How to Operate Lights During Church Services

Learn step-by-step instructions for managing stage and house lighting transitions during church services, including pre-service, worship, family time, sermon, altar, and end-of-service sequences.

March 8, 2026 By Chris Copeland

In this guide, we'll learn how to manage stage and house lighting transitions during a service. This includes moving from practice to pre-service, shifting lights for worship, family time, preaching, and the end of the service. The goal is to ensure each scene is set correctly by selecting the right play symbols at the right times.

Let's get started

Okay. When practice is over and you no longer need these lights, begin moving into the service sequences. You will see several play symbols here. Unless the play symbol is selected, clicking away will turn off the lights.

Step #1: Click off of the selected practice sequence. — Click off of the selected practice sequence.

We need to make sure the current scene is locked in. After practice, we need to begin pre-service. I will press the play button, and it will adjust as needed for pre-service.

Step #2: Click the play button next to the 'Practice > Pre' folder. — Click the play button next to the 'Practice > Pre' folder.

You can see that all of these are labeled.

It will tell you where and when to shift the lights.

Step #3: About 30 seconds before the countdown ends, click the play button next to 'Pre > Worship' to shift the lights from pre-service to worship. — About 30 seconds before the countdown ends, click the play button next to 'Pre > Worship' to shift the lights from pre-service to worship.

After you click it, you'll see the lights change. The stage lights will come up and light our singers. If you look at the screen, it will continue down through the service.

When we go to family time, press play and it will switch.

Step #4: Click the play button next to 'Worship > Family' to shift the house lights up. — Click the play button next to 'Worship > Family' to shift the house lights up.

The house lights will come up a bit so everyone can see. When Family time is over, and we're returning to worship with our last couple of songs before the sermon.

Step #5: Click the play button next to 'Family > Worship' to transition the lights back to worship. — Click the play button next to 'Family > Worship' to transition the lights back to worship.

House lights will dim slightly. Worship to preach means the house lights will increase slightly, and the drum cage will turn off.

Step #6: Click the play button next to 'Worship > Preach' to raise house lights and turn off drum cage lights. — Click the play button next to 'Worship > Preach' to raise house lights and turn off drum cage lights.

Preach to altar brings the drum cage lights up slightly so the drummer can see.

Step #7: Click the play button next to 'Preach > Altar' to turn the drum cage lights back on. — Click the play button next to 'Preach > Altar' to turn the drum cage lights back on.

Altar to end doesn't make it black; it just fades the lights on the platform.

Step #8: Click the play button next to 'Altar > End' to fade the stage lights off. — Click the play button next to 'Altar > End' to fade the stage lights off.

The house lights come up fully so everyone can see as they leave.