PowerPoint for Church - PowerPoint Requirements

Basic PowerPoint Requirements

Need to understand the basics of PowerPoint?

Using PowerPoint in worship can be challenging if you've never done it before.

Many people are scared off by the costs and lack of understanding. This article will answer some basic questions about PowerPoint and help you understand what's actually needed.

If you're like most smaller churches, then you have very little money to spend on setting up a PowerPoint system. This article was written with you in mind.

While the initial costs of setting up Power Point may seem like a lot of money to some, it's important to remember that using PowerPoint in worship can actually save many churches money in the long run.

To learn more about the Benefits of PowerPoint, click here.

What Do You Need?
Here's a list of the hardware components you'll need (just the basics):

Digital Projector

Screen (or wall)

Computer with PowerPoint installed

Cables to connect everything together.

Note that there's no mention of sound here. That's because sound falls outside of the basics.

You can run PowerPoint in church without sound and most of the time this is preferred.

However, if you do wish to run a presentation that has background music or other sound, then you'll also need to connect to your church sound system (or a boom box).

What Does it all Cost?
Now that you know the basics, let's look at each requirement in a little more detail.
The digital projector will most likely be your largest expense. There's a lot of different types of projectors available and the one chosen will largely depend on your church layout as much as budget. In general, plan to spend anywhere from $800 - $2000 for a basic projector.

Smaller churches will do fine with the lower end digital projectors that use SVGA resolution and 1500 lumens.

Smaller churches generally don't have a lot of available space for a screen and figuring out where to put one can be challenging. Obviously, it needs to be up front and placed so that the maximum number of people can see it (assuming you only have one screen).

The computer will be second largest expense in setting up a PowerPoint system. You can usually get a good computer for under $700 these days.

In an ideal world, you'd have two computers, each having two graphics cards installed.

This arrangement allows you to work on one monitor while projecting your files using another monitor. This in turn allows you to make real-time changes during worship.

However, this arrangement is also a bit more complicated and involves some special software. Most smaller churches start out using a less complicated system.

Since this article is geared more towards the smaller church with no budget, we'll start with the simplest system.

While it does have its limitations, it's also the most cost-effective way to be up and running quickly.

So if you only have the budget for one computer, I suggest getting a laptop to use with the projector.

Having a smaller computer will be especially helpful if you have limited space and have to re-setup your equipment every week.

You'll also need PowerPoint installed on the computer. You can either buy it separately or get it bundled into Microsoft Office.

In theory, you could create the PowerPoint presentation on another computer and then use the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer to show the presentation in church.

This would save you the expense on buying and installing PowerPoint on the computer. However, this practice isn't recommended due to the inability to edit the files once they are on the presentation computer.

While newer and faster computers are always recommended (and will be needed when using software programs like EasyWorship and MediaShout) - they're not needed to run a simple PowerPoint presentation.

For years, I ran PowerPoint in worship using an old laptop with a 166MHz processor and 64 MB RAM running Win98. It was simple -but it got the job done.

The last thing you'll need are the cables to hook everything up. Most of these cables will come with the purchase of the projector and laptop.

However, you may need to purchase longer cables once you determine the ideal place in your church to setup the equipment.

Setting It All Up

In an ideal world, the equipment would be out of sight of the congregation (or at least in the very back of the room).
You'll need a person manning the computer during worship to change the PowerPoint slides.

However, if you're like most smaller churches, chances are that your building was not designed for this kind of equipment.

Finding a place to set up a screen and projection equipment can be a bit challenging.

Often times you'll have to place the computer, digital projector, and the body running it up front so there's a direct line of sight between the projector and screen.

If you're in this category, try and make the setup as non-distracting as possible.

Final Thoughts
This completes the basics of what is needed to run a PowerPoint presentation in worship.
As you can see, it's really quite simple for the basic setup.

Don't let the initial costs deter you from doing this.

The laptop and screen can usually be picked up somewhere for little expense (our old 166 MHz laptop came from a garage sale).

Purchasing PowerPoint as a standalone program runs about $200.

The largest expense for most churches is usually the projection system.

While the funds may not be in the budget, you can always collect special donations for the equipment or hold a fundraiser.

Need help setting up the equipment?

Click here to How to Connect the Equipment - The Basics.

Copyright © 2007 All Rights Reserved
Focus On Him!



	Basic PowerPoint Requirements Need to understand the basics of PowerPoint? Using PowerPoint in worship can be challenging if you've never done it before. Many people are scared off by the costs and lack of understanding. This article will answer some basic questions about PowerPoint and help you understand what's actually needed. If you're like most smaller churches, then you have very little money to spend on setting up a PowerPoint system. This article was written with you in mind. While the initial costs of setting up Power Point may seem like a lot of money to some, it's important to remember that using PowerPoint in worship can actually save many churches money in the long run. To learn more about the Benefits of PowerPoint, click here. What Do You Need? Here's a list of the hardware components you'll need (just the basics): Digital Projector Screen (or wall) Computer with PowerPoint installed Cables to connect everything together. Note that there's no mention of sound here. That's because sound falls outside of the basics. You can run PowerPoint in church without sound and most of the time this is preferred. However, if you do wish to run a presentation that has background music or other sound, then you'll also need to connect to your church sound system (or a boom box). What Does it all Cost? Now that you know the basics, let's look at each requirement in a little more detail. The digital projector will most likely be your largest expense. There's a lot of different types of projectors available and the one chosen will largely depend on your church layout as much as budget. In general, plan to spend anywhere from $800 - $2000 for a basic projector. Smaller churches will do fine with the lower end digital projectors that use SVGA resolution and 1500 lumens. Smaller churches generally don't have a lot of available space for a screen and figuring out where to put one can be challenging. Obviously, it needs to be up front and placed so that the maximum number of people can see it (assuming you only have one screen). The computer will be second largest expense in setting up a PowerPoint system. You can usually get a good computer for under $700 these days. In an ideal world, you'd have two computers, each having two graphics cards installed. This arrangement allows you to work on one monitor while projecting your files using another monitor. This in turn allows you to make real-time changes during worship. However, this arrangement is also a bit more complicated and involves some special software. Most smaller churches start out using a less complicated system. Since this article is geared more towards the smaller church with no budget, we'll start with the simplest system. While it does have its limitations, it's also the most cost-effective way to be up and running quickly. So if you only have the budget for one computer, I suggest getting a laptop to use with the projector. Having a smaller computer will be especially helpful if you have limited space and have to re-setup your equipment every week. You'll also need PowerPoint installed on the computer. You can either buy it separately or get it bundled into Microsoft Office. In theory, you could create the PowerPoint presentation on another computer and then use the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer to show the presentation in church. This would save you the expense on buying and installing PowerPoint on the computer. However, this practice isn't recommended due to the inability to edit the files once they are on the presentation computer. While newer and faster computers are always recommended (and will be needed when using software programs like EasyWorship and MediaShout) - they're not needed to run a simple PowerPoint presentation. For years, I ran PowerPoint in worship using an old laptop with a 166MHz processor and 64 MB RAM running Win98. It was simple -but it got the job done. The last thing you'll need are the cables to hook everything up. Most of these cables will come with the purchase of the projector and laptop. However, you may need to purchase longer cables once you determine the ideal place in your church to setup the equipment. Setting It All Up In an ideal world, the equipment would be out of sight of the congregation (or at least in the very back of the room). You'll need a person manning the computer during worship to change the PowerPoint slides. However, if you're like most smaller churches, chances are that your building was not designed for this kind of equipment. Finding a place to set up a screen and projection equipment can be a bit challenging. Often times you'll have to place the computer, digital projector, and the body running it up front so there's a direct line of sight between the projector and screen. If you're in this category, try and make the setup as non-distracting as possible. Final Thoughts This completes the basics of what is needed to run a PowerPoint presentation in worship. As you can see, it's really quite simple for the basic setup. Don't let the initial costs deter you from doing this. The laptop and screen can usually be picked up somewhere for little expense (our old 166 MHz laptop came from a garage sale). Purchasing PowerPoint as a standalone program runs about $200. The largest expense for most churches is usually the projection system. While the funds may not be in the budget, you can always collect special donations for the equipment or hold a fundraiser. Need help setting up the equipment? Click here to How to Connect the Equipment - The Basics. Copyright © 2007 All Rights Reserved Focus On Him!