I bought the DJI Mini 2 drone for church ministry and fun. At the same time, I love flying it for fun because it’s a simple to use drone that doesn’t break your bank and is easy to fly. However, it’s also a great tool for church ministry. So, I rounded up 6 Awesome ways to use the DJI Mini 2 for church and ministry. These will work with almost any drone like the DJI Mavic Air 2, the Skydio 2, or any other drone.
DJI Mini 2 Drone Overview
DJI promotes the Mini 2 as a light drone that weighs under the 250kg that the United States FAA sets as the limit for registering a drone. The DJI Mini 2 comes in below that number, so pilots don’t need to register the drone with the FAA.
The company also advertises the 4K camera and 31 minutes of flight per battery. It costs less than most drones making it a great option for an entry-level drone buyer. That means it will also fit well in a church or ministry toolbox. It’s cheap, doesn’t require a lot of training to pass a government test, nor does it mean you have to register the drone.
The DJI Mini 2 serves the budget-minded drone pilot costing $449. Here’s the list of what’s in the box:
- The DJI Mini 2 drone
- OcuSync 2 Remote Control with Control Sticks
- 1 Battery
- Cables to connect to Android or Apple devices
- Spare propellers and the screws/screwdriver to connect spare propellors
Add $150 to get the Fly More Combo. You’ll get…
- 2 extra batteries
- A nice charger to charge three batteries
- A protective cover for your gimbal and camera
- A strap to protect your propellor blades while it’s stored away.
The gimbal and propeller strap makes it easier to throw the DJI Mini 2 in the Fly More Combo bag or throw it in a backpack.
Most of the DJI Mini 2 users brag about the excellent OcuSync controller. The wireless technology means pilots can fly their drones further away than older models without the new technology.
Specs hunters can read more about the technical details of the drone at the DJI website. Some of the highlights include…
- 31 minutes of flight time/battery
- 4k video and 12MP images
- 35mm sensor and f2.8 aperture
- Shoots in JPG+RAW
- Video supports 4K, 2.7K, and 1080P video at 24/25/30fps in 4K, 24/25/30/48/50/60fps in 2.7K, and 24/25/30/48/50/60fps in 1080p
- It has 4K 2X Zoom
- micro-SD Cards supported for storage
Inspect Your Church’s Building with Your Drone
Recently one of our church’s leaders noticed some discoloration on the backside of our steeple. He asked me if I could fly my DJI Mini 2 close enough to see what the discoloration came from in a meeting. I wasn’t sure, but I certainly was excited to try it. I actually said, “You don’t have to beg me to fly my drone.”
The next day, I took off, got as close to the steeple, shot some video, and took photos of everything I could find. We found out that we had some mold and a few places where the paint bubbled up and cracked, revealing some dark spots below the white paint.
The DJI Mini 2 has a 2X zoom feature, as many smartphones have. I used that to get close with the camera while still flying far enough away from the steeple. That way, the wind didn’t blow the drone into the steeple. The DJI Mini 2 handles moderate to light wind fine, but I still wanted to fly safely.
Take a Large Group Selfie with Your Drone
Have you ever tried to get a selfie of a large group? Rick Mansfield on the Theotek podcast described a time when he took part in one of these large group shots. The photographer climbed a ladder and yelled at the participants until they were all in place. She took the shot.
The old-fashioned group shot leaves out one person unless she’s got a remote or uses the timer. But a drone can easily take off and move up and away far enough to take a shot with everyone in it. Plus, the group shot will look a lot cooler with some elevation. You can also make some videos using the cool automated shots that a lot of drones include.
Video Directions Shot with Your Drone
Your church website should include at the very least your church’s address and a photo of the building. Wouldn’t it look cooler to offer a video that shows how a person can find your church building?
Guests can drive to our church from four different directions. So, I took off and took a shot of every direction and then created an image with visual indicators of finding their way from those four different directions.
Be careful shooting video or taking photos of traffic patterns. Never fly directly above roads with cars on them. Get the video or photos when there’s almost no traffic. You can also fly your drone over a field or large yard next to the road.
Also, don’t shoot video while driving a car. Never shoot video or take photos during heavy traffic, even if you’re not the one driving the car.
Scenic Video for Worship Service Presentations
Have you ever seen beautiful scenic videos shown during worship as lyric backgrounds in a song or behind a Bible passage? Why not create your own? This works best when you know what the lyrics or Bible text says. Then try to find some video or photos that are thematically connected.
The video below shows how one media person creates motion looping video. He created his video with a drone.
Create Cards, Posters, Instagram Stories, or Any Inspiring Media Using Pictures Taken With Your Drone
We post a lot of images online, so why not make your own. It’s fun, and you don’t have to pay for images from stock sites or deal with copyright from a public domain or creative commons file stores.
Use your drone shots in the following ways:
- Send photo postcards to people in your church that haven’t attended in a while.
- Create a welcome card for guests with a scenic view of the community, church members, or other inspiring photos.
- Put a photo on the cover of your bulletin if you still print one.
- Post images on social media of events taken with your drone.
- Illustrate the Bible passage for this week’s sermon, a Sunday school lesson, or a Bible study topic.
- Shoot video of events and create a memories video for participants to share online.
The list above hits on just a handful of cool ways to use your media shot on a drone.
Make Awesome Videos to Put on Social Media Grabbing Attention
Use your creative skills to create fun or attention-grabbing videos to put on social media. A cool video of events at your church will grab some attention with drone shots added to your videos. You’re only limited by your creative ability.
