Church Lighting from A to Z: The Complete Foundation Guide

Based on Craig and Frank’s Pro Church Lights Conference Talk

Most churches approach lighting backwards. They start with the fun, flashy stuff—moving lights, color-changing fixtures, atmospheric effects—and wonder why their lighting looks unprofessional and distracting. The truth is simpler than you think: get your foundations right, and everything else falls into place.

This comprehensive guide will take you from control to the final fixture, covering the three essential foundations that transform amateur lighting into professional, worship-enhancing environments.

The Person Behind the Console

Before diving into gear and techniques, let’s address the biggest misconception in church lighting: it’s not about the control system—it’s about the person behind the console. Whether you’re running a $175 system or a $50,000 console, the quality of your lighting comes down to the intentionality and skill of the operator.

Intentionality as Worship

Frank’s perspective as a former youth pastor brings crucial insight: the lighting designer role is a support ministry and a form of worship. Some of the most powerful worship moments can happen behind a lighting console when you’re prayerfully and intentionally creating an environment for people to encounter Jesus.

This means approaching lighting with the same preparation and heart posture as any other ministry role. Spend time during the week programming and preparing. Understand the flow of the service. Position yourself to ebb and flow with the worship pastor, not fight against them.

Recommended Control Systems

For churches looking at control options, here are the four systems consistently recommended:

1. Lightkey – Mac-only, extremely intuitive, perfect for volunteers
2. Onyx – Great hybrid option with hardware surfaces available
3. Vista – Professional but accessible
4. MA – Industry standard for complex rigs

Lightkey gets special attention because it can often run on the same Mac as your ProPresenter setup. For many churches, this dual-purpose approach provides excellent value and simplicity.

DMX Distribution: The Language of Light

Every light fixture has a “telephone number” called a DMX address. Your control system uses three possible protocols to talk to your lights:

• DMX – Physical XLR cables daisy-chained fixture to fixture
• sACN (streaming ACN) – Network-based, newer protocol
• ArtNet – Network-based, older but widely supported

Most churches operate within a single 512-channel universe, which covers the vast majority of lighting needs. When you grow beyond that, network-based protocols become essential.

Critical Detail: Use DMX Cable, Not Audio XLR

This isn’t optional. DMX and audio XLR cables look identical but have different impedance ratings. Using the wrong cable will eventually cause problems. Always check the cable labeling – if it doesn’t say “DMX” or “lighting,” don’t use it.

Foundation #1: Front Wash (Get People Lit Well)

Front wash is the most critical element in your entire lighting rig. Get this wrong, and nothing else matters. Get this right, and you’re 80% of the way to professional lighting.

The Franken-Rig Problem

Churches create lighting disasters by adding fixtures over time without a plan. Craig shared a real example: a church struggling with poor lighting had accumulated 22 different fixtures over six years, spending $5,500 total. The result? Blue skin tones, hotspots, shadows, and six years of frustration.

The solution? Eight matching fixtures for $76 more total cost. They could have solved their problem correctly from day one for essentially the same money.

Front Wash Fundamentals

Use white LED chip fixtures only. Never use RGB or color-changing fixtures for front wash. This single decision eliminates 90% of skin tone problems. The goal is beautiful, crisp white light that makes people look natural both in person and on camera.

Color temperature matters. Target 4,000K – the sweet spot between cool and warm. This prevents the orange bronze look of 2,800K and the cold blue feel of 5,600K. Match your LED wall color temperature to this same setting.

Intensity should rarely exceed 60-70%. Most churches blast their front wash at 100% and wonder why people look washed out on camera. Give the stage just enough light to look natural – your cameras and congregation will thank you.

The 45-Degree Rule

Position front wash fixtures at approximately 45 degrees from the stage. Easy measuring trick: measure from stage deck to ceiling, then go the exact same distance out into the congregation and look up. That’s your optimal light position.

This angle provides excellent coverage without blinding performers or creating harsh shadows. It’s high enough to avoid glare but not so high that it creates unflattering top-lighting.

Stage Priority System

Not every area of your stage needs equal lighting:

• Priority 1: Pulpit – This must be perfectly lit
• Priority 2: Worship team areas – Well-lit but not overwhelming
• Priority 3: Back line/drums – Visible but can be at lower levels

Budget your fixtures accordingly. It’s better to have excellent lighting on priority areas than mediocre lighting everywhere.

Foundation #2: Backlight (Add Dimension and Depth)

Once your front wash is dialed in, backlight becomes your second foundation. This is lighting positioned up and behind the platform that creates separation between performers and background.

Why Backlight Matters

Without backlight, people look flat against the background, especially on camera. Backlight adds that professional dimensionality you see in concerts and television. It literally outlines performers and gives them presence.

Position backlight at about 15 degrees behind vertical – much steeper than your front wash. You want these fixtures to graze the backs and shoulders of performers, not blast down from directly overhead.

Creative Opportunities

Unlike front wash, backlight is an excellent place for color-changing fixtures and even moving lights. You can use backlight creatively during worship – dimming front wash while bringing up dramatic backlight for powerful moments.

This is also where you can introduce movement and color without affecting skin tones or readability. The backlight position gives you creative freedom that front wash never can.

Solutions for High Ceilings

Churches with extremely high ceilings face challenges getting proper backlight angles. Consider these alternatives:

• Side lighting from structural points
• Floor-mounted uplighting (zoom out for safety)
• More powerful fixtures with narrow beams for the distance

Don’t let ceiling height prevent you from adding this crucial element.

Foundation #3: Atmospheric Lighting (The Fun Stuff)

Only after you’ve mastered front wash and backlight should you consider atmospheric effects. This includes moving lights, pixel mapping, color washes, and special effects.

The Intentionality Requirement

Atmospheric lighting requires the most thought and restraint. It’s easy to go overboard with rainbow effects and constant movement. Everything should align with your worship culture and pastoral vision.

Ask yourself: Does strobing and constant movement fit our church’s worship style? Are we creating atmosphere or distraction?

Work closely with worship leadership to understand the emotional arc they’re trying to create. Words like “warmth,” “enveloped,” and “intimate” should inform your programming choices.

Pattern Movers vs. Wash Fixtures

If you don’t use haze, don’t buy pattern/gobo fixtures. Those beam effects you see in videos only work with atmospheric haze. Without haze, you’re wasting money on features you’ll never see.

For non-haze churches, invest in wash-style moving lights that can add color and movement without requiring atmospheric effects.

The Great Haze Debate

Haze is not from the devil. It’s also not required for excellent lighting. The decision comes down to your church’s culture and practical considerations.

If You Choose Haze:

• Use water-based fluid only (oil-based creates maintenance nightmares)
• Fill the room before people arrive so they don’t notice it turning on
• Experiment with HVAC timing to prevent it from becoming distracting
• Invest in quality equipment – cheap hazers create more problems than they solve

The UltraTech Radiance is the gold standard for church applications. It provides beautiful, long-lasting haze without the maintenance headaches of cheaper units.

If You Skip Haze:

Focus on wash fixtures instead of beam/pattern lights. Use color and movement strategically. Consider architectural lighting and LED strips for atmospheric elements that don’t require haze.

House Lights: The Foundation Under the Foundation

Don’t overlook your house lights. Poor house lighting affects everything from safety to livestream quality. People need to read their Bibles and see each other clearly.

Getting Control

Most churches have wall switches controlling house lights. The fastest upgrade is installing a dimmer pack and having an electrician wire your existing fixtures through it. Now your house lights integrate with your lighting console.

Color Temperature Matching

Match your house lights to your front wash color temperature (4,000K target). When cameras go wide to show both stage and congregation, mismatched color temperatures create jarring visual differences.

This also creates a more cohesive worship environment where platform and congregation feel unified rather than separated.

Common Mistakes That Kill Church Lighting

The “More Lights” Syndrome

Adding fixtures to fix problems usually makes things worse. Diagnose the real issue first. Poor coverage isn’t always solved by more fixtures – sometimes it’s wrong fixtures or poor positioning.

Starting with the Fun Stuff

Moving lights and atmospheric effects won’t fix bad front wash. Master your foundations before adding complexity.

Ignoring the Cameras

What looks good in the room might not work on livestream. Position a monitor near your lighting console showing camera feeds so you can make intelligent adjustments.

RGB for Everything

Color-changing fixtures seem versatile but create more problems than they solve in front wash applications. Use the right tool for each job.

Building Your Lighting Team

Remember that lighting is as much art as it is technical. Spend time with your team establishing:

• Consistent intensity levels for different service elements
• Color palettes that match your church’s aesthetic
• Movement guidelines that enhance rather than distract
• Backup plans for when spontaneous moments happen

Training Volunteers

The best lighting systems are simple enough for weekend volunteers to operate successfully. Build presets and create clear guidelines rather than expecting volunteers to make complex creative decisions on the fly.

Lightkey and similar intuitive systems allow volunteers to focus on following the service flow rather than fighting with complicated controls.

The Investment Strategy

Start with front wash, always. It’s better to have excellent front wash and no backlight than mediocre everything. Once front wash is perfected, add backlight. Only then consider atmospheric effects.

This phased approach prevents the all-too-common scenario of churches with expensive moving lights but terrible basic lighting. Every dollar should first go toward making people look good on stage.

Conclusion: Supporting the Mission

Professional lighting isn’t about impressing people with technical prowess. It’s about removing barriers that might prevent people from focusing on Jesus. When lighting is done well, people don’t notice it – they simply experience an environment that enhances worship rather than distracting from it.

The goal is creating clarity for how God is speaking through your local body. Bad lighting creates barriers; good lighting removes them. Whether you’re working with a $1,000 budget or $100,000, these foundational principles remain the same.

Start with intentionality, master your foundations, and always remember that the most sophisticated lighting system is only as good as the heart and skill of the person operating it. Approach it as worship, prepare with excellence, and serve your church’s mission rather than your own technical interests.