Mid-Michigan Church Livestream & AV Upgrade: Gilmore Church of Christ

At Surrender Sound, we specialize in helping churches across Mid-Michigan modernize their worship technology with practical, volunteer-friendly solutions. Our recent project at Gilmore Church of Christ shows how a church can move from struggling with outdated gear to having a reliable livestream system, clear sound, stable video distribution, and even pulpit control of their media — all without overwhelming their team.

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The Challenge: No Livestream, Unstable Displays, and Limited Volunteers

Gilmore Church of Christ had no livestreaming system in place and their aging computer made even simple presentations stressful. Every time it restarted, icons and screens shifted between monitors, confusing volunteers.

One of their TVs had been cutting in and out for years despite attempts with multiple HDMI boosters. The audio mix wasn’t balanced — the piano lacked presence, and some presenters were hard to hear.

And with only one operator responsible for running sound, slides, graphics, and now live streaming, the church needed a system that was easy, stable, and automated. They also wanted a way to control the presentation directly from the pulpit in case no tech person was available.

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The Solution & Results

Every project begins with careful system design. We mapped out how each piece of equipment would connect — computer, mixer, camera, matrix switcher, and displays — to make sure everything worked together seamlessly before installation ever began.

Then we installed a new Mac Mini running ProPresenter, giving the church a single, reliable platform for lyrics, slides, graphics, and livestreaming. Volunteers now launch one program to handle everything, simplifying the workflow dramatically.

To stabilize video, we added an HDMI matrix switcher with EDID management. This fixed the icon-shuffling issue and allowed for presets — one for Sunday services (different content on each screen) and one for special events like weddings and funerals, where the same feed is mirrored everywhere.

We replaced years of unreliable boosters with a fiber optic HDMI cables to the displays, permanently fixing the blackouts and ensuring a dependable feed for overflow services.

On the audio side, we updated the X32 Compact mixer’s firmware, corrected the piano connection with a DI box, and applied new processing to balance voices and instruments. The improvement was immediate — members noticed the clarity, and the pastor’s wife commented on how much better the piano sounded. Even speakers who used to be hard to hear now come through evenly.

We also hardwired the entire system with new Cat6 cabling — the Mac, mixer, camera, and matrix switcher — removing the instability of Wi-Fi. This enabled not only a stable livestream but also remote mixer and camera control from mobile devices anywhere in the building.

We also set up remote control of the Mac from an iPad at the pulpit. This allows the pastor to advance slides, control ProPresenter, and manage the service without relying on a tech operator. Even with no training yet, the tech operator said after the first Sunday that the new system was already easier to use than the old one.

Finally, we added secure remote access so our team can support the church anytime something needs adjusting, ensuring they stay set up for success.

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Conclusion

This Mid-Michigan church AV installation transformed Gilmore Church of Christ’s ability to livestream, distribute video, and deliver clear, consistent sound — while also giving the pastor direct pulpit control of the presentation system. The setup is modern, reliable, and simple enough for one volunteer (or no volunteer at all) to manage.

If your church is facing similar challenges — no livestream, confusing setup, unreliable displays, or limited tech volunteers — Surrender Sound can help.