendency to diminish."2 This is reflected not only in
school situations but in the church as well. The table on
the following page shows the trend in the United States
between 1960 and 1970.

Table 1 shows that the various interference factors
accumulate and reinforce each other to create a demand for
attention which seriously challenges the communication
skills employed in the classroom and this could be said to

be equally true in relation to the church as well.

 

1Walter Arno Wittich and Charles Frances Schuller,
Audio-Visual Materials (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers,
1967), p. 11.

2B. F. Jackson (ed.), Television-Radio-Film For Church—
meg, Vol. II of Communication for Churchmen Series (4 vols.;
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1969), p. 25.

 

 

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In considering the need for audio-visuals in worship, this
revelation of interference factors should cause one to
wonder if the voice of the church is not being lost amid the
influence of current mass media communication techniques.

We need to consider whether or not today's church communica—
tion methods are the best that can be employed and whether
or not there are better ways for more effective communica-
tion.

For historical reasons it has been difficult for the
church to assimilate the electronic revolution. Early
accounts of monologue preaching reveal that when this com-
munication process failed, Apostles, like Paul, simply
brought smaller groups together for dialogue. "This went
on for two years with the result that the whole population
of the province of Asia, both Jews and pagan, heard the
word of the Lord."1

In the Middle Ages, due to illiteracy, the message of
the church was presented by miracle and mystery plays to
convey the salvation story. The music of drinking songs
was used to bring the common man into the church and stone
carvings, wall paintings and tapestries together with words
and music provided a multi-media experience.

Then came movable type and as Meggs, Parker and Culkin

say in Television-Radio-Film for Churchmen:

 

 

1Acts 19:10 New English Bible.

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12

There is a certain permanence about the printed word

which has a natural and unique importance in the

total mass media pattern, but print had a steady and

permeating growth for almost 500 years before the be-

ginning of the electronic revolution--long enough for
the church to fall victim to its permanence.l

Consequently, today we find that Cranmers first Angli—
can prayer book of 1549 has changed very little. Audio-
visuals came into preeminence when the church was no longer
the power structure it had been at the time of the print
revolution and it was thus unprepared and unable to use the
media to its full potential.

The emphasis of the Reformation on the printed word,
to the exclusion of art forms and music, dealt Christian
communication a blow which causes many churches today to
hold rigidly to forms of worship which are inconsistent
with the times.

What many ministers do not understand, that whether

they like it or not, they are in competition with

every entertainment in America. People are becoming

extremely sophisticated in the caliber of performance
they expect from men and equipment. A good quality,

professional performance is only as far away as

Saturday night's television programs, and good inten-

tions are no longer an excuse for amateurism in the

pulpit (or a worship service) Sunday mornings.

Many people in the church tolerate adherence to a

style of worship inconsistent with the times because they

have grown up in the church and have not developed a high

 

1Jackson, II, 27.

21bid., III, 13.

13

level of expectation, counteracting anything new and inno-
vative with the trite but oft repeated phrase, "but this is
the way we've always done it."

Due to the fact that this paper deals exclusively with
the use of 35 mm slides and scripted readings as a worship
form, there will not be any elaboration of all multi-media
resources available. A survey conducted by William B.

Lester, Audio-visual Editor for Your Church magazine, re-

 

vealed that by far the most frequently used materials in
the church are film strips or slides. This was especially
true of churches in the middle to lower income bracket. He
said that:

An astonishing 80% of all 539 churches responding to
the survey owned slide projectors.... The size of
churches ranged from less than 50 members to those
with 5,000 or more. Only 3% indicated that they were
not using any audio-visuals at all. The great major-
ity, about 91% indicated that they would like to use
more. This holds true across the spectrum of churches
large and small. Most churches indicated that they
were not satisfied with the status 'as is' and wanted
much more. The only group somewhat satisfied with the
amount of present use (60%) were churches with 5,000
members or more. These churches, doubtless, have less
financial problem with audio-visuals.l

Of course, this does not indicate that the resources
were used exclusively for worship experiences. However, it
makes it obvious that they are readily available. On how
multi-media resources are used, the survey showed that they

were equally divided between worship, fun and fellowship,

 

1William B. Lester, "Readers' Forum: Audio—Visuals,"
¥our Church (November/December 1974), pp. 16-18.

 

14

small groups, evangelism, fund raising and visitation.

Ever since the development of the 35 mm camera and
color film, photography has become a national pasttime, and
the 2x2 slide has become very popular. An important ad-
vantage of the slide is the fact that excellent color
quality is possible at low cost. Convenience of use, qual-
ity, low cost operation and ease of procuring are among the
principal reasons for the great popularity of 35 mm slides.
The convenience of handling and storing small, light-weight
slides is self-evident. Also, the slides can be projected
in the same machine used for filmstrips. Color slides have
little "grain" and consequently can be projected in con-
siderable size without loss of satisfactory definition.
Commercially produced slides are available on almost every
subject imaginable. With a little photographic skill,
practially anyone can take his own slides and make an inter-
esting presentation. Many children are doing this already
in third grade.

The price, material and production considerations along
with the availability of facilities and equipment are con-
siderably different than if the church chose to do something
on a regular basis through film or television as the follow-
ing equipment/media relationships and considerations show.
(See Table 2, page 15.)

With 80% of the 539 churches surveyed by Your Church

 

magazine owning slide projectors, there is no need to

15

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16

elaborate on the fact that this equipment is readily avail-
able and at a price churches and organizations can afford.
Many individuals and families own their own slide projection
equipment. Children, youth and adults can be easily trained
to operate this equipment with a minimal investment of time.

Those who would communicate effectively in the church
must undergo the discipline of becoming as fully professional
in the use of media, as we endeavor to be in religion.

Melvin Wheatly has reminded us "Where excellent re-
sources are available, mediocrity is sin."l We in the
church have an unwritten obligation to plan and provide the
best and most appropriate instruments for the job to be done,
even if it means changing some present forms. In his article
"Please Don't Yawn When I'm Kissing You", Barry L. Johnson
says succinctly regarding meaningful worship, "I am not com—
mitted to preserving the church in its present form. “I am
committed to helping the church become an effective medium
for Christ."2

We are living in a remarkable age. We can devise the
rig for drilling through the earths crust into the mantle
as in "project Mohole". We can land men on the moon and
"orbit whole systems of communication satellites in fixed

positions 39,000 miles above the earth to provide

 

 

1Jackson, III, op. cit., 18.

2Barry L. Johnson, "Please Don't Yawn When I'm Kissing
You," United Methodist Today (June 1974), pp. 17,18.

 

17

international, instantaneous television coverage (COMS‘AT)."l
By contrast, however, we contrive to employ outdated and
often ineffectual communication methods to create more
meaningful worship. The reason that we put up with shoddy
practices in our churches, or mundane routine is because we
either do not know any better or we are insensitive to the
changes in our society brought about by the electronic
revolution.

The traditional avenues of information giving and re—
ceiving in our services are still reading and listening.
This defines the church as preventive and curative, but
not creative. Beyond all this reading and listening to
verbal stimuli only, there is a wealth of creativity avail-
able through employing contemporary communicative avenues.
One such possibility is the Focus reading. Is it reasonable
to expect that the technology which, in the world outside
the church has attained such immediacy in every experience
of our day to day lives in areas of mass media communica-
tions, should be completely ignored as an information giv-
ing, attention holding and attitude forming channel in our
worship?

During the last thirty years, research has demonstrated

the efficiency of individual communication media: the

16 mm silent films, 16 mm sound motion picture film,

television teaching materials and still projected
slides. The research efforts of such people as Freeman

 

1Wittich and Schuller, op. cit., 25.

18

and Wood into the use of silent motion picture films;

Arnspiger and Rulen in 16 mm sound motion pictures and

Gibson and Carson and others into still projected

images are a few of many significant studies which sup-

port the generalization that new media and learning
materials, when properly selected and wisely used can
help students accommodate increased amounts of factual
learning and sustain greater retention.

Ideally then, worshipers should be able to witness
combinations of audio-visual experiences which reinforce
one another if the church provides the most efficient paths
possible for the mastery and understanding of religious
concepts.

WOrship is a basic function for the church. It is the
most important act of the Christian. Dr. Donald MacLeod
says,

the service of worship is the central and most impor-

tant act of faith the church performs. It is the dis-

tinguishing characteristic of the church of Christ.

Out of their various walks of life the people of God

come, gathering to hear and respond to God's WOrd as

a community.2

Can visual aids make a contribution to worship? To
answer that question requires some understanding of the
nature of worship, which determines the shape and content
of the Focus concept. A picture presented in a worship

service is not worship, but if the picture helps to bring

 

lIbid., 31.

2Donald McLeod, "The Dialogue Of the Sanctury,”
Princeton Seminapy Bulletin, Vol. LVI, No. 3 (Princeton,
New Jersey, May 1963), P. 25.

19

people into the mood which leads them to worship, it has
rendered a holy service.

When Christians worship, they are aware of God and in
active relationship with him. They feel their nearness to
him and his response to them. They respond to God in faith
and are impelled to do his will in the world. It is an
experience which involves emotions and appreciation, beliefs
and the will to do.

To name these characteristics of worship is to answer
our own question. Visual forms do powerfully aid the pro-
duction of a worshipful atmosphere and help focus attention
on God, thereby clarifying the will of God in terms of the
needs of the world.

Common experience speaks to this truth. Many people
at one time or another, have felt the mood of worship brought
on by a glorious sunrise, the towering grandeur of a snow-
capped mountain peak or the silences of the desert. Perhaps
it was some such experience that caused Jacob to exclaim,
"Surely, the Lord is in this place and I knew it not."

The church has not been altogether unmindful of the
value of visual aids in worship. The very appearance of
many churches both without and within has been designed to
arouse the spirit of worship; graceful spires fingering the
sky and the high vaulted ceilings of cathedrals speak to
men's souls of the majesty of God. In the mellow candle-

light, a person may feel himself alone with his Creator

20

even in the midst of the congregation. The filtered light
of stained glass windows subdue the spirit while the figures
and symbols which they embody stimulate the mind of the
worshiper through visual response to thoughts of God.
Christian symbols to the eye of the beholder are as open
windows through which the soul may enter on holy ground.
The corporate worship service therefore, in many respects,
is an experience in auditory and visual perception.
However, other than flowers perhaps, religious visual stimu-
li are alien to our everyday world. Some transitional
media should be used to maintain an image of reality and
identification with the sights and sounds of everyday life.

People in our churches are becoming more and more
accustomed to learning and relaxing through audio-visuals
because of their experiences in schools, offices and tele-
vision dominated homes. It is becoming increasingly diffi-
cult to hold their attention with worship formats that do
not employ contemporary visual stimuli.

If the church, in a visual age, continues to adhere to
a style of worship inconsistent with the times, it will
suffer the same fate as an iceberg unwilling to change its
shape in tropical waters. On the other hand, with a pre-
ponderance of resources, there is no reason other than per-
haps rigidity and apathy as to why multi-media worship
encounters should not make many more Jonathan Livingstones

out of a great number of ordinary gulls. It would appear

21

appropriate therefore, that other visual stimuli, such as
slides, might be used during a worship service on a regular
basis. The attempt to relate God's purpose to the life of
man can and should be brought before His people in the most
graphic way. This is the aim of the Focus presentation.
Due, perhaps, to the preponderance of visual stimuli
in the Roman Catholic church, in contrast to which many
Protestant sanctuaries appear bare, an attitude of quiet
preparation has been achieved prior to the start of the
service, which to many Protestants, is an aspect worthy of
emulation. The hubbub and restlessness which preceded
worship in my particular charge was a source of great frus-
tration (to me) as the direct effect of such an atmosphere
distracted from the spirit of worship. The traditional
"Call to WOrship", a scripture read or verbal exhortation
to "be still and know that I am God" did little to change
the overall atmosphere of entanglements with last night's
late television viewings and conversational concerns about
everything from the weather to who is new in the area.
Consequently, the service appeared to register little effect
until the children's story or choir anthem, both of which
present a change of pace that attract the eye and ear.
These portions of the service are usually close to the half-
way hour of worship time and neither would be appropriate at
the beginning without upsetting the balance of the service.

Consequently, in reviewing the situation, it was obvious

22

that a change agent was needed to supplement the traditional
"Call to WOrship" for people who came to Sunday worship with
a Saturday mind.

The "Call to Worship" is designed to immediately focus
peoples attention on the worship experience. The appearance
of one person in the pulpit reading a portion of scripture,
standing against a background of chancel furnishings that
are refurbished only occasionally during the year, with a
change of flowers (so many are plastic and everlasting!)
does little to gain repeated attention Sunday after Sunday.

So in January, 1971, with a newly installed public
address system in the church, we started giving a devotional
reading with background organ music. The reader stood in
a side room and read over a microphone. In the worship

bulletin we printed the following at the head of a page:

FOCUS

 

Focus your thoughts "What think ye of Christ"
Matthew 22:42

Focus your eyes "And every eye shall see Him"
Revelation 1:7

Focus your hearing "Be still and know that I am God"
Psalms 46:10
There was something to think about as the devotional
reading was given and something to hear. But I realized
that what was seen was exactly the same every Sunday of the

year other than a change of flowers} Also, what was seen

23

did not always coordinate very appropriately with what.was
being read. For example, "There is something challenging

about a mountain, and the Congregation looked at an
eighteen foot wide platform with a three foot high communion
table with brown walls around it and a picture of Christ.

The word "focus", as defined in The Reader's Digest

 

Great Encyclppedic Dictionary means to make an "adjustment
necessary to produce a clear image" in the visual sense.
In relationship to hearing, it is the "point to which sound
waves converge."1
The devotional reading over the microphone was focus—
ing the hearing but it was doing little for the eye. So on
Sunday, October 3, 1971, the first "Focus" presentation
with slides to depict what was being read was introduced
into our worship services and we found what Rogers and
Vieth said in their book, Visual Aids in the Church, to be
accurate:
The use of projected pictures is peculiarly adapted to
the psychology of worship. It provides two desirable
elements, apart from the material projected. These
are a dimly lighted room and a lighted center of
interest. In a dimly lighted room people tend to lose
self-consciousness that stands between them and the
complete giving of themselves to the service of wor-
ship. The lighted center of interest tends to minimize
distractions and to encourage concentration. It focuses

the worshipers' attention and thus aids the leader of
the service to direct the thought of the group.

 

1The Reader's Digest Great Encyclppedic Dictionary,
Vol. I (lst ed., Oxford University Press).

 

24

Under such conditions a reverent hush pervades

the room, and in the case of children, the problem of

discipline is minimized. These effects are heightened

when there is in accompanying use of appropriate music
and scripture.

The use of projected pictures in the worship service
introduces considerable problems in taking care of the
mechanics of projection without interfering with the dignity
of the service. Because of the importance of the chancel
(altar), care must be taken in placing the screen. To avoid
the problems of moving a tripod screen on and off the
chancel; prior to our first presentation, we did the follow-
ing: A 9' x 12' Da—Lite screen was purchased and installed
permanently on the back wall of the sanctuary behind the
altar. Then the entire wall from ceiling to floor was
curtained. This was controlled by a rope pulley from a
side room (temporary arrangement due to plans for a new
sanctuary with 9' x 12' rear-view screen with electrically
controlled curtains). The altar standing three foot high,
was moved two feet away from the back wall to avoid snagging
the curtains as they closed and to guard against a fire
hazard from the candles. Only one small arrangement of

fresh flowers is put on the altar, so as not to cast any

shadows on the screen which is one foot above the top of

 

1William L. Rogers and Paul H. Vieth, Visual Aids in
the Church (Philadelphia: The Christian Education Press,
1946i, p. 70.

 

 

25

the altar. This is not quite high enough, however, to

avoid a shadow from the cross. Rather than disrupt pro-
ceedings by moving and replacing the cross, we find its
shadow is only a negligible degree of distraction. Once
again, in the new sanctury, this problem will be eliminated
with a higher rear—view screen. Rheostat switches which

dim or brighten lights replaced the abrupt on-off conven-
tional switches. A Sawyers Rotomatic 747AQZ Automatic

Focus Slide Projector was purchased with a six inch F/3.5
zoom lens. The church nursery which was above the front
entrance of the church was remodeled for a projection room,
necessitating the six inch zoom lens for projection because
of a distance of fifty feet between the projector and screen.
This eliminated any equipment in the church isle. Light
from the five 3' x 14' stained glass windows was a problem.
The screen was on the back wall of a recessed chancel area
at the east end of the building and since the three windows
on the south side of the sanctuary were over-shadowed to
some extent by the roof of the adjoining building, it was
considered in the best interests of our new windowless sanc-
tuary, to sacrifice some of the hue and intensity of color
of the pictures, rather than purchase drapes. Another visual
problem was the pulpit. This was of necessity to one side
due to the altar being the focal point in the sanctuary.

By moving it another foot, we were able to make it possible

for everyone to see the screen. When the sanctuary doors

 

26

were opened at the west end of the building, the amount of
light let in did considerable damage to the picture. Here
we had no alternative but to keep the doors shut until the
curtains closed at the end of the Focus. This, as it
turned out, was a blessing in disguise. People did not want
to miss the Focus. Consequently, they came early enough so
as not to have to stand in the vestibule until the doors
were opened. This brings us to the worship outline which
gives the relationship of the Focus presentation to other
segments of the service.

Organ Prelude

Striking of the Holy Hour of Worship (Church Bell)

Choir processional

Focus: " "
Choral Introit and Lighting of the candles.

 

Welcome and Invocation
Verse of Praise
Gloria Patri

Hymn of Meditation
Pastoral Prayer

Opportunities for Service and Sharing
Opportunities for Giving and Receiving
Doxology

Children's Story

Ministry of Music

Scripture

Sermon

Response of the Heart
Benediction

Scripting and equipment will be dealt with more com-
pletely in Chapters three and four. Suffice to mention here

that when the devotional reading has been selected and the

 

27

pictures provided to match it, four scripts are then pre-
pared. One for the projectionist, one for the Focus reader,
one for the organist and one for the curtain operator. All
but one script can be eliminated with advanced media tech-
niques by using tape recorders with built-in synchronizers
that can record the voice and music and automatically change
the slides by means of an electronic signal. Only one
script would be necessary then for electronic curtain and
light control.

Each person on the Focus team is trained and drilled in
the procedures made necessary by the lack of facilities in
an old rural church, which however, is surprisingly well
adapted in other ways for a presentation of this nature.

An intercom system is used between the projection room and
the curtain central room at the side of the chancel. Before
the first presentation and all subsequent projections a
practice session is held and all details such as proper
projection focus checked, picture alignment on the screen,
how far the curtains should open, how fast and when. All
slides are checked and a voice level set on the reader.

A courtesy slide: "Just a moment, please" is on hand in
case there are unexpected difficulties. The manual control
on the projector is also checked to see if it is set for
'forward' and not reverse! As the choir is seated after
the processional hymn (see bulletin outline), the sanctuary

lights fade slowly. The handling of the lights is an

 

28

important factor in successful use of projected pictures in
a worship service. The chancel lights remain bright for a
few seconds longer, thereby attracting peoples attention to
the front of the church. There is something about the
effect of lights slowly fading that invariably produces a
subsequent hush over a talkative crowd. If nothing seems

to be forthcoming however, it is not long before people are
talking again. Just before this happens the chancel lights
slowly fade and as they do, the first slide appears on the
curtains,.and the organist, following her script, begins

the prearranged background music which is loud enough to
fade under when the reading begins. As the curtains open,
the title of the Focus is read, the remainder of the pictures
follow in sequence with the script. If a dissolve unit is
not available with a second projector, so that one picture
may appear to fade into the other at various speeds accord-
ing to the timing on the dissolve unit, the same technique
may be done by hand, using a second projector, but with less
perfection. However, this is more desirable than using the
manual change mechanism which leaves the screen momentarily
dark every time a slide is changed. The script is read
over the microphone from the projection room taking care to
keep far enough away from the projection equipment so as not
to pick up disrupting sounds. When the curtains close, and
caution must be taken not to jerk them shut, the chancel

lights fade up followed by the sanctuary lights. As this

I ml... 5. 3* 5’ .i

...-~- ‘ ~C

 

29

happens, the choir sings an introit reverently while two
acolytes (candle lighters) come forward and light the
chandles on the altar. This way the candle light has not
been a distraction during the Focus. The service then con-

tinues with the Welcome and invocation.

 

CHAPTER III

SCRIPTS

During the three year deve10pment of the Focus princi-
ple as an alternative to the traditional verbal Call to
Worship, three basic categories for classifying scripts
emerged.

1) Inspirational Thoughts

2) Emphasis on Special Days in the Church Calendar
3) Instructional Objectives

Inspirational Thoughts

 

Scripts for inspirational thoughts need to have the
kind of content that will uplift and refresh the listener,
a breathing into the mind of some refreshing idea or purpose.
It should create some feeling or impulse especially of an
exulted kind. An inspirational script should enlarge on
the wholesome things of life, the beautiful, the noble. It
should lift us away from the mundane and routine by reacting
on our feelings and emotions in such a way as to momentarily
distract us from ourselves. An inspirational focus can be
used to bring to our attention things we are all too often
at fault for overlooking in our busy world of taking for

granted. Someone once told me they had not noticed a sunset

30

”‘ffllfi!

 

31

in three years. The focus reading has the advantage of
bringing to some people's attention, for their inspriation,
some things they may never otherwise see, through the use
of close-up pictures, or photography of foreign places. It
can inspire people by showing them pictorially what has
been done by others in the past and the challenges that lie

ahead.

Emphasis on Special Days on the Church Calendar

Every church has days of special significance to its
denomination either historically, religiously or patriotic—
ally. Some of these days, such as Christmas and Easter,
cross denominational lines; others are strictly within their
own denominational framework; such as, days named in honor
of a founder or saint. The Focus concept can be a unique
vehicle for visible as well as verbal emphasis in regard to
these special occasions which, coming only once a year,
should be given more than token recognition. Emphasis on
special days in the church calendar also provides an oppor-
tunity through Focus to communicate specifically to certain
groups within the congregation; such as, Mothers on Mothers
Day; Fathers on Fathers Day; Children on Childrens Day;
ecologists on Soil Stewardship Sunday; prospective candi-
dates for the ministry on Ministerial Sunday and so on. We
really "perk-up" and pay attention to things which relate to
our area of special interest. What better way to gain at-

tention at the opening of the service than to relate the

32

Call to Worship to the interests of people and thereby

motivate them to more purposeful worship.

Instructional Objectives

 

Much of the ministry of the church is related to
teaching. The Call to Worship and the meaning of worship
are themselves often in need of clarification. Research
has shown over and over that audio-visual materials can
convey facts. Instructional objectives in Focus readings
can gain and hold attention because of the 'need to know'.
Once we know how to do something, our performance of it, as
in the case of "Ten Points for Meaningful Hymnsinging"
(instructional objective), makes it more enjoyable and pur-
poseful. Newcomers to church can be taught a variety of
information about its history, function and purpose without
anyone being singularly embarrassed.

No learning situation is complete without provision
for follow-up and reinforcement. This can be done by tying
the instructional objective into the rest of the worship
format. As in the case of Example 3, "The Church, An Un-
deniable Fact", hymns, children's story, choir anthem and
sermon can all be prepared to reiterate in their own way
the message of the Focus reading and slides.

To prepare the Focus script it was necessary to con-
sider first what sources would provide material conducive

to the above three categories.

 

33

Since the Focus idea was implemented in relationship to
worship, a natural source for a script was the Bible. There
are inumerable portions of scripture which without any
revision or alteration are complete in themselves and adapt
readily to the Focus presentation. The 23rd Psalm, for
example, is universally known as the Psalm of Comfort.

Not all scripture lends itself so naturally to script-
ing as the 23rd Psalm, however. Consequently, ideas were
derived from certain portions such as ”I will lift up mine
eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help." Psalms
121:1, and the remainder of the script had to be written to
suit the main theme (Example l--InSpirational Thoughts).

Poetry often lends itself to quick adapting to the
Focus presentation and may be scripted line by line in

sequence with pictures, verse by verse, or depending on the

 

length, one poem with one picture. There is such a great 5
variety of poetry, both secular and religious, that lends

itself particularly to the categories of inspirational

thought and emphasis on special days. Poetry also makes a r

noticeable contrast to straight prose reading and is par-
ticularly suited to the dignity of worship (Example 2--
Emphasis on Special Days in the Church Calendar).

There are inumerable church and secular publications
that have a wealth of ideas for scripts in all three cate-
gories. Along with books and magazines, church worship

bulletins and periodicals often have usable material.

34

One example from a church bulletin is "The Church, An Un-
deniable Fact" (Example 3-—Instructional Objectives).

Public parks and gardens, museums and cemeteries often
have quotes and sayings inscribed on plaques. These were
photographed and included in some Focuses as a visual script.
In other words, what was read as a script was also visually
seen on the screen. Historic sights and amusement parks
such as Disney World and Cedar Point, etc., along with
special exhibitions also provided ideas for scripts. For
example, from a sign in the gardens of Bok Tower, Florida,
"Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because
you have lived in it." In a South African park, "God bless
my bit of garden and make its flowers grow that they may
bring some pleasure, to all the folks I know." On a fence
in Muskegon, Michigan, "Come Ye Apart and Rest Awhile."

Like many amateur photographers, hundreds of slides 5
are taken which are initially enjoyed, then boxed, never to
be used except on rare occasions. With the inception of E

the Focus idea, stored pictures "lit up" and became useful. r-

 

Slides were catalogued and reviewed, certain sequences of
pictures provided ideas for scripts; for example, mountain
ranges. The first Focus was entitled "The Mountain of the
Lord", inspired by a picture of Champaigne Castle in the
Drakensburg mountains in South Africa and a scripture
reference "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills". With

the slides providing the inspirational thought and the

35

utilization of a verse of scripture, the rest of the script
was written to contrast the strength, grandeur and endur-
ability of the hills, with man's commercial "rat race"
dilemma and tenuous existence. When slides are categorized,
knowing the pictures makes it possible to look for scripts
to fit them.

Many songs and hymns lend themselves to easy adapta-
tion for Focus readings. For example, the hymn "The Old
Rugged Cross" can be sung using a variety of slides of
crosses. Care must be taken to use only the verses suitable
to the opening moments of worship. "Let There be Peace on
Earth" has been sung using Christmas pictures.

Unlike television or radio scripts, the timing element
for Focus is not so demanding or precise and can be tailored
to meet the needs of various worship formats. However, since
the Call to Worship is usually a brief scriptural quote, the
Focus should, under most circumstances, be kept brief as !
well, and not exceed three minutes.

In the preparation of Focus scripts, it was necessary

 

to consider the following:
1) Does it meet the Focus aim?
2) Can it be readily adapted to pictures?
3) Does it require more pictures than can be screened
in the specified time for a Focus reading?
4) Are parts of the script too short for a picture to

convey the message?

36

5) Does it require pictures that might be difficult to

obtain?

6) Should the script be read slowly or fast? What

does this do to the timing and picture sequence?

7) Do some inappropriate parts need to be edited?

8) Does it need to be revised to be more pertinent to

worship?

9) Would sound effects be appropriate?

10) What kind of voice will the script require? Male,
female, adult, child, deep voice or lilting, etc.?

11) What kind of background music will the script
require, if any?

Once a script has been selected and its category
determined, whether Inspirational Thought, Special Day
Emphasis or Instructional Objectives, the next step was to
determine the music background and whether it was necessary
or not. Due to the ability of music to create a certain
mood, very few Focus scripts are read without it. The type
of music played is determined by the nature of the script as
will be seen in the three examples that follow. Once the
Focus script was ready and timed, it was given to the church
organist to select the right composition and rhythm to suit
the words. The music plays an important part in three
phases of the Focus presentation. Before any pictures are
seen or script read, the congregation hears the organ

introduction. As the curtains open the music creates a

 

37

background for the reading and must not be overpowering.
When the Focus is finished the organ once again becomes
prominent as its music renders the prelude to what has been
said and seen.

With these considerations in mind, the following
scripts were selected from over one hundred and twenty com-
piled during a three year period to give an example of the

outline and the three categories listed earlier.

4:259:4- .47

 

TYPE

VOICE

DATE SHOWN
TITLE
MUSIC
LIGHTS
LIGHTS
PROJECTION
CURTAINS

READER

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

38

EXAMPLE 1

 

Time:
Inspirational Thought

Male or female adult

"The Mountain of the Lord"

Organ Background--"There is a Quiet Place"

Fade Sanctuary

Fade Chancel

Slide 1 on curtain

Open when title is read.

There is something challenging about a mountain.
Living creatures, from bears to human beings
try to get to the other side.
As humans, we are often driven by a desire to
do something more exciting than we have been
used to doing--to explore--to excel.
Dissolve to Slide 2.

At other times we are motivated by a strong
urge to escape from the treadmill of the daily
routine and grind, the "rat race" that dissi-
pates our energies and emotions.

Dissolve to Slide 3.

Whether mountains shut opportunities in or out,
they add strength and character to the land-

scape by the very fact that they dominate the

 

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

39

horizon. No wonder the Psalmist spoke of
Dissolve to Slide 4.

Looking for help to the hills ... and beyond
them to "the Lord who made heaven and earth."
Dissolve to Slide 5.

In our modern world we often feel hemmed in by
the demands of a materialistic social order.
Dissolve to Slide 6.

That is the time to lift up our eyes to the
"mountains of the Lord" to find spiritual
renewal and fresh hope.

Dissolve to Slide 7.

The mountain in Scripture is symbolic of the
strength and majesty of God. Its majestic
formations tower above us and as we look upon
them, from within ourselves comes the acknowl-
edgement, "Yes, I indeed pass by, but you have
always been there and it seems like you always
will be, long after I have gone."

Dissolve to Slide 8.

The same is true of God, He was, is now and
ever shall be. For those of us who sense our
destructibility, let us drink of the water of
life freely which He, the God of all eternity
has allowed to flow from heaven into the soul

of man. That we might look to the Mountain of

40

the Lord, for He alone is our refuge and our

strength, a very present help in time of

trouble.
CURTAINS Close
MUSIC Up
LIGHTS Chancel
LIGHTS Sanctuary

SCRIPT SOURCE: Original based on Psalms 121:1.

 

41

 

EXAMPLE 2
Time: 1:33
TYPE Special Days on Church Calendar--Children's
Sunday.
VOICE Female adult
DATE SHOWN
TITLE "Love and Let Live"
MUSIC Brahms Lullaby
LIGHTS Fade Sanctuary
LIGHTS Fade Chancel

PROJECTION Slide 1 on curtains

CURTAINS Open slowly
READER (As curtains open) Love and Let Live.
READER The soul of a child is the loveliest flower

That grows in the garden of God.

Its climb is from weakness to knowledge and power

To the sky from the clay and the clod.
To beauty and sweetness it grows.under care,
Neglected, 'tis ragged and wild.
'Tis a plant that is tender, but wondrously rare,
The sweet, wistful soul of a child.
PROJECTION Dissolve to Slide 2.
READER Be tender, 0 gardener, and give it its share
Of moisture, of warmth, and of light,
And let it not lack for the painstaking care,

To protect it from frost and from blight.

 

42

PROJECTION Dissolve to Slide 3.
READER A glad day will come when its bloom shall unfold,
It will seem that an angel has smiled,
Reflecting a beauty and sweetness untold

In the sensitive soul of a child.

CURTAINS Close slowly

MUSIC Up

LIGHTS Chancel up--as candles are lit

LIGHTS Sanctuary up as acolytes leave chancel.

SCRIPT SOURCE: Church Periodical, "The Haven of Rest Log".

 

TYPE

VOICE

DATE SHOWN

TITLE

MUSIC

LIGHTS

LIGHTS

PROJECTION

CURTAINS

READER

READER

PROJECTION

READER

43

EXAMPLE 3

 

Time: 2:25
Instructional Objective

Male or female adult

"The Church an Undeniable Fact"

Organ background. "The Church's One

Hymn:
Foundation"

Fade Sanctuary

Fade Chancel

Slide 1 on curtains

Do not open until the slide is on the curtains.
Open only far enough for horizontal slides,
Open when the title is read.

The Church, an Undeniable Fact.
Church is an undeniable fact. It has behind it i
a history of two thousand years of steady growth

and amazing achievement. Today it is to be

 

 

 

found in almost every part of the world and
numbers among its members, one-third of the
population.

Dissolve to Slide 2.

The church admittedly has faults and failings
and poses a human side. However, it is not

merely a voluntary association of those who

happen to be interested in religion nor an

PROJECTION

READER

PROJECTION

READER

44

accident of social revolution. Its roots lie
not in the minds of men but in the heart of

God. It is not an end in itself, but its com-
mission is to proclaim the Good News of the

love of God in Christ, to all the world.
Dissolve to Slide 3.

From Jerusalem the church has gone out into
every land. So much has the church changed
every environment in which it has been allowed
to function that no one of us, would want to
live in a community without it.

Dissolve to Slide 4.

The church has been so closely identified with
the ongoing life and work of the Risen Lord that
it can best be described as the body of Christ.
Through manifold trials and attacks something E
far greater than human strength has sustained '
it. Without the Church, the doctrines of

Christianity would soon become confused and (

 

dissipated.

Failure to do our utmost for the Church
means failure to do everything possible to
serve Christ. The final earthly test of our
loyalty to Jesus is the quality of our support
for His Church.... Consider this.... Consider

it well.

45

CURTAINS Close
MUSIC Up

LIGHTS Chancel
LIGHTS Sanctuary

SCRIPT SOURCE: From the article printed on the back of a

Worship bulletin.

CHAPTER IV

EQUIPMENT

It has often been said that "A good picture is worth a
thousand words". It has an interest factor not available
verbally, and has the added advantage of conveying reality.
The right picture can add authenticity, warmth, human inter-
est and emotion and appears to convey more fully the purpose
of a written or verbal statement. In the case of a 35 mm
slide however, its picture power is very limited unless the
right equipment is properly used to project it effectively.

The Focus required the following equipment for its
presentation:

1) Slide Projector.

A Sawyers Heavy duty, Rotamatic 747 A02 Automatic

 

 

Focus was used with a 6" F/3.5 zoom lens, due to the
screen being fifty feet from the projector. This
projector has a ten foot remote control extension
which permitted the script reader to change slides
and read the script when necessary, without the
projection noise being picked up by the mike. The

Auto-timer which permits slide changing for any

46

2)

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interval between approximately five to thirty
seconds, was not used. A 500 watt quartz halogen
lamp gives bright, evenly illuminated pictures to
the edge of the screen.

A Rototray Slide tray was used for the slides,
which starting with slot No. l, were inserted with
the top of the picture toward the outside of the
tray and the emulsion (dull) side of the film
facing toward the person loading the slides.

The projector was placed on a projection plat-
form in the projection room which was ten feet from
the floor of the sanctuary. Over the distance of
fifty feet at this height, a 2 x 2 slide image com-
pletely filled the 9 x 12 foot screen. Vertical
slides were not used because they overlap the screen
from this distance.

Having a projection room made it possible to
keep all equipment and personnel out of the church
aisle and minimized the noise factor in the opera-
tion of the equipment. The projection was over the
heads of the viewers, thus eliminating any shadow
distraction; the elevation and control position
eliminating any keystone effect. A second projector
was set up to effect the dissolve technique which

had to be done by hand.

 

3)

4)

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Sound System.

A Bogen public address system was installed in the
projection room with two speakers, one on either
side of the chancel in the sanctuary. The amplifier
has two microphone outlets, a tape recorder or
record jack and base and treble adjustment controls.
It lacked a sound-level meter, so as a result,

voice levels had to be taken on script readers ahead
of time and the controls set.

A Realistic Highball 5 Dual-impedance cardiod
dynamic microphone was used by the reader. It is a
unidirectional mike designed for excellent reproduc-
tion of voice and music. It features a highly
effective wind screen and "pop" filter, and due to
unidirectional design, can be used closer to
speakers without creating feedback problems. It
also prevents the echoing, or "boominess" that may
occur in partially filled halls.

Camera.

The slides used for the Focus were taken with a
Mamiya Sekor 1000 DTL Camera with Spot and Average
Metering system. This is a 35 mm single lens
reflex camera, focul plane type shutter with speeds
from 1 to 1/000 of a second and "B" for time expo-

sures.

5)

6)

7)

49

Screen.

A 9 x 12 foot Da-Lite screen with ceiling mounting.
Slide Sorters.

Three plastic slide sorters were used to sort slides
for the various focus readings. Each sorter has
five rows on which seven slides can be mounted giv-
ing a total of 35 slides per sorter with an electric
light behind the screen for viewing. These sorters
are permanently installed on a desk with shelves for
all categorized slide trays.

Organ: Conn electric.

This organ is comparable with the Lowrey or Hammond
standard size organs for church sanctuaries of up

to three hundred people. Its various tone and

sound variations provide ample selection for various
background music requirements. The organ has its
own amplification; consequently, it was not necessary

to run its sound through the public address system.

 

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY

In the beginning of the Genesis record, God appears as
a communicating being. He has something important to
impart to His people. Seldom in Scripture do we find God
communicating verbally. It is usually visual and in every
day things such as fire, clouds, an olive branch, a rainbow.
This is a lesson which the Focus concept has brought to
light; people of all ages respond more readily to that with
which they are familiar and can identify. To find these
areas of familiarity and identification and capture them
through photography and words has been a learning experience
that has led to many new environments and relationships.
Cardinal Newman said of Napoleon, "he understood the grammar
of gunpowder". Understanding the need for Audio-visuals in
the church and the correct utilization of equipment to pre-
sent the Focus Reading necessitated the use of skills,
which, in the lecture hall sounded grammatically correct but
at the same time also needed to be proved productive.

Taking some of what is known in the media field and

applying it to a church in an actual production situation

50

 

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has provided this student with a realistic challenge to
classroom learning. A three year encounter with the medium
of 2x2 slides and sound has shown that people retain much
more of what they see as well as hear. Effective design
and production with this media has bridged the gap between
Bible time culture and today. It has helped people identify
with specific situations and problems, stimulated discussion
and brought present issues into focus for examination.
Media communications can motivate, teach and explain, but
they are tools not ends in themselves.

This thesis has provided the opportunity to use media
tools in a creative production, the design and development
of which, will hopefully benefit many churches as they move

toward more regular usage of audio-visuals.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Chu, Godwin C. and Schramm, Wilbur. Learning from Tele-
vision. Washington: National Association of Educa-
tional Broadcasters, 1967.

 

Jackson, B. F. (ed.). Communication--Learning for Church-
men, Vol. I of Communication for Churchmen Series
4 vols.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968.

 

 

 

Jackson, B. F. (ed.). Television-Radio-Film for Churchmen,
Vol. II of Communication for Churchmen Series 4 vols.;
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1969.

 

 

Jackson, B. F. (ed.). Audio-visual Facilities and Equipment
for Churchmen, Vol. III of Communication for Churchmen
Series 4 vols.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970.

 

 

 

New English Bible.

 

Rogers, William L. and Vieth, Paul H. Visual Aids in the
Church. Philadelphia: The Christian Education Press,
1970.

 

The Reader's Digest Great Encyclgpedic Dictionary, Vol. I
Ilst ed., Oxford University Press).

Wittich, Walter Arno and Schuller, Charles Francis.
Audio-Visual Materials. New York: Harper & Row,
PuBlishers, 1967.

 

Periodicals and Manuals

 

Johnson, Barry L. "Please Don't Yawn When I'm Kissing You,"
United Methodist Today, June 1974.

 

Lester, William B. "Readers' Forum: Audio—Visuals,"
Your Church, November/December 1974.

 

52

 

53

McLeod, Donald. "The Dialogue of the Sanctuary,"
Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Vol. LVI, No. 3,
Princeton, New Jersey, May 1963.

 

Editor. "Membership Declines But Giving Keeps Rising,"
The Interpreter, Evanston, Illinois: March 1975.

 

Editor. "TV First, Church Last in Influence," Applied
Christianity, August 1974.

 

 

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