I'll share some of my experiences. I've played in numerous church settings, from small to large venues and conservative to liberal congregations.
For the more conservative gigs (where acoustic drum sets were frowned upon), I've played either a cajon or a djembe.
For a kinda in-the-middle service, I once played a heavily muted floor tom, cajon, and bass drum. That was an interesting experience. LOL.
For churches that don't have issues with drum sets, I've played in booths, behind "drum shields", and with with no sound isolation.
From these experiences I have come to the conclusion that I'm sure many of you share: I don't like drum booths. To me, I am too isolated from the rest of the band and have to rely too much on the monitors to here them. I've always had a difficult time hearing them even with a headset and it's hard to get that intrinsic "groove" when you're stuck in a cage.
I also don't really enjoy playing with "rods". Unless I'm going for a particular drum texture, they do not have the same feel. I always get irritated when people tell me to use rods so it's quieter. I respond by telling them that you don't need rods to play quieter, you just have to use more control.
Another thing I've noticed, which goes for secular gigs, is that you should make good friends with the sound techs! Most of the time they will want you completely isolated and have complete control over your sound so it pays to have a good relationship with them.
Just my two cents.
Oh and don't get me started on using electronic drums...
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