On this page
- Why churches take services outdoors
- Which screen fits your congregation?
- Lyrics, sermon slides, and video
- Putting the speaker on screen
- Sound for spoken word and music
- Timing an Easter sunrise service
- Planning for weather on a day that can’t move
- Overflow seating and online viewers
- Keeping the cost down
- Booking the screen
For an outdoor service, rent an LED screen bright enough that everyone on the lawn can read the lyrics and see who is speaking. A 16′ × 9′ screen on a trailer fits most congregations. The crew arrives about 90 minutes before the service, which for a 6:45 AM Easter sunrise service means 5:15 AM.
Why churches take services outdoors
- Easter sunrise. Many churches hold one on the lawn or in a nearby park.
- Overflow seating. On Easter, Christmas, and other high-attendance Sundays, a screen outside lets the overflow crowd see the service.
- Community worship. Joint services, revivals, and worship nights in a park or parking lot.
- Fall festivals and family nights. A short devotion, announcements, and a family movie on one screen.
Which screen fits your congregation?
| Screen | Comfortable crowd | Works well for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12′ × 7′ LED | Up to about 300 | Smaller congregations and lawn services | $2,750 |
| 16′ × 9′ LED | Up to about 1,500 | Most Easter and overflow services | $3,750 |
| 17′ × 10′ to 23′ × 13′ LED | 1,500 to 3,000+ | Large joint services and community worship | From $5,250 |
Every package covers four hours, delivery within 30 miles of downtown Dallas, setup, onboard power, and a technician who stays through the service.
Lyrics, sermon slides, and video
Anything that runs on your presentation computer will run on the big screen. The technician connects your laptop or media computer over HDMI and checks every slide before people arrive.
- Go big on text. Use large, bold type and four to six lines per slide. The back row reads from much farther away than anyone indoors.
- Use high contrast. Light text on a dark background reads best outdoors. Skip busy photo backgrounds behind lyrics.
- Test in daylight. Run the first few songs on the screen during setup so whoever runs slides sees how they look outside.
- Add a welcome loop. Before the service, show first-time guests a welcome, the order of service, and where to find restrooms and coffee.
Putting the speaker on screen
A live camera feed, sometimes called IMAG, puts the pastor, worship leader, or a baptism on screen in real time. People in back see who’s talking instead of only hearing them. A camera wired straight to the screen has almost no delay, so the picture stays in sync with the voice. The feed costs $695 and comes with an operator, who follows the action while your team focuses on the service.
Sound for spoken word and music
Pro sound ($395) covers a sermon, announcements, readings, and recorded worship music. You get speakers and a mixer matched to the crowd, plus a wireless mic. For a full live band, your own audio team or a dedicated audio company should run the band mix, and our technician works alongside them.
Sound carries a long way early in the morning. Point speakers toward the congregation and away from nearby homes, and keep levels down until the service begins.
Timing an Easter sunrise service
Easter Sunday 2027 is March 28. Daylight saving time will have started, and sunrise in Dallas that morning is about 7:20 AM. Many churches start around 6:45 to 7:00 AM so the sun comes up during worship.
For a 6:45 AM service, the crew arrives around 5:15 AM. Warn your neighbors and your facilities team. The trailer runs on its own generator and needs no outlet, and we put the generator on the side away from homes when the site allows.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5:15 AM | Crew arrives and sets the trailer on its outriggers |
| 5:45 AM | Screen up and leveled |
| 6:00 AM | Slides, video, and sound checked with your tech team |
| 6:20 AM | Welcome loop runs as guests arrive |
| 6:45 AM | Service begins |
| About 7:20 AM | Sunrise |
| 8:00 AM | Service ends, fellowship begins |
| 8:30 AM | Screen lowered, crew packs up |
Planning for weather on a day that can’t move
Light rain doesn’t stop the screen, because the LED panels are weather-rated. In lightning or high wind, we lower it until the storm passes. If unsafe weather cancels an event, you can usually move it free to another date within 12 months. Easter can’t move, so if the call comes before the halfway point of the service, you can choose a refund of everything except the deposit instead. Plan an indoor fallback for the service itself, and set a time the night before to decide which plan you’ll use.
Overflow seating and online viewers
A camera in the sanctuary can feed the outdoor screen live, so the overflow crowd sees the same service as everyone inside. Use that direct feed outside and leave your online stream on its usual setup, since online streams often lag many seconds behind. Put the screen where nobody has to look into the sun, and leave a wide aisle for strollers, wheelchairs, and late arrivals.
Keeping the cost down
- Rent the smaller screen if it fits. A 12′ × 7′ covers many lawn services for $2,750.
- Use the screen twice. Each additional consecutive day is 50% off, so a Saturday evening family movie and a Sunday sunrise service on one 16′ × 9′ screen comes to $3,750 plus $1,875.
- Share the cost. Some churches partner with a neighboring congregation for a joint service, or ask a local business to sponsor a community event.
- Book early. Easter weekend is one of the busiest of the spring, and a 25% deposit locks in the date.
The quote lists exactly what’s included. For pricing detail, see the LED screen rental cost guide. For a service in a public park, check our outdoor event permits in DFW guide first.
Booking the screen
Use the booking form to send your date, attendance, and what you plan to show, and we’ll confirm the date and the price the same business day. Church events are also on our HOA, church, and city events page.
