As more and more churches get into live-streaming, more and more myths surface. Some of them are subtle mistakes. Others are the result of poor motivations. But either way, they need to be addressed.
1. "Facebook and YouTube are just as good as paid services."
These two services seemed like a real threat to their paid competitors when they first started offering live-streaming, but as they say, "The devil is in the details."
While you don't pay money for these services, you do pay in frustration.
Let's start with copyright. If your church ever uses copyrighted music in your live-stream, you should have either a CCLI Streaming License or Christian Copyright Solutions' WorshipCast. They allow your church musicians to perform music on the live-stream and pay the artists and others who were involved in its creation.
Unfortunately when it comes to YouTube and Facebook, finding someone to tell that you have these licenses is difficult, if not impossible. So, they just conclude, wrongly, that you're in violation of the law and take actions up to and including stopping your live-stream mid-service or disabling your account altogether.
Then there's the technical challenges of running a live-stream. If you just can't connect, Facebook and YouTube are happy to let you read technical articles on why, but good luck finding a person to guide your through your trouble or to verify that the problem is on their end.
Finally, there's "community guidelines." There was a time when churches wouldn't be questioned for the moral stands they took. Today, some of those positions are seen as "hate speech" at worst or a violation of community standards, at best.
It doesn't matter that the Bible has said the same thing for 2,000 or so years. Saying it out loud could get your service suspended.
Sure, reach with these services is better than you may get on your website, but if you even consider changing what you say, is it worth the savings?
2. "We can’t live-stream because people won’t come to church."
Think about the Superbowl. Imagine I'm going to give you a free ticket, free travel and accommodations, but only if you agree to go. Oh, and you'll get transportation there that will get you in and out without sitting in traffic for hours on end.
Want to go? If not, substitute "Superbowl" with a live event you would want to go to in those circumstances. Maybe it's a concert from your favorite band, a performance of a Broadway play, or something else. Either way, why do you want to go in person?
You can watch it on TV, or listen to recordings you already have or whatever—for free. It's so much easier.
We all know why. It's better in person. Some things just are.
If your church services aren't better in person, something is wrong. The warm handshake or hug of a friend, the connection you feel to God as you worship with others, the ability to look all around and take it all in, are all things that make it better in person.
The live-stream is a consolation prize. As cool as we techies think it is, being there is better.
For more on the reasons why this isn't something your church needs to worry about, read this article (https://www.churchproduction.com/education/attendance-is-down.-blame-the-live-stream/) which deals with this myth exclusively.
[Editor's note: This article was originally published in March 2019.]
3. "We’ve got to do a sub-par live-stream because of our budget."
This is a myth that sounds Biblical. After all, isn't it good stewardship to spend as little money as possible?
Actually, no. Quite the opposite, really.
The Parable of the Talents doesn't scold the two servants who invested, what they'd been given, wisely. No, it scolds the one who hid the money and didn't even try to use it.
Likewise, when the people were hungry after listening to Jesus speak for hours on end, He didn't tell them, "Our budget is only five loaves and two fish, so we'll just have to make do with everyone getting a crumb of bread and a cell or two of fish."
There's nothing wrong with starting small, but where this myth gets destructive is when churches think that "starting small" means "never growing."
If God is calling you to live-stream, be willing to put more resources behind what He's blessing. If He's not, you shouldn't just rush into something like this for less than pure reasons.
4. "I have to use a computer."
One of the most important parts of live-streaming is encoding. The raw video, that might be viewable locally, needs to be converted into a format that your live-streaming host can use to distribute it to your online congregation, not only down the street, but around the world. That's absolutely true.
If they don't use smart phones, churches tend to start with computers as their encoders. While the right hardware/software combination can give you great results, it's not the only, or even best way to do it.
Consider using a hardware encoder instead. This method has some key advantages. First, depending on which encoder you buy, it could be less expensive than buying a computer, a capture card, and software. While you could use free encoding software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), there's no way to get around the need for a computer and capture hardware, if you want to encode on a computer.
An encoding computer should still be a fairly high-end machine, even today. So, your church leaders will likely be very tempted to use it during the week. Whether they do or not, OS updates and driver issues can plague this type of system, even if other computer problems like viruses and malware aren't an issue, which are easier to avoid with a single-use machine.
Hardware encoders don't have these problems and can be purchased for as little as a few hundred dollars. Some are service-specific, so keep that in mind when shopping for them. If your church never changes how you live-stream, a less expensive one might do the trick for you, but if you'll switch from one delivery service to the other, look at one that's open to use on a variety of platforms. Above all, make sure it has all the features you need.
5. "We’ve got to live-stream to keep up with other churches."
Churches don't play the game of "keeping up with the Joneses," do they? You might not think so because they call it other things, but often, that's just what it is. Whatever you call it, if the mentality is the same, that's a problem.
It doesn't matter if you couch it in spiritual terms, "they do it, so we have to" isn't a good reason.
Instead of "how can we be like them" maybe you should ask "how can we be better at things they aren't good at".
In business, they call this your "unique selling proposition." Coke and Pepsi are both flavored sugar water. Yet, it's the differences that make people choose one over another. A Honda is a just a car, like Ford or a Jaguar or a Ferrari. Yet, each is different. People buy one over the other because of differences. There's nothing wrong with having a live-stream because you're called to it or you want to use it to do what you're called to do, but don't start this ministry out of jealousy or ambition. Do it because it fits your mission and in the way that fits who you are as a church.
Myths are everywhere, and as churches we should always strive for truth. If there's a better way to do something, do it that way. If you can provide your unique perspective, do it. If it reaches more people and grows the Kingdom, aim for that. The problem with these myths isn't just that they're false, but like all lies, they keep us from the plans that God has for us.
[Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2019.]
