A Church without a podium at the altar is like a class without a blackboard. Church podiums are an important part of sermons and masses.
Podiums serve as a multi-purpose stand for placing and reading the Holy Bible, hymnals, and other books of biblical literature. You can also store them on shelves below the placement platform.
Podiums come in various materials like wood, metal, glass, and acrylic. Out of these, the most affordable yet durable of them are acrylic podiums.
Acrylic is a better replacement for glass as it is non-breakable and light in weight. Its transparent nature does not hinder visibility on the altar.
Today, there are a lot of manufacturers providing good-quality acrylic podiums for Churches.
However, be cautious when buying acrylic products in the online market. We will explain how you can choose an acrylic podium curated for your Church.
You will also learn to pick the appropriate manufacturer to help with your podium design and after-care.
Need for Acrylic Podium in Churches
Ancient Church pulpits/podiums were made of wood and canvas inspired by European and Middle-Eastern designs. These pulpits had a ‘book-stand’ to allow the clergy to conduct their sermons.
Over time, with the spread of Christianity across the globe, it became tough to source the original materials used in designing ancient pulpits.
Also, their maintenance, movement, and replacement became concerning factors.
So, it became sensible to use local and inexpensive materials to design Church essentials in regional Churches.
Churches started having podiums in materials like wood with carvings, metal with paints, or painted glass.
The most recent addition to podium materials is acrylic.
Some properties that make Churches choose an acrylic podium are;
- Versatile – you can design the podium to suit your placement and storage requirements.
- Cost – acrylic is low and reasonably priced compared to all other materials.
- Easy maintenance – gives a glass-like rich look with minimal cleaning.
- Light in weight over all other podium materials
Thus, it is no wonder that acrylic podiums are becoming the most preferred pulpits for many sermons online and offline.
Key Factors in Choosing an Acrylic Podium
Every Church has its own rules for designing and placing the podium.
For instance, the Evangelic Protestant Churches have a podium at the center.
Scientific factors also decide the placement and design of podiums to ensure the preacher is audible to everyone assembled.
Let us see some factors one must consider in a Church podium selection.
Factor 1: Design Considerations
The positioning of podiums varies with the design and principles of each Church. As a consequence, acrylic podiums are mobile. Some of them have wheels to ease mobility.
The podium’s height must be such that it does not hinder the visibility of the clergy or priest. The top platform is preferred to be sloped for ergonomic hand support and preaching for a long time.
Although ancient pulpits and podiums had intricate carvings, many prefer a minimally designed yet aesthetic podium today.
Furthermore, today, acrylic podiums come with shelves towards the inner side. This feature helps the clergy store books, reading materials, and other immediate reference materials during a sermon.
Such minimalism in design and highly functional uses make sure that acrylic podiums suit all Churches and their principles.
Factor 2: Durability and Material Quality
Acrylic is a type of plastic that is cut and shaped to suit various platforms and displays. It is transparent like glass but is almost ten times more resistant than glass.
The acrylic plastic is water-proof and thus makes its maintenance easier. Unlike metals and wood, there are no problems of material contraction, expansion, rusting, wear and tear, etc.
Acrylic can be fabricated and molded into any design. Its durability and strength make it the most versatile option for small podiums to large platforms.
Although the source of acrylic podiums comes from plastic sources, their long-term durability makes them an eco-friendly alternative, as they last longer than their counterparts.
Factor 3: Customization Options
The finishing in acrylic podiums is possible with colors and frostings.
Even if you can’t carve as in the wood-based pulpits, you can include similar designs in your acrylic podiums through colors. The colors won’t fade over time.
Painting figurines, writing sayings, adding logos or symbols, etc., can be done easily on acrylic to suit your Church principles.
You may add drawers with keys and open shelves facing the inner side of the podium. The shelves can be fixed or removable to suit your requirements.
Acrylic is your best bet if you want to incorporate medieval Christian design elements into modern convenient podiums.
Factor 4: Price and Budget
Acrylic plastic and the resulting products are far cheaper than counterparts like glass, metal, and wood. However, the quality and durability of acrylics are on par with or higher than many other materials.
Acrylic podiums come for every budget. The price differences vary with the design complexity, premium ranges of acrylic plastic, and functionalities.
Acrylic podiums can begin from Rs. 12,000 and go up to Rs. 50,000. Custom podiums can even go up to Rs 1 lakh, with highly functional features and intricate designs.
Factor 5: Manufacturer Reputation
A lot of dealers and manufacturers supply pre-made and custom-designed Church podiums.
Many dealers sell such podiums on online shopping portals. However, in case of maintenance, replacements, or damages, it can be difficult to trace them back to their dealers.
Hence, it is important to do sufficient background research about the manufacturer’s brand and location.
Ideally, a good-quality acrylic podium will last long and require minimal maintenance. Manufacturers must be ready to assist you in case of any breakages, adding additional elements like a mike, etc.
Important Elements of an Acrylic Podium for Churches
A podium is an inevitable element of all kinds of Churches since the inception of Christianity. Podiums and their designs have evolved and vary based on the region of the Churches.
Irrespective of the religious variance, podiums must be ergonomic enough to let the speaker speak for a long time and be acoustic-friendly for a huge audience.
Here are some crucial factors to consider when you choose an acrylic podium for your Church.
- Suitable size and slope for easy reading and projection
- An ideal podium has a sloped platform to help the priest/clergy rest their arms ergonomically. This ergonomic positioning helps them recite long biblical literature without pain.
- A sloped platform at an ideal height ensures the priest is visible to everyone in the Church.
- Lightweight yet sturdy acrylic construction
- Acrylic plastic is more of a flexible version of traditional glass. It is non-breakable and highly durable. In contrast, it is very lightweight compared to glass.
- As a result, it is possible to store sufficient biblical literature on the platform or the shelves underneath for easy access during prayer masses.
- Customized front panels with the Church’s logo and imagery
- Carving and designing metal or wood-based podiums in the ancient Church pulpits required a lot of handwork by artisans. It is possible to laminate and generate computerized designs on acrylic podium stands.
- As a result, it is possible to store sufficient biblical literature on the platform or the shelves underneath for easy access during prayer masses.
- Underlit to illuminate speaker and reading material
- One can add podium lighting in various places, like the platform, the boundaries, and the bottom. The lights on the external boundaries and panels help make the priest/clergy appear illuminated.
- Platform lights can help improve visibility for the priest during preaching and recitals. The lighting in acrylic podiums is LED-based. LED strips can be fixed, which do not strain the eyes of the observers and the priest.
- Drawers, racks, and shelves for convenient storage
- Modern acrylic podiums help Church podiums have shelves, drawers, or even small cabinets towards the inner side. Such multi-functional shelves and racks make the podium ergonomic and easy for priests to use.
- One can store all related books and materials during a sermon without taking breaks to fetch them from elsewhere.
How to Select the Right Acrylic Podium Manufacturer?
There are a lot of small to large brands and manufacturers supplying acrylic podiums. Most of them claim to sell the best acrylic products.
When investing in accessories for your Church, you must research the concerned brands and their offerings.
Elements like the sound system, podiums, seating furniture, Church interiors, etc., go a long way in creating an impression on the visiting devotees.
Tip 1: Research about the Brand
The first step to choosing an acrylic podium is to list popular brands in your region or country. A simple Google search will give you some of the top brand names.
In today’s digital marketing era, brands with a business website are considered trustworthy. So, choosing acrylic podium manufacturers with a business website is a good practice.
Scroll through their business websites to see the brand’s history and how many years they have been associated with manufacturing acrylic podiums.
Their home page will have customer testimonials and ratings from top review platforms.
Also, learn from their website about their quality metrics, return and maintenance policies, location, contact details, etc.
A customer-centric acrylic dealer would initiate an online chat on their website to help you with your inquiries. You may also check for their e-mail ID from their contact page and request a quotation for your requirements.
Tip 2: Leverage Google My Business
In addition to a website, professional acrylic manufacturers have a listing on online classified pages. Out of all listings, the Google My Business(GMB) listing elevates the brand’s authenticity when you choose an acrylic podium.
A Google Business listing gives short details of the manufacturer’s location, contact details, photos of their location and product offerings, etc.
Above all, the Reviews tab under the Google Business listing carries verified customer reviews.
Google profiles, reviews, and ratings are some of the most trustworthy metrics to measure the credibility and authenticity of a brand.
A manufacturer who strives to keep their GMB profile updated, responds to constructive criticism, and rectifies problems mentioned in reviews is definitely a good choice.
GMB enables customers who share reviews to post images and videos of the finished products they receive. Leverage this feature to know how the manufacturer can customize your acrylic podium requirements.
Tip 3: Read Customer Testimonials
Apart from Google Reviews, there are many other sources where the same manufacturer can sell their acrylic products.
Amazon, Indiamart, and TradeIndia are a few popular online portals where one can view products and customer reviews.
Such portals encourage buyers to leave reviews upon receiving the final product. They ensure that the reviews come from verified buyers.
Reviews and ratings on top shopping portals help influence your buying decisions. You may also add replies to such reviews to consult with other buyers.
Furthermore, these portals allow you to post queries and let the manufacturer reply directly.
A good acrylic manufacturer quickly responds to queries and concerns and must direct you to their website with product offerings.
Tip 4: Analyze the brand’s online presence
So far, we have come across online channels like a website, a GMB profile, and seller profiles on online shopping portals.
Additionally, manufacturers must be active on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, X, etc., and regularly promote their products there.
A brand that has a multi-channel online presence is more trustworthy and credible than others. Such brands are up-to-date with the latest happenings and can be more swift to understand your requirements.
Brands that leverage all possible digital marketing tactics have a wider customer base. The more customers and their satisfaction, the more you can choose that brand for your acrylic podium requirements.
Tip 5: Read Case Studies
Today, manufacturers share stories of custom designs on social media and their websites. Much groundwork goes into the research for a custom acrylic Church podium.
For instance, there was a concern if the clergy could sit and conduct the mass. Our designers researched and found smaller lecterns specially meant for those physically challenged.
So, we designed a podium to detach the platform and fit it with two height-varying stands.
Also, the design elements we add to the laminate and print logos come from verified biblical evidence. We have designed eagle-shaped platforms to symbolize the gospels.
Floral decorations, symbols, etc., can be easily added.
So, before deciding on a manufacturer, make sure to read their stories of customization on their social media pages.
Find corresponding customer reviews for the same on their business pages, website, and online portals.
Tip 6: After-Sales Support and Warranty
When looking for a podium manufacturer online, one of the vital factors to check for is their post-sales customer support. You must be able to contact their PoC for all kinds of queries.
From delivery to assembly in the Church, the manufacturer must be ready to handhold you in the process.
Ideally, acrylic podiums are durable and resistant to damage from water and breakages. Yet, your product must be covered and insured with a warranty for the first few years.
Acrylic podiums do not require frequent maintenance. However, the manufacturer must assist or send representatives for regular cleaning and polishing of the podium in your Church.
Tip 7: Design Consultation, Options, and Customization Process
You may choose an acrylic podium displayed on a manufacturer’s website or online page. Or you may wish to add your customizations to an existing design. Or you may wish to create your acrylic podium from scratch.
Whatever you desire, the manufacturer must envision your design into a reality. When you request a quotation, they must let you connect with a PoC and designer from their end.
A face-to-face meeting or a telephone conversation will be good options.
Otherwise, they must have an online app or AI-based portal to let you choose options for your custom design. Then you can connect further for consulting about prices and time required.
A good manufacturer must be able to understand the Church’s principles, the local region and the devotees, Church acoustics, etc. It helps them to come up with a minimal and efficient acrylic podium design.
Conclusion
The Church podium is an essential piece of furniture in any Church. They help grab devotees’ focus towards the clergy.
Hence, keeping the podium ergonomic and durable for a long prayer session is important.
In modern times, many Churches choose an acrylic podium for their altar.
Properties like durability, easy customizations, minimal maintenance, and reasonable pricing make acrylic plastic an easy choice for creating podiums.
Customizations can be easily done on acrylic podiums to make them no less than their ancient and medieval European counterparts.
First, one must be cautious and conduct in-depth research before approaching a manufacturer to design and furnish their acrylic podium.
Then, you must check for a manufacturer’s business website and online listings to verify their authenticity and credibility.
Also, go through their customer testimonials and reviews on various channels like the manufacturer’s social media pages, ratings, and reviews on Google, Amazon, etc.
Ideally, the manufacturer must get back to you upon placing a quotation request on their website. A face-to-face discussion or telephone conversation is a must to ensure the designers understand your requirements.
Manufacturers must be transparent in their pricing and communication. Ensure that you convey your customizations and requirements.
They must get back to you for any query and show progress status periodically. Post delivery, they must help you assemble the podium in your Church, assist you in maintenance, etc.
Look at our portfolio and contact us for an acrylic podium at the best prices.