T
he trend toward contemporary
worship has had a mighty
impact on the church sound
market. The desire for more dynamic
presentation continues to drive the
use of increasingly sophisticated
sound reinforcement technology and
systems.
Haven Christian Reformed Church,
located in Zeeland, Michigan, high-
lights these trends, evidenced by a
recent audio upgrade in its worship
sanctuary. “Our primary focus had
been traditional worship, but there
was movement to a more contempo-
rary style. Thus we felt it was time to
upgrade to a sound system that could
handle a broader range of program-
ming,” explains Cal Timmer, chairman
of Haven’s technical services.
Built in the 1960s, the sanctuary
was modern for its era, with a “barn”
architecture that was atypical at the
time. Arching wooden ceilings and
beams top a classic shoebox-shaped
space that seats approximately 600. A
balcony stretches across the rear of
the room, backed by a choir loft and
large stained glass window.
In the late ‘80s, an audio system
upgrade also resulted in the move of
the house mix position to the front of
the balcony. That system stayed in
place for nearly 15 years until the
decision for a new audio direction
was hatched.
“The most pressing need for the
new system was increased coverage
and intelligibility. Attaining adequate
gain before feedback had also pre-
sented a challenge through the years,”
notes Gary Zandstra, who headed up
the system project for Michigan-based
design/install firm Parkway Electric &
Communications. “And with the
increasing use of electronic-based
musical performance, another goal
was to present sound more ‘hi-fi’ and
enveloping in nature.”
Rather than rushing into a new direc-
tion, Parkway partnered with the Haven
technical team on a time-intensive eval-
uation process where a wide range of
options – loudspeakers in particular –
were
studied and in some cases,
brought in for live demo purposes.
Out of this process came a focus on
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Digitally
Steerable Array (DSA) Series of loud-
speakers to provide primary coverage
of the sanctuary, backed by compact
loudspeakers (on delay) to serve shad-
56 Live Sound International
January 2005
Contemporary Trend
Modern audio at Haven Christian Church
By Linda Seid Frembes
A voluminous sanctuary served largely by two low-profile (but full-range) loud-
speakers. Gary Zandstra (left) with Matt Lucas (center) and Cal Timmer of the Haven
Christian sound team, discussing "tweaks" on the new system.
