First Baptist Atlanta, the church home to Dr. Charles Stanley and the training ground for Andy Stanley and Louie Giglio, has a storied history of television broadcast. First Baptist Atlanta (FBA) is well accustomed to recording and sending out our services, thanks to the talents of its sister broadcast ministry, In Touch. However, FBA is not accustomed to livestreaming. In fact, we just held our first livestreamed Sunday service in March 2020. In the end, all went well, and the project was a success; but we learned many things in the process worth sharing.
Livestreaming, as its name implies, takes a video and audio feed of an event and sends it over the internet in real time, where it is accessible to viewers immediately. In contrast, a broadcast ministry, such as In Touch, captures a worship service with professionals running multiple high-quality cameras, and later these discrete images and the multichannel audio are combined and edited via a post-production suite into a finished project, much like a taped TV-show production. The differences between the two approaches are significant and core to their functions.
First, livestreaming is like live sound: it happens in the now. Any error made should be relegated to backlog memory and dealt with after the event. While it is easy to dwell on the mistake, such thinking leads to another mistake and then one more. Find a way to mentally “let it go.” To paraphrase Kenny Rogers, “There’ll be time enough for anguish when the stream is done.” Here are some tips for making your live worship stream the best it can be.
- Do a complete run-through, not just a rehearsal. As we’re fond of saying, “transitions are more important than events,” so practice every aspect of the service as it will take place. Don’t gloss over any of it, as it is all equally important.
- Realize Sunday morning is the new rush hour for streaming. Most churches in an area go live at the same time, meaning the available bandwidth is being taxed. You can prepare by signing up with a reliable service provider, knowing it will not be free but will have a better chance of working than the free option. If necessary, consider pre-recording the sermon if the speaking pastor is more comfortable having the opportunity to fix mistakes before the broadcast.
- Speaking of free options, most are not truly free. Some have ads accompanying your stream, others throttle speeds based on traffic. Note that failure on their part bears no consequence for them. It pays to pay.
- Watch the background. What is invisible to the human eye can appear highly visible on camera. Prior to streaming, scan the stage for empty water bottles, boom mic stands that look like they are coming out of the worship leader’s head, and cables that may present a trip hazard.
- Smile! Encourage those who will be on camera to smile more than usual and to present a pleasant demeanor at all times. Most churches do not employ IMAG (image magnification) of the stage personnel, so this may be a new concept. The idea is for them to appear as inviting as they truly are, and the best way to do that is to smile.
- Stand. Have everyone onstage stand if possible. Video content will be enhanced by a group stance reflecting the importance of the moment.
- Check light levels and tone beforehand. Don’t let a stray dark spot become an issue; be mindful of the look the lighting creates. It is fine to use color, but don’t do so at the expense of properly illuminating faces. Faces are the key element to a successful lighting scheme. Also, be careful with light-fixture movement. A little goes a long way in streaming.
- Use the provided viewership metrics to hone the process. If the results show a high percentage of viewers from outside your local area who stay engaged, consider downplaying local references and increasing more general terms. If you notice a significant drop-off during in-service announcements, move the announcements to the pre-service time frame.
- Make use of graphics and visuals as much as possible to improve retention of the material. Keep movements smooth and seamless; think ahead to the next shot and focus only on the key elements.
- Put as much effort into the livestream as you do into the regular service. Provide a way for viewers to contact the church for counseling, for help, or to find out more about the congregation. Don’t be afraid to make giving a noticeable function of the service online, as it is vital to the continuance of the ministry.
As a wrap-up, remember that nothing we do will be perfect, so roll with the punches and enjoy producing the service with an eye toward making the next one even better.