Calvary Community Church Opens Hi-Tech Northwest

Calvary Community Church
Opens Hi-Tech Northwest
Campus
By:
Bob Ginger
Intent Digital LLC
Phoenix, AZ
Calvary Community Church achieved
a milestone with the first interactive
television broadcast between its
main Phoenix campus and newly
completed Northwest Campus in
Glendale, Arizona.
The multi-site
concept reflects a growing trend for
churches to expand their outreach by
utilizing smaller available buildings.
Securing existing, vacated retail
space in remote locations often
proves
more
cost-effective
alternative to building large and
expensive structures on a central
site. The multi-site approach enables
churches
to
reach
more
neighborhoods and decrease drive
time by members to reach church
services. Additionally, surrounding
retailers such as restaurants benefit
from having the
vacant
spaces
filled.
Technology plays a key role in
connecting
multi-site
church
campuses. Some churches broadcast
pre-recorded sermons, while others
transmit live services in only one
direction to remote locations via
internet video streaming. Calvary
took a different approach with a
system designed by Phoenix based
Intent Digital, utilizing four 270
Mega-bit HDTV fiber circuits for full
bandwidth, zero latency, two-way
connectivity.
This allows for
completely
natural
interaction
between the two campuses even
though they are located eight miles
apart.
The
natural
interaction
between
the
congregations
underscores Senior Pastor Mark
Martin’s theme of “one church, two
locations”.
For over 25 years Calvary Community
Church has ministered from its north
Phoenix campus adjoining the I-17
freeway.
Several years ago, the
church embraced technology to
broadcast
services
throughout
venues on its I-17 campus site and
to broadcast Pastor Martin’s Grace
Upon Grace radio program on the
church’s web-radio site and radio
stations throughout the country. In
recent years, the church has grown
to over 12,000 members. In 2005,
Calvary purchased the former AMC
theater at 59th Avenue and Bell Road
to construct a second campus to
reach people living farther away from
the main I-17 campus.
Calvary’s staff tapped long time
engineering advisor Bob Ginger of
Intent Digital to develop a multi-site
church technology plan. Bob and the
rest of the Intent Digital design staff
joined the architectural team to
begin planning the new facility.
Intent Digital brought substantial
engineering and ministry experience
to the project that helped guide the
Calvary staff during the conceptual
planning process.
The design team and ministry staff
collaborated intensely for several
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months
overcoming
numerous
project challenges and evaluating
concepts and their application in two
completely different physical venues.
Ministry and facility ideas were
distilled
into
a
live-interaction
worship approach that could work
across all campus venues in both
church locations. The live-interaction
concept was a natural evolution to
the multi-venue approach already
in place on the main campus. This
new twist enables pastors to
preach
from
either
campus
location, or from both locations, to
ensuring involvement among the
entire congregation, regardless of
physical location.
Detailed planning on the part of
the entire architectural design
team was required to fit a large
number of ministry activities into a
limited space, while allowing for
future sanctuary expansion. Intent
Digital
provided
project
management to coordinate design
disciplines, construction teams and
materials
procurement
and
integration related to the technology
infrastructure. The team monitored
building construction progress on all
fronts to prevent and solve problems,
focusing on details and anticipating
the unexpected.
“On complex
projects such as Calvary we act as a
technology architect or project
technology manager if you will,” said
Bob Ginger. “This allows us to tightly
manage and control costs, a
tremendous engineering value to our
clients”, he added.
were used for their high brightness
and great image quality. Both sites
feature multiple worship venues,
each with it’s own distinct musical
accompaniment and style. Digital
recording technology allows each
worship venue to transition from
worship to the message in real time
or in delayed playback mode as
necessary.
Full broadcast control rooms are
located at both campus locations. An
Echolab Overture2 switcher at the
Northwest campus handles multiple
switched video feeds for video
projectors, broadcast to the main
campus, Internet and other venues
throughout the building. A 64x64
SDI and 16x16 NTSC video router
also support the extensive video
distribution and drive the Avitech 32
channel multiviewer used for control
room monitoring. A wide range of
Intent Digital developed Calvary’s
extensive technology infrastructure
consisting of TV broadcast, sound,
AV, lighting, fiber transmission,
data
&
telecommunications
networks and control systems.
Three large projection screens in
the sanctuaries at each site show
two different video images arriving
from the opposite campus. Christie
Roadster 20K and 16K projectors
video sources including Hitachi
Z4000W and HV-D5W pan tilt
cameras, Harris Title One character
generator, Fast Forward and 360
Systems DDR’s multiple computers,
DVD players, I-Pod, and two feeds
from the main campus appear on the
switchers.
Two Yamaha M7CL-48 digital audio
mixers, one in the
front
of
house
location
and
the
other
in
audio
production
handle
mixing chores.
A
32x32 stereo audio
router augments the
audio
distribution.
After
much
consideration,
an
analog audio wiring
infrastructure
was
chosen to connect
the platform to the
sound booth and
production
audio
room. The extensive patching and
cabling infrastructure enables signal
paths
to
be
instantaneously
repurposed
when
last
minute
production changes are made. Two
McPhearson Axia arrays and Scholar
subwoofers on Ashly PE Power Series
amplifiers and 48 Tannoy CMS12TDC
12” ceiling speakers on delay
processors and individual Rane MA-4
amplifier
channels
power
the
sanctuary. In spite of a lower than
desired ceiling height, good sound
wall construction and diffusion built
into the walls and ceiling
provides a very even sound
coverage. Dozens of other
Tannoy CMS series speakers
installed
throughout
the
building are connected to the
routing, control and processing
system so that any audio
source can be heard in any
room at any time.
The atrium has almost a dozen
digital signage LCD video
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monitors, supplementing the staffed
ministry kiosks to quickly provide
members and visitors with timely
information. AV, lighting and sound
systems grow more sophisticated
every day, requiring extensive data
network interconnectivity. Therefore,
every room in the building is
equipped with some combination of
AV
equipment
and
network
connectivity. High school, junior high
school and children’s worship rooms
are outfitted with video projection,
theatrical
lighting
and
sound
systems. Each of these rooms uses
an Extron seamless switcher to
switch local production, computer
video and feeds from the rest of the
building including video from the
sanctuary. Any of these rooms can
be instantaneously routed to the
sanctuary
video
screens
or
broadcasted to the I-17 campus.
The
building’s
lighting system
consists of house lighting in the
sanctuary, prayer room and parents
room; theatrical lighting in the
sanctuary, atrium, high school, junior
high and children’s worship rooms.
Intent Digital designed the lighting
system on one unified control system
utilizing five lighting control boards,
along with multiple wall controllers
located throughout the building. In
the sanctuary several moving fixtures
are used along with custom built
trusses to support rear screen wall
wash lights. Unobtrusive LED lights
were used in the baptistery and for
the wall wash fixtures.
control. “Flexibility and ability to
anticipate the unexpected has often
led to a great business opportunity”,
observed Ginger.
For large projects like Calvary, Intent
Digital draws from a pool of key
partners to augment its resources.
“Jerry Davis of Jeremiah Associates
has been a long time design partner
with us on a number of other church
and government projects and he
created a great acoustic design for
Calvary,” according to Bob Ginger.
“We also sought the best lighting
team so Barbizon Lighting, led by
Mike Riordan installed the theatrical
lighting system”, he added. Netsian
Technologies provided a great team
of detail oriented technicians to
install
the
extensive
cabling
infrastructure and mount equipment
and 100+ speakers in the ceilings.
“I don’t know what we would have
done without Intent Digital. This is a
great project because of all the
forethought that they have put into
it”, said Dan Holgate, Assistant
Pastor of Business Administration.
Calvary NW now has the ability to
spread
God’s
Word
through
expanded
worship
facilities,
supported
by
leading
edge
technology.
Sometimes
bad
news can turn into
opportunity
and
this was true on
the Calvary project.
A
manufacturer
discontinued some
planned
audio
control equipment,
but
the
Intent
Digital team had
already
realized
that the original
product would not
have met growing
control
requirements
in
the
project.
Therefore Intent Digital developed a
small network based multi-function
AV control panel utilizing high
resolution
LCD
SmartSwitches
recently introduced by NKK Switches
headquartered in Scottsdale. Several
of the new multi-function panels are
connected into Intent Digital’s
ControLynx Control system already
operating the building. Calvary staff
were very excited upon seeing the
panel and believe it to be a great
solution for individual room AV
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Bob
Ginger
can
be
bginger@intentdigital.com
reached
at
Key Technology Systems Installed
Speakers: Tannoy ceiling, McPhearson Axia arrays and Scholar subwoofers
Amplifiers: (21) Rane MA-4 Four Channel, (7) Ashly PE Power Series
Audio Processors: (4) Ashly 4.24C, (3) Ashly 3.24CL
Video Production Switcher: (1) Echolab 2ME 28 Input Overture 2
Seamless Switchers: (3) Extron ISS506DI/HD-SDI
Projectors: (1) Christie 20K (2) 16K Roadsters, (5) Eiki LC-XG400, (1) LC-XG250
Screens: (9) DaLite ranging from 50.5"' x 67" to 126” x 168”
Routing: Network Electronics 64x64 SDI, 16x16, NTSC, 32x32 Stereo Audio
Cameras: Hitachi (1) Z4000W, (3) HV-D5W, Fujinon lenses, Eagle Pan Tilts
In Ear Monitor: Aviom
Intercom: RTS TW System
Audio Mixers: (2) Yamaha M7CL-48, (3) Mackie CFX-20
Audio/Video Distribution: Harris 800 & 6800 series
Video Monitoring: 32 Input Avitech MCC-8004 Multi-viewer, (2) 46” Sharp LCD, (3) Boland HDTV LCD
Video Displays & Digital Signage: (23) Sharp/Samsung/Panasonic 32”-50” LCD’s
Sync Generator: Evertz 5600MSC
Character Generator: Harris Inscriber Title One
Scan Converters: (4) CSI Scan-Do Pro II/D
Video Servers: (2) 360 Systems 2000B, (1) Fast Forward Omega
Control System: Intent Digital ControLynx
Patch Panels: (8) ADC 3x32 2RU mid-sized BNC, (13) ADC 2x48 1.5RU Bantam Audio
Floor Boxes: Ace Backstage (12) Full Pocket, (3) Double Pocket
Lighting: ETC (1) Sensor 96 channel Dimmer Rack, (2) DR12 24 channel dimmer racks, (1) ION Control
surface, (4) SmartFade consoles (1) LCD Control, (8) U1005 Architectural Controls, Light Package of
Source Fours and Moving Lights, Light bars
Equipment Racks: Middle Atlantic
About Intent Digital:
Intent Digital provides technology development and engineering services to government, medical,
institutional and house of worship clients. Intent Digital’s consulting, engineering design and technology
development services enables clients to effectively integrate sophisticated media technologies into their
operations. The company’s engineering expertise spans electronic communication system design,
building construction, acoustics and product development for AV & broadcast equipment manufacturers.
Intent Digital’s value is being extremely thorough and anticipating the unforeseen across all disciplines in
a project. The company’s principals have amassed over 75 combined years of business and technical
expertise across a broad range of broadcast video, institutional and aeronautical disciplines. For more
information, visit www.intentdigital.com.
About Calvary Community Church:
Calvary Community church was founded in 1982 by Pastor Mark Martin. A non-denominational church,
Calvary membership began with 11 people in a northwest Phoenix elementary school band room. Today
the church is home to over 12,000 members. Rapid growth eventually led to the purchase of Calvary’s
current facility, a former shopping center adjacent to the Black Canyon Freeway in Phoenix, Arizona.
Calvary also houses a new state of the art Children’s Ministries facility and recently opened an extension
campus at 59th Avenue and Bell Road. For additional information on times and services, contact the
church’s main campus at 602-973-4768 or visit www.calvaryphx.com.
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