We are living in unprecedented times. People are panicked. Pastors are scrambling. Churches are struggling to keep up and respond appropriately.
One of the challenges we face as churches, pastors, and leaders, is this question: What do we do if we suspend worship gatherings?
This post is not intended to give you advice on whether or not you should. This information is provided in the event you do suspend services.
One of the greatest options for churches to still provide a meaningful worship experience is to stream either their entire service or at least the sermon online. However, many churches don’t know where to start. There are so many options, how do you choose the right one for your church and how do you get started?
I hope this information is simple enough to provide you enough information to make those decisions quickly and wisely.
Free Options
Any church can use an iPhone or any smart phone and broadcast their worship live through Facebook.
Pros: Facebook Live is so simple to use. It takes two clicks and you are up and running. I would suggest you “Go Live” using your church Facebook Page. If you don’t have one, ask someone who is on Facebook that is a member of your church to set one up. It takes less than 5 minutes.
Another advantage of Facebook Live is that it is completely free! Someone in your church has a smartphone. They can simply Go Live and you are streaming for everyone to see!
You can also use webcams or a higher end camera, but you will need to use a third-party software for that. However, in this crazy time, I don’t believe anyone is going to have a problem with the quality a smart phone can give you.
Cons: One disadvantage is that anyone who is not on Facebook cannot view the live services. It doesn’t integrate with websites for live streaming. You can embed it later, but it only shows up live on Facebook.
Another disadvantage is it is difficult to get good audio with this option. You can still accomplish what you need—everyone can hear if you place the phone near the speakers, singers, or speakers. But it won’t be high-quality audio.
2. YouTube Live
You can use any camera, including your iPhone, iPad, smart phone, or a webcam to broadcast live on YouTube.
Pros: The biggest advantage to YouTube is that it is also a totally free option. You can certainly invest in a high-end camera and software, but you can also get started for nothing with the equipment you already have.
One of the best advantages of using this service is that anyone can access it. Anyone with internet access has the ability to find your church’s YouTube channel. If you don’t have a channel, it is only a few minutes setup process!
Another great advantage to using YouTube is that it can quickly integrate with your website. Free, easy, embed in website, anyone can access
Cons: One problem with YouTube Live is that the setup is not as easy set up as Facebook. It actually takes 24 hours to enable the live feature.
Inexpensive:
For less than $500 you can broadcast to many social media channels using a Mevo camera.
Pros: Mevo may be the simplest solution to streaming your service live in good quality. You can set up the camera near the platform and use a phone or iPad near your soundboard and connect the audio through the software and it sounds fantastic once you get the mix right! You will need to download the accompanying Mevo software, but it is free.
Cons: It’s not free. You also have to wait for the camera to ship to you. Another issue is that you have to also use an iPad or iPhone or Android phone.
2. PTZ Optics Camera using ECam Software
Pros: This is probably the highest quality option that can be done on a budget. The video and audio and quality is second to none.
Cons: The camera itself is not cheap. But for a $1200 investment, you can get going.
Another issue with getting this started quickly is that the ECam Live software will cost you a bit and it includes a large learning curve.
Services
Another thing that you may need help with is services that allow you to stream to multiple destinations simultaneously. The best option I’ve found is called Switchboard Live. It’s a very easy, simple sign-up process and the monthly cost is minimal. You don’t need a ton of technical ability to be able to navigate this solution. This is what our church will be using in the weeks ahead.
Whatever your church chooses to do, know that we are praying for you and praying for your church to make much of Jesus during this challenging moment in history.
