The First Pentecostal Church

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR — The First Pentecostal Church’s assistant pastor Nathan Holmes hired LD Gary Howard of SFH Productions for a LED lighting system that would give the church a new array of seasonal and special event looks. Howard used fixtures from Mega-Lite for the task.

“We wanted the flexibility and versatility that LED lighting affords to create special looks for these various events,” said Holmes.  The main areas of renovation were the Sanctuary and the Great Hall, where the church holds banquets, receptions, themed youth activities and other special events.

Howard replaced the white can recessed lighting with 26 retrofitted  N-E Color Cannons from Mega-Lite to colorize the entire floor. He then installed 71 Mega-Lite Ecotubes on the balcony surrounding the Great Hall, giving it a solid wash of color and using preset effects such as alternating, static or dynamic runs; color rolls and scrolls.

“The effect is pretty spectacular,” said Howard, noting that throw distance and movability were both factors in deciding which fixtures to use. Howard relied on four Mega-Lite Axis LEDs with the 10-degree lens kit. In the first event held in the Great Hall since the renovation (a wedding reception), the Axis LEDs were used to put a spot on the wedding cake over 60 feet away. “Those things can throw a mile,” Howard said.

In the Sanctuary, the focus was on the stage where the sermon takes place. “Our desire and vision was to highlight the architecture of the building and create a more worshipful environment,” Holmes said.

Reasoning that any supreme creator of rainbows, parrots and other colorful things must love bright colors Himself,  Holmes thought, “Why not bring vibrant colors into our place of worship?’”

Howard backlit the alcove using Irradiant Sunwash fixtures located behind the center architectural pillars on the stage. Mega-Lite N-E color Strips were used to accent the outer pillars and pipe organ. Pairs of Mega-Lite N-E Color Cannons were used to accent the main pillars.

For lighting control, Howard chose Mega-Lite’s stage lighting control software Enlighten. Two universes were reserved for the Great Hall and Sanctuary and one for portable use.

“We were able to get people who had never done lighting control going within 10 to 15 minutes,” Howard noted, adding that DMX splitters were used to take a homerun signal from Enlighten and route it to four different locations.

“Not only are we pleased with the lighting designs in both buildings, but we are thankful that there was a choice in lighting which is both energy efficient and cost effective,” Holmes said.