Recently we had a unique situation that led me to research flat screen monitors for churches. Our sanctuary is getting old, and our attendance dropped before my arrival due to unfortunate circumstances.
After a couple of years, it became apparent that the condition of our sanctuary and the size, when compared to our average attendance, was a detriment to our worship experience.
We started to embark on an ambitious plan to remodel our sanctuary and to downsize everything. We decided to move into our multi-purpose room for worship services. This meant we were in the market for a flat screen monitor for our church.
So once again, it was left to me to figure out what was the best deal and what would work nicely for worship projection in our multi-purpose room.
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Your situation might be different. This might be your first time considering projecting worship lyrics in your services. Alternatively, you might be faced with an antiquated projection system, and you are deciding what is best. Should you buy a projector and a screen or should you buy a flat screen monitor? Alternatively, you may be looking to stream your services in the nursery or overflow room.
Whatever your situation, I hope that my experience and work can be a blessing to you and make a choice easier than it was for me. So here are your options. I hope they help.
Why Use A Flat Screen Monitor Over A Video Projector And Screen?
Every church’s needs are different. However, I have found that the picture quality and readability is better using a flat screen monitor over a video projector.
With a video projector, ambient light is much more of a problem, and you have to use a projector with high lumen output. This raises the cost of projectors.
You also have the aesthetics of projector screens. In all honesty, they are ugly. Flat screens are much more beautiful and look much more modern. I believe that video projectors and screens are going the way of the overhead projector where we flipped transparencies to change song lyrics.
Things To Consider When Buying Flat Screen Monitors For Churches
Size
Size is the number one thing you need to consider. Most professionals recommend that you use a ratio between 1/6 – 1/10. That means that you need 1 foot (12″) of monitor height for every 6-10 feet.
However, they are basing this on the readability of your lyrics on the screen at standard font size. If you increase your font and only use four lines per slide, you can lower this ratio to 1/20. We have a 50″ monitor in a room that is 40′ deep. Its height is only 26″. That is about a ratio of 1/18
There is one caveat to this. If you are going to play many videos, then they will be harder to see in the back. You can’t resize them.
Clarity
Anymore you probably will not have much of a problem with clarity as long as you make sure your monitor is HD. You will notice that your monitor is much more precise than a projector and because of that, it will be easier to read.
Inputs
Most modern flat screens and TVs have a variety of inputs. The ones you want to pay attention to is whether or not it has HDMI inputs and whether it has Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect wirelessly.
Having Bluetooth is not a requirement, but it makes things easier. Many of today’s computers are also Bluetooth-enabled. This allows you to cut the cable and connect to your monitor.
Budget
Although flat-screen monitors for churches are not the cheapest, they don’t have to be budget busters either. Our church ended up paying under $500.00 for ours.
Remember, to base your purchase on what your church needs. Don’t out cheap yourself but at the same time don’t think you have to have every bell and whistle. Functionality is much more important than features.
Flat Screens Under $1,000.00
| Image | Title | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
 | SAMSUNG 50-Inch Class Crystal UHD AU8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN50AU8000FXZA, 2021 Model) | Check Price |
 | SAMSUNG 60-Inch Class QLED Q60A Series - 4K UHD Dual LED Quantum HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (QN60Q60AAFXZA, 2021 Model) | Check Price |
 | TCL 50-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Smart Android TV - 50S434, 2021 Model | Check Price |
 | SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class QLED Q70A Series - 4K UHD Quantum HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (QN65Q70AAFXZA, 2021 Model) | Check Price |
 | TCL 50-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD Smart Roku LED TV - 50S435, 2021 Model | Check Price |
 | SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class Crystal UHD TU-8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN55TU8000FXZA, 2020 Model) | Check Price |
 | Hisense 55A6G 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Android Smart TV with Alexa Compatibility (2021 Model) | Check Price |
 | LG 65UN7300PUF Alexa Built-In UHD 73 Series 65" 4K Smart UHD TV (2020) | Check Price |
Flat Screen Church Monitors Under $2,000.00
Depending on the size of the church, you may need something more massive than the flat-screen monitors for churches listed above. I have found some that range between $1,000 and 2,000 dollars. These will serve the needs of rooms that seat over from 100- 250 people.
| Image | Title | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
 | SAMSUNG 65-inch Class QLED Q70T Series - 4K UHD Dual LED Quantum HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (QN65Q70TAFXZA, 2020 Model) | Check Price |
 | LG OLED C1 Series 65” Alexa Built-in 4k Smart TV (3840 x 2160), 120Hz Refresh Rate, AI-Powered 4K, Dolby Cinema, WiSA Ready, Gaming Mode (OLED65C1PUB, 2021) | Check Price |
 | VIZIO 75 inch 4K Smart TV, P-Series Quantum UHD LED HDR Television with Apple AirPlay and Chromecast Built-in | Check Price |
 | SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class Neo QLED QN85A Series - 4K UHD Quantum HDR 24x Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (QN55QN85AAFXZA, 2021 Model) | Check Price |
 | LG Electronics OLED55B6P Flat 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV (2016 Model) | Check Price |
 | Samsung UN65KS9000 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2016 Model) | Check Price |
Once you get past 90 inches you start to get into specialty monitors. The price starts skyrocketing after that. However, this list gives you a lot of choices for your flat screen monitor for your church.
A couple of things to consider as you purchase your next flat screen monitor. The way your church is laid out will make much difference to what you need. If your sanctuary or meeting hall is wider than it is deep, then you might use two monitors. One on each side of the platform or stage where your musicians and pastor speak.
This setup usually allows you to purchase two smaller monitors rather than one large one.
If it is deeper than it is wide, then you will want to consider positioning your monitor over the platform or stage. Depending on how far it is to the back row of your sanctuary, you will need to consider how large a monitor you will need.
Remember the ratio I shared with you earlier, is not the diagonal size of your monitor, but the actual height of it. A 50″ monitor or large screen TV is about 26″ high.
I hope that this article has helped you understand more about how to choose a flat-screen monitor for your church. It is my goal to help you be a success in what you do.
