Since we moved to Arizona several years ago we've tried a few churches and tried to find one where A) our kids feel at home, en... Read More
Since we moved to Arizona several years ago we've tried a few churches and tried to find one where A) our kids feel at home, enjoy their time there, grow and learn about God, and B) where we enjoy the preaching, are appropriately challenged, and feel the pastor speaks in love and truth. Sun Valley is the first place where I can check off all the important boxes.For the first year or so we attended the main campus in Gilbert, where the pastor speaks live. But for those of us living in Queen Creek, it was a bit of a haul to get over there and back. First of Jan 2017 they opened a campus here in Queen Creek, on Rittenhouse near the Target shopping center.The main campus has Saturday afternoon services which we prefer. However, Queen Creek currently has 3 services on Sunday, 9:00, 10:30 & noon. At this campus, like all the other satellite campuses, the pastor is "virtual". He isn't actually physically there. Instead, the speaker is projected full body and life-sized (a little larger than live sized) on a screen. The effect is actually quite believable and it's not something that you even think about much. And while his sermon is pre-recorded the day before, it feels like he is actually there speaking to us. It works and many people who experience it might believe that he really is up there. The first few weeks my mom has leaned over a couple of times and said "oh he's really here this week". But he wasn't. If you haven't been to one of these satellite churches you HAVE to give it a try just to experience this virtual pastor effect.Chad is great. I've been in church my whole life. And he's one of the best speakers I've ever heard. He is humble and speaks at my level. For him only I would give Sun Valley a 5 star rating. But I can't give the Queen Creek campus 5 stars. Personally, I go to church for the speaking and to hear the messages. I don't go for the music, which in recent years been labeled as worship. When I was younger worship wasn't the music it was something else. But that's what it's commonly called today.I know this is something an old curmudgeon would say.. but the music is simply much too loud. So loud that we are considering going back to the Gilbert campus. And for that reason I decided that it was appropriate to write this 3 star review. The bass and drums are amplified too much and in a venue that size they should be turned down probably by half. You'll see in my photo which was taken with a db level measuring app that the music peaked at over 120db and that at the moment the photo was taken it was at 109db. This was with one of the quieter bands. For the record, we have already talked to the campus pastor on multiple occasions and asked they to turn it down. And I believe that they did turn it down a little. Meaning the weeks before it seemed even louder. I also believe that the campus pastor's hands are tied a little. I doubt he has the absolute authority to make this decision on his own.I'm actually not a curmudgeon. I have a fairly reasonable view on this subject. For example I think my car's stereo doesn't go loud enough. How loud the music should be at any given church is completely debatable and controversial. "Loud" is a completely relative term as is "too loud". I believe that Sun Valley as a whole knows that they can't please everyone and that they can't really even try to please everyone. And I think there is a choice to have the music be "loud" - which I'm ok with. Otherwise one week they'd be turning it down because someone complained and the next week turning it up because someone complained. They can't do that and I don't expect them to. However, I think the music here is beyond just loud. I believe it is a result of the acoustics of the room. So, I suggest they get a db meter in there to measure how loud it really is, and make sure they're at a reasonable "loud". Something like 105db max as measured in the mixing booth. Currently routinely the music is at 110-115db which I think is difficult to justify.Eventually, we will probably just return to the Gilbert Campus. And I think that's unfortunate considering that it is completely avoidable.I hope you will visit the campus and decide for yourself. And if the music is too loud find Mo and let him know. Read Less
![embed-icon](<img alt="embed-icon" class="embed-icon" src="/assets/icn_embed-ef8cce3d74255322ddbf41b06cdc1f0c4fe34d169f0844e0a038087cc958b84d.svg" />)
What does this mean?
Trusted Partner
