Auracast™ LOCATION PROFILE
Grace
Lutheran Church
About this location
Key Stats
Location: Woodstock, IL, United States
Venue type: House of worship
Seating capacity: 300
Equipment installed: Auri system
Installation type: DIY installation
Grace Lutheran Church, located in Woodstock, Illinois, is a house of worship that can accommodate approximately 300 congregants. Hoping to ensure everyone can fully engage in the worship experience, the church recognizes the importance of clear, accessible sound for all — especially those with hearing loss.
The problem statement
For many years, Grace Lutheran Church relied on an FM system that included handheld receivers, earpieces, and neck loops to better support congregants with difficulty hearing . While functional, the system was beginning to show its age. “There is a significant number of older attendees who may or may not realize they have hearing difficulties,” said Andrew Bellavia, long-time member of the congregation and front-of-house audio technician. “Feedback from some was that they had trouble understanding speakers clearly.”
Although the existing FM system had served its purpose, limitations in sound quality and user experience were becoming more evident. A traditional hearing loop was considered as a replacement, but cost proved to be a major barrier. Bellavia in partnership with Grace Lutheran AV Team Leader William Nattress began to seek an alternative that would offer superior audio clarity, cost-efficiency, and adaptability for the future.
The Auracast™ solution
Deployment
To enhance Grace Lutheran’s assistive listening capabilities, Bellavia and Nattress turned to Auracast™ broadcast audio, a cutting-edge Bluetooth® audio capability that met all of the church’s evolving needs. Grace Lutheran chose the Auri system, an Auracast™ package consisting of one transmitter, eight receivers, a charging rack, earpieces, and neck loops. “At the time, it (Auri) was the only fully ADA-compliant solution available with handheld receivers and a convenient charging rack,” said Bellavia.
Installation of the system was seamless and efficient. Within just a few hours, Bellavia and Nattress had integrated the transmitter into the church’s sound system, provided network connectivity to the charging rack for configuration, and fine-tuned the audio output and transmitter power to ensure full coverage of the worship space. With their combined experience in audio systems, the deployment was smooth and free of surprises.
“Auracast™ performed in an impressive way…big thumbs-up right during the service when the pastor mentioned it.”
– Andrew Bellavia, front-of-house audio technician at Grace Lutheran Church
Benefits
After an initial trial phase, the church decided to proceed with a permanent installation; and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Congregants using the Auri receivers — whether with T-coil-enabled hearing aids or the provided earpieces — have consistently reported a significant improvement in sound quality compared to the old FM system. “One person said, ‘The system performed in an impressive way,’” said Bellavia. “Another even gave a big thumbs-up right during the service when the pastor mentioned it.”
Beyond sound quality, ease of use has also stood out as a major benefit. All users so far have found the Auracast™ receivers intuitive and convenient, a critical factor in encouraging adoption among older congregants. As such, the church is optimistic that more people will take advantage of assistive listening than ever before.
A look ahead
While still early, church leadership is already looking toward the future. With growing interest from members of the congregation, Bellavia expects broader adoption as more people upgrade their personal hearing devices to Auracast™ compatible models. “Several people have already asked me about them,” said Bellavia.
Grace Lutheran Church retired its FM system in favor of the new Auracast™ solution and has registered on the Bluetooth location directory and Google Maps. These steps will help make Grace Lutheran more discoverable for individuals seeking accessible worship experiences.
For other organizations considering a similar move, Bellavia said, “I highly recommend Auracast™ broadcast audio for anyone considering an assistive listening system. Multiple vendors offer equipment, the installation is straightforward, and the future is moving in this direction — where people can discreetly connect to a facility’s sound system with their own audio devices.”
Bellavia is also preparing a demonstration video to highlight the impact of the system, including testing the audio latency between ceiling speakers and the Auracast™ receivers. This data will further support their decision and provide insight for other houses of worship considering the transition.
“I highly recommend Auracast™ broadcast audio for anyone considering an assistive listening system. Multiple vendors offer equipment, the installation is straightforward, and the future is moving in this direction.”
– Andrew Bellavia, front-of-house audio technician at Grace Lutheran Church
Learn more about Auracast™
Register your Auracast™ location
