8 things to improve when streaming Sunday services

Bob Whitesel April 1, 2020

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

In my work helping churches reach out, the Sunday morning experience is paramount. Having watched many online Sunday services, I’ve curated the most recurring weaknesses with suggested improvements.

1. Be your genuine self. 

I found that many watchers flip around to various online services, listening to just a few minutes of each, to find one with which they can relate. It is an opportunity for incognito church shopping. So, be yourself. Be a genuine reflection of the styles, personality and liturgy of your church meetings. 

Sometimes leaders consider a video service as an opportunity to try new things or create new impressions. Leaders may convey an impression of a larger audience than usually congregates. Or leaders may experiment with acoustic worship because the leader prefers the “unplugged style.” At other times, I’ve seen leaders broadcast the service from their living room dressed casually. 

Try and give the visitor a true and authentic sense for the styles, atmosphere and culture of your church worship service. That way if they one day visit a face-to-face venue they will not be surprised. 

For example, if your congregation dresses up for Sunday, then dress up a bit even when broadcasting from your living room. Paul reminded his readers he was the same person in written word and physical presence:

 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. ~1 Corinthians 10:9-11, MSG

2. Create smooth transitions. 

Work on transitions to create uninterrupted flow between different liturgical elements, worship and preaching. It may be best to pre-record the service so these transitions can be smoothly edited together. Some churches try to approximate live services by streaming live. Yet, because most churches have little experience with online worship this often creates glitches that interrupt the connection between the listener and the Lord. 

Distraction in worship is not new. Richard Steele in 1673 wrote the book, Remedy for Wandering Thoughts in the Worship of God, after he found his mind wandering, stating, “My own disease caused me to study the cure.” He found a cure in Paul’s admonition to eliminate distractions. 

All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions. ~1 Corinthians 7:35, MSG

3.Talk about immediate concerns.

If you pre-record the message, do so only a few days before broadcasting it. It’s important not to just re-broadcast earlier sermons, but to talk about topics of immediate concern to the listeners. 

Talking about suffering and fear are important and timely topics. Romans 8:31 reminds us that when we face calamity, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (NIV).

4. Pay attention to presentation. 

Some churches will have the pastor behind the pulpit, re-creating their sanctuary atmosphere for the watchers. Others will utilize a studio format. In both circumstances I’ve noticed two recurring distractions.

First, when the lessons, verses, etc., are put on a screen behind the speaker they are often not legible. However, if a service is recorded a few days earlier, then these can be inserted electronically. This not only looks more professional but also makes words more legible. 

Second, stage lighting is often poor. Most leaders know they need at least two front lights, shining from slightly above and from the left and right. But most leaders do not know that an additional back light is necessary to yield a sense of depth and a 3D feel. 

Without at least one back light, a speaker will look two-dimensional, like a cardboard cutout. Back lighting is also needed at face-to-face events, so make sure you add it to your face-to-face venues as well.

5. Connect with your community through followup and online giving.

Every church home page should have three things prominently displayed: how to contact us, event times and location. Most churches also have online giving options. Yet, many pastors feel awkward when it comes to the offering. This may be because they are criticized for overemphasizing or underemphasizing it. Take time during the week to prepare and record what you will say about the offering. Pray over it and use Scripture to help watchers see that generosity is not only a spiritual discipline but also as something dearly needed during trying times. 

Paul told the young pastor Timothy, “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19, MSG).

6.Ignore, don’t criticize technical problems. 

When you are recording live or even pre-recording, glitches will always creep in. When technical difficulties occur a leader will usually feel compelled to say something and apologize. But to the many hard-working tech people, drawing attention to a glitch through even an apology feels like public criticism. 

For most churches online worship expressions are a new frontier. And in that frontier it is experimentation, failures and successes that should be expected as part of the pioneer life. Jesus reminds us to communicate personally before publicly, “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend” (Matthew 18:15, MSG)

7.Lead people to an encounter with God. 

Electronic mediums create physical distancing, but not between people and God. Pioneers like Billy Graham and Charles Fuller used radio in its infancy to lead people to an encounter with Christ. 

Today it’s important that church leaders foster a connection between the watcher and God. Leaders should create times during the service when the watcher feels that God is right there with them, speaking to them and ministering to them. 

A preacher should make this the apex of their sermon. And worship leaders should make this the focus of planning and prayer. Hebrews 4:6 reminds us in difficult times we should, “…approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (NIV).

8. It is normal to be worried and scared, but trust God. 

Are you worried, frustrated or just uncomfortable with remote leadership? Paul felt the same way, yet he stated, “I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, MSG).

Photo source: istock 

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More »

• 3 church website checks that will transform online presence (by Mark MacDonald)
• Is AI climbing the “peak of inflated expectations?" (by Bob Whitesel)
• Stop the scroll of doom (by Bob Russell)
• 12 church jobs that AI will replace in 2025 (and what you should do about it) (by Bob Whitesel)

Free eBook

Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry

Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.

Download Now