Collide Magazine

Producer Spotlight: WorshipFilms

COLLIDE Staff - Originally posted Tuesday, August 12, 2008

One of the most respected names in the world of church media resources is WorshipFilms, the brainchild of brothers Pete and Jesse Lewis. While the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men) only directed 12 films from 1984 to 2007, the Lewis brothers have produced an enormous catalog of church media since 2001. As one of the early producers of media resources, WorshipFilms has introduced many churches to the potential impact of sermon illustrations, backgrounds, long plays, and countdowns. We asked Pete and Jesse for a little insight into their past, present, and future.

COLLIDE: What inspired you to start WorshipFilms?

WorshipFilms: We actually started shooting video for what would become WorshipFilms back in 2001. At the time, there was almost nothing available that was affordable for the small- to mid-sized church. This was particularly true in the area of looping backgrounds. We started the company with a strong sense of calling, believing that we were supposed to serve smaller churches (who did not have the resources available to create their own content) and to provide products that would be helpful to churches that were just starting to use projection in their services.

Now, of course, it is a different world and things are changing everyday. There are a large number of Christian producers making some really great content. It makes life a little more challenging from the “business” perspective, but overall it is awesome for the body of Christ.

COLLIDE: WorshipFilms has been able to produce a prolific lineup of resources in just five years—what’s your secret?

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WorshipFilms: Well, there is no secret; we have just been really blessed to be able to do what we do. I will say humbly that we work hard, push ourselves on production schedules, and try to take a fairly disciplined approach to what we are doing. We also spend a lot of time talking to our customers and other media users to try to keep a handle on what their current needs are.

COLLIDE: In looking at everything you’ve produced, do you have a few favorites?

WorshipFilms: Sure! On the backgrounds side, there are a number of our long plays that we really like because they are usable for so many songs, and the Free to Worship loop collections are extremely popular.

For sermon illustrators, we are really excited about the new set called Worship Intros. These are videos that churches can use when they are about to enter a time of worship. The reaction to them has been very positive. I guess our latest release is always going to be our current favorite!

COLLIDE: How has church media changed since you first started in 2003?

WorshipFilms: When we started, there were less than 5 companies that were producing content for church services. Now there is literally a new one every day. So the “marketplace” (for lack of a better word) is dramatically different.

At first, the few churches we found using media were limited to using PowerPoint and the occasional Hollywood movie clip (countdowns did not even exist). We spent a great deal of our time in the first two years educating churches on the options that were available to them. We saw an explosion in the number of churches adopting the use of video back in 2004 and 2005, but now that growth seems to be tapering off. Churches are still making regular use of media, but are becoming more educated and selective, which is a good thing.

Lastly, the ability to easily download videos has had a huge impact on not only how churches purchase content, but also on what they purchase. More churches seem to enjoy the ability to purchase individual scenes or videos instead of entire collections. When we first started, all of our sales were from “hard copy” products (CDs and DVDs). Now, roughly 70 percent of our sales are from downloadable products – that’s a big shift in a five-year span.

COLLIDE: What’s the hardest part about creating media resources for churches?

WorshipFilms: Coming up with a great idea. We are constantly in prayer for new ideas, because we don’t want to just create products that will sell, we want to make videos that will have a significant impact for the kingdom of God. When we look at the numbers and see how many churches are using a particular video on any given Sunday, it is an overwhelming thing, and it lays a tremendous sense of responsibility on us.

COLLIDE: What’s next for WorshipFilms?

WorshipFilms: We see the teaching part of worship services becoming more interactive, as churches tweak their message delivery style to best communicate with the current generation. To that end, we are looking at the possibility of creating video products that will help to facilitate that interactivity.

Another area that has been on our heart is outreach. The church as a whole has made a huge investment in technology over the last five years. Are there ways to leverage that investment for outreach opportunities outside the four walls of the church (movie nights, coffee shop video feeds, iPod content, etc.)? We don’t have anything planned yet on this front … just something we are pondering.

To find out more about WorshipFilms resources visit www.worshipfilms.com.