Five Affordable AV Upgrades to Improve Your Youth Group Gatherings

I know what I’m about to say is going to sound cheesy, but hear me out: good AV was part of my conversion as a teenager.

I know—seems a little silly, right? Well, it’s true. As a teenager, I found myself playing in punk rock bands, and hanging with others who had similar interests. With that, comes a certain hesitancy for youth group gatherings. I never had a disdain for Church because of the music I was interested in, but I certainly walked in with the mindset that the youth gatherings would feel a little “childish.”

To my surprise, I really didn’t have that impression after all. When I walked in to youth group for the first time, I was surprised to see a stage, with interesting stage lighting, a decent sound system, and some basic projection. Now, it wasn’t anything to call the Grammy’s about, but it was enough to show that what I was there to participate in mattered, more than just a blank room with some white folding tables and chairs did. Subconciously, as a teenager, I could see that it was more important than other events that were just thrown together. With that, if you’re thinking you’d like to prime the openness of your students a little more by showing them their presence matters, here are five affordable and easy things you can do to enhance your Youth Group experience.

1) Uplighting

By far, number one for youth groups and general church events, is uplighting. Incase you’re unfamiliar, uplights are lights that are used to shine vertically up the walls of the room. They are a quick and easy way to completely transform a room. You can spend anywhere from $30 a fixture, to well over a $1,000 a fixture. One of our favorite budget friendly PAR fixtures, is made by SHEDS. These fixtures can be obtained for ~$100. With a set of 6-10, you can really make a big impact on your environment. Here is a link to the fixture, if you’re interested: https://www.amazon.com/SHEHDS-LED18X18W-Activated-Uplighting-Concerts/dp/B096HLG2DN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2W2YND3OZWZSO&keywords=sheds%2Bpar%2Blight&qid=1706029545&sprefix=sheds%2Bpar%2B%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

2) Ditch that microphone cable

If you’re using a wired microphone, considering upgrading to a budget friendly wireless mic. Very few people will notice this upgrade right out of the gate—but what they will notice is that it will allow you (or your visiting presenters) to be more mobile and more engaged with the students. Here is a budget friendly option we like from Sennheiser. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-XSW-Wireless-Microphone-548-572/dp/B01NAS7Q9Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=18OXXFKVS047A&keywords=sennheiser+wireless+microphone&qid=1706029645&sprefix=sennheiser+wireless+microphon%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.ac2169a1-b668-44b9-8bd0-5ec63b24bcb5

3) Opening Slide Loops

We’ve all been there… you walk into a room where you don’t know anyone. For us introverts, our first tendancy is to numb the initial loner sting with our phones. If students are going to use screens to keep themselves from interacting with others, you might as well use that opportunity to have them learn about your ministry! Opening slide loops are constant loops of announcement slides where you can post info about different community gatherings, volunteer opportunities, or even just funny/silly options, such as “youth ministry trivia.” Our favorite choice for all slide solutions is Pro Presenter by Renewed Vision. Check out the software and some tutorial videos here: https://renewedvision.com/

4) Countdown videos

Schedules change—we get it. For the leaders of the event, adding a couple extra minutes to the start time doesn’t make a big difference, but to attendees who aren’t in the loop, it can feel like an eternity. Give your attendees some ease, as well as build suspense for the start of a great night by adding countdown videos. We typically use 2-3 minute countdowns right before the start the event. This is just another way to build that “wow” factor, and show your students that what they’re there for is important! Check out Worship House Media for some great countdown videos: https://www.worshiphousemedia.com/countdowns

5) Edison Bulbs

Quite possibly the most affordable solution, is incorporating some budget-friendly edison bulb lighting to your youth group environment. At Verum, we use Edison bulbs quite often, even on big stages! They are a great way to make the envirnonment feel a bit more intimate, and transform a space that students have likely seen before. Ikea has some good budget friendly edison bulb fixtures that we like: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/decorative-led-lights-bulbs-700413/

There you have it—five affordable and easy solutions to completely transform the experience at your youth group. Need more help or guidance—the Verum team is always here by your side to help and support you, and make your youth group gatherings as impactful as possible!