ALL ABOARD The Polar Pattern Express! Not the movie. 😁 Today, we will explore microphone polar patterns and examine specific applications suited to microphones with various polar pattern types. What Is A Polar Pattern? Each microphone has a polar, or pickup,...
CFX Community
Resources and articles from leading presenters and contributors to Worship Facility and who are part of CFX events and the broader CFX Community.
How “Unplugged” Is Your Unplugged Worship?
An accordion player, a banjo player, and a trombone player finally got a paying gig at a small bar on New Year’s Eve. To everyone’s surprise, the trio was a hit! The crowd loved the show, and at the end of the night, the pub owner said, “We’d love to book you again...
Live Sound Loudspeaker Demo at CFX 2024
The Live Sound Loudspeaker Demo at CFX 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, showcased various audio companies like TW Audio, Renkus-Heinz, Electro-Voice, Biamp, Crest Audio and alcons. All these companies demonstrated a portable system and a compact line array system. ...
What To Look For In A Church
Recently on a podcast I was asked what to look for in a church. A great question, one I've subconsciously felt for years but never consciously thought about. I responded with a contrast. Instead of looking for a church that focuses on temporal internal needs, look for...
The Power of Community in Church Safety and Security
Last month, I attended the Church Facilities Expo (CFX) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, making my annual pilgrimage from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to present at the security conference. Whenever I have the opportunity to stand before an audience eager to learn about church...
What If You Could Unify All Your Security Systems?
In May this year, a Minneapolis teenager was sentenced to more than 30 years for a fatal shooting that shut down the Mall of America (MOA) in Bloomington, Minnesota during the holiday shopping rush in 2022. Nineteen-year-old Taeshawn Adams-Wright pleaded guilty to...
Keep Calm and Cue the Camel: Surviving Christmas in Church Production
It’s that time of year again—the season that comes around with clockwork precision, yet somehow always feels like it sneaks up on us. For those of us in church production, the question looms: are we ready? Does the thought of another Christmas season conjure up the...
Do You Speak “Guest”? Learning to Speak Community Lingo
When people walk through your church doors for the first time, they’re often seeking connection, spiritual help, or a place to belong and thrive. But even the most welcoming worship centers can unintentionally alienate guests if your communication is filled with...
CFX 2024 Wrap-Up and a Look at CFX 2025
This year's Church Facilities Expo is a wrap, and it was one for the record books! After two years in Dallas, the show moved to Chattanooga, TN, an area surrounded by other cities full of houses of worship, such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Asheville, Huntsville,...
How Digital Churches Can Select the Best Platform for Their Needs
"Which platform should I use to reach people effectively?" This is a common question for digital churches. The answer depends on what you're aiming to achieve. In this article, I'll share my insights on how to choose the right platform to meet the specific goals of...
Stream CFX 2024 for Free
If you couldn't make it to the Church Facilities Expo this year, you and your team can still benefit from some of the event's remarkable sessions by streaming them for free for the next 30 days. The sessions include: Ryan Miller, Founder and Coach at Share the...
Virtual Soundcheck: Band You’re Dismissed, I’ll Take It From Here.
If you ask a church audio team what would help them the most, the answer is usually more time. I covered this in a previous article on the ever-shrinking soundcheck time churches are willing to allot. To be fair, some engineers pushed back, arguing that their churches...
CFX 2024 Begins!
This year's Church Facilities Expo starts today in Chattanooga, TN with one of the most popular features: Pre-conference masterclasses. Taking place from 1-5 PM, these sessions provide a deep dive into audio mixing, church security, leadership, and video storytelling....
Chik-fil-A to Host Special Session on Facility Stewardship at CFX 2024
The management team of Chik-fil-A, including VP of Restaurant Development David Millican, Services, Director of Facilities Management Jessica Hart, and Ruth Fowler, founder of Creative Director of Sense Makery, will be presenting a special general session at CFX 2024...
Worship Facility Podcast: Recruiting and Training Volunteers
David Leuschner talks to Stephanie Lippi, Manager of Church Facilities Expo, to learn what makes CFX 2024 different and better than ever, such as more sessions and hands-on training. Then David discusses church volunteers with Justin Firesheets of Church of the...
How to Build a Trustworthy Church Security Team
On October 6, 2024, an unfortunate incident unfolded at the Church at the Epicenter in Burnet, Texas. Jacob Wayne Tarver, a 45-year-old member of the church's volunteer security team, reported that two armed men were attempting to enter the church during the Sunday...
Ask the Editor: How Do I Get Better Engagement for My Church Safety Training?
This Week’s Question from Matthew Evans at Calvary Lutheran Church, California "One of the struggles we have each fall is getting our team together for safety training. Someone is always committed elsewhere or missing. How do we get better engagement?" Matthew, you're...
Check Out the Special Events at CFX 2024
This year's Church Facilities Expo, taking place in Chattanooga October 21-23, is coming up fast! There are four separate conferences to suit your educational needs, and the Expo, with more than 160 exhibitors demonstrating products and services to help you and your...
10 Secrets To A Successful Social Media Presence
In today's digital age, social media has become an invaluable tool for churches to connect with their congregation, engage with the wider community and spread their message of faith. With millions of people actively using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,...
CFX Preview: How to Choose an Integrator and Manage the Process
At this year's CFX 2024 Conference, I’ll be speaking about "How to Choose an AVL Integrator and Manage the Process." As a companion piece, I thought it would be good to share some thoughts on this forum. Having spent many years working within church AVL integration...
Making the Transition from Floor Wedges to In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)
As both a musician and worship leader, I have personally navigated the transition to in-ear monitors (IEMs) and understand the challenges performers face during this process. Additionally, as an experienced audio engineer, my perspective from both sides of the stage...