Expanding Worship: Come and See
Removing barriers so all people may experience God’s love.
At Peace, worship is at the heart of who we are. As we look toward the future, God is calling us to ensure our sanctuary helps—not hinders—every person’s ability to gather, hear the Word, and experience the light of Christ. Stay to up to date with all the happenings below.
April 8, 2026
Spring is a season of discernment at Peace, and a lot is quietly taking shape.
Throughout April, the Expanding Worship Team is meeting with audio, visual, and lighting companies to explore options for updating our sanctuary and supporting spaces. Estimates will continue coming in through May, and in June the Church Council and Stewardship Team will receive a full presentation of upgrade options to consider together.
Pastor Jason has also been gathering with groups of Peace members to talk about worship service times for this fall—conversations centered on how we might serve communion at every service, create a more sustainable experience for our volunteers, and design worship that genuinely reaches youth and young adults who aren't yet part of our community. These have been rich conversations, and the Church Council will weigh the feedback at their April meeting.
A look back at Easter—and what it showed us
Many of you were part of something remarkable this year. Nearly 3,200 people worshipped with us across five services—in person and online—and our Music and Worship team assembled around 90 musicians to lead us. It was a beautiful picture of the depth of gifting in this congregation.
It was also an honest stress test of our current equipment—and it surfaced some things we want to share with you.
For those in the room, it was a bright, full, living experience. For many watching online, it was noticeably different—muffled audio, dim or shadowy video, and a picture that simply didn't reflect what was happening in the sanctuary. Our current system wasn't built to capture 90 musicians or deliver that sound and image faithfully to our digital congregation of nearly 1,000 worshippers! They are fully part of our community, and we want the experience to reflect that.
Inside the sanctuary, where you sat shaped what you heard. With that many musicians sending sound through two speakers and most ensembles relying on area microphones rather than individual amplification, our sound team was working at the edge of what our equipment allows. It's also worth noting that our musicians and directors currently have no way to monitor themselves during worship—something that affects both the quality of music and the joy of making it.
For everyone in the room, the experience felt very live, but it varied depending on where they chose to sit. The current sound system was not designed to provide even coverage throughout the entire space, resulting in different listening experiences across the room. The expanding worship team is actively working to address these challenges by assessing the coverage the existing system provides and exploring the cost and feasibility of an audio system that would deliver consistent, even sound throughout the sanctuary—not just for big holidays like Easter and Christmas, but also for every service held in the sanctuary. The team's goal is for everyone—no matter where they are seated, including overflow spaces, or evening their living room—to have a clear and consistent auditory experience.
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are services where light carries much of the message—the slow descent into darkness, the candle, the first light of resurrection. Our current lighting gives us broad control, but not the ability to focus on a particular space or person. The result, especially online, is full light, no light, or shadow—when what those services call for is something far more intentional.
Finally, many of you have taken a seat in the Welcome Area or Gathering Place on Christmas and Easter—and we mean it when we say thank you. You chose to be here even when the room was full. Peace does not own any of the equipment that made those spaces functional during Holy Week; it was all borrowed. These areas were part of Phase One of Peace NEXT but couldn't be completed due to funding. The question for us isn't whether overflow worship is doable—it's whether we're being truly hospitable when we knowingly offer guests a diminished experience.
How you can participate
As Expanding Worship moves through its first two-year phase, we'll continue making thoughtful, incremental improvements—and we'll keep you informed as decisions take shape this summer. If you'd like to invest in this work now, you can give through Church Center by selecting "Expanding Worship" in the dropdown menu.
Thank you for being a community that takes worship seriously—and for caring about every person who walks through our doors.
March 11, 2026
This month the Expanding Worship Team spent time evaluating several key spaces in our building that support worship and ministry, including the Shalom Room, Gathering Place, Fellowship Hall, and the RST children’s ministry room. Staff and ministry leaders discussed how these rooms are currently being used, the challenges we experience, and some possibilities for improving technology, sound, and flexibility so these spaces can better support small groups, fellowship events, children’s ministry, and larger gatherings. These conversations are helping us think long-term about how our building can best support the growing ministry happening at Peace.
We are also working with our Property Team to explore the creation of a small patio space just east of the sanctuary windows, adjacent to the parking lot, where the worship band could set up for outdoor worship. This would allow the team to place temporary sunshade over equipment, protect instruments and electronics from wind, and set up earlier before services begin. The patio could also serve as a flexible gathering space for other Peace events throughout the year.
In the coming weeks we will be inviting conversation with the congregation about a possible change to our worship schedule that would allow us to provide Holy Communion at every worship service each weekend beginning this fall. We look forward to hearing feedback and learning how this change might deepen our shared worship life.
Finally, the team continues to explore ways to strengthen the Sunday volunteer experience for our ensembles, worship staff, and the many volunteers who serve each weekend. Our hope is to make Sunday mornings more supportive, efficient, and life-giving for the people who help lead worship.
We are grateful for the many ways members of Peace continue to share ideas and participate in these conversations as we work together to expand and strengthen our worship life.
February 17, 2026
This month, the Expanding worship Committee met to discuss how improvements to our audio systems could help us continue “Expanding Worship.” While this conversation involves speakers and soundboards, it is ultimately about people. Our goal is to ensure that every person—no matter where they sit or how they join us—can participate fully and clearly in worship.
We began by asking a foundational question: What should worship sound like? We agreed that every seat matters. Whether someone is in the front pew, the back row, the Gathering Area, or joining us online, the experience should be clear and consistent. Worship should be intelligible, with speaking, instruments, and congregational singing heard as balanced sounds working together. It must also be versatile enough to support both traditional and modern services. Just as importantly, worship should be accessible, with clear captions for the Deaf community, visible ASL interpreters, reliable hearing-assist devices, and thoughtful accommodations for those with sensory sensitivities.
We also considered the needs of different groups who worship and serve each week. Pastors need dependable microphones and the ability to hear clearly from every location. Volunteers need reliable tools and strong training. The congregation includes seniors using hearing aids, parents stepping out with young children, friends with sensory needs, and a growing online community. Expanding worship means making sure our audio supports each of these experiences rather than distracting from them.
In assessing our current systems, we identified several challenges. The online audio experience is noticeably weaker than what is heard in person, and our equipment limits our ability to mix specifically for online worship. Sound quality can vary depending on where someone sits. We also recognized the need for better training, clearer systems, and a consistent maintenance plan to improve reliability week after week.
When we imagined what success would look like, we pictured online worship that sounds just as strong and intentional as in-person services, more consistent sound throughout the sanctuary, and volunteers who feel confident and well-equipped. We also discussed the importance of sustainable planning, including training, maintenance, and a realistic production budget.
At the same time, we are mindful of real constraints. Audio upgrades represent a significant investment, and we remain committed to responsible stewardship. Equipment placement must enhance worship without becoming visually distracting, and recruiting and training volunteers takes time. These realities shape our discernment as we move forward.
This process is still in the exploration phase, and no final decisions have been made. What is clear is that this effort is not about technology for its own sake. It is about removing barriers so the Word can be heard clearly and every person—whether in the sanctuary or online—can fully participate in worship. Thank you for your prayers and partnership as we continue discerning next steps.
January 14, 2026
Greetings Peace Family,
The Expanding Worship Team has been busy at the start of this new year, and we’re excited to share a quick update with you.
Our goals for the Expanding Worship initiative are to:
Hire a Director of Modern Worship and Production
Improve lighting and video quality for both in‑person and online worship
Improve audio quality for both in‑person and online worship
We’re pleased to share that our new Director of Modern Worship and Production has joined the team and is already working with staff and volunteers to shape our modern worship service and enhance our current audio, lighting, and video systems.
This winter, the Expanding Worship Team will also be meeting with contractors to explore options for upgrading the sanctuary’s lighting, video, and audio systems. These proposals will help us understand the best solutions and costs for moving forward.
We continue to work closely with the Church Council, Stewardship Team, and staff to ensure this project is completed thoughtfully and effectively.
If you have any questions about the project, please reach out to Pastor Jason.