From Gymnasium to Worship Center: Inside Island Community Church’s Stunning 14-Month Transformation

There’s something magical about watching an old space get a new lease on life. When we first walked into Island Community Church’s old gymnasium 14 months ago, we saw potential where others might have seen problems. Today, that same space has been transformed into one of the most impressive worship centers I’ve seen, and the story of how we got there is just as fascinating as the final result.

A Different Kind of Church Aesthetic

Most church tech installations lean heavily into the dark, theatrical “black box” approach. You know the look – everything painted black to disappear into the background, creating that concert venue vibe that’s become synonymous with contemporary worship. But Island Community Church decided to go a completely different direction, and honestly, it’s refreshing.

Located in the Florida Keys, this church embraced its coastal setting with a bright, airy design that feels more like a beachside community center than a traditional sanctuary. The linen-colored acoustic panels, light paint scheme, and overall bright aesthetic create an atmosphere that says “come as you are” rather than “prepare to be impressed.” It’s a bold choice that works beautifully with their island location and community-focused ministry approach.

The Tech Booth That Thinks Ahead

One of my favorite details in this entire installation is how much thought went into the tech booth design. Jake points out something that seems obvious in hindsight but is brilliant in practice – we angled the top wall of the tech booth so you literally can’t set drinks on it. Sounds simple, but anyone who’s worked in a tech booth knows that coffee cups and water bottles have a way of ending up exactly where they’ll block your view of the stage at the worst possible moment.

The booth construction itself is equally thoughtful. Instead of building a solid wall that would block sound from reaching the front-of-house engineer, we specified a hollow wall design that maintains acoustic transparency while still providing visual separation. The same linen fabric used throughout the room covers both the inside and outside of the booth, creating visual continuity that makes the tech booth feel like part of the room rather than an afterthought.

But what really impresses me is how we’ve managed cable management and equipment placement. By using KVM technology, we’ve kept the actual tech booth remarkably clean while housing all the heavy equipment securely in the backstage area. It’s the kind of forward thinking that makes a system both functional today and maintainable for years to come.

Video Production with Personality

The video system here tells an interesting story about how churches are thinking differently about production value. Rather than going overboard with expensive cameras and complex switching, we built a system around three PTZ Optics 4K cameras that deliver professional results when paired with quality lighting. Sometimes the best camera is the one that’s properly lit, and this installation proves that point.

What makes their video setup special isn’t just the hardware – it’s how we’ve integrated control. The Stream Deck interface allows operators to recall camera presets with a simple button press, making live switching feel more like playing an instrument than operating complex machinery. When you can fade between shots or jump to a preset angle without thinking about the technical details, you’re free to focus on storytelling and capturing moments.

There’s also a clever feature that lets them route live camera feeds directly to the massive LED wall for special events. While they mentioned that baptisms at this church happen in the ocean about a hundred yards away (which sounds pretty amazing, honestly), you can imagine how useful this capability would be for other intimate moments that deserve to be shared with the entire congregation.

The LED Wall That Changes Everything

Speaking of that LED wall – this thing is truly impressive. At 21 feet wide by 11.5 feet tall with a 2.9mm pixel pitch, it’s not just big, it’s precisely calibrated for optimal impact. The exact pixel dimensions are 3072 by 1344, numbers that I’ve apparently entered into computers “about a dozen times already” during setup.

But here’s where it gets technically interesting. Most churches would run their LED wall directly from their video switcher, but because this wall is more than double-wide with almost 4K resolution, that approach would result in content that looks stretched or pixelated. Instead, we’re running the display directly from a Mac Mini with the EDID set to match the wall’s exact pixel count. This means every piece of content sent to that wall is pixel-perfect, maximizing the visual impact of their investment.

The decision to fly the display rather than wall-mount it might seem like a small detail, but it speaks to the kind of long-term thinking that separates good installations from great ones. If they ever need to adjust the height, move the wall, or make changes to the space, they have that flexibility. Permanent wall mounting might save some upfront cost, but it can create expensive headaches down the road.

Audio That Disappears (In the Best Way)

The audio system here represents a thoughtful alternative to the line array approach that’s become standard in many churches. Instead of stacking speakers vertically and dealing with sight line issues, we went with a Fulcrum Acoustic point source system that provides excellent coverage while remaining visually unobtrusive.

The main arrays use GX15 speakers with coaxial drivers, supported by two flown CS121 subwoofers that distribute low-end energy evenly throughout the room. Rather than dealing with the power alleys and dead zones that often come with ground-stacked subs, flying them creates consistent bass response regardless of where you’re sitting.

What really makes this system work is the strategic placement of additional speakers throughout the room. Three delay speakers at the back ensure that the sound feels present and immediate even in the far rows, while five front fills along the stage edge take care of those first two rows where the main speakers might be aiming over people’s heads. The result is truly what Jake claims – there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.

The Heart of the System: LV1 Classic

At the center of this audio system is the LV1 Classic mixing console, and this is where the installation really shows its forward-thinking approach. Rather than treating the mixing console as a fixed piece of hardware, the LV1 system is built around expandability and flexibility. The console itself is essentially a control surface connected to a wave server that handles processing, with stage boxes providing input and output connections.

What this means in practical terms is that if they ever need more processing power – say, for running intensive plugins on every channel – they can add additional wave servers without replacing the entire system. It’s the kind of scalability that can extend the useful life of an installation by years.

The broadcast mixing capabilities are particularly well thought out. We’re running channels into groups that feed both the front-of-house mix and a separate broadcast mix with room microphones and effects sends. The processing chain includes Vitamin F6L2 and Playlist Rider to keep the online mix consistent and polished. Having heard the audio from their livestream, I can confirm it sounds exceptional.

Lighting That Serves the Story

The lighting design here is refreshingly straightforward while still providing plenty of creative options. Eight Pro Church Lights Pro Kick fixtures provide RGBW color washing across the stage, while twelve Pro Wash Plus fixtures handle the main stage illumination with traditional fresnel-style output. Two moving lights were originally specified just for wedding floor lighting, but they’re being repurposed during services to add color splashes to the walls around the LED screen.

Perhaps most impressive are the 22 Pro Pendant house lights throughout the room. These aren’t just functional lighting – they’re RGBW fixtures that can change the color and mood of the entire space. This means the worship experience can extend beyond the stage into the congregation area, creating a more immersive environment when appropriate.

The integration with ProPresenter through Light Key software is particularly elegant. Lighting changes can be programmed directly onto presentation slides, so advancing to the first slide of a worship song automatically triggers the appropriate lighting preset. It’s the kind of automation that reduces operator workload while ensuring consistent execution.

Smart Infrastructure Choices

The backbone of this entire system is built on UniFi networking equipment, and it’s clear that careful attention was paid to network design. We’re running AES67 for the Waves audio network on dedicated VLANs, and everything from lighting control to video routing depends on rock-solid networking. The fact that we had Starlink as a backup when the primary internet service provider failed during their opening service shows the kind of redundancy planning that prevents disasters.

The equipment rack organization is equally thoughtful. Everything is clearly labeled, properly terminated, and organized for serviceability. The custom cable terminations from Whirlwind stage pockets to the stage boxes include heat shrink, color-coded tech flex, and detailed labeling that makes troubleshooting straightforward. It’s the kind of attention to detail that makes the difference between a system that works today and one that will still be working reliably in five years.

The Stage That Stays Clean

Anyone who’s worked in a church knows that keeping stages organized is an ongoing battle. This installation tackles that challenge with smart infrastructure choices, particularly the Whirlwind floor pockets that keep cables organized and out of sight. Three FP4 floor boxes and one FP2 box handle everything from drum inputs to monitor outputs, with even the Multi-tracks Playback system connecting through the floor infrastructure.

The decision to go with electronic drums will undoubtedly spark debate (it always does), but it makes sense in this space. As I mentioned during the tour, acoustic drums in a room like this would require isolation to prevent overwhelming the mix, which would mean building a drum booth that could interfere with the open, community feel they’ve created. The electronic kit they chose apparently feels remarkably close to acoustic while providing the level control necessary for both live and broadcast mixing.

Lessons for Every Church

What strikes me most about this installation isn’t any single piece of technology – it’s how every decision was made with both immediate functionality and long-term flexibility in mind. From the flown LED wall that can be repositioned if needed, to the expandable audio console, to the network infrastructure that can support future additions, this system is built to evolve.

The aesthetic choices are equally instructive. By embracing their coastal location and community-focused ministry approach, Island Community Church created a space that feels authentic to their identity rather than trying to imitate someone else’s vision of what a church should look like. The light, bright, beachy vibe might not work everywhere, but it works perfectly here because it’s honest to who they are and where they’re located.

Perhaps most importantly, this installation demonstrates that exceptional results don’t always require the most expensive components. Smart design, careful integration, and attention to detail can create a system that punches well above its weight class. The PTZ Optics cameras deliver professional results when properly lit. The point source audio system provides excellent coverage at a fraction of the cost of a line array. The Pro Church Lights fixtures create impressive looks without breaking the budget.

The Transformation That Inspires

Fourteen months ago, this was just an old gymnasium with potential. Today, it’s a worship center that serves both in-person and online congregations with equal excellence. But more than that, it’s proof that thoughtful design and smart technology choices can create spaces that genuinely serve ministry rather than just impressing visitors.

Every church’s situation is unique, but the principles demonstrated here – planning for flexibility, designing for your community, integrating systems thoughtfully, and paying attention to details – are universally applicable. Whether you’re transforming an old gymnasium or building from scratch, there are lessons here that can improve your results and extend the life of your investment.

We’ve created something special here at Island Community Church, and they now have a space that can serve their community for years to come. Sometimes that’s exactly what transformation looks like – not just changing what something looks like, but fundamentally changing what it can do.