- For each of the more than 16,000 congregation members at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, weekly religious services drive home a message of good will through an uplifting showcase of sights and sounds. Within the Worship Center, the focal point of the church's campus, AMX® technology integrates a plethora of media equipment and content designed for members and visitors to share their faith in exciting new ways.
"Many of the events that take place at prestigious awards shows and modern concerts, we can do the same kinds of things from right in here," Oldenburg said. "It all started with AMX."
- Traditional services have been transformed into enthusiastic multimedia presentations, which are extremely popular with churchgoers of all ages. In the main auditorium where services are held, take your pick of approximately 4,000 theater-style seats. With larger than life Plasma screens and concert-quality audio and lighting automated and managed using AMX, the back row feels as energized and personal as the front row.
- "We're a progressive church to begin with," said Greg Oldenburg, video producer/production coordinator at Fellowship. "It was just a matter of time before we incorporated this kind of technology. If it somehow brings them (the congregation) closer to Christ, then we're all the better for it. Yet, we don't consider the technology the reason we do this. It is a part of how we try to hit all the senses, so each member of the congregation will remember what they experienced."
High-End Services
- The technology in place delivers an attractive welcome, from the church's Guest Services Kiosk complete with mounted Plasmas to the Fellowship Bookstore where you will find more Plasma screens and numerous Christian music listening stations. "The overall design of the building tends to mimic a high-end retail establishment," Oldenburg said. "It is extremely eye-catching." To achieve such an interactive environment, Fellowship called upon Fowler Design Group of Norman, Okla., to install the AMX Control System and Touch Panels, as well as other manufacturer's hardware. AMX Professional Services programmed the software. "We went from a high school into this building nearly five years ago," Oldenburg added. "A lot of time went into making this the best in regards to production value. We wanted to match what people are seeing on television."
Guest Kiosk
- The guest kiosk, located in the center of the Worship Center, greets you with colorful images and information about events and points of interest for parents, teens, children and singles. Continuous updates to graphics, text and sounds are made using a full-color AMX 5.5 inch Touch Panel sitting behind the kiosk's counter. It communicates directly with a hidden equipment rack, located in underneath cabinet, which houses two VCRs, two DVDs, eight PCs and an AMX Axcent3 Pro Controller. The touch of a button can instantly import special graphic images on any of the eight mounted 42 inch plasmas, which are even capable of switching to cameras inside the main auditorium to show a live service.
Fellowship Bookstore
- The latest AMX control and automation technology can be found in the Fellowship Bookstore. An AMX NetLinx® Controller and wireless ViewPoint® Touch Panel provide fluid control over Plasma screens, LCD monitors, overhead music and microphones. The panel's user-friendly interface allows the end user - usually a church member running the cashier counter - to manage the routing of images and sounds being played in different areas of the store, at the simple touch of a button. "It's nice to be able to stand in one place to do these kinds of things rather than having 50 remotes and a single television like we had before," said Sarah Cronin, Assistant Bookstore Manager. Now, an equipment rack in the back of the store harnesses the power of NetLinx to integrate six MPEG players for the music listening stations, one tuner, one VCR, four DVDs, a video router, a PC, and a 13 inch preview monitor to edit what images are sent to each plasma. "With so many different functions, we had to have this kind of flexibility (of AMX systems) to run such a variety of gear," Oldenburg said.
Control Room
- Welcome to the heartbeat of the entire building. From the Control Room, located on the second floor, every integrated electronic device can be controlled, automated, routed and edited. Audio and lighting levels, as well as timed sequences crucial to the seamless presentation of each service are effortlessly directed and managed using an AMX 5.5. inch Touch Panel and seven racks of equipment. The panel's interface reveals a blueprint of the building, allowing the control room operators to track the status of networked equipment and to manually override any device located in guest services kiosk and bookstore. Six camera screens offer a view of activity throughout the building, plus an added level of security. "Many of the events that take place at prestigious awards shows and modern concerts, we can do the same kinds of things from right in here," Oldenburg said. "It all started with AMX."
