Ever built a lighting design completely out of “no money”?

If you’ve been working in the church for any amount of time, you probably know this situation well.

“________” event is coming up soon, and we really need a killer stage and lighting design…but we don’t have any money.

The good news is this – as long as you already own at least some lighting, you can create a new, fresh lighting design without spending a dime.

Here are 3 ways to do it:

How to Create Great Church Lighting With NO Money!

Step 1: Revamp

It’s probably been awhile since certain elements on your stage have changed around.

To freshen things up, try moving all of your backlights to a sidelight position.  Or, try moving all of your uplights to the air.

Moving around the lights you already have and eliminating some lighting positions can really freshen up your lighting design, making you ready for the next step.

Tip: If you’ve got multiple spaces on your campus, or multiple campuses, you can move lights from location to location and every room gets a refresh!

Step 2: Re-Think

Is there anything you can sell?

When you’re looking to make a change in your lighting, look around and see if there’s any old gear that you aren’t using anymore.  You might be surprised when somebody buys those old lights on Craigslist!

Step 3: Remove

Remove – Is there an element on the stage that you need to retire for a bit?   Not using some of your lighting for a season can really bring a cool feeling of simplicity to the stage (and makes it look great when you bring it back later!)

Don’t be afraid to temporarily retire pieces of gear from your stage for a season – you can always bring lights back for a special event or new series!

Do you have just a little budget?

While the suggestions above are the “no money” ideas, if you’ve got a little budget you can do those and more!

Want to begin creating set designs on a small budget?

Want to upgrade your lighting console?  (Hint, besides you or your volunteers, it’s the most efficient impact you can make on your lighting rig!)