One of the many problems that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon mankind is the inability to participate in important social gatherings like attending church services. Fortunately, this happened in a time where technology can provide an alternative way for church leaders to present their religious services to their parishioners through live streaming.
On the other hand, live streaming your church services can be quite a challenge especially for those that lack the necessary experience, budget, and knowledge on how to broadcast a live event online, explains Go Live, a company providing live stream in Sydney.
Luckily, this article will provide you with the information on how to stream your church services live so that you can continue to provide your parishioners with the much needed spiritual guidance that they require during this time of crisis.
Resources that You Need to Stream Your Church Services Live
According to Ephipan Video’s website, you will need the following resources in order to successfully stream your church services live:
A Strong and Reliable Internet Connection
The most important resource that you need to broadcast your church services online is a strong and reliable internet connection. This is an essential resource that you need to avoid any delay in transmission and to prevent any problems with the quality of your stream.
It is recommended that you use a hardwired internet connection to ensure stability and continuous transmission of the live broadcast. If it is not available, you can use a 4G or LTE connection, but make sure that you perform a speed test before you start your stream to make sure that your signal is strong and is capable of transmitting your live stream continuously.
An Audio and Video Equipment
After making sure that you have a stable internet connection, the next resource that you will need is an audio and video equipment. For the video equipment, you can use a DSLR camera, a camcorder, a webcam, or just the camera on your mobile phone to stream your church services. It really depends upon the available equipment that you have and the amount of budget that you can allocate for your streaming event.
For your audio equipment, you can use a lapel, a USB microphone, or just the mic from your mobile phone. You can use any audio device as long as it is static-free and is capable of clearly capturing the audio of your live streaming event.
Video Encoder
Based on the information provided by Facebook, you will need a video encoder (streaming software) in order to conduct live streaming. For those who do not know, a video encoder is a software or hardware that converts and compresses video and audio signals into digital form so that it can be broadcast online.
You can use any encoder that you like, including those that are free and available to be downloaded online.
Once you have set up your encoding software (or hardware) and equipment then you are almost ready to perform a live streaming broadcast for your parishioners.
Streaming Destination
The last resource that you need to stream your church services live is a streaming destination. A streaming destination is an online application, site, or platform that you can use to make your live video available to the public.
Some of the most popular streaming destinations include Facebook Live, Youtube Live, Periscope, Twitch, and others. You can opt to choose for a free or paid streaming destination depending on your preference, needs, and budget.
Instructions on How to Stream Your Church Services Live
After making sure that you have all the basic resources that you need to broadcast your live video online, it is now time to conduct the live streaming of your church services. To ensure that your live streaming event goes smoothly, it is recommended that you do the following:
- Pick a date and time for the live streaming event
- Advertise your church services live streaming event to your followers by posting the date, time, and link where the live streaming event can be viewed
- Perform a trial live streaming broadcast before the scheduled event to check if the quality of the internet connection, video stream, audio levels, and lighting is acceptable
- If you see any problems during the trial broadcast, fix it and then do another trial broadcast until you are satisfied with the outcome
After all these preparations, you can now perform the live streaming of your church services on the published scheduled date so that you can provide your parishioners with the spiritual guidance and prayers that they need during this time of uncertainty.
Final Words
Even though there is a limitation in social events and gatherings, you can still perform your church services through live streaming. You just need to follow the recommendations stated above and secure the basic resources that are necessary to conduct a live streaming event so that you can continue to provide your parishioners with the church services that they need to make their life happy and meaningful.
