Should I Record or Livestream? A Guide for Small and Medium Sized Churches
Covid-19 has forced many churches to shut their doors for the foreseeable future, forcing church leaders to embrace digital technology in an effort to continue offering corporate worship, and to remain connected to their congregations. For churches that have already implemented livestreaming or videography into their church, this has been a somewhat smooth transition—but many churches who had never before considered recording or streaming video are now scrambling for solutions, often with limited budgets. It is my hope that this guide will be the first in a series of guides devoted to recording and streaming video in churches, and will become a resource that will help churches to stream or record in a way that works for them in their community.
Video as Ministry
Before church leaders begin looking for equipment or planning for streaming/recording worship options, they first need to think of the use of video itself as a ministry. Just like planning a worship service in your church building, planning a virtual worship service should work to create a space for people to worship, with God at the center. Regardless of the worship venue, worship should always be about seeking and responding to God—it’s not a way for a church to simply remain relevant or retain congregants. Likewise, the ministry of video and digital media can be used to encourage creative community in this period of social distancing, combating social isolation. Being intentional about using video and other forms of digital media as ministry will go a long way in creating a space for worship, inspiring hope, and building community as people struggle to handle what is happening in the world around them.
Plan with Purpose
Along with an orientation towards video and digital media as a ministry, it is important to know your purpose for using it. This will help to direct you in your planning, keep you focused, and direct your decisions. It will help you to determine if your church should be livestreaming, or recording, or maybe doing something slightly more out of the box and creative. What is your reason for using video? Is it to offer the stability and sense of normalcy of a regular Sunday worship experience? Is it to offer hope amid the crisis we are experiencing? Is it to help keep congregants in community with each other, even when they can’t be physically present? Past the impact of COVID-19, will you be using video as a ministry for homebound members, or for members on vacation and out of town? Will you be using it as an element in a worship service as well as posting the service itself online? I encourage you to have a conversation with other leaders in your church to help determine what your purpose for using video is, and keep that purpose in the forefront as you begin to incorporate video.
Here to Stay
With some churches beginning to open back up in a limited capacity, many are discovering that the use of the ministry of video is not going away. Video has become an integrated part of our society (Youtube is the most visited website after Google), which directly impacts the expectations people now have for their churches. People often expect now to be able to watch their churches worship services when they are on vacation or out of town, unable to be physically present. Many people who have been homebound have found the ability to “attend church” virtually a blessing. People are looking for their church to have a presence on social media and Youtube. These things are here to stay.
Livestream vs. Recording
Once you determine your purpose for implementing video as a ministry, the question is should you livestream or record? For the sake of simplification in this guide, this is how I define livestreaming vs recording:
Livestream: a method of broadcasting video and audio of your worship service (or any other event) over the internet at the same time that it is happening i.e. live.
Recorded Video: Creating a video recording—whether it’s a worship service, event, testimonial, or other type of video—to be viewed at a later date, either online or in person. Recorded video can also be incorporated into a worship service as an element of worship.
For most churches starting out, I recommend at least beginning with recording. It is usually cheaper and easier to begin with than implementing a livestream, and allows a lot more room for error while you learn to do it well. Keep in mind, you can also purchase equipment designed to livestream, and record video with that equipment rather than stream—this will give you a chance to work out the kinks and get used to the equipment without a visible mess up on a Sunday morning. I know that in this period while churches are closed it is tempting to try to rush straight into a livestream to retain a sense of stability and continuity, but rushing a ministry decision is never a great idea. Even when you record, you can still push it out as a “premiere” during your normal time of worship, which will act in much the same way as a live stream would. While keeping your purpose for using video in mind, it is also smart to look forward and discuss how you will use video when the doors to your church are open again. Will you want to continue to record/stream your worship service? Or will you primarily move towards testimonial videos, promotionals, or other creative content? Do you want to be able to take high quality pictures as well as record video?
If you plan on implementing a livestream for your church in the future, I recommend making your equipment decisions based on the equipment needed for livestreaming, but try recording services with that equipment for a few weeks first while you learn how to use it. You can also plan essential recording equipment based with the purpose of eventually livestreaming (camera, audio, lighting) and buy the other components needed to make it a true livestream later(capture cards, streaming software, etc.).
For either option, it is always a smart idea to consider what other ways you may end up using the equipment. While many churches will be purchasing equipment specifically for recording and streaming worship services, those churches may also find in the future that they would like to use their equipment to record a testimony, promotional, or bumper video. If all of the cameras they purchased are permanently mounted in their sanctuary, this becomes a very difficult task.
The key words are ministry, purpose, and growth. You want whatever equipment you buy and plans you make to strengthen your ministry, serve your purpose, and leave room for growth moving forward.