The Creative Process (Part 2)

Click HERE for part 1

Here are a few more things we try to do at Church of the Suncoast to spice things up and where we find them:

Sermon Videos
We usually have at least one, if not two, videos each week at the Suncoast. We will use canned stuff from http://www.sermonspice.com/ or http://www.sermonvideos.com/ or http://www.highwayvideos.com/ . You can also try http://www.bluefishtv.com/ . I have also been known to take a canned video from one of those places and edit it (again) in something as simple as Windows Movie Maker that almost everyone has. If the music sucks on a video you can mute the sound and add your own music. If a video is too long you can edit that. Or you can splice a canned movie in with something original you make.

Movie Clips
Movie clips are another way to spice up a service. A great listing of movie themes that might fit your topic is: http://www.textweek.com/movies/themeindex.htm

Recently, I have also used some clips from http://www.wingclips.com/ . You can buy subscriptions for something really cheap a month that allows you to download multiple formats of movie clips, some STILL in the theaters! Don’t know how they do it, but it has spiced up our services a time or two when we just could not find anything else.

Another great place is of course http://www.youtube.com/ . You can find almost any famous movie scene and convert the file at http://www.zamzar.com/ which is a free service. You can also buy programs for about $30 bucks to convert the FLV format to mpeg.

Music Videos
Something we used a lot before our band got up to speed was “secular” music videos. Usually they have high production value and are pretty entertaining obviously. It is an easy way to set the mood heading into a message when you don’t want to stress your band out. This works even better if you have multiple screens…

You can find music video DVD’s at places like FYE and even Wal-Mart. Also, YouTube usually has at least one that has decent quality and sound.

Mix it Up
One of the most creative things you can do is just mix the service up each week. Try to not have the same “order of service” each week. Do the welcome first then do a video then some music. Next week have three songs and then right into the message with a video in the middle of your talk. Do something crazy like a video and then right into the message followed by the music… you get the idea. Take you basic service elements and play with them. The more people can’t predict what is coming next the more creative your service will be.

Finally… copy other people! Be a student of other churches and find ways to use their creative elements in yours. A lot of the big churches are selling or giving away their videos and dramas. Use them! Also get into a network of churches in your area that fit your style and share ideas and resources!