St. Michael's Parish: Reallocating $180K From AV Capital to Ministry
Campus-wide UniFi360, UniFi Protect security, Cloud PBX with campus paging, and an NXSLED sanctuary wall — on one flat monthly fee.
At a Glance
| Client Profile | Growing suburban Chicagoland parish — sanctuary, parish hall, school wing, rectory |
| Campus | 6.2 acres, four connected buildings, one detached rectory |
| Constraint | Modernize without triggering a major capital appeal |
| Scope | UniFi360 campus Wi-Fi, UniFi Protect, Cloud PBX with paging, NXSLED sanctuary wall |
| Sanctuary Display | 1.5mm pixel-pitch direct-view LED replacing dual projectors |
| Outcome | $180,000 AV capital request cancelled and reallocated to ministry |
The Challenge
Faith communities face a unique version of the same problem every organization faces: technology that no longer supports the mission. St. Michael's aging projectors were dim, hard to read from the back of the sanctuary, and required sanctuary lighting to be dropped for weekday events. Wi-Fi in the school wing was inconsistent, campus security relied on a handful of consumer cameras and spotty DVRs, and the phone system had passed end-of-life years earlier.
Ownership wanted one partner — not five vendors — and a managed ICT model that would not require a capital campaign.
The NexusCT Solution
UniFi360 Campus-Wide Wi-Fi
Sanctuary, parish hall, school wing, rectory, and outdoor gathering spaces, all on one managed SSID.
UniFi Protect Video Surveillance
Enterprise-grade physical security coverage at every entrance, corridor, and parking-lot approach, replacing consumer cameras and monitored 24/7 by NexusCT.
Cloud PBX with Campus Paging
One extension plan for every office, classroom, and rectory, plus emergency notification broadcast.
NXSLED Sanctuary Wall
A 1.5mm pixel-pitch direct-view LED wall replacing dual projectors — full brightness in a fully lit sanctuary, broadcast-grade live-stream output, and picture-perfect worship-slide rendering. Zero CapEx, one flat monthly fee, equipment ownership transfer at term end.
$180,000 capital budget reallocated to ministry
The parish's original AV capital plan had a $180,000 line for projector replacement, screen refurbishment, and control-room upgrades. By moving the entire program onto the NexusCT flat-fee model, that capital request was cancelled and reallocated to ministry programs, outreach, and school aid.
Outcomes
- Sunday attendance is up — the sanctuary experience is now consistent for guests in the back row and viewers on the live stream
- Live-stream production quality is broadcast-grade — the sanctuary wall refreshes at 3840 Hz and does not flicker on camera
- School Wi-Fi is stable — one-to-one device programs and testing platforms run without disruption
- Campus physical security is enterprise-grade — one system, one interface, one partner monitoring it 24/7
- Total spend down year-over-year — the flat monthly fee replaced telephone, cable-TV, camera-DVR, AV maintenance, and IT-consulting line items
"We wanted the mission to lead, not the AV budget. NexusCT gave us a campus-wide platform that just works, on a monthly fee we could absorb inside our operating plan. The sanctuary looks better, the school runs better, and we did not have to ask our parishioners for a capital campaign to make it happen."
— Parish Administrator, St. Michael's Parish
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