02/08/2024
For some, online church is their way in to in-person gatherings as they explore faith. For others it may be how they connect with their community when they can’t be there in person. How can you ensure your church is best placed to support them?
The below is just advice. No one should feel compelled to start or continue streaming services and events but if you do, we’re here to help along with your diocesan communications colleagues! But firstly, why do online church anyway?
Why does online church matter?
A lot of churches were forced to adapt to online services during the pandemic. Today, some might feel that online church is no longer needed since we can meet in-person. But here’s three reasons online church should be invested in and not abandoned.
1. Accessibility
Being stuck indoors in the pandemic raised awareness of those who face this reality with or without a national lockdown. Many with disabilities, or those who are older, can struggle with the demand of an in-person gathering. It might be the logistical challenge of leaving home and getting to church, or the social challenge of being surrounded by a large group of people. Many personal obstacles, visible or not, can stop people getting to church on a Sunday morning. While we can still cherish the value of in-person meetings, it’s vital to ensure that church is accessible for all in your community. It can be a profound gift to let these people know that they aren’t excluded from church community because of the difficulties they face.
2. A soft introduction
Broadcasting your services online can let those considering your church explore it without committing to an in-person visit first. Maybe they’re anxious about meeting people just yet so want to get a feel for what your church is like first. They might be curious about the preaching or worship styles. You can enable a ‘soft introduction’ by running online services that give a taste of what your church is like and ease people gently into your community.
3. Wider reach
Running online services means your gathering could be seen by anyone in the world. That includes people who are part of your community but away/abroad for whatever reason and are keen to still feel connected. You can maintain an in-person core congregation while growing connections online. For those who may drift in and out of church community, online services can sustain a lower-commitment avenue that keeps them connected even when they’re not always around. You can save services online so that people who missed them can catch up, or listen again to a recent sermon to reinforce it.
Think about online church like an open door to the online world. It’s a great way to ensure your community is accessible and welcoming to as many as possible.
1. How to film your service
You’ll need some way of capturing the visuals and audio for your service and then bringing that online. Here’s some options.
There’s a lot you can now do easily on your phone or with a tablet. Read this blog for more information on where to position the device, and inexpensive microphones and lighting that can be purchased to significantly improve the quality. It doesn’t need to be complex: here’s some advice on creating a simple livestream setup.
For more permanent and advanced camera installations in church buildings, consider your AV installation. There is more information on AV setup here. You can use Parish Buying to access video and audio-visual suppliers who can provide guidance and a quote to recommend equipment, installation and ongoing maintenance.
To keep things simpler, perhaps if you’re just getting started, you could just focus on the audio. You can record audio of the service or event using a smartphone and inexpensive microphone (a list can be found in this blog and share through free platforms such as Soundcloud). If your service or event will be featuring more than one person (such as musicians), the equipment suggested in this blog may be preferable. This will be significantly less expensive and could also rely on AV equipment your church may already have in place.
With your visual and audio captured, you also need a means of getting it online. You could share it live – take a look at our guide on how to do that here. Or, if you can’t or don’t want to share live, but post a recording after the event, this blog explores how to schedule video content on YouTube and Facebook.
2. Important factors for online church
1. Safeguarding and GDPR
Ensuring a safe and secure environment is vital. Some members of your community may not feel comfortable appearing in video, and for others it may compromise their safety.
If no one from your congregation will be identifiable (e.g. just the back of peoples heads) during filming or photography then you don’t need to gain consent. However, if members of the congregation will be visible, consider the following:
GDPR for adults: Those appearing in film or photography will need to have given consent. A photo release form can be signed by adults and must include all the places that the photo or video may be used by the church. Regular attendees at the church need to only sign this once but it should be refreshed regularly, every three years. However, new visitors should be asked before the service or event begins.
GDPR for children: Videos containing children may be used by the church if consent has been given by their parent or guardian, following the same guidelines as above. If permission has not been given, it can be helpful to identify these children by using a simple paper wristband, or by asking them to sit in the photo and video free zone.
2. Preparing for filming
Tell your community your plans for filming and send out the photo release forms to your email list, WhatsApp groups, or Facebook groups – anywhere your community can see it – so they are ready.
Create photo and video free zones. For those who do not give photo/video consent, create a safe space within your church building where they may sit. This could be a side aisle, or a few rows at the back. Simple signs will help identify where this space is, and make sure that those who are filming or taking photos are aware. At the beginning of the service, remind people and give them opportunity to move.
Update your privacy policy: Include this paragraph in your privacy policy and display it somewhere with your church building and on your website so that it can be read before the consent form is signed.
3. Additional livestream considerations
In-meeting chat – If you’re sharing via Zoom, attendees can chat privately 1:1, as well as with the whole group. This feature can be turned on or off. A general rule for this is:
Leave on for a private meeting where 1:1 conversations may support the whole discussion, where you know all the attendees and everyone is comfortable having the function turned on
A public service where this feature may be distracting or open to abuse should have this function disabled
The function must always be disabled if children or young people are attending. Find out how to turn off private chat here.
Be welcoming to those online and in the room - Make sure you introduce yourself, your church and the service itself – this may sound silly but lots of people are watching online for the first time. Making sure you welcome those in the room “and those watching at home” can help everyone feel included.
Licensing of music - This is key to ensure you can use the music you wish, whether live streaming or sharing a recording. You can access our free library of licensed church music and find out more about licensing here.
3. We’re here for you: make use of central support
Make use of A Church Near You!
A Church Near You is our hub made to provide CofE churches with an online home that communicates who they are and how to get involved with services. More than 15,000 churches have a listing here. You can:
Add services, events and livestream links to your church page to give visitors a direct link to your gatherings
Embed links to previous services to catch up on
Make use of the Resource Hub – digital resources like music and visuals to help your church online
Connect with Weekly online services
Every week we broadcast a different online church service from a CofE church. You can find out more about these here. Watching previous services could give you ideas about how you would like your online service to look. Do like our Facebook page or subscribe to our YouTube page to be alerted when new videos go live.
Digital Labs
There are a range of Digital Labs blogs that provide guidance digitally equipping your church, and the Digital Team continue to run free webinars to help upskill churches. Plus you can get the Digital Labs Newsletter for monthly updates and insights.
