The effects of color are elusive, unquantifiable mysteries, yet they have profound effects on our emotions and thought processes. I have a childhood memory of a neighbor who painted their house red and black. Immediately they were under suspicion by the entire block. A simple color choice influenced people's perception of their character and stability. Color has the ability to raise your blood pressure, capture your attention, and inspire worship.

When you think of aggression, the speeding red car or the woman in the red dress comes to mind. You can be green with envy or blue with sadness. You might wear a yellow arm band, identifying yourself with Lance Armstrong. Even as babies we were associated with pink or blue based on our sex.

As a multimedia producer, I've come to realize that color treatment can influence people and enhance meaning in the context of ministry and worship. Color choices affect mediums such as video, lighting, web, staging, and even our clothing. Whether you're editing a video, lighting a stage, or designing a weekly bulletin, color communicates values and intentions.

Here are a few basic guidelines that will elevate a ministry's use of color:

1. Be intentional with all color choices.
It may seem simplistic, but intentionality is often overlooked when it comes to color. If you're not in charge of the entire process, find a producer or creative director who will lead the way and make wise color choices. Bring unity to your presentation by coordinating color choices between lighting, video, print, and staging. There should be a seamless beauty throughout the ministry experience.

2. Use color combinations.
Generally, one color creates a bland presentation. Lighting a stage with one color creates a flat design. A combination of two colors is always a winner. Study color combinations and develop a palette of useful combinations in your ministry. Three colors can be dangerous and require more thought. Using four or more colors generally creates chaos and an unprofessional appearance.

3. Create a neutral setting.
From a production point of view, you want the ability to change color combinations from week-to-week and even within a service. The best way to do this is to have a neutral setting. Consider the color of your ceiling, stage walls, auditorium wall, floor and chairs. Any color introduced into these elements will distract from your ability to control the effects of color in your space. Create neutral spaces for the most flexibility.

The Color Wheel

Developing a color sense and enhancing your instinct for color choices are both important steps when considering color in the creative process. A good place to start is with an understanding of the color wheel. The color wheel is a design for understanding the relationship between basic colors. The primary colors are blue, red and yellow. They are considered to be "pure" in form and are the building blocks of the color wheel. Primary colors are simple to understand and are used in major brands like McDonalds, Shell, and Kellogg's. Primary colors are often used for marketing to children.

Secondary colors are created by mixing primary colors. Some examples include:

Red + Blue = Purple
Blue + Yellow = Green
Yellow + Red = Orange

Tertiary colors are the result of further mixing between primary and secondary colors. Example 1 shows the relationship of these 12 colors in the form of a color wheel.

Analogous Group
The color wheel can be used to develop color combinations. The first style of combination is called analogous. The analogous approach selects three consecutive colors on the color wheel. Typically one color dominates the other two. This grouping creates a sense of unity and harmony.

Complementary Combination
Complementary combinations are two colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel. This combination creates a powerful contrast that gives the colors energy and intensity.

Monochromatic Combination
Monochromatic groups are shade and tint variations of a single color. This combination has great versatility.

The Power of Association
We all have color associations based on culture, history, politics and personal experience. The combination of red, white, and blue conjures up patriotic sentiments. Olives and tans allude to the camouflage of the military. The creative team at my church was faced with the task of designing a series on the topic of money and tithing. This can be a tricky subject for some people. The obvious color choice is green (money) and gold (wealth). However, most people have a negative association with money and ministry. In this situation we chose to avoid green and gold and aimed for something more soothing. Our design palette included blues and white. The overall goal was to add a calming effect by using cool colors. When creating your own content, consider the associations that are related to color and use these links to your advantage.

This article originally appeared in Technologies for Worship Magazine, a magazine dedicated to educating churches on how technology can help them minister to a modern world. The article can be found here.

The "Color Wheel" illustration is has been released from copyright under the free software license.