Hybrid Church Services + Client Success Story: Collective Church

Hybrid church services and live streaming have become the norm for many houses of worship over the past year. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, the benefits of hybrid church services will remain. So how can church leaders maximize the impact of their services and create the optimal guest experience?

Collective Church in Frederick, Maryland, prioritizes the experiences of newcomers and longer-term parishioners alike. “As a church, we value the experiences of people at our church. We want to ensure that those who have never been to church or haven’t been for a long time feel welcome and comfortable,” said worship and production director John Allen. “Everyone on our staff has a passion for doing ministry that allows everyone to feel included, so they can leave and say, ‘I’m new to this, and I feel connected.’ That’s important to us.”

Finding the Right Partner

Collective has been doing hybrid church services every Sunday morning. Despite the challenges, they knew it was critically important to stick to the heart of their mission. This is why when they moved to a new building, they chose to work with Audio-Video Group.

“We wanted to be able to share our heart and vision as a church. So, we chose Audio-Video Group to do our audio, video, and lighting install. They’re local, and they understand how we want to connect with people through our services,” John said. “We had a relationship with them prior, and John Pierce would come in and ask us how they could help us meet our needs, so although we got bids from several other companies, Audio-Video Group was a clear choice.”

Hybrid Church Services & A New Location For Collective

Collective Church is relatively new to the Frederick area. Originally, they met at West Frederick Middle School. Now they reside in a warehouse they rebuilt inside. “During the install at the new building, we felt the Audio-Video Group team always wanted to know more about us and our vision and our dream for the build-out of the new location. They were personal, real, and encouraging throughout the process,” John Allen explained.

Audio-Video Group came in midway through the relocation process. They installed a new audio, video, and lighting system into the refurbished space. The process was inclusive of the auditorium where their hybrid church services take place. One unique feature of the installation was that Collective already had mobile equipment set up that their volunteers had mastered. Their goal was to retain much of that so they wouldn’t have to learn a new system and risk that ever-present threat of church volunteer burnout. Audio-Video Group designed a solution to integrate into existing equipment with a more permanent and functional installation.

John A. explained that they have a very high standard for sound quality and were intentional about how everything must feel and sound. “When we do something, we want it to be meaningful, thoughtful, and have a purpose,” he said. “After the initial installation was complete, we found things that needed to be tweaked, and Audio-Video Group stuck with us while we made adjustments along the way. They met us where we were and showed us how much they valued us as a client.”

A Warm & Welcoming Return

Collective Church had its first regathering at the new location with a hybrid church service on March 7, 2021. “It was an amazing experience,” John said. “It included a lot of elements that wouldn’t have been possible without the installation Audio-Video Group did for us. Guests who come to church with us for the first time or who only join us online get to experience a successful, professionally done service. I’m very thankful that Audio-Video Group worked with us to get us here.”

As more people receive the vaccine for COVID-19, churches will continue to evolve from all-virtual to hybrid church services. If you are a church leader hoping to make that transition as smooth as possible, give us a call. We can help you optimize your audio, video, and lighting equipment for both in-person and online worshippers.