Christ Fellowship is widely known as one of the most innovative ministries of the past decade, consistently expanding their reach with both physical locations and unique ministry strategies that have made them one of the largest churches in the United States. Never has this innovation been more evident than in a new expansion strategy centered around “pop-up” church events, utilizing portable technology systems in new communities to introduce the church and build a core group who can help to eventually help plant a permanent location.
Diversified was tasked by Christ Fellowship to help them develop a turnkey portable technology system that would fit inside two box trucks and could be set up by a small team of volunteers and staff, while maintaining the core standards that Christ Fellowship expects in their worship gatherings and exporting it in approachable ways in temporary venues. It was critical that the system be extremely robust, repeatable and modular to allow for success in several different types of venues such as amphitheaters, school auditoriums and church sanctuaries.
Diversified created a fully portable system that was initially based on the best practices the church had previously developed over many years, while strategically enhancing those practices wherever possible to speed up execution, improve workflows and maximize flexibility. The scope included a complete audio system, video presentation system with an LED wall, stage lighting with a console package and lighting fixtures to supplement existing venue lighting, a fiber backbone that streamlines connectivity between the stage and front of house control position, power distribution for the entire system, portability so that every single piece has a home in a road case, and even planning the Truck Pack to ensure it would all fit in its designated home for transport. This solution also had one of the first implementations of L-Acoustics’ A-series loudspeaker system, a game changer in performance and cost for solutions of this size.
Close collaboration with the church’s team ensured no detail was overlooked. The entire system was built in Diversified’s Atlanta, GA facility, where the church’s team visited for several days to assist in the completion of commissioning to their exacting standards and then bring it home for its first rollout a few weeks later. Diversified’s team has continued to support the church both on-site and behind the scenes along the way and the system has become the gold standard for the church’s portable production needs, providing a pattern for future portable systems to come as some of these “pop-up” locations begin their transition to permanent sites.
