Why virtual church services?
The COVID-19 precautions are forcing a lot of churches to consider using popular online video services to broadcast their community meetings and make them more accessible to those who are confined to their homes.
Meeting vs Webinar
First, there is a difference between a virtual meeting and a webinar. See Zoom’s comparison of features here. Here is Zoom’s description of each service option:
Meetings are designed to be a collaborative event with all participants being able to screen share, turn on their video and audio, and see who else is in attendance.
Webinars are designed so that the host and any designated panelists can share their video, audio and screen. Webinars allow view-only attendees. They have the ability to interact via Q&A, chat, and answering polling questions. The host can also unmute the attendees.
Zoom Meeting Tips
Here are some of my observations and tips on using a Zoom meeting to conduct a virtual church service:
- Make the instructions to join as simple as possible, especially for those who are technically challenged. An e-mail with a series of screenshots may be good for someone who is willing to go through the written instructions, but most will appreciate this 53-second video that shows how to join a meeting.
- Although participants can mute themselves once they have joined a meeting, the host/speaker needs to be able to mute participants that are new to Zoom or forget to mute. Zoom has a Mute/Unmute All feature that allows the host/speaker to mute all participants. Note: here is also an option in settings that allows participants to always mute microphone when joining a meeting.
- Ensure that the visual focus of the meeting stays on the host/speaker so that there is minimal visual distraction from the message. For this, Zoom has a feature called Spotlight Video that limits the visual focus for all participants to the host/speaker. Note: There is also an option in settings that allows participants to turn off video when joining meeting.
- Allow meeting participants to provide feedback without interrupting the host/speaker. For this, the webinar text chat feature in Zoom is a great option. It may also be a good idea to select a trusted assistant to monitor the chat and highlight questions or comments from the participants so that the host/speaker can address them at his/her discretion.
Based on the above observations, I believe that a Zoom webinar is better suited for a virtual Sunday services because it does not rely on the participants to enable/disable functions and minimizes distractions. Zoom meetings are better suited for small group discussions where you are inviting collaboration and dialogue.
Also, if you intend to record/share the meeting, then by using a virtual meeting, you run the risk of unintentionally showing the participants’ faces to a wider audience without their expressed permission (legal risk). Webinars help to maintain privacy because the participants can participate freely while not compromising their privacy.
Free Live Video Options
So, what are the pros/cons of using paid services like Zoom versus free services like YouTube Live and Facebook Live? I found a great resource called The Ultimate Guide to Live Streaming your Church Services. This guide goes into greater detail the paid software options for live streaming church services, but I would like to share an excerpt that addresses the free options:
“While there are more free options available, the two most relevant for your needs include Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
Facebook Live allows you to set up live streaming events, including live streaming your church services. It’s free to do so and if you already have a large Facebook following, it’s a great option. You can live stream using your phone or any other type of camera.
Youtube Live works similar to YouTube, except videos are broadcast live. You have to have an account in good standing before you can get started, though.
Overall, you’ll get more dedicated support with paid services. However, if you’re just getting started and want to save money, free services work well. They’re also ideal if you have a following on Facebook or YouTube. If nothing else, free platforms are a great way to test the waters before investing in premium services.
Other Considerations
Other considerations include whether you want to restrict access to certain live or recorded services (due to sensitive content) and/or whether you wish to have an accessible archive of past services. Both YouTube and Facebook allow you to archive past live streams and make them available to the public without requiring the viewer to have an account. One important note: YouTube viewers must have a YouTube account in order to like, comment, or subscribe.
Conclusion
Zoom meetings are useful for a host/speaker to deliver a speech in a “live” environment, but some of the host features will need to be employed to make it more user friendly and avoid distractions. Zoom webinars seem to be better suited for virtual church services. Services like YouTube and Facebook Live offer a more familiar user experience and likely support existing online strategies/goals. Thankfully, there is an abundance of choices that any non-profit organization can use to deliver a high quality experience.
