Engage More People This Easter with Live Streaming

Easter is one of the biggest Sundays of the year for churches. But, because of the long weekend, it’s often a time when families choose to travel or visit family elsewhere. Or they may not be able to make it to your church building due to weather, sickness, or other unforeseen reasons. (Or a global pandemic that we will never forget). So, instead of accepting that they won’t be able to engage with you on this important Sunday, what if you set up a church live stream so they could tune in wherever they are?

After our experiences two years ago with having to shut down and think fast about how to host church services, live streaming became even more popular. And most churches who started using it then, have found that it has continued to be beneficial.

Easter is the perfect time to use live streaming to engage even more people.

Share the Easter Message

Get the gospel outside the walls of your church. One way to do this is through a live stream service. Millions of people go online every day. You can reach people who may not want to step foot in a church. But they may be willing to watch a sermon from their phone. Easter is the perfect time to share the gospel because that is what the holiday is all about.

Get the Word Out

Along with sharing the Easter message, live streaming lets you spread the word that your church is hosting an Easter service. You can share your live stream on multiple avenues, including your church website and social media platforms. Then,  people can share the video with their audience. Often, when one person watches, they may want to invite others to watch online with them.

Connect the Online Community

You can engage your online church community with live streaming.  Offering a live chat throughout the service makes people feel connected. They get to participate in the service while it is happening. You can include an option to receive prayer requests, too.  By including the sermon notes in your live stream, people can follow along and write down what God is speaking to them about throughout your Easter message.

Stream a Special Easter Program

If your church is doing a unique service or program, consider broadcasting it through your live stream. Maybe it’s a children’s choir or a live rendition of the passion week. Friends and family who aren’t local but want to watch will be able to. And maybe people who weren’t thinking about attending in person can tune in from the comfort of their homes.

Give a Sneak Peek

Because Easter is the most attended service of the year, you’ll probably have more people watching online, too. Many people like to “attend” online before showing up in person because they can get a feel for what your church will be like. Easter is the perfect opportunity to give potential visitors a sneak peek into your services and church culture.

Inspire Generosity

Many new visitors, whether online or in person, will be encouraged to participate in giving during Easter. They will see all the great things your church is doing for God’s kingdom and may be inclined to contribute to that. Include your online giving form in your live stream so people can have easy access to give. 

Live Streaming Best Practices 

Before pressing record this Easter, here are some best practices to ensure your live streaming runs smoothly. 

1. Do a test run before going live.
   Be sure to run a test live stream to ensure all your equipment, both video and audio are working properly.  
2. Include the online audience.
   Acknowledge those who are watching online during your Easter service. Give them a welcome greeting and let them know they are a part of the festivities, too. 
3. Have a team for live chat and prayer.
   One way to engage those online viewers is to have a team in place to chat with them during the online event.  
4. Start the live stream early.
   Begin your live stream before the designated start time. Have a countdown clock and music while people log on. 
5. Promote the live stream service.
   Whatever you’re doing for your live stream services, be sure to let people know about it all ahead of time. You’ll have more people attend online if more people are aware.  
6. Simulcast on social media.
   Aside from making your live stream available on your church website, simulcast it to your church’s social media platforms to reach your existing audience.  
   
   

Next Steps 

Be sure you’re ready this Easter to engage even more people with live streaming. Clover’s got you covered with ChurchStreaming.tv. Get started today with your FREE, 30-day live streaming trial.