A Practical Guide for Multi-Media oOo in a Small or Medium size Parish oOo

The Multi-Media Unit

Many a messages have gone from the pulpit that has changed life. Yet, many at times, congregation yearns to recall some of those life-changing messages, which unfortunately are not available.

The parable of the Sower readily comes to mind, likewise the charge to Joshua, as well as many references and charges to keeping the word of God in Psalm, Proverbs, amongst others in the bible. Typically, food is sighted, smell, tasted and eaten. It then goes through regurgitation, grinding into finer particles, absorbs into the blood stream, provides nutrient for growth. Aside many a charge in the bible to keeping the Word in our heart and meditating on it thereof, it is know from academic point of view that human brain retentive memory increases exponentially with review and revision.

Equally, the vision of capturing messages on media (whether tape, CD, DVD, iPod/iPad, Podcast or any other) and in differing format (raw audio, mp3, mpg, video, mp4 or any other) should be based on the charge to keep the Word of God and meditate on it, in order to grow, establish and flourish reaching out to others.

Whilst, a number of parishes have sophisticated Media unit worthy of emulation, quite a number have basic equipment in place and some bare microphones. Nonetheless, it must be seen that the foundation is to be able to produce sounds in the first place. The quality of recorded media (sound or video) is premised on the sound/media initially produce. Post production can at best improve but cannot reproduce what has not been produce and recorded in the first place.

Thus, this write-up is with the intent to document the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of a multi-media (audio-visual) unit in a small/medium size parish (church).