Best Stage Lighting for Churches

Like it or not, your lighting setup makes a statement about your worship service long before your team takes the platform. Traditional or contemporary, lighthearted or liturgical — your house and stage lights are the lens through which new faces and regular attendees will view your service. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of the impact of good lighting.

What Is the Role of Stage Lighting in a Church?Are Stage Lights Right for My Church?Stage Lights for Your ChurchSpots & Moving-head FixturesHaze MachinesLighting Controllers

What Is the Role of Stage Lighting in a Church?

Are you new to stage lighting? It’s not as overwhelming as it seems. Lighting serves two major functions: visibility and atmosphere. Some lighting fixtures, like spots and PARs aimed at the stage, help the congregation stay tuned in to what’s happening onstage. And atmospheric wash lights and uplights utilized in the background can complement the stage or architecture of your space, and they go a long way in enhancing beauty, promoting reverence, and providing comfort. So, whether it’s sight lines or ambience you’re after, choosing the right lighting setup can help you create an effective and engaging environment for worship.

Are Stage Lights Right for My Church?

If the idea of stage lights calls to mind laser light shows and out-of-control concert productions, then you’re not alone. Many smaller and traditional churches are understandably hesitant about investing in a modern lighting setup. If this describes you, then we invite you to consider the following:

Good lighting is timeless. Music styles and furnishings (wood pallets, anyone?) will come and go. But with a versatile LED lighting system, you are safeguarding your church against transient lighting trends.Good lighting is affordable. Compared to traditional fixtures, a modern system of cool-running LED lights can save money year over year (with as much as 85% savings on reduced electricity costs). And that is just good stewardship.Good lighting is available for all sizes and budgets. Stage lights aren’t just for megachurches. As you’ll see in our recommendations, a modest lighting setup can be built for well under $1,000.Good lighting is easier to incorporate than ever. Modern fixtures, sound-activated programs, and app-based controls are empowering volunteers to get involved in lighting design even without prior experience. This means that creating a sharp-looking environment doesn’t require hiring dedicated personnel.

Stage Lights for Your Church

Here are Sweetwater’s recommendations for the best lighting fixtures, controllers, and accessories for churches.

Chauvet DJ SlimPAR Pro W USB Variable White PAR Light

This compact PAR slips into the tightest spaces to deliver high-quality lighting directly onto your stage. Chauvet DJ SlimPAR Pro W USB three-in-one LEDs provide a versatile range of lighting color temperatures (warm white, cool white, and amber) without gels. DMX and D-Fi compatibility provide wired and wireless control. The 6-color Chauvet DJ SlimPAR Pro H USB is also available. These fixtures provide a lot of flexibility and can be added to nearly any space around the church that would benefit from stage lighting, including children, student, and youth areas.

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Chauvet DJ COLORband Pix ILS LED Striplight Fixture

With pixel mapping, ILS compatibility, and built-in D-Fi USB transceiver compatibility, the Chauvet DJ COLORband Pix ILS could be the blinder/wash light your rig is missing. This feature-packed, 38-inch light strip uses 12 RGB LEDs to create a vivid range of colors, and it comes preloaded with multiple programs for plug-and-play ease. Its flicker-free operation looks great, even on camera. With completely silent operation, it’s the perfect choice to highlight special architectural features of your room or to easily “paint” large walls with light — even in quiet venues or intimate settings.

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Chauvet DJ Freedom Par T6 RGB Wireless PAR

For portable churches without permanent spaces, a handful of these battery-powered Chauvet DJ Freedom Par T6 lights can go a long way. You can uplight drapes, fixtures, and walls with DMX control or go completely cable-free with the built-in RF receiver and an optional RFC or RFC-XL remote. It’s also a quick and easy way to add a special ambience to rooms for special occasions such as weddings or banquets.

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ADJ Mega Flat Pak 8 Plus RGB+UV PAR Package

As an affordable turnkey lighting solution, the ADJ Mega Flat Pak 8 Plus is tough to beat. These eight multicolor LED fixtures bathe your stage, platform, or walls in brilliant, programmable light. You get seven DMX cables (for daisy-chaining) and a padded soft case with enough room for lights and accessories.

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Spots & Moving-head Fixtures

Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 260X 75-watt LED Moving-head Spot

This motorized LED fixture has what it takes to get people engaged and on their feet. Between its powerful 75-watt LED lamp, eight gels, seven gobos, 3-facet prism, and strobe options, you can create tons of cool effects with the Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 260X. There are nearly endless creative ways to use this fixture to highlight specific features of a room or energize a platform. Try using the built-in gobos to create special looks on the stage or dramatic effects on organ pipes. The 100-watt Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 360X is also available.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R1 BeamWash RGBW LED Moving-head Beam/Wash

The Chauvet Pro Rogue R1 BeamWash is a high-quality, sophisticated, and reliable moving-head wash fixture. The unique convex bubble lenses covering each of the seven quad-color LEDs help the Rogue R1 BeamWash achieve superb color blending and dramatic (5-to-58-degree) zoom effects. It’s particularly useful for eliminating harsh shadows onstage.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R1X Spot 170-watt LED Moving Head

The Chauvet Pro Rogue R1X Spot casts up to eight brilliant colors onto your stage or platform, courtesy of its powerful 170-watt white LED and continuously variable split-color wheel. Motorized iris and focus give full control over the shape of your beam; DMX and RDM protocols give you remote control from your booth or desk.

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Chauvet Pro Rogue R2X Wash RGBW LED Moving Head

Durable, dependable, and extremely versatile. This workhorse fixture delivers impressive quad-color lighting with five zones of pixel-map control and a broad 12-to-49-degree motorized zoom. The Chauvet Pro Rogue R2X Wash‘s controls include selectable pan/tilt ranges and dimming modes, and its automated programs make setup extremely simple.

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Chauvet DJ EVE E-100Z 100-watt Warm White Ellipsoidal Spot

If your stage calls for the hard-edged, focused beam of a traditional theater spot, but without the heat and power consumption, then consider the Chauvet DJ EVE E-100Z ellipsoidal spot. This super-bright mounted LED spot gives you manual zoom and framing shutters and a warm white light that takes well to standard gels and gobos (not included).

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Haze Machines

Chauvet Pro Amhaze Stadium Tour-ready Haze Machine

Creating ambience is quick and easy with the Chauvet Pro Amhaze Stadium haze machine, which only requires 30 seconds of warm-up time. Its DMX-controlled output and blower speed give users exacting control from afar. The rugged road case and M12 rigging make the Amhaze Stadium perfect for portable and permanent churches alike. Using haze is a lighting technique that’s been around for over 100 years. It provides a harmless, sparkling contrast in the air that’s designed to enhance the beauty of the light traveling through it.

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Chauvet DJ Hurricane Haze 4D DMX Haze Machine

Smaller spaces that call for a versatile, high-powered hazer will find their match in the Chauvet DJ Hurricane Haze 4D. Controls for output, fan speed, and scoop — accessible via onboard controls, DMX, and an included wired remote — equip this haze machine for sophisticated stage programs. Its compact size is perfect for mounting, too.

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Lighting Controllers

Chroma-Q Vista EX Lighting Software Control Surface

Whether you’re lighting a small show or a major, Vegas-style extravaganza, you want immediate and comprehensive hands-on control. The Chroma-Q Vista EX delivers exactly that. Harnessing the power of the latest Vista 3 lighting and media control software, the Vista EX features 12 customizable playback faders, 60 assignable buttons, and eight encoders, giving you masterful physical control for even the most demanding applications while providing the flexibility to adapt to any type of production or event. It offers up to 1,024 onboard DMX channels and up to 8,192 with the addition of an optional Ethernet-to-DMX node. With its delightfully compact footprint, the Vista EX qualifies as carry-on luggage, so you’ll always be able to zip through airport lines and make your connecting flight. And at just 21 inches wide, it has no trouble squeezing virtually into any booth or onto any worksurface.

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Chamsys QuickQ 10 1-universe Compact Lighting Console 

With 512 DMX channels available, this compact Chamsys QuickQ 10 console can easily tackle any small lighting rig as well as larger rigs with a slew of moving heads, PARs, and maybe even a hazer or two. This console offers incredible operational flexibility, RDM compliance, and even remote-controlled smartphone/tablet capability for the console itself. A large touchscreen provides a graphical interface and allows users to easily view their fixtures, groups, scenes, colors, effects, and more. Many enjoy the QuickQ 10’s easy-to-master software and operation, which make it a stellar choice for venues with lighting volunteers who require a console with a minor learning curve.

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Let Sweetwater Help with Your Lighting

We hope this feature has shed some light on the topic of church lighting setups. Sweetwater Sales Engineers are always eager to help our customers get the best gear for their needs and budgets. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (800) 222-4700 to discuss your specific lighting needs.
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