Finding the right equipment for your portable church is no easy task! Space, storage and transportation are just a few of the factors that have to be taken into account. In addition, setting up and tearing down equipment every week can be a unique challenge.

You need equipment that is best suited for your specific portable church needs. How can you make sure that you don’t mess it up? You can start by keeping these seven key pointers in mind:

1. Costs involved

Choosing the right portable equipment can save your church thousands of dollars! However, in order to make that correct choice you need to get your numbers right. Don’t forget to take into account the following costs:

• Individual equipment pieces
• Rent and other venue-related expenses
• Storage and transportation
• Equipment wear and tear
• Replacement of equipment

For example, if your church pays rent by the hour, you should especially be mindful of the setting up and tearing down time, when choosing your equipment.

2. Venue facilities and limitations

No two portable churches have the same equipment needs. For example, a church that meets in a school might not need chairs, whereas a movie theater church might not require a projector and staging.

Before you choose any equipment or utilize the facility’s systems, remember to ask the following questions:

• Will the setup be the same each week? Or, will we need to move our equipment to different parts of the facility?
• What are the landlord’s expectations regarding payment for any damage or repairs of equipment?
• If we need to use another part of the facility, will we be able to move the permanently installed equipment there?
• Will the facility’s electrical capacity be able to handle all the equipment?

Answering these questions will bring you a step closer to picking out the right equipment for your facility.

3. Setting up and tearing down

Installing and packing up equipment is a key element of the portable church experience. While this weekly exercise encourages a healthy volunteer culture, it can be tiring and frustrating for your team. You can avoid that by making sure that your equipment allows for efficient and easy setting up and tearing down.

Before zeroing down on the equipment for your mobile church, here are a few crucial things to consider:

• How much time will it take for setting up and tearing down this equipment? How many people will I have for our set-up and takedown teams? And, how much time does our team have at its disposal, both before and after the service?
• Will it be easy for volunteers to carry equipment in, around and out of the building?
• Does handling this equipment need special skills? Or, can volunteers be easily trained to install, use, and put it away?

The right church equipment, if coupled with proper management and regular motivation, will drastically reduce any chances of volunteer burnout.

4. Proper storage

Storage – or the lack of it – is a key determining factor while choosing your portable church equipment. While a few rented venues offer on-site storage, most require the church equipment to be brought in and taken out each week. Therefore, it is important that the equipment you choose allows you to:

• Store it in a safe manner.
• Stay within your allotted storage space.
• Keep your storage space costs to a minimum.
• Have some free space for storing additional equipment.

The amount, nature and cost of storage will help you choose the best-suited equipment for your church needs. For example, you might need to invest in special storage cases, either a shipping container or a trailer, to ensure that your equipment remains safe.

5. Efficient transportation

The weight, size, and volume of your portable church equipment have a direct impact on transportation logistics. Here are a few key questions to ask beforehand:

• Is the facility accessible via both stairs and elevator(s)?
• Will the team be able to load and unload the equipment in the truck/trailer safely and efficiently?

The experts at Portable Church Industries have helped hundreds of mobile churches with efficient storage and transportation plans. Our customized rolling storage cases are designed to safely store and transport all your equipment – for years to come! And, at times when on-site storage for these cases can’t be negotiated with the landlord, our custom-made cargo trailers will make sure that all your valuable equipment stays safe.

6. Durability and safety

An important factor that needs to be taken into account is the life of the equipment. It might be a wiser decision to invest in slightly more expensive equipment if it will last longer. Don’t forget to ask these crucial questions:

• Will the equipment need to be upgraded every few years?
• Is it made with safe and durable material? Will it withstand the rigors of the road and will it sustain under weekly set-up and occasional drops?

The equipment that you get for your portable church – right from the chairs and projector to the audio and lighting systems – must be reliable and long-lasting.

7. Appeal and comfort

Finally, your equipment will be used by your teams every week. Therefore, it’s key to ensure that they are able to use it comfortably and efficiently – and have fun while doing so! Make sure that the equipment checks all these boxes:

• Comfort
• Appeal
• Ease of use
• Durability

Don’t forget to ask for your teams for suggestions before sealing the deal. For example, your worship leader might have some ideas about specific brands for the sound desk and mics.

The equipment requirements in a portable church environment are vastly different from those in a permanent church building or even a touring band.

Designing portable church equipment solutions is a unique, niche skill. Click To Tweet Thankfully, the experts at PCI have been providing customized equipment solutions to portable churches for over 25 years.

Our balance equipment solution for your church will ensure that ALL aspects are taken into account. We’ll find the right piece of equipment for the right application, and if we can’t find a part – we’ll invent it ourselves!

So, give us a call today at 800.939.7722, and we’ll design and deliver the perfect equipment solution for your portable church!